NameCensus.

UK surname

Rushworth

From an English place referring to someone who hailed from a town with reeds or rushes.

In the 1881 census there were 2,480 people recorded with the Rushworth surname, ranking it #1,796 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,235, ranked #2,906, down from #1,796 in 1881.

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

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rushworth is 3,074 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.9%.

1881 census count

2,480

Ranked #1,796

Modern count

2,235

2016, ranked #2,906

Peak year

1911

3,074 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rushworth had 2,480 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,796 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,235 in 2016, ranked #2,906.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,074 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Rushworth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rushworth surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rushworth 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 1,558 #1,843
1861 historical 1,584 #1,800
1881 historical 2,480 #1,796
1891 historical 2,655 #1,794
1901 historical 2,889 #1,938
1911 historical 3,074 #1,695
1997 modern 2,296 #2,707
1998 modern 2,387 #2,714
1999 modern 2,400 #2,724
2000 modern 2,374 #2,729
2001 modern 2,348 #2,710
2002 modern 2,358 #2,747
2003 modern 2,280 #2,775
2004 modern 2,259 #2,788
2005 modern 2,229 #2,800
2006 modern 2,244 #2,782
2007 modern 2,249 #2,799
2008 modern 2,242 #2,835
2009 modern 2,305 #2,831
2010 modern 2,333 #2,858
2011 modern 2,308 #2,850
2012 modern 2,242 #2,876
2013 modern 2,276 #2,883
2014 modern 2,293 #2,877
2015 modern 2,254 #2,891
2016 modern 2,235 #2,906

Geography

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Where Rushworths are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Calderdale, Sunderland and Forest of Dean. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Huddersfield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 015 Bradford
2 Calderdale 003 Calderdale
3 Sunderland 008 Sunderland
4 Forest of Dean 003 Forest of Dean
5 Bradford 023 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rushworth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rushworth

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

Rushworth 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

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

Meaning and origin of Rushworth

The surname RUSHWORTH is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the place name Rushworth, which is found in Lancashire, England. The name Rushworth is composed of the Old English elements "rysc" meaning rush (a type of plant) and "worth" meaning an enclosed settlement or homestead.

The earliest recorded mention of the name RUSHWORTH can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from the year 1176, where it is listed as "Risewrth". This suggests that the name was already established in the region during that time period.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries that may be related to the RUSHWORTH surname, such as "Richeword" and "Risewrde". However, these entries are not conclusively linked to the modern spelling of the name.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname RUSHWORTH was John Rushworth, who was born in 1612 in Wiltshire, England. He was a lawyer and historian known for his works on the English Civil War, including "Historical Collections of Private Passages of State".

Another notable bearer of the name was Edward Rushworth, born in 1756 in Lancashire, England. He was a prominent merchant and philanthropist who donated funds for the establishment of Rushworth School in his hometown.

In the 16th century, there was a place called Rushworth Carr in Yorkshire, England, which may have been named after someone with the surname RUSHWORTH or contributed to the development of the name in that area.

Other individuals of historical significance with the surname RUSHWORTH include:

1. Thomas Rushworth (1615-1684), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament. 2. William Rushworth (1684-1745), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. 3. Elizabeth Rushworth (1731-1812), a British poet and writer who published several collections of poetry. 4. John Rushworth (1770-1847), a British soldier who served in the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Waterloo Medal. 5. James Rushworth (1853-1925), a British architect known for designing several notable buildings in London and other parts of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rushworth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rushworth 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 1,849 Rushworths recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.73x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,849 7.73x
Lancashire 420 1.47x
Middlesex 50 0.21x
Surrey 50 0.42x
Nottinghamshire 30 0.92x
Lincolnshire 17 0.44x
Essex 9 0.19x
Derbyshire 8 0.21x
Durham 8 0.11x
Cheshire 6 0.11x
Cornwall 5 0.18x
Hertfordshire 5 0.30x
Montgomeryshire 4 0.72x
Devon 3 0.06x
Hampshire 3 0.06x
Norfolk 2 0.05x
Somerset 2 0.05x
Kent 1 0.01x
Oxfordshire 1 0.07x
Royal Navy 1 0.35x
Staffordshire 1 0.01x
Warwickshire 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. Northowram in Yorkshire leads with 144 Rushworths recorded in 1881 and an index of 85.80x.

