NameCensus.

UK surname

Alden

Old English surname derived from a place name meaning "old valley" or "half valley."

In the 1881 census there were 785 people recorded with the Alden surname, ranking it #4,732 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,374, ranked #4,389, up from #4,732 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, St George Tombland, St Peter Mountergate, St John Timberhill, All Saints, St Michael at Thorn, St Ju and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mendip, Norwich and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Alden is 1,435 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 75.0%.

1881 census count

785

Ranked #4,732

Modern count

1,374

2016, ranked #4,389

Peak year

1999

1,435 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Alden had 785 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,732 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,374 in 2016, ranked #4,389.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,239 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Alden surname distribution map

The map shows where the Alden surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Alden surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Alden over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 442 #5,570
1861 historical 483 #5,407
1881 historical 785 #4,732
1891 historical 883 #4,664
1901 historical 1,019 #4,683
1911 historical 1,239 #3,821
1997 modern 1,367 #4,214
1998 modern 1,408 #4,255
1999 modern 1,435 #4,217
2000 modern 1,428 #4,224
2001 modern 1,377 #4,266
2002 modern 1,422 #4,240
2003 modern 1,367 #4,300
2004 modern 1,347 #4,363
2005 modern 1,337 #4,338
2006 modern 1,333 #4,362
2007 modern 1,349 #4,356
2008 modern 1,351 #4,370
2009 modern 1,360 #4,427
2010 modern 1,368 #4,492
2011 modern 1,327 #4,550
2012 modern 1,325 #4,497
2013 modern 1,339 #4,529
2014 modern 1,368 #4,480
2015 modern 1,375 #4,413
2016 modern 1,374 #4,389

Geography

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Where Aldens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, St George Tombland, St Peter Mountergate, St John Timberhill, All Saints, St Michael at Thorn, St Ju, London parishes, Winterbourne, Westerleigh, Pucklechurch, Frampton Cotterel and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mendip, Norwich, Cornwall, South Oxfordshire and Harborough. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 St George Tombland, St Peter Mountergate, St John Timberhill, All Saints, St Michael at Thorn, St Ju Norfolk
3 London parishes London 3
4 Winterbourne, Westerleigh, Pucklechurch, Frampton Cotterel Gloucestershire
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mendip 004 Mendip
2 Norwich 003 Norwich
3 Cornwall 003 Cornwall
4 South Oxfordshire 004 South Oxfordshire
5 Harborough 007 Harborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Alden

These lists show first names that appear often with the Alden surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Alden

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Alden, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Alden surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Alden household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Alden is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Alden is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Alden falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Alden is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Alden, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Alden

The surname Alden is of Old English origin and is thought to have derived from the Old English word "alor," meaning "alder tree." It may have been a topographic name for someone who lived near an alder tree or a habitation name for someone who lived in a place with an abundance of alders.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Alden can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Aldene." This suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in various records with spellings such as "Aldene," "Aldyn," and "Alde." Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form of Alden.

One notable bearer of the Alden surname was John Alden, an English Puritan who was one of the founders of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. He was a crew member on the Mayflower and was born around 1599 in England. After arriving in America in 1620, he married Priscilla Mullins, who had also traveled on the Mayflower.

Another prominent figure with the Alden surname was John Alden, Jr., the son of the aforementioned John Alden. He was born in Plymouth Colony in 1622 and became a prominent figure in the colony's government, serving as a deputy to the General Court and as a magistrate.

In the 18th century, Joseph Alden (1701-1779) was a notable figure from Bridgewater, Massachusetts. He served as a captain during the French and Indian War and played a role in the American Revolutionary War.

The Alden family also had roots in England, with Sir John Alden (1721-1805) being a prominent British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the 18th century.

Another notable bearer of the Alden surname was Henry Mills Alden (1836-1919), an American editor and writer who served as the editor of Harper's Magazine for over 50 years, from 1869 to 1919.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Alden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Alden surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Norfolk leads with 197 Aldens recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.04x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 197 17.04x
Middlesex 121 1.61x
Gloucestershire 95 6.44x
Surrey 75 2.05x
Yorkshire 55 0.74x
Hampshire 37 2.40x
Oxfordshire 35 7.54x
Suffolk 35 3.82x
Essex 23 1.55x
Kent 19 0.74x
Warwickshire 15 0.79x
Monmouthshire 8 1.47x
Glamorgan 7 0.53x
Bedfordshire 6 1.54x
Cambridgeshire 6 1.26x
Lancashire 5 0.06x
Northumberland 5 0.45x
Staffordshire 5 0.20x
Ayrshire 4 0.71x
Devon 4 0.26x
Durham 4 0.18x
Cheshire 2 0.12x
Herefordshire 2 0.65x
Lincolnshire 2 0.17x
Leicestershire 1 0.12x
Sussex 1 0.08x
Wiltshire 1 0.15x
Worcestershire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bristol St Philip Jacob in Gloucestershire leads with 27 Aldens recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.44x.

