There are just under 3 million people living in Greater Manchester today.
Across the ten boroughs, two cities, and 493 square miles, there’s more than 112,000 different surnames to be found.
Genealogy website Forebears has published data showing the incredible range of monikers in Greater Manchester – revealing the most popular in the region.
‘Smith’ emerged as the runaway ‘winner’ (apparently there are more than 29,000 people with this surname in this part of the country) with Jones, Taylor, Williams and Brown all making the top five.
The most common 50 surnames are listed below. Where does yours rank?
A new piece of research has revealed the most common names across GM’s ten boroughs / Image: Wikimedia Commons
Smith 29,118
Jones 25,113
Taylor 21,163
Williams 14,107
Brown 12,144
Davies 11,922
Johnson 10,825
Khan 9,993
Wilson 9,846
Jackson 9,789
Patel 9,556
Roberts 9,416
Robinson 9,233
Walker 8,716
Hughes 8,680
Wood 8,105
Ahmed 8,076
Harrison 7,670
Thompson 7,658
Kelly 7,657
Evans 7,611
Begum 7,474
Shaw 7,361
Ali 7,295
Green 7,193
Greater Manchester is home to just under 3 million people / Image: Wikimedia Commons
Hall 7,095
Hussain 6,984
Wright 6,933
Clarke 6,921
Turner 6,732
Edwards 6,524
Lee 6,443
Morris 6,278
Thomas 6,189
Murphy 6,061
Walsh 6,054
Ward 5,870
Hill 5,842
White 5,458
Booth 5,422
Cooper 5,350
Howarth 5,068
Moore 4,917
Bailey 4,912
Buckley 4,813
Holt 4,768
Bennett 4,742
Wilkinson 4,577
Martin 4,505
Lewis 4,493
The full list – which features a grand old total of 941 names – is available online at Forebears.
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Beloved local actor David Threlfall is returning to Manchester theatre after nearly three decades as King Lear
Danny Jones
Much-loved local actor David Threlfall is set to return to the Manchester theatre circuit after nearly three whole decades as he prepares to play King Lear at the Royal Exchange.
That’s right: Frank Gallagher himself is about to be one of Shakespeare’s most iconic characters in one of his most legendary plays.
Returning to the very same stage on which his career first began budding after 27 years since last treading the boards, the Shameless, Nowhere Boy and Hot Fuzz star will be donning the titular role in arguably the greatest tragedy of all time at the Manchester city centre theatre this coming autumn.
First announced last month, we’ve finally learned more about this significant comeback and can barely contain our excitement.
The seasoned thespian who is best known for playing UK TV’s well-known and perpetually drunk Northern dad, not to mention embodying fellow British performer Tommy Cooper, has plenty of roots in playhouses, but it’s fair to say he’s been gone from Greater Manchester for a hot minute.
Set to lead the cast in the new adaptation by writer and director Matthew Dunster, himself a local Lancashire lad schooled in Chadderton, this feels like a proper homegrown production.
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For anyone who’s never really experienced the historic tale by ‘Old Bill, the Bard of Avon’, to put it in the Royal Exchange’s words, it “charts a kingdom where power corrupts, families become enemies and prosperity devolves into war.
“At its centre is the mind of a man who can no longer understand what it means to be human. Lear is a searing portrait of a king unable to distinguish truth from lies. As the storm rises and night falls, language, identity and meaning break down completely.”
To be fair, you could argue there are some similarities between him and the Gallagher patriarch; he’ll also be in the middle of this run when he turns 73 – meaning it’ll be even longer since he last played the Royal Exchange Theatre (RET) in his mid-40s.
As for this version by Dunster, who himself is returning to the RET once again also – for his sixth different stint, no less – his talented cast includes the likes of Isobel Akuwudike, Ed Coleman, Lisa Diveney, Rupert Hill, Johnathan Slinger and more.
It’s also worth noting that Threlfall has featured in a Lear retelling in the past.
Way back in 1983, he played Edgar in the small-screen movie made right here in 0161 by Granada Television, where he acted alongside HUGE names such as John Hurt, Diana Rigg, Robert Lindsay, as well as the late, great TV, movie and all-around acting star, Laurence Olivier.
Born in Crumpsall, raised in Burnage, and made at the REC and various other theatres across the country, this feels like a momentous homecoming for the ever-familiar Manc face.
With shows booked from Friday, 2 October until Sunday, 15 November, and tickets priced at just £12 for standard seats, you can secure yours right HERE. It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the only Shakespearean adaptation coming to the region later this year, either…
Featured Images — Channel 4/The Manc Group/Publicity picture via Royal Exchange Theatre)
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Manchester has been named one of the ‘friendliest’ cities in the UK
Emily Sergeant
A new study has crowned Manchester as one of the ‘friendliest’ cities in the UK.
With reviews playing a huge part in the success of small businesses – especially in the hospitality and tourism sector – business insurance expert MoneySuperMarket has analysed more than 100,000 reviews of customer-facing businesses in over 100 cities worldwide to discover where the UK’s ‘friendliest’ places are.
Their new research reveals which cities nationwide attract the highest number of reviews that particularly highlight friendly staff and excellent customer service in their venues and attractions.
For each city, the reviews were analysed for mentions of friendly staff and excellent service.
Cities were then ranked by the percentage of reviews containing these markers – with the highest percentage earning the top spot for friendly customer service.
Manchester came in at a very respectable ninth place in the whole of the UK, with just over 50% of reviews mentioning friendly staff and service.
Other northern cities in the top 10 include Leeds at number six and Liverpool at number two, while looking at the global rankings, the UK dominates for friendliness – with four cities making the top 10, more than any other country in the world.
According to MoneySupermarket, the even spread of cities across the UK suggests that excelling in customer service is a national trait, rather than a local one.
The Manc -
28th June 2021 
