CHARLESWORTH
Recorded variant spellings include Charles Worth
The surname Charlesworth is a locational name of English origin. It is derived from the Old English personal name Ceolheard, meaning famous warrior, combined with the element worth, which denotes a fortified enclosure or farmstead. In this way the surname can be interpreted as “the farmstead of the famous warrior.”
It is associated with a hamlet situated near Chapel-en-le-Frith in Derbyshire. The earliest surviving reference to this place is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as Chevenesuurde. In the City Court and Eyre Rolls of Chester of 1286 the placename appears as Chauelisworth. These early attestations indicate that the name has been in use for at least nine centuries.
Scholars note that the pre‑7th‑century Old English by‑name, related to ceafli meaning “jaw,” may have originally formed the first element of the name. Subsequent folk etymology, however, linked it to the personal name Charles, thereby creating the familiar modern form. The earliest documented spelling of the family surname is that of Johannes de Chalesworth, dated 1379, recorded in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Registers during the reign of King Richard XI.
In the early nineteenth century two individuals bearing the name are recorded in the National Biography. George Charlesworth (1782–1864) served as Rector, and his daughter Marie‑Louisa Charlesworth (1788–1844) became an author. Another notable bearer was Edward Parker Charlesworth (1783–1853), a physician who worked in an asylum for the mentally ill and was an early advocate of humane treatment for patients.
The surname remains a distinctive marker of English heritage, reflecting both a specific geographic origin and a linguistic heritage that stretches back to the early Anglo‑Saxon period.
Typical given names associated with the Charlesworth surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Hayley
- Helen
- Julie
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Rachel
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Charlesworth in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Charlesworth are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Jammy Dodger.
There are approximately 8,031 people named Charlesworth in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,173rd most common surname in Britain. Around 123 in a million people in Britain are named Charlesworth.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Charlesworth
- Brian Charlesworth - Biologist
- Deborah Charlesworth - Evolutionary biologist
- Dick Charlesworth - Musician (1932 to 2008)
- Arnold Charlesworth - Football player (1930 to 1)
- Arthur Charlesworth - Football player (1898 to 1966)
- Sian Charlesworth - Singer
- Ben Charlesworth - Cricketer
- Crowther Charlesworth - Cricketer (1875 to 1953)
- Alfred Charlesworth - Cricketer (1865 to 1928)
- Graham Charlesworth - South African cricketer
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.