NameCensus.

UK surname

Unwin

An English surname derived from the Old English phrase "unfriend," meaning a friend of the nobility.

In the 1881 census there were 2,980 people recorded with the Unwin surname, ranking it #1,499 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,879, ranked #1,739, down from #1,499 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, London parishes and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Charnwood, North West Leicestershire and Sheffield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Unwin is 4,136 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.2%.

1881 census count

2,980

Ranked #1,499

Modern count

3,879

2016, ranked #1,739

Peak year

1999

4,136 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Unwin had 2,980 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,499 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,879 in 2016, ranked #1,739.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,990 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Unwin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Unwin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Unwin 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 2,019 #1,436
1861 historical 1,620 #1,758
1881 historical 2,980 #1,499
1891 historical 2,915 #1,616
1901 historical 3,695 #1,517
1911 historical 3,990 #1,280
1997 modern 3,943 #1,651
1998 modern 4,087 #1,651
1999 modern 4,136 #1,641
2000 modern 4,063 #1,663
2001 modern 3,970 #1,665
2002 modern 3,990 #1,693
2003 modern 3,920 #1,683
2004 modern 3,932 #1,688
2005 modern 3,831 #1,706
2006 modern 3,860 #1,695
2007 modern 3,891 #1,693
2008 modern 3,908 #1,700
2009 modern 4,000 #1,700
2010 modern 4,041 #1,714
2011 modern 4,047 #1,692
2012 modern 3,936 #1,713
2013 modern 3,999 #1,713
2014 modern 3,994 #1,725
2015 modern 3,919 #1,732
2016 modern 3,879 #1,739

Geography

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Where Unwins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, London parishes, Sheffield and West Ham,Wanstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Charnwood, North West Leicestershire, Sheffield, South Cambridgeshire and Staffordshire Moorlands. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 London parishes London 2
5 West Ham,Wanstead Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Charnwood 006 Charnwood
2 North West Leicestershire 004 North West Leicestershire
3 Sheffield 003 Sheffield
4 South Cambridgeshire 001 South Cambridgeshire
5 Staffordshire Moorlands 004 Staffordshire Moorlands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Unwin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Unwin

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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, Unwin 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

Unwin is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Unwin

The surname Unwin has its origins in England, with records dating back to the late 12th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English words "un" meaning "one" and "winnan" meaning "to labor" or "to toil." The name likely referred to a laborer or a worker who worked alone.

The earliest known record of the name Unwin is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1190, where a person named Robert Unwin is mentioned. Another early reference is in the Cambridgeshire Assize Rolls of 1260, which mentions a William Unwin.

In the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a record of landowners and tenants, the name appears as Onewyn, which is considered an early spelling variation. This suggests that the name may have been derived from the Old English "ān" meaning "one" and "winnan" meaning "to labor" or "to toil."

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Unwin. However, it does mention place names that may have contributed to the formation of the surname, such as Wynna, Wynneburn, and Wynnefeld.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Unwin was John Unwin, who was born in Yorkshire, England, in the late 13th century. He is mentioned in the Yorkshire Assize Rolls of 1297.

Another notable individual with the surname Unwin was Thomas Unwin (c. 1516 – c. 1571), an English Protestant reformer and clergyman who served as the Bishop of Norwich during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, John Unwin (c. 1620 – 1675) was a prominent English Baptist minister and author. He played a significant role in the early development of the Baptist movement in England.

William Unwin (1718 – 1786) was an English clergyman and poet who is known for his friendship with the renowned poet William Cowper. Cowper dedicated several of his poems to Unwin.

