NameCensus.

UK surname

Urmston

A surname derived from a place name referring to a settlement near Manchester, England.

In the 1881 census there were 249 people recorded with the Urmston surname, ranking it #11,103 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 346, ranked #13,291, down from #11,103 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Eccles, Bolton-le-Moors and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton, Wigan and Salford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Urmston is 361 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.0%.

1881 census count

249

Ranked #11,103

Modern count

346

2016, ranked #13,291

Peak year

2000

361 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Urmston had 249 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,103 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 346 in 2016, ranked #13,291.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 350 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Urmston surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Urmston surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Urmston 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 98 #17,383
1861 historical 100 #21,103
1881 historical 249 #11,103
1891 historical 223 #13,800
1901 historical 350 #10,439
1911 historical 345 #10,358
1997 modern 334 #12,591
1998 modern 342 #12,739
1999 modern 348 #12,670
2000 modern 361 #12,288
2001 modern 360 #12,127
2002 modern 358 #12,402
2003 modern 361 #12,140
2004 modern 338 #12,781
2005 modern 325 #13,080
2006 modern 327 #13,092
2007 modern 329 #13,168
2008 modern 330 #13,257
2009 modern 350 #12,972
2010 modern 354 #13,135
2011 modern 351 #13,059
2012 modern 341 #13,217
2013 modern 344 #13,349
2014 modern 355 #13,125
2015 modern 347 #13,252
2016 modern 346 #13,291

Geography

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Where Urmstons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Eccles, Bolton-le-Moors, Manchester and Leigh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton, Wigan and Salford. 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 Eccles Lancashire
2 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Leigh Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 007 Bolton
2 Bolton 022 Bolton
3 Wigan 037 Wigan
4 Salford 030 Salford
5 Bolton 025 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Urmston

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Urmston

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Urmston is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Urmston 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

Urmston falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Urmston 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 Urmston, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Urmston

The surname Urmston has its roots in England, originating from the town of the same name located in Greater Manchester. The name itself is derived from the Old English words "yr" meaning "a strip of land" and "mynd" meaning "a hill," suggesting that the name refers to a strip of land on a hill.

Urmston was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Ormus tuna," which translates to "Orm's town." This indicates that the town was likely named after an individual called Orm, who may have been a prominent landowner or chieftain in the area during the 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Urmston was Robert de Urmston, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1286. Another early record is of John de Urmston, who was listed as a taxpayer in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332.

During the 16th century, the name was sometimes spelled as "Ormuston" or "Ormeston," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common in that era. In the 17th century, the spelling "Urmston" became more standardized.

A notable figure with the surname was Sir John Urmston (1602-1668), who was an English lawyer and Member of Parliament for Liverpool from 1654 to 1659. He played a significant role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.

Another individual of note was William Urmston (1720-1807), an English botanist and nurseryman from Urmston. He was responsible for introducing several new plant species to Britain, including the Chinese Wisteria.

In the 19th century, James Urmston (1824-1895) was a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Manchester. He made his fortune in the cotton trade and was a major benefactor to the city, contributing to the establishment of libraries and other public institutions.

Reverend John Urmston (1850-1926) was an Anglican clergyman and writer from Cheshire. He authored several works on religious topics and served as the vicar of St. Mary's Church in Eccles.

More recently, Kathleen Urmston (1908-1976) was a British actress known for her roles in films such as "The Lady Vanishes" (1938) and "Gaslight" (1940). She had a successful career on stage and screen during the mid-20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Urmston families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Urmston 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 219 Urmstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.66x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 219 7.66x
Cheshire 20 3.76x
Warwickshire 4 0.66x
Gloucestershire 2 0.42x
Devon 1 0.20x
Kent 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Little Bolton in Lancashire leads with 20 Urmstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 54.41x.

Place Total Index
Little Bolton 20 54.41x
Lowton 18 927.84x
Pennington In Leigh 16 291.44x
Openshaw 15 112.02x
Bedford 14 234.11x
Harwood 13 872.48x
Manchester 13 10.11x
Westleigh 12 184.90x
Worsley 12 68.10x
Oldham 11 11.92x
Eccleston In Prescot 8 55.75x
Haigh 7 700.00x
Bury 6 18.37x
Hulme 6 10.05x
Capenhurst 5 3846.15x
Heath Charnock 5 657.89x
Pendleton In Salford 5 14.68x
Aston 4 2.39x
Chester St Oswald 4 41.54x
Wigan 4 10.01x
Atherton 3 28.82x
Chadderton 3 21.46x
Gorton 3 11.16x
Raby 3 1500.00x
Barton Upon Irwell 2 9.29x
Dukinfield 2 8.14x
Farnworth 2 11.68x
Great Bolton 2 5.28x
Great Little Saughall 2 338.98x
Great Sutton 2 714.29x
North Meols 2 7.15x
Preston 2 2.61x
Rumworth 2 48.90x
Tottington Lower End 2 14.72x
Wickwar 2 263.16x
Woolston With 2 476.19x
Blackburn 1 1.31x
Cheetham 1 4.69x
Chester Holy Trinity 1 40.16x
Culcheth 1 53.48x
East Stonehouse 1 10.12x
Frodsham 1 48.54x
Layton With Warbreck 1 9.53x
Liverpool 1 0.58x
Newton In Makerfield 1 11.43x
Pendlebury 1 16.56x
Warrington 1 2.95x
Whittingham 1 79.37x
Woolwich 1 3.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Elizabeth 16
Sarah 12
Ellen 9
Ann 7
Alice 6
Margaret 5
Eliza 4
Martha 4
Hannah 3
Harriett 3
Agnes 2
Annie 2
Betty 2
Elizth. 2
Emma 2
Harriet 2
Jane 2
Rachael 2
Anne 1
Bertha 1
Betsy 1
Clara 1
Deborah 1
Dinia 1
Edith 1
Elisebeth 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Janet 1
Louisa 1
Margt. 1
Matilda 1
Mgt. 1
Mona 1
Olive 1
Rachel 1
Ruth 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 20
Thomas 16
James 12
William 11
Richard 8
Joseph 7
George 5
Harry 4
Henry 4
Peter 4
Wm. 4
Benjamin 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Herbert 2
Abel 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Archd.Geo.Brabazon 1
Arthur 1
Ellis 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Hugh 1
Ismay 1
Jas 1
Jas.E. 1
Job 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Sydney 1

FAQ

Urmston surname: questions and answers

How common was the Urmston surname in 1881?

In 1881, 249 people were recorded with the Urmston surname. That placed it at #11,103 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Urmston surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 346 in 2016. That gives Urmston a modern rank of #13,291.

What does the Urmston surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name referring to a settlement near Manchester, England.

What does the Urmston map show?

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