NameCensus.

UK surname

Shawcross

A surname derived from the Old English words "sceaga" meaning small wood or thicket and "cros" meaning cross.

In the 1881 census there were 992 people recorded with the Shawcross surname, ranking it #3,932 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 907, ranked #6,265, down from #3,932 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Eccles and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Salford, Flintshire and Tameside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shawcross is 1,187 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 8.6%.

1881 census count

992

Ranked #3,932

Modern count

907

2016, ranked #6,265

Peak year

1911

1,187 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shawcross had 992 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,932 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 907 in 2016, ranked #6,265.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,187 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Shawcross surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shawcross surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shawcross 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 710 #3,675
1861 historical 544 #4,830
1881 historical 992 #3,932
1891 historical 990 #4,182
1901 historical 1,094 #4,412
1911 historical 1,187 #3,950
1997 modern 1,015 #5,427
1998 modern 1,034 #5,523
1999 modern 1,033 #5,565
2000 modern 1,000 #5,686
2001 modern 980 #5,666
2002 modern 1,007 #5,657
2003 modern 979 #5,689
2004 modern 985 #5,665
2005 modern 941 #5,823
2006 modern 928 #5,894
2007 modern 939 #5,898
2008 modern 930 #5,987
2009 modern 954 #5,981
2010 modern 983 #5,960
2011 modern 956 #6,047
2012 modern 922 #6,135
2013 modern 958 #6,031
2014 modern 935 #6,204
2015 modern 913 #6,265
2016 modern 907 #6,265

Geography

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Where Shawcross' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, Eccles, Manchester and Ashton-under-Lyne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Salford, Flintshire, Tameside, Trafford and St. Helens. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Eccles Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Ashton-under-Lyne Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Salford 030 Salford
2 Flintshire 019 Flintshire
3 Tameside 020 Tameside
4 Trafford 017 Trafford
5 St. Helens 015 St. Helens

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shawcross

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shawcross

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Shawcross surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Shawcross household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Shawcross 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

Shawcross 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

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

Meaning and origin of Shawcross

The surname SHAWCROSS originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from a place name meaning "the cross on the shaw or small wood". The earliest known bearers were likely residents of a hamlet near Wigan in Lancashire, where such a place was recorded.

The name is found in records from the 13th century onwards, with early spellings including Shawcrosse, Shacrosse, and Shaucrosse. An Alanus de Shaucrosse is mentioned in the Lancashire Assize Rolls of 1285. By the 16th century, the modern spelling SHAWCROSS had become established.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a place called Schordis is recorded in Lancashire, which may be related to the name's origins. Similarly, the village of Shaw Cross near Dewsbury in Yorkshire could have given rise to some instances of the surname.

Notable bearers of the name include John Shawcross (c.1534-1586), an English Catholic priest and martyr executed for his faith during the reign of Elizabeth I. Another early bearer was William Shawcross (1589-1661), a Puritan minister and writer from Lancashire.

In the 18th century, Henry Shawcross (1716-1789) was a merchant and banker in Liverpool, while his son John Shawcross (1749-1823) became a prominent cotton manufacturer. The Victorian era saw Henry Lacon Shawcross (1820-1889), a Church of England clergyman who served as Rector of Hartington in Derbyshire.

One of the most famous 20th century bearers was Sir Hartley Shawcross (1902-2003), a British lawyer and Labour politician who served as Attorney General and led the prosecution of Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg trials after World War II.

While originally an English surname, SHAWCROSS has spread to other parts of the world over the centuries through migration and is now found in many countries. However, its roots lie firmly in the medieval settlements and language of northwest England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shawcross families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shawcross 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 695 Shawcross' recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.05x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 695 6.05x
Cheshire 193 9.03x
Yorkshire 21 0.22x
Staffordshire 19 0.58x
Derbyshire 18 1.19x
Northumberland 13 0.90x
Monmouthshire 5 0.71x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.38x
Durham 4 0.14x
Middlesex 4 0.04x
Glamorgan 3 0.18x
Hampshire 3 0.15x
Leicestershire 3 0.28x
Northamptonshire 3 0.33x
Caithness 1 0.75x
Essex 1 0.05x
Kent 1 0.03x
Westmorland 1 0.47x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hyde in Cheshire leads with 51 Shawcross' recorded in 1881 and an index of 80.84x.

