NameCensus.

UK surname

Robinshaw

In the 1881 census there were 95 people recorded with the Robinshaw surname, ranking it #20,349 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 102, ranked #30,722, down from #20,349 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Ashton-under-Lyne and Prestwich. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gwynedd, Wigan and Tameside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Robinshaw is 110 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7.4%.

1881 census count

95

Ranked #20,349

Modern count

102

2016, ranked #30,722

Peak year

1891

110 bearers

Map years

3

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Robinshaw had 95 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,349 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016, ranked #30,722.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 110 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Robinshaw surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Robinshaw surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Robinshaw 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 39 #26,319
1861 historical 86 #22,810
1881 historical 95 #20,349
1891 historical 110 #22,557
1901 historical 99 #22,999
1911 historical 103 #22,328
1997 modern 77 #29,874
1998 modern 88 #29,131
1999 modern 88 #29,287
2000 modern 87 #29,377
2001 modern 85 #29,396
2002 modern 84 #29,982
2003 modern 84 #29,978
2004 modern 83 #30,352
2005 modern 79 #30,950
2006 modern 80 #31,149
2007 modern 81 #31,408
2008 modern 85 #31,247
2009 modern 93 #30,682
2010 modern 94 #31,111
2011 modern 98 #30,384
2012 modern 89 #31,934
2013 modern 98 #31,078
2014 modern 102 #30,714
2015 modern 99 #31,168
2016 modern 102 #30,722

Geography

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Where Robinshaws are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Ashton-under-Lyne and Prestwich. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gwynedd, Wigan, Tameside, Harrogate and Vale of White Horse. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Ashton-under-Lyne Lancashire
3 Prestwich Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gwynedd 017 Gwynedd
2 Wigan 019 Wigan
3 Tameside 029 Tameside
4 Harrogate 021 Harrogate
5 Vale of White Horse 009 Vale of White Horse

Forenames

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First names often paired with Robinshaw

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Robinshaw

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Robinshaw surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Robinshaw household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Robinshaw 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

Robinshaw 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

Robinshaw 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 Robinshaw is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Robinshaw families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Robinshaw 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 87 Robinshaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.91x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 87 7.91x
Cumberland 6 7.52x
Yorkshire 2 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Spotland in Lancashire leads with 24 Robinshaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 196.40x.

Place Total Index
Spotland 24 196.40x
Castleton 14 127.50x
Butterworth 13 485.07x
Wardleworth 10 159.24x
Ashton Under Lyne 8 33.29x
Rochdale 7 875.00x
Blatchinworth 6 240.00x
Ellenborough Ewanrigg 6 1090.91x
Oldham 4 11.27x
Linthwaite 2 103.63x
Hindley 1 21.32x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Sarah 5
Elizabeth 4
Jane 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Ann 2
Betty 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Hannah 2
Anna 1
Annie 1
Bessie 1
Clara 1
Fanny 1
Grace 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Rachel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 13
James 6
Samuel 4
Abraham 2
Jeremiah 2
Thomas 2
William 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
David 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Geffory 1
George 1
Jas.W. 1
Joseph 1
Levi 1
Lomas 1
Lord 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Robinson 1
Sidney 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Robinshaw surname: questions and answers

How common was the Robinshaw surname in 1881?

In 1881, 95 people were recorded with the Robinshaw surname. That placed it at #20,349 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Robinshaw surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016. That gives Robinshaw a modern rank of #30,722.

What does the Robinshaw map show?

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