NameCensus.

UK surname

Rostron

A surname derived from a place name in England.

In the 1881 census there were 1,790 people recorded with the Rostron surname, ranking it #2,425 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,611, ranked #3,864, down from #2,425 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Bury and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton, Hyndburn and Chorley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rostron is 2,101 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 10.0%.

1881 census count

1,790

Ranked #2,425

Modern count

1,611

2016, ranked #3,864

Peak year

1901

2,101 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rostron had 1,790 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,425 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,611 in 2016, ranked #3,864.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,101 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Rostron surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rostron surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rostron 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 886 #3,090
1861 historical 849 #3,254
1881 historical 1,790 #2,425
1891 historical 1,879 #2,451
1901 historical 2,101 #2,556
1911 historical 2,095 #2,391
1997 modern 1,594 #3,711
1998 modern 1,673 #3,683
1999 modern 1,715 #3,634
2000 modern 1,677 #3,687
2001 modern 1,687 #3,603
2002 modern 1,730 #3,603
2003 modern 1,694 #3,590
2004 modern 1,647 #3,677
2005 modern 1,620 #3,697
2006 modern 1,610 #3,714
2007 modern 1,610 #3,747
2008 modern 1,593 #3,809
2009 modern 1,650 #3,781
2010 modern 1,723 #3,704
2011 modern 1,679 #3,751
2012 modern 1,629 #3,777
2013 modern 1,658 #3,789
2014 modern 1,649 #3,834
2015 modern 1,633 #3,825
2016 modern 1,611 #3,864

Geography

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Where Rostrons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Bury, Manchester, Blackburn and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton, Hyndburn, Chorley and Bury. 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 Bury Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 005 Bolton
2 Bolton 010 Bolton
3 Hyndburn 003 Hyndburn
4 Chorley 009 Chorley
5 Bury 009 Bury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rostron

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rostron

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Rostron is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rostron is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Rostron

The surname Rostron originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English words "rod" and "tun," which together meant "a farm where rods were made." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have been involved in the production or distribution of rods, which were used for various purposes such as fencing, building, or measuring.

The name Rostron can be traced back to the 13th century, with early recordings found in various historical documents from that time. One of the earliest known references is in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, where a Robert de Rodiston is mentioned in 1275. This spelling variation, "Rodiston," is believed to be an early form of the modern Rostron surname.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the name appears in several other records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire and the Court Rolls of Cheshire. These documents often provide insights into the lives and occupations of those bearing the name, with many recorded as landowners or farmers.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the Rostron surname include John Rostron (1530-1602), a prominent merchant and benefactor who lived in Lancashire, and William Rostron (1678-1743), a respected clergyman and author from Yorkshire. In more recent times, Arthur Rostron (1869-1940) gained fame as the captain of the Cunard liner RMS Carpathia, which played a crucial role in rescuing survivors from the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912.

Other notable figures with this surname include Reginald Rostron (1892-1983), a British Army officer who served in World War I and World War II, and John Rostron (1877-1953), a renowned English cricketer who played for Lancashire and represented England in Test matches.

While the Rostron name has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, as a result of migration and colonization. However, the earliest and most significant historical records and connections to the name can be found in various regions of England, particularly Lancashire, Cheshire, and Yorkshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rostron families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rostron 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 1,679 Rostrons recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.13x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,679 8.13x
Yorkshire 21 0.12x
Cheshire 19 0.49x
Durham 17 0.33x
Derbyshire 10 0.37x
Middlesex 9 0.05x
Leicestershire 8 0.41x
Surrey 8 0.09x
Staffordshire 5 0.09x
Gloucestershire 2 0.06x
Kent 2 0.03x
Warwickshire 2 0.05x
Bedfordshire 1 0.11x
Devon 1 0.03x
Royal Navy 1 0.48x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Little Bolton in Lancashire leads with 166 Rostrons recorded in 1881 and an index of 62.49x.