One of the most famous bearers of the surname Unwin was Mary Unwin (1724 – 1796), who was a close friend and companion to the poet William Cowper. She helped him through periods of mental illness and was instrumental in his literary work.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Unwin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Unwin 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 671 Unwins recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.33x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 671 2.33x
Middlesex 317 1.09x
Lancashire 255 0.74x
Essex 254 4.43x
Derbyshire 228 5.02x
Cheshire 192 3.00x
Cambridgeshire 163 8.86x
Staffordshire 163 1.66x
Surrey 147 1.04x
Nottinghamshire 115 2.94x
Kent 94 0.95x
Leicestershire 63 1.96x
Hampshire 51 0.86x
Suffolk 34 0.96x
Somerset 26 0.56x
Hertfordshire 24 1.20x
Durham 22 0.25x
Sussex 21 0.43x
Oxfordshire 17 0.95x
Northamptonshire 15 0.55x
Warwickshire 13 0.18x
Buckinghamshire 11 0.63x
Berkshire 9 0.41x
Devon 9 0.15x
Lincolnshire 9 0.19x
Ayrshire 7 0.32x
Gloucestershire 7 0.12x
Huntingdonshire 7 1.21x
Cumberland 5 0.20x
Flintshire 5 0.64x
Northumberland 5 0.12x
Glamorgan 4 0.08x
Norfolk 3 0.07x
Shropshire 3 0.12x
Midlothian 2 0.05x
Wiltshire 2 0.08x
Angus 1 0.04x
Worcestershire 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. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 111 Unwins recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.12x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 111 12.12x
Brightside Bierlow 106 18.79x
Bollington In 64 112.20x
Ecclesall Bierlow 55 9.40x
Sheepshed 44 99.75x
Stoke Upon Trent 44 4.23x
Harthill Cum Woodall 43 390.20x
Wolstanton 43 14.45x
Lambeth 39 1.54x
Toxteth Park 39 3.34x
Ecclesfield 37 17.54x
Macclesfield 35 12.29x
Bow London 34 9.20x
Dore 34 391.25x
Enfield 32 16.80x
Everton 32 2.91x
Dronfield 30 51.51x
West Ham 29 2.29x
Camberwell 28 1.51x
Eyam 28 220.65x
Islington London 28 1.00x
Manchester 27 1.74x
Nether Hallam 27 6.94x
Impington 25 631.31x
Idle 24 17.99x
Stockport 24 7.28x
Mile End Old Town 23 5.02x
St Pancras London 23 0.98x
Little Baddow 22 405.90x
Manningham 22 6.21x
Radford 22 11.07x
Kensington London 21 1.30x
St Andrewthe Less 21 10.00x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 20 7.46x
Eckington 20 18.11x
St Mary Extra 20 41.76x
Chesterfield 19 11.15x
Shipley 19 12.73x
St Marylebone London 19 1.23x
Loughborough 18 12.32x
Nottingham St Mary 17 1.68x
Rawmarsh 17 16.73x
Sutton In Macclesfield 17 25.56x
Ardwick 16 5.15x
Leeds 16 0.99x
March 16 25.99x
Skipton 16 17.67x
Bermondsey 15 1.74x
Folkestone 15 7.81x
Great Chesterford 15 165.38x
Hucknall Torkard 15 15.12x
Northampton St Giles 15 14.42x
Chesterton 14 24.70x
Coal Aston 14 178.80x
Arnold 13 22.76x
Grantchester 13 113.64x
Hackney London 13 0.80x
Maldon St Marys 13 94.68x
Pilsley In Chesterfield 13 239.41x
Romford 13 14.35x
Rotherham 13 8.02x
Staines 13 28.28x
West Derby 13 1.29x
Ashdon 12 143.71x
Claylane 12 18.99x
Doncaster 12 5.71x
Gorton 12 3.71x
Hendon 12 11.49x
Bourn 11 136.31x
Brighton 11 1.11x
Hampstead London 11 2.43x
Horton In Bradford 11 2.45x
Monkwearmouth Shore 11 6.52x
Shalford 11 70.24x
Biddulph 10 18.09x
Bradford 10 1.44x
Bromley London 10 1.57x
Chelmsford 10 10.17x
Hitchin 10 11.07x
St Benedict Cambridge 10 96.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 190
Sarah 133
Elizabeth 95
Emma 56
Ann 54
Annie 52
Eliza 46
Jane 44
Emily 39
Hannah 38
Alice 37
Ellen 35
Harriet 33
Martha 29
Charlotte 28
Maria 24
Lucy 23
Edith 20
Florence 20
Ada 19
Margaret 17
Susan 17
Caroline 16
Fanny 16
Clara 15
Anne 14
Louisa 13
Harriett 12
Kate 12
Catherine 11
Rebecca 11
Esther 10
Jessie 9
Sophia 9
Frances 8
Gertrude 8
Amy 7
Ethel 7
Isabella 7
Julia 7
Mabel 7
Ruth 7
Elizth. 6
Grace 6
Amelia 5
Beatrice 5
Lizzie 5
Matilda 5
Susannah 5
Agnes 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 175
William 169
George 119
James 91
Joseph 76
Thomas 74
Henry 66
Charles 64
Samuel 39
Arthur 36
Alfred 31
Frederick 31
Robert 28
Edward 27
Harry 25
Walter 21
Frank 17
Albert 16
Herbert 16
Richard 15
Edwin 13
Ernest 12
Isaac 12
David 11
Francis 9
Fred 9
Wm. 8
Mark 7
Stephen 7
Ralph 6
Thos. 6
Daniel 5
Geo. 5
Joshua 5
Peter 5
Wilfred 5
Chas. 4
Frederic 4
Horace 4
Joe 4
Nathan 4
Oliver 4
Robt. 4
Benjamin 3
Fredk. 3
J. 3
Jno. 3
Jonathan 3
Mathew 3
Saml. 3

FAQ

Unwin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Unwin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,980 people were recorded with the Unwin surname. That placed it at #1,499 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Unwin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,879 in 2016. That gives Unwin a modern rank of #1,739.

What does the Unwin surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old English phrase "unfriend," meaning a friend of the nobility.

What does the Unwin map show?

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