NameCensus.

UK surname

Redshaw

A topographic surname denoting someone residing near a red wood or forest.

In the 1881 census there were 896 people recorded with the Redshaw surname, ranking it #4,250 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,499, ranked #4,128, up from #4,250 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gateshead, North Kesteven and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Redshaw is 1,576 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 67.3%.

1881 census count

896

Ranked #4,250

Modern count

1,499

2016, ranked #4,128

Peak year

2010

1,576 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Redshaw had 896 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,250 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,499 in 2016, ranked #4,128.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,312 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Redshaw surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Redshaw surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Redshaw 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 525 #4,777
1861 historical 590 #4,480
1881 historical 896 #4,250
1891 historical 1,035 #4,033
1901 historical 1,251 #3,956
1911 historical 1,312 #3,635
1997 modern 1,494 #3,918
1998 modern 1,513 #4,014
1999 modern 1,519 #4,037
2000 modern 1,484 #4,097
2001 modern 1,479 #4,032
2002 modern 1,510 #4,048
2003 modern 1,493 #4,017
2004 modern 1,487 #4,039
2005 modern 1,428 #4,133
2006 modern 1,446 #4,090
2007 modern 1,488 #4,026
2008 modern 1,493 #4,048
2009 modern 1,524 #4,055
2010 modern 1,576 #4,009
2011 modern 1,520 #4,111
2012 modern 1,530 #4,005
2013 modern 1,533 #4,073
2014 modern 1,541 #4,082
2015 modern 1,525 #4,077
2016 modern 1,499 #4,128

Geography

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Where Redshaws are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Gateshead, St Werburgh and Frampton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gateshead, North Kesteven, County Durham and Middlesbrough. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 St Werburgh Derbyshire
5 Frampton Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gateshead 027 Gateshead
2 North Kesteven 005 North Kesteven
3 County Durham 039 County Durham
4 County Durham 011 County Durham
5 Middlesbrough 020 Middlesbrough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Redshaw

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Redshaw

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Redshaw, 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 Redshaw surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Redshaw 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Redshaw 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

Redshaw is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Redshaw 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 Redshaw 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 Redshaw, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Redshaw

The surname Redshaw has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from a place called Redshaw, which means "red wood" or "red grove." This place name is thought to have originated from the Old English words "read" (meaning red) and "sceaga" (meaning small wood or grove).

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Redshaw can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, a census-like record from 1273, where it appears as "de Reddeshawe." This suggests that the name was initially used as a descriptive reference to someone who lived near or came from the area known as Redshaw.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various historical documents, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John de Reddeshawe is mentioned in 1315. This further reinforces the connection between the surname and the place name.

One notable individual with the surname Redshaw was Sir John Redshaw, who lived in the late 15th century and was a prominent landowner in Lancashire. He is recorded as having served as a Justice of the Peace and as a Member of Parliament for Lancashire in 1491.

Another historical figure bearing the name Redshaw was Thomas Redshaw, born around 1550 in Lancashire. He was a prominent Puritan minister and author, known for his works on religious subjects, including "The Doctrine of Contentment" and "The Bride's Ornaments."

In the 17th century, the name Redshaw appears in various parish records and legal documents across England, particularly in the counties of Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Cheshire. One such record is the marriage of William Redshaw and Elizabeth Ashton in 1657 in the parish of Prestbury, Cheshire.

Another individual of note was Richard Redshaw, born in 1711 in Lancashire. He was a renowned clockmaker and inventor, credited with developing several innovations in clock mechanisms and timekeeping devices during the 18th century.

