NameCensus.

UK surname

Southworth

A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places in England called Southworth.

In the 1881 census there were 1,535 people recorded with the Southworth surname, ranking it #2,736 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,568, ranked #3,957, down from #2,736 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Croston, North Meols and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, Preston and Chorley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Southworth is 2,185 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.1%.

1881 census count

1,535

Ranked #2,736

Modern count

1,568

2016, ranked #3,957

Peak year

1911

2,185 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Southworth had 1,535 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,736 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,568 in 2016, ranked #3,957.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,185 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Southworth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Southworth surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Southworth 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 887 #3,087
1861 historical 1,123 #2,497
1881 historical 1,535 #2,736
1891 historical 1,899 #2,422
1901 historical 2,028 #2,639
1911 historical 2,185 #2,307
1997 modern 1,685 #3,538
1998 modern 1,692 #3,642
1999 modern 1,726 #3,613
2000 modern 1,737 #3,576
2001 modern 1,692 #3,591
2002 modern 1,678 #3,685
2003 modern 1,625 #3,712
2004 modern 1,614 #3,748
2005 modern 1,589 #3,747
2006 modern 1,576 #3,778
2007 modern 1,567 #3,827
2008 modern 1,570 #3,853
2009 modern 1,598 #3,883
2010 modern 1,642 #3,866
2011 modern 1,598 #3,913
2012 modern 1,546 #3,971
2013 modern 1,567 #3,986
2014 modern 1,598 #3,943
2015 modern 1,590 #3,924
2016 modern 1,568 #3,957

Geography

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Where Southworths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Croston, North Meols, Preston, 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 Wigan, Preston, Chorley and Blackburn with Darwen. 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 Croston Lancashire
2 North Meols Lancashire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 024 Wigan
2 Preston 007 Preston
3 Chorley 010 Chorley
4 Preston 006 Preston
5 Blackburn with Darwen 007 Blackburn with Darwen

Forenames

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First names often paired with Southworth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Southworth

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

Southworth is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Southworth

The surname Southworth has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from the place name Southworth, which is located near Warrington in the county of Lancashire. The name is composed of the Old English words "sūth" meaning south and "worth" meaning an enclosed settlement or farm.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Southworth surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire, a record of financial transactions, from the year 1176. This document mentions a Richard de Southworth, indicating the surname's use during the 12th century. The Southworth family was also mentioned in the Testa de Nevill, a survey of land ownership conducted in the late 13th century.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a valuable record of land ownership and taxation during the Norman conquest, the village of Southworth is recorded as "Surdesuuord". This early spelling provides insight into the name's evolution over time.

The Southworth family played a notable role in the history of Lancashire. Sir John Southworth (c. 1592-1654) was a prominent English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Newton in Lancashire during the English Civil War. Another notable figure was Sir John Southworth (1735-1807), a British naval officer who served with distinction during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars.

Other notable individuals with the Southworth surname include Edward Southworth (1590-1620), an English Puritan minister who was one of the founders of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts, and Constant Southworth (1615-1679), an early settler of the Plymouth Colony and a member of the colony's council of war.

Thomas Southworth (1597-1654) was an English clergyman and religious writer who served as a vicar in various parishes in Lancashire and Yorkshire. His works, including "Supplication of Saints" and "Sayings of the Ancient Divines", were influential in their time.

These examples demonstrate the historical significance and widespread use of the Southworth surname, particularly in England and the early English colonies in North America.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Southworth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Southworth 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 1,442 Southworths recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.12x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,442 8.12x
Yorkshire 33 0.22x
Cheshire 23 0.70x
Middlesex 19 0.13x
Westmorland 3 0.91x
Lincolnshire 2 0.08x
Staffordshire 2 0.04x
Sussex 2 0.08x
Dorset 1 0.10x
Durham 1 0.02x
Hampshire 1 0.03x
Kent 1 0.02x
Lanarkshire 1 0.02x
Royal Navy 1 0.56x
Surrey 1 0.01x
Warwickshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 188 Southworths recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.57x.

