NameCensus.

UK surname

Rawcliffe

From a raw cliff or steep rock formation.

In the 1881 census there were 1,198 people recorded with the Rawcliffe surname, ranking it #3,368 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,419, ranked #4,297, down from #3,368 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lytham, Preston and Bispham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fylde and Hyndburn.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rawcliffe is 1,578 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.4%.

1881 census count

1,198

Ranked #3,368

Modern count

1,419

2016, ranked #4,297

Peak year

1911

1,578 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rawcliffe had 1,198 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,368 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,419 in 2016, ranked #4,297.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,578 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Rawcliffe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rawcliffe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rawcliffe 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 634 #4,094
1861 historical 745 #3,659
1881 historical 1,198 #3,368
1891 historical 1,236 #3,495
1901 historical 1,392 #3,613
1911 historical 1,578 #3,076
1997 modern 1,510 #3,880
1998 modern 1,540 #3,959
1999 modern 1,557 #3,958
2000 modern 1,527 #4,001
2001 modern 1,493 #3,998
2002 modern 1,499 #4,079
2003 modern 1,478 #4,048
2004 modern 1,484 #4,044
2005 modern 1,440 #4,094
2006 modern 1,439 #4,109
2007 modern 1,441 #4,138
2008 modern 1,453 #4,130
2009 modern 1,497 #4,128
2010 modern 1,492 #4,200
2011 modern 1,462 #4,217
2012 modern 1,407 #4,287
2013 modern 1,442 #4,273
2014 modern 1,430 #4,320
2015 modern 1,417 #4,319
2016 modern 1,419 #4,297

Geography

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Where Rawcliffes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lytham, Preston, Bispham, Blackburn and Whalley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fylde and Hyndburn. 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 Lytham Lancashire
2 Preston Lancashire
3 Bispham Lancashire
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 Whalley Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fylde 002 Fylde
2 Hyndburn 007 Hyndburn
3 Hyndburn 003 Hyndburn
4 Hyndburn 006 Hyndburn
5 Hyndburn 004 Hyndburn

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rawcliffe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rawcliffe

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Rawcliffe is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rawcliffe is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

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

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rawcliffe falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rawcliffe 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.

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Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Rawcliffe

The surname Rawcliffe is an English habitation name derived from the place name Rawcliffe, which is located in Yorkshire, England. The name is thought to have originated in the 12th or 13th century and is derived from the Old English words "raw" meaning "row" or "line," and "clif" meaning "cliff" or "slope."

The earliest recorded spelling of the surname Rawcliffe can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1208, where it appears as "de Rawcliffe." This suggests that the name was initially used as a locational identifier for someone who lived near or came from the Rawcliffe area.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the place name Rawcliffe is mentioned as "Rauelclife" and "Raucheclive," indicating that the name has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Rawcliffe belongs to John Rawcliffe, who was born in Yorkshire in the late 13th century and served as a member of Parliament for the city of York in 1314.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Robert Rawcliffe, a Yorkshire knight who lived during the 15th century and fought in the Wars of the Roses. He was a staunch supporter of the House of Lancaster and was killed in battle at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471.

During the 16th century, the Rawcliffe family established itself as a prominent landed gentry in Yorkshire. Thomas Rawcliffe, born in 1540, was a wealthy landowner and served as a Justice of the Peace for the West Riding of Yorkshire.

In the 17th century, William Rawcliffe, born in 1620, was a renowned scholar and clergyman who served as the Rector of Bilton in Yorkshire. He was known for his contributions to theological writings and his work in education.

The 18th century saw the emergence of another notable Rawcliffe, Sir Henry Rawcliffe, who was born in 1763 and served as a British diplomat and politician. He held various diplomatic posts in Europe and was later elected as a member of Parliament for York in 1807.

While the Rawcliffe surname has its roots in Yorkshire, it has since spread to other parts of England and beyond, with bearers of the name making significant contributions in various fields throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rawcliffe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rawcliffe 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. Lancashire leads with 936 Rawcliffes recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.76x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 936 6.76x
Yorkshire 198 1.71x
Cheshire 30 1.16x
Middlesex 5 0.04x
Derbyshire 4 0.22x
Ayrshire 3 0.34x
Cumberland 3 0.30x
Devon 3 0.12x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.19x
Channel Islands 2 0.58x
Essex 2 0.09x
Hampshire 1 0.04x
Northamptonshire 1 0.09x
Northumberland 1 0.06x
Shropshire 1 0.10x
Somerset 1 0.05x
Surrey 1 0.02x
Warwickshire 1 0.03x
Worcestershire 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. Preston in Lancashire leads with 159 Rawcliffes recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.89x.

