NameCensus.

UK surname

Raw

An archaic English surname derived from the Old Norse word "rā" meaning "journey" or "way".

In the 1881 census there were 1,050 people recorded with the Raw surname, ranking it #3,754 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,395, ranked #4,353, down from #3,754 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Darlington, Bradford and Danby. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Scarborough, Richmondshire and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Raw is 1,483 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.9%.

1881 census count

1,050

Ranked #3,754

Modern count

1,395

2016, ranked #4,353

Peak year

1998

1,483 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Raw had 1,050 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,754 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,395 in 2016, ranked #4,353.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,289 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Raw surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Raw surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Raw 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 847 #3,213
1881 historical 1,050 #3,754
1891 historical 13 #33,099
1901 historical 1,289 #3,863
1997 modern 1,432 #4,065
1998 modern 1,483 #4,096
1999 modern 1,477 #4,139
2000 modern 1,468 #4,137
2001 modern 1,456 #4,087
2002 modern 1,473 #4,127
2003 modern 1,413 #4,194
2004 modern 1,410 #4,195
2005 modern 1,396 #4,197
2006 modern 1,383 #4,234
2007 modern 1,380 #4,276
2008 modern 1,432 #4,186
2009 modern 1,471 #4,178
2010 modern 1,459 #4,274
2011 modern 1,456 #4,237
2012 modern 1,427 #4,240
2013 modern 1,451 #4,248
2014 modern 1,457 #4,266
2015 modern 1,410 #4,335
2016 modern 1,395 #4,353

Geography

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Where Raws are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Darlington, Bradford, Danby, Ripon and Keighley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Scarborough, Richmondshire, County Durham, Hambleton and South Lakeland. 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 Darlington Durham
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Danby Yorkshire, North Riding
4 Ripon Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Scarborough 002 Scarborough
2 Richmondshire 005 Richmondshire
3 County Durham 064 County Durham
4 Hambleton 004 Hambleton
5 South Lakeland 009 South Lakeland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Raw

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Raw

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Raw, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Raw surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Raw household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Raw is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Raw 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

Raw falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Raw is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Raw

The surname Raw is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from the Old English word 'raw' meaning 'row' or 'line', possibly referring to a row of houses or a street. The earliest known recorded instance of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as Rawe.

The name was primarily concentrated in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in the north of England. It is also believed to have been derived from various place names containing the word 'raw', such as Rawdon and Rawcliffe. These place names date back to the Anglo-Saxon period, further reinforcing the English origin of the surname.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various records, often with spelling variations such as Rawe, Rowe, and Rowe. One notable early bearer of the name was Roger Rawe, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1201. Another early instance is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a William de la Rawe is mentioned.

As the surname spread across England, it evolved into different spellings, including Raw, Rawe, and Rowe. One of the earliest recorded instances of the Raw spelling is found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a John Raw is listed.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Raw. One of the earliest was John Raw, a prominent merchant and Member of Parliament for the city of York in the late 15th century. Another notable bearer was William Raw, an English composer and organist who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

In the 18th century, Nathaniel Raw was a successful businessman and philanthropist from Yorkshire, known for his charitable works. In the following century, James Raw was a renowned English architect and surveyor, responsible for designing several notable buildings in the city of Leeds.

More recently, in the 20th century, Arthur Raw was a British writer and journalist, known for his works on military history and his coverage of World War II.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Raw families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Raw 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. Yorkshire leads with 608 Raws recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.81x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 608 5.81x
Durham 155 4.94x
Lancashire 138 1.10x
Middlesex 26 0.25x
Hertfordshire 21 2.89x
Surrey 16 0.31x
Devon 12 0.55x
Kent 11 0.31x
Lanarkshire 11 0.32x
Northumberland 11 0.70x
Essex 9 0.43x
Derbyshire 8 0.48x
Ayrshire 7 0.89x
Caernarfonshire 7 1.64x
Cardiganshire 7 2.72x
Cumberland 6 0.66x
Isle of Man 5 2.55x
Roxburghshire 5 2.62x
Sussex 5 0.28x
Westmorland 5 2.16x
Perthshire 4 0.84x
Hampshire 2 0.09x
Cheshire 1 0.04x
Renfrewshire 1 0.12x
Royal Navy 1 0.80x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Melbecks in Yorkshire leads with 62 Raws recorded in 1881 and an index of 1472.68x.

