NameCensus.

UK surname

Rycraft

A locational surname derived from a place with a name containing "ry" meaning rye and "croft" meaning a small farm or enclosed field.

In the 1881 census there were 67 people recorded with the Rycraft surname, ranking it #24,104 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 135, ranked #25,505, down from #24,104 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Apethorpe, Yarwell, Nassington, Wood Newton, Southwick and Peterborough St John the Baptist. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Wealden and Croydon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rycraft is 181 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 101.5%.

1881 census count

67

Ranked #24,104

Modern count

135

2016, ranked #25,505

Peak year

1998

181 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rycraft had 67 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,104 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 135 in 2016, ranked #25,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 144 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Rycraft surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rycraft surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rycraft 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 88 #18,569
1861 historical 55 #27,007
1881 historical 67 #24,104
1891 historical 72 #27,804
1901 historical 144 #18,505
1911 historical 123 #20,128
1997 modern 161 #20,176
1998 modern 181 #19,229
1999 modern 170 #20,153
2000 modern 165 #20,501
2001 modern 162 #20,460
2002 modern 169 #20,307
2003 modern 153 #21,406
2004 modern 157 #21,168
2005 modern 151 #21,667
2006 modern 150 #21,915
2007 modern 152 #22,022
2008 modern 150 #22,429
2009 modern 154 #22,536
2010 modern 167 #21,835
2011 modern 156 #22,690
2012 modern 142 #24,148
2013 modern 143 #24,434
2014 modern 140 #24,977
2015 modern 134 #25,607
2016 modern 135 #25,505

Geography

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Where Rycrafts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Apethorpe, Yarwell, Nassington, Wood Newton, Southwick, Peterborough St John the Baptist and Northill, Sandy. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool, Wealden, Croydon, Colchester and Daventry. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Apethorpe, Yarwell, Nassington, Wood Newton, Southwick Northamptonshire
4 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire
5 Northill, Sandy Bedfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liverpool 020 Liverpool
2 Wealden 006 Wealden
3 Croydon 003 Croydon
4 Colchester 019 Colchester
5 Daventry 004 Daventry

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rycraft

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rycraft

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rycraft, 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 Rycraft surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Rycraft 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

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Rycraft is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Rycraft 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

Rycraft falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rycraft is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Rycraft

The surname Rycraft is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Lincolnshire, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "ry" or "rye," meaning a small stream or brook, and "croft," meaning a small enclosed field or dwelling.

The earliest known record of the surname Rycraft dates back to the late 13th century, appearing in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273 as "Ricardus de Ryecroft." This suggests that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a small stream or brook with an enclosed field or dwelling.

In the 14th century, variations of the name, such as "Rycroft" and "Ryecroft," can be found in various historical records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and spelling variations common during that time.

One notable early bearer of the surname was John Rycroft, a prominent landowner and merchant who lived in the city of York during the late 15th century. He is mentioned in several historical documents related to land transactions and trade in the region.

Another individual of note was Sir William Rycraft (c. 1540-1618), a military officer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Stamford, Lincolnshire, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He played a significant role in suppressing the Northern Rebellion of 1569.

In the 17th century, the surname Rycraft appeared in various parish records across England, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Nottinghamshire. One notable bearer was Robert Rycraft (1625-1693), a prominent Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of St. Margaret's Church in Ipswich, Suffolk.

The surname Rycraft has also been associated with several place names, such as Ryecroft Farm in Lincolnshire and Ryecroft Lane in Sheffield, Yorkshire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English roots as the surname itself.

Other notable individuals with the surname Rycraft include Thomas Rycraft (1760-1837), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars, and Sir John Rycraft (1871-1947), a British businessman and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London from 1935 to 1936.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rycraft families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rycraft 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. Northamptonshire leads with 36 Rycrafts recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.57x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 36 58.57x
Cambridgeshire 10 24.16x
Norfolk 8 7.96x
Yorkshire 7 1.08x
Bedfordshire 2 5.91x
Lincolnshire 2 1.91x
Essex 1 0.78x
Middlesex 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Peterborough in Northamptonshire leads with 28 Rycrafts recorded in 1881 and an index of 629.21x.

Place Total Index
Peterborough 28 629.21x
Whittlesey St Mary St 9 620.69x
Oundle 8 1159.42x
Castleford 7 296.61x
Filby 6 4615.38x
Biggleswade 2 180.18x
Great Yarmouth 2 24.04x
Thurlby Obthorpe 2 1428.57x
Dovercourt 1 222.22x
Oakington 1 833.33x
St George Hanover 1 11.72x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Rycraft households.

FAQ

Rycraft surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rycraft surname in 1881?

In 1881, 67 people were recorded with the Rycraft surname. That placed it at #24,104 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rycraft surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 135 in 2016. That gives Rycraft a modern rank of #25,505.

What does the Rycraft surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place with a name containing "ry" meaning rye and "croft" meaning a small farm or enclosed field.

What does the Rycraft map show?

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