Place Total Index
Hyde 51 80.84x
Gorton 49 45.35x
Salford 46 13.61x
Pendleton In Salford 41 29.94x
Barton Upon Irwell 36 41.60x
Heaton Norris 35 53.50x
Manchester 35 6.77x
Hulme 34 14.17x
Newton 34 38.38x
Stretford 33 52.18x
Ashton Under Lyne 32 12.74x
Stockport 28 25.45x
Oldham 27 7.28x
Droylsden 22 58.67x
Urmston 20 268.10x
Worsley 18 25.41x
Flixton 17 288.62x
Dukinfield 16 16.19x
Bury 15 11.42x
Openshaw 13 24.15x
Seghill 13 183.88x
Haughton 12 71.56x
Reddish 12 75.81x
Biddulph 11 59.62x
Didsbury 11 72.08x
Werneth 11 164.18x
Chorlton On Medlock 10 5.48x
Glossop Dale 10 14.08x
Godley 10 216.45x
Wardleworth 10 15.23x
Stalmine With Staynall 9 542.17x
Ardwick 8 7.72x
Brinnington 8 40.06x
Ince In Makerfield 8 14.96x
Knutsford Nether 8 61.92x
Out Rawcliffe 8 291.97x
Cheadle 7 17.14x
Denton 7 27.48x
Mottram 7 72.24x
Smallthorne 7 57.66x
Beswick 6 20.42x
Great Little Marsden 6 11.40x
Little Bolton 6 4.06x
North Meols 6 5.33x
Pemberton 6 13.09x
Sale 6 22.87x
Tintwistle 6 52.49x
Yeardsley Cum Whaley 6 142.18x
Bradford 5 9.29x
Burnage 5 177.31x
Everton 5 1.36x
Garston 5 14.74x
Hopwood 5 33.27x
Monmouth 5 26.93x
Ripley 5 26.67x
Skegby 5 62.50x
Wharram Percy 5 2631.58x
Wharton 5 42.96x
Eccleston In Prescot 4 6.93x
Newton In Ashton Under 4 18.96x
Saddleworth 4 5.40x
Thornley 4 38.35x
Timperley 4 53.84x
Windle 4 6.19x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 4 21.02x
Bowling 3 3.16x
Cardiff St Mary 3 3.23x
Kearsley 3 12.41x
Layton With Warbreck 3 7.11x
Northampton St Giles 3 8.64x
Southowram 3 10.24x
Toxteth Park 3 0.77x
Barrow In Furness 2 1.28x
Brimington 2 17.36x
Fxhls Bythrp Btrwch 2 142.86x
Halliwell 2 4.78x
Macclesfield 2 2.10x
Melton Mowbray 2 10.36x
Pownall Fee 2 20.90x
Wigan 2 1.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 103
Sarah 58
Elizabeth 44
Martha 24
Ann 22
Alice 17
Hannah 17
Jane 16
Margaret 15
Ellen 14
Emma 14
Eliza 12
Elizth. 9
Annie 8
Emily 7
Caroline 6
Esther 6
Charlotte 5
Maria 5
Edith 4
Harriet 4
Amelia 3
Amy 3
Anne 3
Bertha 3
Clara 3
Eliz. 3
Louisa 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Catherine 2
Ethel 2
Fanny 2
Florance 2
Frances 2
Helen 2
Isabella 2
Lucy 2
Lydia 2
Matilda 2
Minna 2
Minnie 2
Ruth 2
Sally 2
Sophia 2
Susannah 2
Betty 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth 1
W. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 71
William 66
James 45
Thomas 34
Joseph 31
George 23
Henry 16
Peter 16
Alfred 10
Charles 10
Samuel 10
Edward 8
Arthur 7
Herbert 7
Walter 7
Abraham 6
Frederick 6
Matthew 5
Fred 4
Albert 3
Edwin 3
Frank 3
Geo. 3
Harry 3
Stephen 3
Thos. 3
David 2
Harold 2
Isaac 2
Joshua 2
Philip 2
Saml. 2
Willm. 2
Amos 1
Benji. 1
Birkett 1
Chas. 1
Chas.Hy. 1
Ellis 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Jas. 1
Jas.Jos. 1
Jno. 1
Jno.Geo. 1
Job 1
Jos. 1
Wright 1

FAQ

Shawcross surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shawcross surname in 1881?

In 1881, 992 people were recorded with the Shawcross surname. That placed it at #3,932 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shawcross surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 907 in 2016. That gives Shawcross a modern rank of #6,265.

What does the Shawcross surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English words "sceaga" meaning small wood or thicket and "cros" meaning cross.

What does the Shawcross map show?

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