NameCensus.

UK surname

Rawnsley

A locational surname referring to someone from a rowans-covered area or clearing.

In the 1881 census there were 978 people recorded with the Rawnsley surname, ranking it #3,977 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 730, ranked #7,461, down from #3,977 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Guiseley, Bradford and Halifax. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, Bradford and Hyndburn.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rawnsley is 1,272 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 25.4%.

1881 census count

978

Ranked #3,977

Modern count

730

2016, ranked #7,461

Peak year

1911

1,272 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rawnsley had 978 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,977 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 730 in 2016, ranked #7,461.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,272 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Rawnsley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rawnsley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rawnsley 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 652 #3,985
1861 historical 596 #4,445
1881 historical 978 #3,977
1891 historical 1,035 #4,033
1901 historical 1,138 #4,268
1911 historical 1,272 #3,732
1997 modern 739 #6,960
1998 modern 760 #7,025
1999 modern 758 #7,087
2000 modern 753 #7,078
2001 modern 759 #6,927
2002 modern 771 #6,978
2003 modern 754 #6,990
2004 modern 741 #7,094
2005 modern 730 #7,100
2006 modern 741 #7,052
2007 modern 754 #7,023
2008 modern 747 #7,129
2009 modern 739 #7,331
2010 modern 737 #7,471
2011 modern 751 #7,306
2012 modern 745 #7,267
2013 modern 747 #7,372
2014 modern 738 #7,476
2015 modern 731 #7,474
2016 modern 730 #7,461

Geography

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Where Rawnsleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Guiseley, Bradford, Halifax and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, Bradford 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 Guiseley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 008 Leeds
2 Leeds 009 Leeds
3 Bradford 055 Bradford
4 Bradford 036 Bradford
5 Hyndburn 009 Hyndburn

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rawnsley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rawnsley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rawnsley, 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 Rawnsley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Rawnsley 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

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Rawnsley is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Rawnsley is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rawnsley 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 Rawnsley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Rawnsley

The surname Rawnsley has its origins in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ra" meaning roe deer and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest. Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived near a meadow or clearing where roe deer were found.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rawnsley appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a Robert de Rauensley is mentioned. The "de" prefix indicates the name's connection to a specific place, possibly a township or hamlet called Rawnsley.

The Rawnsley surname is also linked to the village of Rawnsley in the Lake District of Cumbria, England. This place name is thought to have originated from the Old Norse words "ra" meaning roe deer and "voll" meaning a field or meadow, suggesting a similar meaning to the surname.

In the early 16th century, a notable figure named Hardrene Rawnsley was recorded as a landowner in the Furness area of Lancashire. Later, in the 17th century, a Reverend Nathaniel Rawnsley (1630-1689) served as the Vicar of Crosthwaite in the Lake District.

Other historical figures bearing the Rawnsley surname include the poet and writer Hardwicke Drummond Rawnsley (1851-1920), who was a co-founder of the National Trust and played a significant role in the preservation of the Lake District. Willingham Franklin Rawnsley (1855-1926) was a notable English clergyman and author, known for his works on the history of the Lake District.

Another prominent individual was Canon Henry Rawnsley (1845-1916), an English cleric and author who wrote extensively about the Lake District and was a close friend of the poet William Wordsworth. He played a crucial role in preserving Wordsworth's legacy and establishing the Wordsworth Trust.

The Rawnsley name also has connections to the literary world through the writer Hartley Rawnsley (1877-1935), who was a renowned author of children's books and a close friend of the novelist Beatrix Potter.

Throughout its history, the surname Rawnsley has maintained strong ties to the Lake District region of England, where many families bearing this name have resided for centuries. The name's association with meadows and deer-filled clearings in forests reflects the rural and natural landscapes that have shaped its origins and legacy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rawnsley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rawnsley 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 921 Rawnsleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.73x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 921 9.73x
Lancashire 14 0.12x
Durham 9 0.32x
Lincolnshire 9 0.59x
Kent 7 0.21x
Surrey 6 0.13x
Gloucestershire 4 0.21x
Hampshire 3 0.15x
Worcestershire 3 0.24x
Dorset 1 0.16x
Leicestershire 1 0.09x
Royal Navy 1 0.88x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Horton In Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 91 Rawnsleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 61.58x.