Place Total Index
Northowram 144 85.80x
Leeds 121 8.95x
Haworth 91 159.96x
Halifax 84 23.91x
Huddersfield 84 24.09x
Bradford 79 13.63x
Ovenden 78 73.23x
Manningham 75 25.44x
Wortley In Bramley 60 31.65x
Thornton In Bradford 54 67.77x
Keighley 53 20.77x
Shipley 49 39.45x
Bingley 46 30.18x
Hipperholme Cum 46 43.74x
Horton In Bradford 46 12.31x
Sowerby In Halifax 40 51.11x
Clayton 38 64.87x
Lockwood 36 41.81x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 35 31.48x
Habergham Eaves 32 12.22x
Oldham 30 3.24x
Idle 28 25.23x
Bowling 27 11.39x
Dewsbury 27 11.00x
Burnley 26 10.77x
Nottingham St Mary 25 2.97x
Manchester 24 1.86x
Spotland 24 7.53x
Rastrick 23 34.60x
Chadderton 21 14.99x
Accrington 20 7.68x
Colne 20 23.42x
Wyke In Bradford 20 46.73x
Lambeth 19 0.90x
Pudsey 18 14.07x
Haughton 17 40.66x
Whitwood 17 50.00x
Baildon 16 35.50x
Barrowford Booth 16 50.46x
Salterforth 15 464.40x
Skircoat 15 15.89x
Almondbury 14 12.10x
Cheetham 14 6.55x
Chorlton On Medlock 14 3.07x
Hunslet 14 3.75x
Rawdon 14 49.68x
Hunshelf 13 110.83x
Little Bolton 13 3.53x
Blackburn 12 1.57x
Camberwell 12 0.78x
Tong 12 25.96x
Warley 12 17.35x
Ashton Under Lyne 11 1.76x
Clapham 11 3.64x
Clee With Weelsby 11 13.01x
Ilkley 11 28.13x
Southowram 11 15.06x
Acaster Malbis 10 458.72x
Brightside Bierlow 10 2.13x
Failsworth 10 15.25x
Armley 9 8.53x
Batley 9 3.96x
Erringden 9 58.21x
Liverpool 9 0.52x
Nether Hallam 9 2.78x
West Ham 9 0.86x
Cleckheaton 8 9.07x
Crumpsall 8 11.84x
Everton 8 0.88x
Norland 8 48.69x
Potter Newton 8 18.95x
St Marylebone London 8 0.62x
Wardleworth 8 4.88x
West Derby 8 0.95x
Wuerdle Wardle 8 9.20x
Carthorpe 7 260.22x
Horbury 7 16.72x
Kirkheaton 7 18.03x
Soyland 7 24.38x
St Pancras London 7 0.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 190
Sarah 136
Elizabeth 75
Ann 54
Hannah 44
Martha 44
Emma 38
Jane 35
Annie 33
Alice 31
Eliza 30
Emily 27
Clara 26
Ellen 25
Harriet 18
Florence 17
Ada 16
Maria 15
Louisa 13
Margaret 13
Fanny 11
Lucy 11
Isabella 10
Betty 9
Edith 9
Esther 9
Grace 9
Rebecca 9
Amy 8
Charlotte 7
Kate 7
Susannah 7
Anne 6
Catherine 6
Frances 6
Matilda 6
Minnie 6
Ruth 6
Caroline 5
Elizth. 5
Rachel 5
Rose 5
Agnes 4
Anna 4
Harriett 4
Julia 4
Nanny 4
Susanah 4
Ethel 3
Jemima 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 160
William 109
Thomas 81
James 74
George 68
Joseph 66
Arthur 29
Fred 29
Harry 27
Alfred 25
Charles 24
Walter 23
Albert 21
Henry 21
Tom 19
Edwin 15
Richard 14
Jonas 13
Ernest 12
Herbert 12
Samuel 12
Edward 11
Frederick 11
Joe 10
Joshua 10
Robert 10
Benjamin 9
Geo. 8
Sam 8
David 7
Willie 7
Edgar 6
Frank 6
Abraham 5
Daniel 5
Jas. 5
Jonathan 5
Wm. 5
Edmund 4
Jonathon 4
Lewis 4
Mark 4
W. 4
Wright 4
Charley 3
Ellis 3
Fredk. 3
Harold 3
Thos. 3
Timothy 3

FAQ

Rushworth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rushworth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,480 people were recorded with the Rushworth surname. That placed it at #1,796 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rushworth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,235 in 2016. That gives Rushworth a modern rank of #2,906.

What does the Rushworth surname mean?

From an English place referring to someone who hailed from a town with reeds or rushes.

What does the Rushworth map show?

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