Place Total Index
Bristol St Philip Jacob 27 19.44x
Heigham 22 35.44x
Winterbourne 22 269.94x
Battersea 18 6.50x
Bethnal Green London 17 5.20x
Great Yarmouth 16 16.70x
Camberwell 15 3.12x
Newington 14 5.04x
Beccles 13 88.20x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 13 173.33x
Oxford St Thomas 13 59.99x
St Pancras London 13 2.15x
Westbury On Trym 13 26.02x
Bentley 12 662.98x
Starston 12 916.03x
Thorpe Abbotts 12 2068.97x
Kensington London 11 2.63x
Oxford St Aldate 11 224.95x
Birmingham 10 1.58x
Islington London 10 1.37x
Newnham 10 263.85x
Bow London 9 9.40x
Norwich St John Timberhill 9 289.39x
Norwich St Michael At 9 134.13x
Kilham 8 255.59x
Lebberston 8 2000.00x
Middlesbrough 8 8.24x
Mynyddyslwyn 8 37.30x
Pulham St Mary Virgin 8 377.36x
Rockland St Peter 8 1230.77x
Wymondham 8 67.68x
Braintree 7 52.51x
Lambeth 7 1.07x
Melbourne 7 588.24x
Norwich St Augustine 7 150.21x
Norwich St Julian 7 143.74x
Norwich St Martin At 7 358.97x
Norwich St Mary In Marsh 7 538.46x
St Andrew Holborn London 7 21.50x
Croydon 6 2.95x
Hackney London 6 1.42x
Headley 6 143.20x
Hemsby 6 359.28x
Leighton Buzzard 6 35.82x
Norwich St Martin At Oak 6 85.35x
Oxford St Giles 6 27.08x
Roath 6 10.09x
St George Bloomsbury 6 13.91x
West Ham 6 1.83x
Wotton Ville 6 428.57x
Bocking 5 55.99x
Bradford 5 2.77x
Hammersmith London 5 2.70x
Marlesford 5 543.48x
Norwood 5 29.07x
Scarborough 5 7.38x
Shoreditch London 5 1.53x
St Andrewthe Less 5 9.19x
St Michael Winchester 5 159.24x
Walsall Foreign 5 3.81x
Aston 4 0.77x
Ayr 4 15.05x
Caistor Next Yarmouth 4 98.28x
Clerkenwell London 4 2.25x
Holy Trinity 4 2.23x
Jesmond 4 25.40x
Limehouse London 4 4.85x
Millbrook 4 10.30x
Monkwearmouth Shore 4 9.16x
Mottisfont 4 298.51x
Norwich St Andrew 4 203.05x
Norwich St Benedict 4 77.67x
Norwich St Paul 4 57.80x
Norwich St Peter 4 52.70x
Weybridge 4 50.89x
Aldeby 3 180.72x
Bristol St Peter 3 56.93x
Harrow On The Hill 3 19.97x
Hythe St Leonard 3 33.08x
Risby 3 263.16x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Alden surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Alden surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 48
John 33
James 29
George 26
Henry 23
Thomas 18
Charles 16
Alfred 14
Arthur 14
Frederick 9
Edward 8
Richard 8
Edwin 7
Albert 6
Joseph 6
Robert 6
David 5
Frank 5
Mark 5
Benjamin 4
Edgar 4
Francis 4
Fred 4
Harry 4
Isaac 4
Samuel 4
Amos 3
Thos. 3
Walter 3
Chas.H. 2
Ernest 2
Herbert 2
Horace 2
Jacob 2
Leonard 2
Oscar 2
Stephen 2
Wm. 2
Ann 1
Daniel 1
Earnest 1
Enoch 1
Fc. 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Freeman 1
Isace 1
Jeremiah 1
Jno.Gilbert 1
Joe 1

FAQ

Alden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Alden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 785 people were recorded with the Alden surname. That placed it at #4,732 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Alden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,374 in 2016. That gives Alden a modern rank of #4,389.

What does the Alden surname mean?

Old English surname derived from a place name meaning "old valley" or "half valley."

What does the Alden map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Alden bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.