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Ashworth History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Ashworth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Ashworth

What does the name Ashworth mean?

The ancient history of the Ashworth name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in the chapelry named Ashworth anciently spelt Asseheworth in Lancashire. Despite the small size of this town (only 233 in the 1861 census) many of the surname have flourished since that time. 1

The first part of the name, Ash, was originally given to a person who resided in an area where ash trees flourished. Now there are numerous parishes and townships called Ashworth in many counties and there are also various minor localities of this same name from which smaller lines of the name may have emerged. 2

Early Origins of the Ashworth family

The surname Ashworth was first found in Lancashire at Ashworth, a parochial chapelry, in the parish of Middleton, union of Bury, hundred of Salford. "A family named Ashworth was seated here as early as the 13th century, and appears to have been succeeded by the Holts." 3

An early variant of the family was Ashwardby. Of this name, we could find only one reference, that of John Ashwardby (fl. 1392), "a follower of Wycliffe, is described by Tanner, no doubt by an inference from his surname, as a Lincolnshire man. " 4

Early rolls entries are scarce, but we did find Richard de Ascheworth in the Assize Rolls for 1285. 5 Frome here we move to the 17th century where the Wills at Chester listed John Ashworth, of Castleton, Lancashire, 1617; and Oliver Ashworth, of Wolfenden, Lancashire, 1611. 1

Early History of the Ashworth family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ashworth research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1722, 1775, 1785 and 1811 are included under the topic Early Ashworth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ashworth Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Ashworth include Ashworth, Asworth, Ashworthe and others.

Early Notables of the Ashworth family

Distinguished members of the family include

Caleb Ashworth (1722-1775), Scottish dissenting tutor, born at Clough-Fold, Rossendale, Lancashire, in 1722...
Henry Ashworth (1785-1811), British lieutenant in the Navy, born in London, December 17854...

Ashworth Ranking

In the United States, the name Ashworth is the 3,231^st most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 6 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Ashworth is ranked the 677^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,736 people with that name. 7

Ashworth migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Ashworth or a variant listed above:

Ashworth Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Ashworth who settled in Virginia in 1653
William Ashworth, who landed in Virginia in 1653 8
Rich Ashworth, who arrived in Virginia in 1657 8

Ashworth Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Ashworth, who landed in Virginia in 1745 8
George Ashworth, who landed in Virginia in 1745 8
Zacheriah Ashworth, who arrived in Virginia in 1745 8
Allis Ashworth, listed as a runaway convict servants in Maryland in 1774

Ashworth Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

T Ashworth, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 8
Nicholas, Sydney and William Ashworth, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1832 and 1841
Richard Ashworth, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1842 8
James Ashworth, aged 29, who arrived in Missouri in 1847 8

Ashworth migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ashworth Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. Ashworth, who arrived in Victoria, British Columbia in 1862
Joseph Ashworth, who arrived in Victoria, British Columbia in 1862
Mary A Ashworth, who landed in Victoria, British Columbia in 1862

Ashworth Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Mr. Edgar A Ashworth, (b. 1884), aged 21, Cornish schoolmaster travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Lytton, British Columbia, Canada 9

Ashworth migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Ashworth Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Ashworth, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 16th January 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Robert Ashworth, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. Henry Ashworth, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for life, transported aboard the "Caledonia" in 19th June 1822, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
Mr. Ashton Ashworth, English convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Champion" on 24th May 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. William Ashworth who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 24th March 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ashworth migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Ashworth Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Ashworth, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Tuscan" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 28th September 1842 15
Mr. Abraham Ashworth, (b. 1838), aged 23, British farm labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Mystery" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 7th January 1862 16
Mr. Thomas Ashworth, (b. 1845), aged 18, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 16th February 1864 16
Mr. George Ashworth, (b. 1853), aged 10, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 16th February 1864 16
George Ashworth, aged 33, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1875
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Ashworth (post 1700) +

Gerald Howard "Gerry" Ashworth (b. 1942), American gold medalist sprinter at the 1964 Summer Olympics
Donald "Don" W. Ashworth (b. 1931), American musician, member of The Tonight Show Band
Christopher Michael "Chris" Ashworth (b. 1975), American actor, best known for his portrayal of Sergei Malatov in The Wire
Tom Ashworth (b. 1977), American professional NFL football player
Ernie Ashworth (b. 1928), American county music singer and longtime star of the Grand Ole Opry
Vice Admiral Frederick L "Dick" Ashworth (1912-2005), American US Navy officer who served as the weaponeer of the mission that dropped the Atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945
John H Ashworth (b. 1879), American professor of economics
Eugene B. Ashworth, American politician, Representative from New Jersey 3rd District, 1996 17
David D. Ashworth, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from West Virginia, 1932, 1936; U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, 1932-33 17
Ben H. Ashworth (b. 1888), American Democratic Party politician, Member of West Virginia State Senate 7th District, 1925-28; Member of West Virginia Democratic State Executive Committee, 1937; Presidential Elector for West Virginia, 1940 17
... (Another 27 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Ashworth family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Harry Ashworth, British Stoker 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 18
Mr. Frank Ashworth, British Stoker 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 18

HMS Repulse

Mr. Jack Ashworth (b. 1920), English Leading Seaman from Rossendale, Lancashire, England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 19
Mr. Eric Robert Ashworth, English Leading Sick Berth Attendant from England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 19

The Ashworth Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Appetitus rationi pareat
Motto Translation: Let your desires obey your reason.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/caledonia
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 18th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/champion
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html