Place Total Index
Horton In Bradford 91 61.58x
Manningham 73 62.61x
Leeds 70 13.10x
Bradford 59 25.75x
Shipley 50 101.81x
Yeadon 40 187.18x
Northowram 38 57.26x
Elland Cum Greetland 36 84.45x
Guiseley 32 264.03x
Halifax 31 22.31x
Clayton 29 125.22x
Idle 20 45.58x
Skircoat 20 53.59x
Keighley 18 17.84x
Bowling 17 18.14x
Hipperholme Cum 17 40.89x
Warley 17 62.16x
Barkisland 16 232.90x
Bingley 15 24.89x
Ovenden 14 33.24x
Sowerby In Halifax 13 42.02x
Southowram 12 41.55x
Allerton 11 91.21x
Pudsey 11 21.75x
Rastrick 11 41.84x
Rawdon 11 98.74x
Menston 10 462.96x
Bramley In Bramley 9 24.84x
Gateshead 9 4.23x
Huddersfield 9 6.53x
Hunslet 9 6.10x
Micklefield 8 352.42x
Baildon 7 39.28x
Calverley Cum Farsley 7 26.05x
Gomersal 7 15.85x
Horsforth 7 33.73x
Haworth 6 26.68x
Headingley Cum Burley 6 9.85x
Heaton 6 59.00x
Lambeth 6 0.72x
Wath On Dearne 6 31.78x
Norland 5 76.92x
Thornton In Bradford 5 15.87x
Batley 4 4.45x
Halton Holegate 4 245.40x
Plumstead 4 3.68x
Saddleworth 4 5.48x
Stapleton 4 11.26x
Wortley In Bramley 4 5.34x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 3 8.73x
Claife 3 166.67x
Eccleshill 3 13.03x
Flamborough 3 65.50x
Habergham Eaves 3 2.90x
Hartlebury 3 40.43x
Raithby In Spilsby 3 588.24x
St Bartholomew Hyde 3 64.10x
Stainland Cum Old 3 18.53x
Altofts 2 19.16x
Barrow In Furness 2 1.30x
Cranbrook 2 14.49x
Hawksworth 2 285.71x
Liversedge 2 4.75x
Longwood 2 13.11x
Manchester 2 0.39x
New Malton 2 17.68x
North Meols 2 1.80x
Sculcoates 2 1.33x
Ecclesfield 1 1.44x
Healing 1 263.16x
Ilkley 1 6.46x
Lewisham 1 0.58x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 1 4.19x
Portland 1 2.97x
Royal Navy 1 1.03x
Slaithwaite 1 10.15x
Southcoates 1 1.90x
Toxteth Park 1 0.26x
Wardleworth 1 1.54x
Worsbrough 1 3.61x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 59
William 41
Joseph 26
James 22
Thomas 15
George 14
Samuel 12
Arthur 10
Edward 10
Ernest 9
Fred 9
Harry 9
Henry 9
Benjamin 8
Robert 8
Charles 7
Herbert 7
Jonathan 7
Albert 6
Frank 6
Joshua 6
Walter 6
David 5
Frederick 5
Peter 4
Tom 4
Alfred 3
Francis 3
Fred. 3
Joe 3
Sam 3
Wm. 3
Ambrose 2
Amos 2
Ben 2
Brian 2
Edwin 2
Horatio 2
Howarth 2
Isaac 2
Jesse 2
Job 2
Michael 2
Paul 2
Philip 2
Richard 2
Rufus 2
Seth 2
Sidney 2
Smith 2

FAQ

Rawnsley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rawnsley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 978 people were recorded with the Rawnsley surname. That placed it at #3,977 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rawnsley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 730 in 2016. That gives Rawnsley a modern rank of #7,461.

What does the Rawnsley surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a rowans-covered area or clearing.

What does the Rawnsley map show?

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