Esh
A northern English surname from a place-name or from a residence by an ash tree.
The #9,227 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 87,488 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Esh is best understood as a northern English surname tied to Old English words for an ash tree or an ash wood/place. In medieval records it could point either to someone from a place called Esh (or Ash) or to someone living by a notable ash tree. The underlying element is the Old English word for ash, often written as æsc or related dialect forms such as esh.
History
The name is especially associated with northern England, where place-names like Esh in County Durham helped fix the surname. Nineteenth-century surname writers also noted that esh survived as a local dialect word for ash in parts of northern England. It remains relatively uncommon but is well established in English surname tradition.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley noted that esh was still a living dialect word for ash in parts of northern England, which helps explain the surname’s form.
From the historical record
“(Warw.), 13th cent. Wrokeshal, Wrocches- . hal. A^-Sax* Wroc(c)esh(e)dlt = WrOc(c)'s Hall [O.Merc, hall, a hall] WRYGHT(E = Wright, q.v. WutpEl'-Woine.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)