Southworth
A habitational surname from a Lancashire place-name meaning “south enclosure” or “southern farm.”
The #7,004 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 64,551 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Southworth is a locational surname from Southworth in Lancashire, recorded in medieval forms such as Suthewrthe. The place-name is generally explained as Old English south plus worth, meaning an enclosure, farmstead, or enclosed settlement. In effect, it would have meant “the south enclosure” or “southern farm.”
History
The surname was taken by people who came from Southworth in the parish of Winwick, Lancashire. Later spellings and related forms include Southward, which some sources treat as a variant arising from the same place-name. The name is especially associated with English local surname formation and later spread to North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
An early recorded form, Suthewrthe, shows the name’s medieval roots very clearly.
From the historical record
“SOUTHWORTH (Eng.) Bel. to Southworth (Lanes), 14th cent. Sotheworth, Suthworth, A.D. 1212 Suthewrthe = the South En- closure or' Farm [O.E. 5mS + a/o^^] SOUTTAR SOUTTER SOWARD (Eng.) Sow-Herd [O.E. su + heorde]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)