NameCensus.

UK surname

Rushton

An English locational surname derived from a place meaning "town on a hill stream," from Old English elements.

In the 1881 census there were 6,187 people recorded with the Rushton surname, ranking it #701 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,404, ranked #902, down from #701 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Eccles and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pendle, Staffordshire Moorlands and Stoke-on-Trent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rushton is 8,320 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.7%.

1881 census count

6,187

Ranked #701

Modern count

7,404

2016, ranked #902

Peak year

1911

8,320 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rushton had 6,187 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #701 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,404 in 2016, ranked #902.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,320 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rushton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rushton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rushton 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 3,785 #754
1861 historical 3,906 #718
1881 historical 6,187 #701
1891 historical 6,685 #683
1901 historical 7,612 #707
1911 historical 8,320 #599
1997 modern 6,957 #936
1998 modern 7,929 #843
1999 modern 8,020 #842
2000 modern 7,986 #841
2001 modern 7,777 #844
2002 modern 7,915 #848
2003 modern 7,723 #849
2004 modern 7,701 #852
2005 modern 7,570 #852
2006 modern 7,576 #855
2007 modern 7,548 #868
2008 modern 7,494 #881
2009 modern 7,648 #886
2010 modern 7,781 #886
2011 modern 7,708 #881
2012 modern 7,534 #880
2013 modern 7,658 #883
2014 modern 7,674 #885
2015 modern 7,529 #890
2016 modern 7,404 #902

Geography

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Where Rushtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Eccles, 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 Pendle, Staffordshire Moorlands, Stoke-on-Trent and Hyndburn. 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 Eccles Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pendle 006 Pendle
2 Staffordshire Moorlands 006 Staffordshire Moorlands
3 Stoke-on-Trent 006 Stoke-on-Trent
4 Stoke-on-Trent 031 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Hyndburn 004 Hyndburn

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rushton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rushton

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Rushton 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

Rushton 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

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

Meaning and origin of Rushton

The surname Rushton is of English origin, derived from the place name Rushton, found in counties such as Cheshire, Northamptonshire, and Staffordshire. The name is believed to come from the Old English words "rysc" meaning rush and "tun" meaning farm or enclosure, indicating a settlement near rushes or marshland.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Rushton appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Risedene" and "Risdone," referring to the village of Rushton in Staffordshire. This suggests that the name was already well-established by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

During the medieval period, the surname Rushton was found in various records and documents, such as the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from the 12th century and the Subsidy Rolls of Cheshire from the 14th century. Variations in spelling, such as Rusheton, Russheton, and Russhton, were common during this time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was William de Rushton, who was mentioned in the Placita de Quo Warranto rolls of 1292-1293 as holding lands in Rushton, Staffordshire. Another notable figure was Sir John Rushton (c. 1480-1551), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1537.

In the 16th century, the Rushton family established themselves as landed gentry in Staffordshire and Cheshire. Sir Edward Rushton (1573-1637), a High Sheriff of Staffordshire, built the grand Rushton Hall in Burslem, which remained in the family's possession until the 19th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname Rushton include:

1. Edward Rushton (1756-1817), an English poet and essayist from Liverpool. 2. William Rushton (1798-1859), a British inventor and engineer who pioneered the screw propeller and patented several related designs. 3. Reverend Charles Rushton (1824-1898), an English clergyman and author who served as the Vicar of Hoddlesden, Lancashire. 4. Edward Rushton (1828-1901), an English writer and social reformer who advocated for free trade and co-operative societies. 5. John Rushton (1855-1940), a British author and journalist known for his works on spiritualism and occultism.