Place Total Index
Preston 188 39.57x
Blackburn 145 30.69x
Chorley 68 68.25x
North Meols 63 36.25x
Over Darwen 51 35.96x
Mawdesley 46 964.36x
Wigan 45 18.14x
Livesey 36 115.53x
Little Lever 31 136.50x
Little Bolton 29 12.70x
Great Bolton 26 11.05x
Accrington 23 14.25x
Manchester 22 2.76x
Clitheroe 20 38.27x
Abram 19 139.40x
Blackrod 19 86.09x
Everton 18 3.18x
Walton Le Dale 18 37.73x
Bethnal Green London 17 2.62x
Farington 17 164.41x
Rufford 17 366.38x
Hindley 16 21.13x
Lancaster 15 14.20x
Euxton 14 237.69x
Gorton 14 8.39x
Ellel 13 141.92x
Broughton In Salford 12 7.39x
Colne 12 22.68x
Tarleton 12 122.95x
Wheelton 12 151.13x
Withnell 12 110.19x
Ashton Under Lyne 11 2.83x
Cheadle 11 17.44x
Church 11 43.88x
Habergham Eaves 11 6.78x
Lytham 11 40.58x
Bradford 10 12.03x
Harwood 10 107.76x
Leyland 10 32.37x
Longton 10 134.05x
Lower Darwen 10 42.90x
Pemberton 10 14.12x
Ainsworth 9 131.00x
Oswaldtwistle 9 14.34x
Ribchester 9 134.13x
Salford 9 1.72x
Adlington 8 48.11x
Barton Upon Irwell 8 5.98x
Fishwick 8 72.86x
Huddersfield 8 3.70x
Kearsley 8 21.41x
Lea Ashton Ingol 8 67.85x
Liverpool 8 0.74x
Newchurch 8 5.51x
Whittle Le Woods 8 135.82x
Ashton In Makerfield 7 13.84x
Chatburn 7 176.77x
Clayton Le Moors 7 20.32x
Layton With Warbreck 7 10.74x
Padiham 7 16.32x
Pendleton In Salford 7 3.31x
Tonge With Haulgh 7 20.25x
Witton 7 31.33x
Aspull 6 14.36x
Hipperholme Cum 6 9.21x
Leeds 6 0.72x
Pilkington 6 8.90x
Stockport 6 3.53x
Westhoughton 6 12.66x
Birkenhead 5 1.90x
Cheetham 5 3.78x
Fulwood 5 26.06x
Halliwell 5 7.74x
Horwich 5 25.81x
Ormskirk 5 14.71x
Toxteth Park 5 0.83x
Waddington 5 218.34x
Royton 4 7.36x
Skelmersdale 4 13.52x
Yate Pickup Bank 4 113.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 149
Elizabeth 89
Sarah 53
Jane 50
Margaret 47
Alice 46
Ann 46
Ellen 39
Hannah 18
Eliza 14
Annie 12
Emily 12
Isabella 12
Martha 11
Betsy 9
Nancy 9
Emma 8
Catherine 7
Elizth. 7
Anne 6
Esther 6
Ada 5
Maria 5
Ruth 5
Agnes 4
Rebecca 4
Susannah 4
Betty 3
Bridget 3
Caroline 3
Charlotte 3
Fanny 3
Harriet 3
Jessie 3
Louisa 3
Bella 2
Eleanor 2
Eliz. 2
Francis 2
Kate 2
Lucy 2
Maggie 2
Margret 2
Maud 2
Nanny 2
Elisabeth 1
Eliz.E. 1
Elizabet 1
Hellen 1
Winnisford 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 118
William 81
James 79
Thomas 79
Henry 41
Robert 38
Joseph 28
George 26
Edward 24
Peter 18
Richard 16
Ralph 12
Charles 11
Hugh 11
Walter 10
Stephen 9
Alfred 8
Benjamin 8
Herbert 8
Samuel 8
Albert 6
Wm. 6
Arthur 5
David 4
Eli 4
Harry 4
Thos. 4
Enoch 3
Moses 3
Nicholas 3
Robt. 3
Christopher 2
Elijah 2
Frank 2
Harold 2
Josiah 2
Roger 2
Simeon 2
Thurston 2
Timothy 2
Ambrose 1
Ann 1
Charlie 1
Chas. 1
Ellen 1
Emmanuel 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Jno.Jas. 1
Wm.M. 1

FAQ

Southworth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Southworth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,535 people were recorded with the Southworth surname. That placed it at #2,736 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Southworth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,568 in 2016. That gives Southworth a modern rank of #3,957.

What does the Southworth surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places in England called Southworth.

What does the Southworth map show?

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