Topics

• About the Alnwick One-Name Study
• Variants
• Origin of the surname
• Historical occurrences
• Frequency of the name
• Distribution of the name
• Data
• Contact Details

About the Alnwick One-Name Study

I became interested in the Alnwick name when researching my maternal line. My great grandmother was an Alnwick and when searching for her father it became apparent that the name was uncommon. I began the one name study in 2002 and it is very much a work in progress. I am adding information frequently and would very interested in contacts regarding Alnwicks anywhere.

Variants

No modern variants have been found although the name was spelled in numerous ways in the past - Alnewick, Alnewyke, Anwick, Alnick, Alnewicke.

Origin of the surname

The Alnwick surname is dervived from a place, that of Alnwick in Northumberland, England. The etymology of Alnwick is from the river Aln which is Celtic for bright, clear water and the Old English wic for castle or habitation.

Historical occurrences

The earliest references to the name I have found so far are as follows:

• William Alnwick (Alnewick) born Alnwick, Northumberland. LL.D. of Cambridge. Bishop of Lincoln 1436-1449.
• William Alnewyke pensioner at King's Hall, Cambridge 1445-1460
• Alnwykyll recieved BA in 1474-5 from Cambridge.
• Amon Alnewick recieved MA in 1594 from Oxford. Prebendary of Lincoln 1612.
• Arthur Alnwick recieved BA from Oxford 1691 and was Vicar of Alnham, Northumberland 1699.

The earliest reference to the name in America that I have found so far is to Ann Alnwick with daughter Mary Jane who arrived New York in 1821.

Frequency of the name

In the 1881 UK census there were just 40 people with the name.

In the ONS information for 2002 there were 57 people with the name ranking it 46925.

In America in the 1920 census there were just 12 people with the name.

Distribution of the name

The distribution is mainly in the north of England, although for a name arising in Northumberland the concentration in 1881 was in Durham with 3 people in Middlesex.

The distribution in America from the 1920 census shows families in New York, California, Florida, and New Hampshire.

References to the name have been found in Ireland and Canada but no investigated in depth so far.

Data

I have collated the Alnwick entries from the General Register Office for England and Wales for:

• Births 1837-1904
• Marriages 1837- 2003
• Deaths 1837-2003

I have the census data for 1851-1901 for the UK and 1920 & 1930 for the USA.

I also have some wills, obitutaries and historical references to which I am constantly adding.

Contact details

For further information, contact:

Miss Elizabeth Snow
E-mail:

This page last updated 25 February 2008.

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