Frequency and distribution of the surname "Astor" in the United Kingdom

Release date:
9 July 2025

FOI reference: FOI-2025-2910

You asked

I am writing to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I would like to request data regarding the frequency and distribution of the surname “Astor” in the United Kingdom.

Specifically, I am requesting the following information:

  1. The total number of individuals recorded in England and Wales (or UK-wide if available) with the surname “Astor” in the most recent dataset available;
  2. The regional breakdown of individuals with the surname “Astor”, if held (e.g. by county or local authority);
  3. Confirmation of whether the surname “Astor” appears in the published ONS Surnames Dataset, and if not, the reason for its omission (e.g. below disclosure threshold).

I am happy to receive the data in any commonly used format (e.g. CSV, Excel, or PDF).

We said

Thank you for your freedom of information request.  

Surnames are recorded on census forms by the collection of Census data every 10 years.

We retain name information from Census records, which is released to the National Archives in 100 years, however it is not used to produce statistical outputs.  The collection of people's names is more an aid for the person completing the questionnaire so that they can make sure everyone is included and allocate the correct particulars to each household member. This is particularly important in the case of large households. The information also helps us make sure that the census only counts everyone once. 

More recently, under conditions which ensure confidentiality is maintained, names have been used to allow limited Census data to be analysed in conjunction with other data; this allowed key questions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic to be answered.   

Names are also helpful when using the census to undertake genealogical research when the records are open after 100 years, however, this is not the prime purpose of the Census.  

Therefore, to produce the statistics requested, we would need to create new information using statistical expertise and experience. Public authorities are not required to create new information in response to FOI requests. The information is therefore not held for FOI purposes. 

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