The surname Rushton has been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Rushton Spencer in Staffordshire, Rushton James and Rushton All Saints in Northamptonshire, and Rushton in Cheshire. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rushton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rushton 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 2,849 Rushtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.99x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2,849 3.99x
Staffordshire 1,221 6.00x
Yorkshire 669 1.12x
Cheshire 193 1.45x
Shropshire 192 3.69x
Middlesex 165 0.27x
Warwickshire 164 1.08x
Surrey 108 0.37x
Lincolnshire 103 1.07x
Derbyshire 100 1.06x
Worcestershire 100 1.27x
Nottinghamshire 61 0.75x
Kent 37 0.18x
Northumberland 32 0.36x
Durham 30 0.17x
Leicestershire 18 0.27x
Berkshire 12 0.27x
Gloucestershire 12 0.10x
Northamptonshire 11 0.19x
Cumberland 9 0.17x
Bedfordshire 8 0.26x
Oxfordshire 8 0.22x
Essex 6 0.05x
Hampshire 6 0.05x
Sussex 6 0.06x
Caernarfonshire 5 0.21x
Devon 5 0.04x
Isle of Man 5 0.45x
Stirlingshire 5 0.23x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.25x
Westmorland 4 0.30x
Wiltshire 4 0.08x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.08x
Herefordshire 3 0.12x
Monmouthshire 3 0.07x
Norfolk 3 0.03x
Somerset 3 0.03x
Cornwall 2 0.03x
Glamorgan 2 0.02x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.03x
Dorset 1 0.03x
Hertfordshire 1 0.02x
Royal Navy 1 0.14x
Suffolk 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 269 Rushtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.47x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 269 12.47x
Worsley 146 33.13x
Blackburn 123 6.47x
Accrington 118 18.16x
Great Little Marsden 99 30.23x
Haslingden 85 28.71x
Little Bolton 84 9.14x
Birmingham 83 1.64x
Colne 83 38.97x
Habergham Eaves 80 12.24x
Farnworth 77 17.98x
West Bromwich 77 6.61x
Clayton Le Moors 76 54.79x
Stone 74 28.45x
Manchester 69 2.15x
Spotland 68 8.56x
Macclesfield 60 10.15x
Newchurch 60 10.26x
Great Bolton 55 5.81x
Liverpool 54 1.24x
Burnley 53 8.80x
Salford 51 2.43x
Church 50 49.53x
Oldham 49 2.12x
West Derby 48 2.30x
Leek Lowe 46 17.00x
Wrockwardine 45 39.32x
Clifton 42 78.30x
Shifnal 42 29.72x
Uttoxeter 37 35.54x
Everton 35 1.54x
Kingswinford 35 4.74x
Wednesfield 35 11.69x
Aston 34 0.81x
Manningham 34 4.62x
Much Woolton 34 35.05x
Read 34 177.82x
Toxteth Park 34 1.40x
Ashton Under Lyne 33 2.11x
Caverswall 33 31.22x
Clitheroe 33 15.68x
Leeds 33 0.98x
Over Darwen 33 5.78x
Preston 33 1.73x
Trentham 33 19.08x
Oswaldtwistle 32 12.67x
Cheadle 31 31.74x
Hulme 31 2.08x
Thornton In Craven 31 64.70x
Birkenhead 30 2.83x
Higher Booths 30 23.28x
Barrowford Booth 28 35.39x
Dawley 28 14.78x
Worcester St Peter 28 18.80x
Gorton 27 4.02x
Halliwell 27 10.38x
Nottingham St Mary 27 1.29x
Cotton 26 192.74x
Cowling 26 67.17x
Abbots Bromley 25 82.92x
Barrow In Furness 25 2.57x
Burton Upon Trent 25 5.25x
Castleton 25 3.50x
Dudley 25 2.61x
Kearsley 25 16.62x
Rowley Regis 25 4.41x
Pendleton In Salford 24 2.82x
Wolstanton 24 3.89x
Bradford 23 1.59x
Harborne 23 3.53x
Kirkdale 23 1.91x
Openshaw 23 6.87x
Sibsey 23 105.89x
Wardleworth 23 5.63x
Heap 22 5.80x
Keighley 22 3.46x
Burslem 21 3.60x
Carlton In Skipton 21 60.19x
Foulridge 21 115.45x
Lambeth 21 0.40x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 468
Sarah 270
Elizabeth 260
Jane 161
Alice 128
Ann 126
Hannah 108
Ellen 103
Margaret 103
Martha 101
Annie 81
Eliza 76
Emma 68
Emily 58
Harriet 46
Isabella 33
Susannah 31
Fanny 28
Maria 27
Clara 25
Lucy 24
Ada 23
Edith 22
Florence 22
Anne 21
Frances 21
Nancy 21
Catherine 20
Esther 20
Louisa 20
Betsy 19
Betty 17
Agnes 16
Rebecca 16
Kate 15
Caroline 14
Grace 12
Charlotte 11
Gertrude 11
Harriett 11
Bertha 10
Elizth. 10
Julia 10
Matilda 9
Minnie 9
Ruth 9
Susan 9
Eleanor 8
Lydia 8
Selina 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 407
William 388
Thomas 244
James 230
George 180
Joseph 138
Henry 97
Charles 83
Robert 76
Edward 64
Samuel 64
Alfred 59
Arthur 58
Richard 49
Albert 43
David 34
Walter 33
Herbert 31
Frederick 24
Harry 23
Edwin 20
Fred 20
Wm. 17
Isaac 16
Thos. 16
Edmund 15
Ralph 15
Ernest 14
Frank 14
Peter 13
Benjamin 12
Francis 12
Jabez 10
Levi 10
Abraham 9
Hartley 8
Mark 8
Andrew 7
Lawrence 7
Willie 7
Christopher 6
Daniel 6
Eli 6
Hiram 6
Jas. 6
Jesse 6
Jno. 6
Jonathan 6
Simeon 6
Tom 6

FAQ

Rushton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rushton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,187 people were recorded with the Rushton surname. That placed it at #701 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rushton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,404 in 2016. That gives Rushton a modern rank of #902.

What does the Rushton surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place meaning "town on a hill stream," from Old English elements.

What does the Rushton map show?

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