NameCensus.

UK surname

Robertshaw

A locational surname derived from a place name in Yorkshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 2,449 people recorded with the Robertshaw surname, ranking it #1,818 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,024, ranked #3,181, down from #1,818 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bradford and Halifax. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Calderdale, Craven and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Robertshaw is 2,941 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 17.4%.

1881 census count

2,449

Ranked #1,818

Modern count

2,024

2016, ranked #3,181

Peak year

1911

2,941 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Robertshaw had 2,449 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,818 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,024 in 2016, ranked #3,181.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,941 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Robertshaw surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Robertshaw surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Robertshaw 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 1,611 #1,785
1861 historical 1,794 #1,615
1881 historical 2,449 #1,818
1891 historical 2,591 #1,834
1901 historical 2,803 #1,991
1911 historical 2,941 #1,768
1997 modern 2,138 #2,889
1998 modern 2,207 #2,910
1999 modern 2,234 #2,899
2000 modern 2,253 #2,868
2001 modern 2,182 #2,885
2002 modern 2,190 #2,931
2003 modern 2,137 #2,937
2004 modern 2,127 #2,948
2005 modern 2,106 #2,941
2006 modern 2,099 #2,954
2007 modern 2,070 #3,024
2008 modern 2,074 #3,041
2009 modern 2,099 #3,080
2010 modern 2,142 #3,087
2011 modern 2,118 #3,081
2012 modern 2,094 #3,053
2013 modern 2,102 #3,102
2014 modern 2,086 #3,145
2015 modern 2,044 #3,166
2016 modern 2,024 #3,181

Geography

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Where Robertshaws are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Calderdale, Craven and Bradford. 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 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Calderdale 007 Calderdale
2 Craven 002 Craven
3 Bradford 022 Bradford
4 Bradford 058 Bradford
5 Bradford 031 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Robertshaw

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Robertshaw

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Robertshaw is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Robertshaw is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Robertshaw falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Robertshaw 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 Robertshaw, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Robertshaw

The surname Robertshaw is an English locational surname that originated in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is derived from the combination of the Old English personal name Robert and the word "shaw," which means a small wood or grove of trees. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a small wooded area owned or associated with someone named Robert.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Robertshaw can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where it is listed as "Robertschaw." This early spelling variation highlights the locational nature of the name and its connection to a specific place.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Robertshaw family was well-established in the parishes of Bingley, Keighley, and Bradford in Yorkshire. The Yorkshire Church Records from this period contain numerous entries for individuals with the surname Robertshaw, indicating their presence in the region.

In the late 16th century, a notable figure named John Robertshaw (c. 1570-1640) was recorded as a landowner and yeoman in the village of Harden, near Bingley. His descendants continued to reside in the area for several generations.

Another notable individual with the surname Robertshaw was William Robertshaw (1772-1849), a successful industrialist and woolen manufacturer from Bingley. He played a significant role in the development of the textile industry in the region during the Industrial Revolution.

During the 19th century, the Robertshaw family spread beyond Yorkshire to other parts of England, as well as to Wales and Scotland. This dispersal was likely due to the industrialization and urbanization of the time, which led many people to seek employment opportunities in new areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Robertshaw outside of Yorkshire can be found in the 1841 Census of England and Wales, where a family with this name is listed as residing in the county of Lancashire.

Another notable figure with the surname Robertshaw was Thomas Robertshaw (1825-1888), a British architect and civil engineer who designed several notable structures in Yorkshire, including the Bradford Exchange Building and the Saltaire United Reformed Church.

Robertshaw is a locational surname with a rich history rooted in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. It has been associated with various notable individuals over the centuries and has spread across the British Isles and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Robertshaw families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Robertshaw 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 1,999 Robertshaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.45x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,999 8.45x
Lancashire 338 1.19x
Durham 35 0.49x
Cumberland 27 1.31x
Middlesex 12 0.05x
Glamorgan 6 0.14x
Devon 5 0.10x
Kent 4 0.05x
Lanarkshire 4 0.05x
Westmorland 4 0.76x
Royal Navy 3 1.05x
Cheshire 2 0.04x
Cornwall 2 0.07x
Hampshire 2 0.04x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.10x
Essex 1 0.02x
Oxfordshire 1 0.07x
Staffordshire 1 0.01x
Sussex 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 148 Robertshaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.84x.

