NameCensus.

UK surname

Trought

A surname derived from the Old English word "trohte," meaning a small stream or brook.

In the 1881 census there were 59 people recorded with the Trought surname, ranking it #25,281 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 101, ranked #30,929, down from #25,281 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Lincolnshire, Bristol and North Kesteven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Trought is 114 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 71.2%.

1881 census count

59

Ranked #25,281

Modern count

101

2016, ranked #30,929

Peak year

2000

114 bearers

Map years

2

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Trought had 59 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,281 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016, ranked #30,929.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 95 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Trought surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Trought surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Trought 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 41 #25,926
1861 historical 58 #26,585
1881 historical 59 #25,281
1891 historical 77 #27,169
1901 historical 81 #25,130
1911 historical 95 #23,294
1997 modern 93 #27,932
1998 modern 102 #27,314
1999 modern 107 #26,754
2000 modern 114 #25,717
2001 modern 109 #26,059
2002 modern 113 #26,024
2003 modern 101 #27,561
2004 modern 98 #28,297
2005 modern 96 #28,671
2006 modern 98 #28,621
2007 modern 99 #28,852
2008 modern 102 #28,664
2009 modern 110 #27,991
2010 modern 103 #29,780
2011 modern 103 #29,589
2012 modern 100 #30,258
2013 modern 92 #31,909
2014 modern 101 #30,855
2015 modern 106 #29,895
2016 modern 101 #30,929

Geography

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Where Troughts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Lincolnshire, Bristol, North Kesteven and North Somerset. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Lincolnshire 021 North Lincolnshire
2 Bristol 021 Bristol, City of
3 North Kesteven 004 North Kesteven
4 North Lincolnshire 013 North Lincolnshire
5 North Somerset 005 North Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Trought

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Trought

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Trought is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Trought is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Trought falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Trought is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Trought

The surname TROUGHT is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the county of Yorkshire. It is derived from the Old English word "trog," which referred to a small wooden trough or vessel used for feeding animals or carrying water. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname, given to someone who made or sold these troughs.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name TROUGHT can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1189, where a person named William Troghe is mentioned. Another early reference is in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Robert le Troghe residing in Oxfordshire.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various spellings, including Trough, Troughe, and Trowghe. An entry in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1345 mentions a John del Trough, indicating a connection to a specific location or property.

The TROUGHT surname has also been associated with certain place names in Yorkshire, such as Trough House, a hamlet near the village of Holmesfield. This suggests that some individuals may have adopted the name based on their place of residence or origin.

One notable figure with the surname TROUGHT was John Trought (c. 1580-1658), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Rector of Crudwell in Wiltshire. Another was William Trought (1586-1666), a member of the landed gentry in Gloucestershire and a Justice of the Peace.

In the 17th century, the name TROUGHT appeared in various parish records across England, indicating its widespread distribution. For example, in 1623, a Richard Trought was baptized in the parish of St. Mary Magdalene in Bermondsey, London.

Another individual of note was Robert Trought (1625-1699), a merchant and member of the East India Company, who was involved in trade with the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia).

In the 18th century, the TROUGHT surname continued to be found in various parts of England. One example is Thomas Trought (1735-1812), a landowner and Justice of the Peace in the county of Worcestershire.

As the centuries progressed, the TROUGHT surname spread across different regions of England and, in some cases, to other parts of the world through emigration and exploration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Trought families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Trought 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 15 Troughts recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.20x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 15 2.20x
Glamorgan 13 12.97x
Lincolnshire 10 10.87x
Yorkshire 7 1.23x
Nottinghamshire 4 5.16x
Shropshire 4 8.05x
Surrey 2 0.71x
Warwickshire 2 1.38x
Essex 1 0.88x
Worcestershire 1 1.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chorley in Lancashire leads with 9 Troughts recorded in 1881 and an index of 234.99x.

Place Total Index
Chorley 9 234.99x
Cogan 9 6000.00x
Holy Trinity 7 51.02x
Bonby 6 7500.00x
Acton Burnell 4 6666.67x
Openshaw 4 125.00x
Roath 4 87.91x
Snenton 4 131.15x
Birmingham 2 4.13x
Hulme 2 14.03x
Battersea 1 4.72x
Clee With Weelsby 1 49.75x
Great Grimsby 1 17.12x
Harwick St Nicholas 1 555.56x
Louth 1 47.39x
Redditch 1 65.79x
Saxby In Glanford Brigg 1 1666.67x
Streatham 1 23.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 4
Robert 3
George 2
James 2
Thomas 2
William 2
Albert 1
Charles 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Henery 1
Henry 1
Joseph 1
Matthew 1
Wm. 1

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 Trought households.

FAQ

Trought surname: questions and answers

How common was the Trought surname in 1881?

In 1881, 59 people were recorded with the Trought surname. That placed it at #25,281 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Trought surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016. That gives Trought a modern rank of #30,929.

What does the Trought surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English word "trohte," meaning a small stream or brook.

What does the Trought map show?

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