Throughout its history, the surname Redshaw has also been recorded with variations in spelling, such as Redshawe, Reddishawe, and Reddshawe, reflecting the fluidity of spelling conventions in earlier times.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Redshaw families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Redshaw 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 266 Redshaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.09x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 266 3.09x
Durham 181 7.00x
Lincolnshire 81 5.83x
Northamptonshire 61 7.46x
Lancashire 54 0.52x
Northumberland 52 4.02x
Derbyshire 39 2.87x
Middlesex 34 0.39x
Kent 21 0.71x
Leicestershire 15 1.56x
Hampshire 14 0.79x
Surrey 14 0.33x
Roxburghshire 13 8.26x
Rutland 11 17.24x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.60x
Hertfordshire 6 1.00x
Warwickshire 6 0.27x
Essex 3 0.17x
Glamorgan 3 0.20x
Gloucestershire 3 0.18x
Staffordshire 2 0.07x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.18x
Cheshire 1 0.05x
Cumberland 1 0.13x
Devon 1 0.06x
Isle of Man 1 0.62x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 33 Redshaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.79x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 33 6.79x
Wortley In Bramley 30 43.98x
Frampton 23 874.52x
Benefield 18 1285.71x
Conside Knitsley 18 89.51x
Peterborough 17 28.72x
Derby St Werburgh 15 19.09x
Thornaby 15 46.61x
Holbeck 14 24.54x
Benfieldside 13 76.43x
Gateshead 13 6.71x
Middlesbrough 13 11.59x
Aylesford 12 145.99x
Urpeth 12 238.10x
Ibstock 10 142.86x
Stranton 10 11.49x
Alnwick 9 40.49x
Chester Le Street 9 45.32x
Elswick 9 8.72x
Hunslet 9 6.70x
Kimblesworth 9 260.12x
Monkwearmouth Shore 9 17.83x
North Burton 9 555.56x
Osbournby 9 608.11x
Rockingham 9 1323.53x
Shincliffe 9 311.42x
St Marylebone London 9 1.94x
Castleton 8 7.77x
Clee With Weelsby 8 26.30x
Crossgate 8 70.73x
Dawdon 8 25.16x
Heckmondwike 8 28.88x
Ilkley 8 56.82x
Ruskington 8 225.99x
Uppingham 8 105.12x
Bradford 7 3.36x
Corsenside 7 344.83x
Crumpsall 7 28.79x
Escomb 7 58.92x
Eye 7 179.03x
Jedburgh 7 45.37x
Jesmond 7 38.46x
Langtoft 7 380.43x
Sittingbourne 7 29.89x
Stillingfleet With 7 642.20x
Sunderland Bridge 7 170.73x
Ardsley 6 60.48x
Aspull 6 24.73x
Aston 6 0.99x
Battersea 6 1.88x
Boston 6 14.23x
Broughton In Salford 6 6.36x
Camberwell 6 1.08x
Derby St Alkmund 6 14.71x
North Cave Drewton 6 176.99x
Rawcliffe In Goole 6 122.45x
Rothwell 6 34.48x
Shirley 6 833.33x
Southampton St Mary 6 5.36x
Westgate 6 7.49x
Whitworth 6 31.70x
Bow London 5 4.52x
Brailsford 5 257.73x
Great Driffield 5 28.28x
Headingley Cum Burley 5 9.02x
Hownam 5 641.03x
Otley 5 23.91x
Pelton 5 40.65x
Poplar London 5 3.05x
Tottington Lower End 5 10.20x
Wold Newton 5 537.63x
Armley 4 10.53x
Byker 4 6.26x
Ecclesall Bierlow 4 2.28x
Eggleston 4 180.18x
Falsgrave 4 31.52x
Merrington 4 80.32x
Millbrook 4 8.91x
South Stoneham 4 10.35x
Wyberton 4 208.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 62
Sarah 33
Elizabeth 26
Jane 23
Ann 20
Annie 16
Margaret 16
Hannah 13
Isabella 13
Eliza 10
Emma 10
Fanny 10
Emily 9
Charlotte 8
Anne 7
Harriet 7
Ada 5
Martha 5
Alice 4
Caroline 4
Catherine 4
Edith 4
Ellen 4
Grace 4
Maria 4
Agnes 3
Betsy 3
Clara 3
Dorothy 3
Ethel 3
Frances 3
Kate 3
Louisa 3
Matilda 3
Rose 3
Sophia 3
Barbara 2
Elizth. 2
Florence 2
Georgina 2
Harriett 2
Rachel 2
Selina 2
Susan 2
Bertha 1
Edeth 1
Elinor 1
Eliz.Ann 1
Eliz.Ann. 1
Zillah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 76
William 61
Thomas 37
George 33
James 30
Joseph 21
Charles 18
Henry 17
Edward 12
Albert 8
Robert 8
Arthur 7
Samuel 7
Benjamin 6
Frank 5
Richard 5
Walter 5
Herbert 4
Alfred 3
Andrew 3
David 3
Edwin 3
Francis 3
Fred 3
Harry 3
Isaac 3
Thos. 3
Adam 2
Chas. 2
Edwd. 2
Ernest 2
Israel 2
Jonathan 2
Josiah 2
Matthew 2
Middleton 2
Percy 2
Robt. 2
Wilson 2
Boyes 1
Chatham 1
Eward 1
Fras. 1
Fred. 1
Georgeina 1
Hy. 1
Isabella 1
Jas. 1
Jas.Wm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Redshaw surname: questions and answers

How common was the Redshaw surname in 1881?

In 1881, 896 people were recorded with the Redshaw surname. That placed it at #4,250 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Redshaw surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,499 in 2016. That gives Redshaw a modern rank of #4,128.

What does the Redshaw surname mean?

A topographic surname denoting someone residing near a red wood or forest.

What does the Redshaw map show?

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