Place Total Index
Little Bolton 166 62.49x
Bury 132 55.93x
Blackburn 128 23.28x
Tottington Lower End 81 82.49x
Great Bolton 69 25.21x
Over Darwen 66 39.99x
Farnworth 50 40.39x
Radcliffe 47 47.19x
Manchester 46 4.95x
Oldham 42 6.30x
Heap 40 36.50x
Salford 36 5.92x
Haslingden 35 40.91x
Newchurch 30 17.75x
Tottington Higher End 29 123.30x
Droylsden 28 41.54x
Elton 23 32.22x
Pendleton In Salford 22 8.94x
Turton 21 62.08x
Barton Upon Irwell 20 12.86x
Newton 20 12.56x
North Meols 19 9.39x
Cowpe Lench Newhall Hey 17 76.99x
Witton 16 61.56x
Accrington 15 7.99x
Liverpool 15 1.20x
Ardwick 14 7.51x
Walmersley Cum 14 42.41x
Chorley 13 11.21x
Cuerdon 13 380.12x
Gorton 13 6.69x
Little Hulton 13 38.00x
Tonge With Haulgh 13 32.32x
Birtle Cum Bamford 12 89.02x
Castleton 12 5.82x
Broughton In Salford 11 5.82x
Chorlton On Medlock 11 3.35x
Darcy Lever 11 92.44x
Heaton Norris 10 8.50x
Hulme 10 2.32x
Livesey 10 27.58x
Wardleworth 10 8.47x
Worthington 10 657.89x
Kearsley 9 20.70x
Wuerdle Wardle 9 14.35x
Beddington 8 24.38x
Islington London 8 0.47x
Leicester St Margaret 8 1.70x
Middleton In Oldham 8 12.91x
Moston 8 38.61x
Preston 8 1.45x
Rumworth 8 27.09x
Sharples 8 35.70x
Worsley 8 6.28x
Adlington 7 36.18x
Crumpsall 7 14.37x
Denton 7 15.29x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 7 16.08x
Spotland 7 3.05x
Alfreton 6 7.24x
Blackley 6 16.57x
Cheadle 6 8.17x
Everton 6 0.91x
Failsworth 6 12.69x
Over Hulton 6 102.21x
Samlesbury 6 132.16x
Westhoughton 6 10.88x
Yate Pickup Bank 6 146.70x
Anderton 5 257.73x
Chadderton 5 4.95x
Chopwell 5 51.92x
Crompton 5 8.50x
Heaton 5 57.41x
Ince In Makerfield 5 5.20x
Kyo 5 20.51x
Layton With Warbreck 5 6.59x
Leeds 5 0.51x
Newcastle Under Lyme 5 4.81x
Ryhope 5 13.90x
Tintwistle 5 24.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 147
Sarah 84
Alice 72
Elizabeth 72
Margaret 51
Jane 46
Ann 42
Ellen 34
Hannah 32
Betsy 22
Martha 20
Nancy 19
Annie 18
Eliza 18
Emma 18
Emily 12
Esther 12
Ada 11
Betty 11
Catherine 8
Edith 8
Eleanor 8
Maria 8
Isabella 7
Susannah 7
Agnes 6
Clara 6
Louisa 6
Matilda 6
Harriet 5
Lucy 5
Margt. 5
Elizth. 4
Fanny 4
Gertrude 4
Anne 3
Bertha 3
Caroline 3
Frances 3
Janet 3
Rachel 3
Rebecca 3
Rose 3
Ruth 3
Susan 3
Amelia 2
Beatrice 2
Charlotte 2
Christina 2
Maud 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 149
William 104
James 99
Thomas 69
Robert 32
Richard 31
George 28
Edward 23
Joseph 22
Henry 20
Samuel 11
Harry 9
Wm. 9
Alfred 8
Thos. 8
Albert 6
Charles 6
Edmund 6
Jas. 6
Abraham 5
Arthur 5
Daniel 5
Moses 5
Squire 5
Christopher 4
Francis 4
Ralph 4
Walter 4
Archibald 3
Benjamin 3
Cornelius 3
Edwin 3
Ernest 3
Fred 3
Frederick 3
Lawrence 3
Peter 3
Scholes 3
David 2
Enoch 2
Frederic 2
Jordan 2
Jos. 2
Laurence 2
Levi 2
Nicholas 2
Norman 2
Roger 2
Smith 2
Thurston 2

FAQ

Rostron surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rostron surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,790 people were recorded with the Rostron surname. That placed it at #2,425 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rostron surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,611 in 2016. That gives Rostron a modern rank of #3,864.

What does the Rostron surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name in England.

What does the Rostron map show?

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