NameCensus.

UK surname

Rash

An English nickname for a person with a rash or skin eruption, or for an impetuous individual.

In the 1881 census there were 147 people recorded with the Rash surname, ranking it #15,674 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 223, ranked #18,222, down from #15,674 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bulmer, Haverhill, Little Wratting and Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Braintree, East Cambridgeshire and North Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rash is 249 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.7%.

1881 census count

147

Ranked #15,674

Modern count

223

2016, ranked #18,222

Peak year

1891

249 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rash had 147 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,674 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016, ranked #18,222.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 249 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Rash surname distribution map

The map shows where the Rash surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Rash surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rash over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 87 #18,695
1861 historical 163 #14,242
1881 historical 147 #15,674
1891 historical 249 #12,813
1901 historical 183 #15,996
1911 historical 202 #14,871
1997 modern 183 #18,642
1998 modern 197 #18,283
1999 modern 193 #18,642
2000 modern 200 #18,209
2001 modern 190 #18,520
2002 modern 186 #19,150
2003 modern 187 #18,856
2004 modern 192 #18,678
2005 modern 186 #18,985
2006 modern 194 #18,627
2007 modern 197 #18,669
2008 modern 199 #18,699
2009 modern 203 #18,840
2010 modern 204 #19,200
2011 modern 206 #18,907
2012 modern 212 #18,481
2013 modern 209 #18,984
2014 modern 218 #18,583
2015 modern 225 #18,050
2016 modern 223 #18,222

Geography

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Where Rashs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bulmer, Haverhill, Little Wratting, Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a, Colchester St James and Ipswich St Mary Stoke. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Braintree, East Cambridgeshire, North Lincolnshire and Enfield. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bulmer Suffolk
2 Haverhill, Little Wratting Suffolk
3 Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a Essex
4 Colchester St James Essex
5 Ipswich St Mary Stoke Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Braintree 002 Braintree
2 Braintree 004 Braintree
3 East Cambridgeshire 006 East Cambridgeshire
4 North Lincolnshire 002 North Lincolnshire
5 Enfield 024 Enfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rash

These lists show first names that appear often with the Rash surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rash

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rash, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Rash surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Rash household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Rash is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rash is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rash falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rash is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Asian - Indian

This describes the area pattern most associated with Rash, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Rash

The surname Rash is believed to have originated in the region of Normandy in northern France, likely during the 11th or 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "rasche," meaning rash or impulsive, potentially describing a quick-tempered or impetuous individual.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rash can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this historical document, there is a reference to a Norman landowner named Radulfus Rasse, which is believed to be an early variation of the Rash surname.

During the Middle Ages, the name Rash appeared in various records and manuscripts across Europe, often associated with individuals hailing from the Normandy region of France or those of Norman descent. In the 13th century, a notable figure named Richard Rash was recorded as a prominent citizen in the town of Rouen, Normandy.

The earliest known bearer of the Rash surname in England was Sir John Rash, a knight who fought alongside King Richard I during the Third Crusade in the late 12th century. He was granted lands in Oxfordshire upon his return, and the name Rash became established in that region.

Another notable individual with the Rash surname was William Rash, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in Somerset, England, in the 15th century. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and established several charitable institutions in the region.

In the 16th century, the name Rash was associated with a prominent family from the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. One member of this family, Thomas Rash (1542-1611), was a respected scholar and tutor who taught at the local grammar school attended by William Shakespeare.

During the 17th century, the Rash surname gained prominence in Scotland, with several families bearing the name settled in the Highlands and Lowlands. One notable figure from this period was Robert Rash (1637-1704), a Scottish philosopher and theologian who made significant contributions to the field of moral philosophy.

Throughout history, the Rash surname has been associated with various place names and older spellings, such as Rashe, Rasshe, and Rayshe, reflecting the linguistic evolution and regional variations of the name over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rash families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rash surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Suffolk leads with 54 Rashs recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.92x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 54 30.92x
Cambridgeshire 46 50.65x
Essex 31 10.95x
Middlesex 8 0.56x
Hampshire 3 1.02x
Cornwall 1 0.62x
Norfolk 1 0.45x
Staffordshire 1 0.21x
Warwickshire 1 0.28x
Yorkshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Haverhill in Suffolk leads with 30 Rashs recorded in 1881 and an index of 1935.48x.

Place Total Index
Haverhill 30 1935.48x
West Wratting 17 5862.07x
Colchester St James 15 1304.35x
Ipswich St Margaret 12 202.36x
St Andrewthe Less 12 115.61x
Bulmer 10 2941.18x
Balsham 9 1800.00x
Wimblington 7 1296.30x
Bures St Mary 6 1395.35x
Chadwell St Mary 5 1724.14x
Wortham 4 851.06x
Milford 3 348.84x
St George Hanover 3 16.03x
Ipswich St Peter 2 85.11x
Kensington London 2 2.51x
Babraham 1 769.23x
Colchester St Mary 1 384.62x
Ealing 1 7.81x
Falmouth 1 17.39x
Holy Trinity 1 2.93x
Isleworth 1 15.70x
Islington London 1 0.72x
New Buckenham 1 370.37x
Rugby 1 20.45x
Wolverhampton 1 2.69x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Rash surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Sarah 6
Alice 5
Elizabeth 5
Mary 5
Emma 4
Annie 3
Jane 3
Kate 3
Ada 2
Louisa 2
Martha 2
Maud 2
Rebecca 2
Sophia 2
Ann 1
Bella 1
Caroline 1
Celia 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizbth. 1
Ellen 1
Emilan 1
Esther 1
Fincham 1
Gloria 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Jessie 1
Laura 1
Lillie 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Margrett 1
Maria 1
Marie 1
Matilda 1
May 1
Priscilla 1
Rachel 1
Rose 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1
Susiana 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Rash surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Charles 9
John 8
Thomas 6
William 6
George 5
Albert 3
Walter 3
Arthur 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Mark 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Stephen 2
Alfred 1
Christopher 1
Clipit 1
Ernest 1
Frederic 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Perceful 1
Sarah 1
V. 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Rash surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rash surname in 1881?

In 1881, 147 people were recorded with the Rash surname. That placed it at #15,674 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rash surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016. That gives Rash a modern rank of #18,222.

What does the Rash surname mean?

An English nickname for a person with a rash or skin eruption, or for an impetuous individual.

What does the Rash map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rash bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.