Place Total Index
Bradford 148 25.84x
Allerton 131 434.35x
Manningham 105 36.02x
Horton In Bradford 99 26.79x
Thornton In Bradford 98 124.41x
Northowram 85 51.23x
Clayton 70 120.88x
Gomersal 70 63.38x
Bowling 61 26.03x
Leeds 61 4.57x
Halifax 60 17.27x
Ovenden 59 56.02x
Hipperholme Cum 53 50.97x
Heptonstall 52 156.63x
Southowram 45 62.30x
Spotland 37 11.74x
Wadsworth 37 96.05x
North Bierley 35 27.40x
Mirfield 33 25.40x
Stansfield 32 36.75x
Heaton 31 121.95x
Manchester 31 2.43x
Bingley 30 19.91x
Burnley 24 10.06x
Heckmondwike 24 31.53x
Idle 24 21.87x
Sowerby In Halifax 24 31.02x
Wilsden 24 98.77x
Hunslet 23 6.23x
Liversedge 22 20.88x
Wortley In Bramley 22 11.74x
Midgley 21 83.27x
Windle 21 13.17x
Batley 19 8.45x
Haworth 19 33.78x
Pudsey 19 15.02x
Wakefield 18 9.91x
Cleckheaton 17 19.50x
Warley 16 23.40x
Clifton In Halifax 15 106.08x
Penrith 15 19.75x
Great Bolton 14 3.73x
Armley 13 12.46x
Rastrick 13 19.78x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 13 11.83x
Todmorden Walsden 13 17.13x
Ardwick 12 4.70x
Broughton In Salford 12 4.63x
Ecclesall Bierlow 12 2.49x
Gildersome 12 42.18x
Keighley 12 4.76x
Salford 12 1.44x
Shelf 12 53.10x
Baildon 11 24.69x
Brandon Byshottles 11 12.36x
Elland Cum Greetland 11 10.32x
Habergham Eaves 11 4.25x
North Meols 11 3.97x
Skircoat 11 11.79x
Holbeck 10 6.38x
Bentham 9 49.92x
Langfield 9 21.74x
Sheffield 9 1.19x
Wuerdle Wardle 9 10.46x
Wyke In Bradford 9 21.27x
Hulme 8 1.35x
Oldham 8 0.87x
Openshaw 8 6.03x
Pendleton In Salford 8 2.37x
Briercliffe Cum 7 74.55x
Chelsea London 7 0.97x
Crook Billy Row 7 7.69x
Great Little Marsden 7 5.39x
Kirkdale 7 1.47x
Newchurch 7 3.02x
West Bretton 7 244.76x
Bradfield 6 6.58x
Huddersfield 6 1.74x
Quarlton 6 270.27x
Walton On Hill 6 3.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 192
Sarah 126
Martha 70
Hannah 61
Elizabeth 59
Annie 51
Ann 50
Emma 49
Jane 36
Alice 34
Ellen 34
Ada 24
Emily 22
Eliza 19
Harriet 19
Clara 18
Grace 17
Betty 16
Edith 14
Margaret 11
Florence 10
Ruth 10
Selina 9
Isabella 8
Louisa 8
Maria 8
Susannah 8
Betsy 7
Fanny 7
Caroline 6
Harriett 6
Amelia 5
Amy 5
Anne 5
Beatrice 5
Esther 5
Rebecca 5
Rhoda 5
Susan 5
Agnes 4
Eleanor 4
Frances 4
Janet 4
Judith 4
Kate 4
Lavinia 4
Lily 4
Lucy 4
Lydia 4
Rachel 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 133
William 111
Joseph 74
James 69
Thomas 58
George 33
Charles 28
Henry 25
Walter 24
Arthur 22
Fred 22
Albert 21
Harry 21
Samuel 19
Benjamin 18
Jonas 16
Herbert 14
Joshua 14
Alfred 13
Jonathan 13
Abraham 12
Richard 12
Ben 9
Jeremiah 9
Sam 9
Thos. 9
Wm. 9
Frederick 8
Robert 8
Edward 7
Edwin 7
Joe 7
Frank 6
Levi 6
Tom 6
Wilfred 6
Willie 6
David 5
Ernest 5
Geo. 5
Isaac 5
Mark 5
Squire 5
Edgar 4
Ellis 4
Emmanuel 4
Francis 4
Percy 4
Benj. 3
Jacob 3

FAQ

Robertshaw surname: questions and answers

How common was the Robertshaw surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,449 people were recorded with the Robertshaw surname. That placed it at #1,818 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Robertshaw surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,024 in 2016. That gives Robertshaw a modern rank of #3,181.

What does the Robertshaw surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in Yorkshire, England.

What does the Robertshaw map show?

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