Place Total Index
Melbecks 62 1472.68x
High Low Bishopside 55 592.67x
Bradford 28 11.06x
Shildon 27 107.02x
Carperby Cum Thoresby 23 2110.09x
Haworth 23 92.52x
Muker 23 761.59x
Reeth 20 772.20x
Darlington 19 15.67x
Glaisdale 17 426.07x
Danby 16 378.25x
Ruswarp 16 137.58x
Whitby 16 45.39x
Benfieldside 15 72.64x
Bowling 14 13.51x
Kearsley 14 53.13x
Morley 14 25.74x
Newington 14 48.61x
Helmington Row 13 88.86x
Bowes 11 452.67x
Dent 11 251.72x
Evenwood Barony 11 103.00x
Hertford All Saints 11 270.27x
Lythe 11 263.79x
Manchester 11 1.95x
Sculcoates 11 6.63x
Esh 10 43.76x
Everton 10 2.51x
Barony 9 1.04x
Birdbrook 9 428.57x
Broughton In Salford 9 7.86x
Fearby 9 1125.00x
Hartlington 9 3000.00x
Salford 9 2.44x
Bewerley 8 186.05x
Bromley London 8 3.45x
Grinton 8 588.24x
Kettlewell With 8 592.59x
Lambeth 8 0.87x
Preston In Tynemouth 8 129.66x
Sutton In Keighley 8 135.14x
Ugglebarnby 8 567.38x
Barnsley 7 6.49x
Cockfield 7 159.82x
Ecclesall Bierlow 7 3.29x
Eccleshill 7 27.50x
Eglwys Rhos 7 130.60x
Garsdale 7 322.58x
Hawes 7 102.34x
Horton In Bradford 7 4.29x
Llanfihangel Y Croyddyn 7 77.35x
New Cumnock 7 51.09x
Skipton 7 21.27x
Whitwell 7 106.54x
York All Sts North 7 135.14x
Bishop Auckland 6 14.24x
Bootle Cum Linacre 6 6.03x
Brixham 6 23.57x
Cheetham 6 6.42x
Crumpsall 6 20.33x
Farnworth 6 8.00x
Hawsker Cum Stainsacre 6 172.41x
Hutton Magna 6 909.09x
Islington London 6 0.59x
Moorsholme 6 422.54x
Newton 6 6.22x
Pilkington 6 12.61x
Stanhope 6 18.51x
Walton On Hill 6 8.84x
Bradleys Both 5 268.82x
Brotton 5 36.63x
East Grinstead 5 19.85x
Elton 5 1219.51x
Erith 5 14.09x
Hertford St Andrew 5 55.62x
Keighley 5 4.49x
Liverton 5 206.61x
Onchan 5 8.86x
Oxted 5 80.78x
St Luke London 5 2.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 82
Elizabeth 61
Ann 36
Annie 30
Sarah 26
Margaret 25
Jane 21
Hannah 19
Alice 16
Ellen 16
Emma 16
Eliza 14
Isabella 9
Anne 7
Martha 6
Betsy 5
Edith 5
Dorothy 4
Eleanor 4
Elizth. 4
Margret 4
Margt. 4
Rebecca 4
Ruth 4
Ada 3
Catherine 3
Esther 3
Frances 3
Harriett 3
Kate 3
Louisa 3
Lucy 3
Agnes 2
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Deborah 2
Dinah 2
Emily 2
Eva 2
Grace 2
Harriet 2
Lillian 2
Lilly 2
Maria 2
Nancy 2
Rose 2
Selina 2
Sophia 2
Charlotte 1
Ernest 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 85
William 54
James 46
Thomas 43
George 41
Joseph 32
Robert 24
Francis 18
Richard 9
David 7
Frederick 7
Nathan 7
Alfred 6
Charles 6
Henry 6
Walter 6
Arthur 5
Christopher 5
Fred 5
Adam 4
Herbert 4
Albert 3
Frank 3
Matthew 3
Reuben 3
Samuel 3
Simon 3
Thompson 3
Tom 3
Addison 2
Bryan 2
Edmund 2
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Henery 2
Hugh 2
Isaiah 2
Issac 2
Leonard 2
Martin 2
Marwood 2
Michael 2
Underwood 2
Chang 1
Fran. 1
Fred. 1
Geo. 1
Jacob 1
Jas. 1
Wm.Thos. 1

FAQ

Raw surname: questions and answers

How common was the Raw surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,050 people were recorded with the Raw surname. That placed it at #3,754 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Raw surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,395 in 2016. That gives Raw a modern rank of #4,353.

What does the Raw surname mean?

An archaic English surname derived from the Old Norse word "rā" meaning "journey" or "way".

What does the Raw map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Raw 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.