NameCensus.

UK surname

Roycroft

A habitational surname referring to someone from a roycroft or royal croft, a croft being a small, rented farm.

In the 1881 census there were 156 people recorded with the Roycroft surname, ranking it #15,114 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 250, ranked #16,792, down from #15,114 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bunbury, Malpas and Wolstanton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cherwell, Shropshire and Brentwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Roycroft is 263 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 60.3%.

1881 census count

156

Ranked #15,114

Modern count

250

2016, ranked #16,792

Peak year

2010

263 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Roycroft had 156 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,114 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 250 in 2016, ranked #16,792.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 202 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Roycroft surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Roycroft surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Roycroft 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 110 #16,093
1861 historical 122 #18,036
1881 historical 156 #15,114
1891 historical 142 #18,995
1901 historical 143 #18,570
1911 historical 202 #14,871
1997 modern 210 #17,104
1998 modern 247 #15,813
1999 modern 244 #16,052
2000 modern 227 #16,792
2001 modern 221 #16,848
2002 modern 233 #16,590
2003 modern 236 #16,236
2004 modern 252 #15,618
2005 modern 243 #15,943
2006 modern 242 #16,097
2007 modern 249 #15,943
2008 modern 255 #15,859
2009 modern 262 #15,888
2010 modern 263 #16,205
2011 modern 254 #16,458
2012 modern 258 #16,165
2013 modern 258 #16,421
2014 modern 251 #16,865
2015 modern 250 #16,803
2016 modern 250 #16,792

Geography

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Where Roycrofts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bunbury, Malpas, Wolstanton, London parishes and Toxteth Park. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cherwell, Shropshire, Brentwood, Richmondshire and Dover. 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 Bunbury Cheshire
2 Malpas Denbighshire
3 Wolstanton Staffordshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Toxteth Park Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cherwell 011 Cherwell
2 Shropshire 028 Shropshire
3 Brentwood 005 Brentwood
4 Richmondshire 004 Richmondshire
5 Dover 006 Dover

Forenames

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First names often paired with Roycroft

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Roycroft

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Roycroft surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Roycroft household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Roycroft is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Roycroft 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

Roycroft falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Roycroft

The surname Roycroft is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the place name "Rawcroft" or "Raycroft," which were variants of the Old English words "ra," meaning roebuck or roe deer, and "croft," referring to a small enclosed field or meadow.

The name is believed to have originated in the county of Lancashire, where several townships and hamlets carried variations of this name, such as Raycroft in Rainhill and Rawcroft in Aughton. These place names likely represented areas where roe deer were commonly found, or where roe deer enclosures existed.

One of the earliest recorded appearances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from the 13th century, where a Robert de Raycroft is mentioned. This suggests that the surname was already in use during this time period.

In the 14th century, the Rawcroft family held lands in the township of Rawcroft in Aughton, near Ormskirk. A prominent member of this family was Richard de Rawcroft, who served as the Bailiff of West Derby in 1346.

Another notable figure was Thomas Roycroft (c. 1616-1677), an English author and clergyman who wrote several works on religious subjects, including "The Falsehood of Human Virtues" and "The Life of John, the Baptist."

In the 17th century, the Roycroft family had established itself in the county of Staffordshire. One member, Thomas Roycroft (1628-1677), was a successful ironmaster and industrialist who founded the Roycroft Ironworks in Shelton, Staffordshire.

The 18th century saw the emergence of a prominent line of Roycrofts in the legal profession. William Roycroft (1737-1816) was a notable barrister and judge who served as the Chief Justice of Barbados from 1799 to 1816.

In more recent times, the surname Roycroft has been associated with the Arts and Crafts movement in the United States. Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915), a writer, publisher, and philosopher, established the Roycroft artisan community in East Aurora, New York, in the late 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Roycroft families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Roycroft 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. Cheshire leads with 64 Roycrofts recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.05x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 64 19.05x
Lancashire 24 1.33x
Surrey 22 2.97x
Shropshire 8 6.09x
Middlesex 6 0.39x
Monmouthshire 6 5.45x
Staffordshire 6 1.17x
Stirlingshire 6 10.69x
Flintshire 5 12.22x
Montgomeryshire 4 11.47x
Warwickshire 4 1.04x
Durham 1 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. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 21 Roycrofts recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.83x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 21 15.83x
Toxteth Park 9 14.72x
Malpas 8 1600.00x
Tarporley 8 1142.86x
Bickerton 7 4117.65x
Burland 6 1764.71x
Chester St Oswald 6 98.68x
Slamannan 6 195.44x
St Woollos 6 48.86x
Burslem 5 33.99x
Garston 5 93.81x
Macefin 5 3333.33x
Carden 4 4444.44x
Drayton In Hales 4 147.60x
Leamington Priors 4 42.37x
Newtown 4 179.37x
Stockport 4 23.13x
Bangor Is Y Coed 3 1428.57x
Broxton 3 1111.11x
Crompton 3 58.37x
Faddiley 3 2500.00x
Kirkdale 3 9.87x
Limehouse London 3 17.95x
Whitchurch 3 117.65x
Chester St John Baptist 2 33.11x
Marburywith Quoisley 2 571.43x
Ridley 2 4000.00x
St Anne Soho London 2 23.02x
Stretton In Chester 2 4000.00x
Threapwood 2 4000.00x
Acton In Nantwich 1 769.23x
Arclid 1 588.24x
Blackburn 1 2.08x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 3.49x
Darlington 1 5.72x
Hulme 1 2.65x
Islington London 1 0.68x
Kingswinford 1 5.36x
Leintwardine 1 156.25x
Warrington 1 4.67x
Woking 1 22.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Jane 8
Sarah 7
Elizabeth 4
Eliza 3
Emily 3
Emma 3
Martha 3
Adeline 2
Alice 2
Ann 2
Eliz. 2
Ellen 2
Hannah 2
Anne 1
Bessie 1
Catherine 1
Elizab. 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Hariett 1
Harriet 1
Henora 1
Henrietta 1
Joseph 1
Kate 1
M.J. 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Mather 1
Matilda 1
Rachel 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 19
John 14
Thomas 9
Henry 5
Joseph 4
Edwin 2
James 2
A.M. 1
Charles 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Gilbert 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Hy. 1
Jno. 1
Kezia 1
Levi 1
Oswell 1
Patrick 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Roycroft surname: questions and answers

How common was the Roycroft surname in 1881?

In 1881, 156 people were recorded with the Roycroft surname. That placed it at #15,114 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Roycroft surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 250 in 2016. That gives Roycroft a modern rank of #16,792.

What does the Roycroft surname mean?

A habitational surname referring to someone from a roycroft or royal croft, a croft being a small, rented farm.

What does the Roycroft map show?

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