Place Total Index
Preston 159 42.89x
Blackburn 94 25.50x
Accrington 89 70.65x
Oswaldtwistle 37 75.59x
Church 35 178.94x
Thornton In Fylde 26 85.78x
Holbeck 24 31.31x
Layton With Warbreck 23 45.24x
Longton 23 395.19x
Habergham Eaves 20 15.79x
Aighton Bailey 18 269.87x
Marton 18 195.44x
Walton Le Dale 16 42.98x
Upper Rawcliffe With 15 607.29x
Burnley 13 11.14x
Clayton Le Moors 13 48.36x
Golcar 13 42.50x
Huddersfield 13 7.71x
Hutton 13 838.71x
Lancaster 13 15.77x
Leyland 13 53.92x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 13 44.54x
Wiswell 13 440.68x
Barrow In Furness 12 6.37x
Great Harwood 12 47.92x
Leeds 12 1.84x
Halifax 11 6.48x
Chorley 10 12.86x
Livesey 10 41.12x
Longwood 10 53.62x
York St Saviour 10 90.50x
Hunslet 9 4.99x
Myerscough 9 588.24x
Sandbach 9 40.95x
Warton 9 562.50x
Altham 8 506.33x
Fulwood 8 53.44x
Hambleton 8 516.13x
Linthwaite 8 32.89x
Salford 8 1.96x
Worsbrough 8 23.60x
Wortley In Bramley 8 8.73x
Yealand Conyers 8 645.16x
Clifton Cum Salwick 7 419.16x
Dalton In Huddersfield 7 27.01x
Heap 7 9.53x
Lathom 7 41.84x
Little Smeaton In 7 603.45x
Ormskirk 7 26.41x
Calverley Cum Farsley 6 18.26x
Chadderton 6 8.86x
Everton 6 1.36x
Hurdsfield 6 37.83x
Lea Ashton Ingol 6 65.22x
Liverpool 6 0.71x
Poulton Le Fylde 6 121.95x
Stainland Cum Old 6 30.30x
Toxteth Park 6 1.28x
Weeton With Preece 6 350.88x
Ashton Under Lyne 5 1.65x
Catterall 5 204.08x
Clitheroe 5 12.26x
Dalton In Furness 5 9.35x
Euxton 5 108.70x
Greenhalgh With 5 328.95x
Howick 5 2000.00x
Kirkham 5 27.29x
Northowram 5 6.16x
Stalmine With Staynall 5 250.00x
Wigan 5 2.58x
Goosnargh 4 89.29x
Lingards 4 114.61x
Macclesfield 4 3.49x
Marple 4 22.61x
Meltham 4 22.23x
Osbaldeston 4 645.16x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 4 13.49x
Saddleworth 4 4.48x
Woodplumpton 4 80.81x
Adlington 3 23.13x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 89
Elizabeth 72
Margaret 42
Ellen 41
Alice 38
Ann 38
Sarah 38
Jane 34
Hannah 17
Isabella 11
Martha 11
Annie 10
Catherine 9
Grace 8
Betty 7
Eliza 7
Nancy 6
Betsy 5
Lucy 5
Charlotte 4
Emily 4
Ruth 4
Ada 3
Agnes 3
Dinah 3
Edith 3
Emma 3
Fanny 3
Florence 3
Maria 3
Susannah 3
Anne 2
Bessie 2
Blanche 2
Clara 2
Eleanor 2
Elizth. 2
Esther 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Jenny 2
Julia 2
Louisa 2
Margarate 2
Margret 2
Rebecca 2
Rose 2
Winifred 2
E. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 90
William 72
Thomas 55
James 45
George 35
Richard 33
Robert 28
Joseph 26
Henry 17
Edward 12
Charles 11
Alfred 8
Arthur 7
Peter 7
Edwin 6
Frederick 6
Fred 5
Samuel 5
Walter 5
Harry 4
Luke 4
Thos. 4
Albert 3
Benjamin 3
Francis 3
Lawrence 3
Riley 3
Simeon 3
Wm. 3
B. 2
David 2
Elias 2
Ernest 2
Hugh 2
Jonathan 2
Joshua 2
Reuben 2
Robt. 2
Alexander 1
Anthony 1
Daniel 1
Dixon 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
G. 1
Geo. 1
Jno. 1
Job 1
Joe 1
Young 1

FAQ

Rawcliffe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rawcliffe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,198 people were recorded with the Rawcliffe surname. That placed it at #3,368 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rawcliffe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,419 in 2016. That gives Rawcliffe a modern rank of #4,297.

What does the Rawcliffe surname mean?

From a raw cliff or steep rock formation.

What does the Rawcliffe map show?

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