NameCensus.

UK surname

Alders

Derived from the Old English "alor" meaning "alder tree," referring to someone living near alder trees.

In the 1881 census there were 84 people recorded with the Alders surname, ranking it #21,690 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 127, ranked #26,566, down from #21,690 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Crondall, Gateshead and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Southampton, Swansea and Coventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Alders is 136 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.2%.

1881 census count

84

Ranked #21,690

Modern count

127

2016, ranked #26,566

Peak year

2014

136 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Alders had 84 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,690 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016, ranked #26,566.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 116 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Alders surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Alders surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Alders 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 60 #22,584
1861 historical 116 #18,751
1881 historical 84 #21,690
1891 historical 95 #24,694
1901 historical 88 #24,270
1911 historical 89 #23,922
1997 modern 104 #26,351
1998 modern 113 #25,731
1999 modern 116 #25,487
2000 modern 115 #25,591
2001 modern 120 #24,615
2002 modern 127 #24,267
2003 modern 131 #23,553
2004 modern 125 #24,443
2005 modern 128 #24,076
2006 modern 130 #24,053
2007 modern 132 #24,166
2008 modern 133 #24,350
2009 modern 131 #25,056
2010 modern 129 #25,900
2011 modern 133 #25,177
2012 modern 131 #25,439
2013 modern 135 #25,395
2014 modern 136 #25,452
2015 modern 126 #26,654
2016 modern 127 #26,566

Geography

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Where Alders' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Crondall, Gateshead, Lambeth, Brancepeth and Burnham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Southampton, Swansea, Coventry, Corby and Birmingham. 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 Crondall Hampshire
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Brancepeth Durham
5 Burnham Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Southampton 013 Southampton
2 Swansea 026 Swansea
3 Coventry 010 Coventry
4 Corby 003 Corby
5 Birmingham 029 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Alders

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Alders

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Alders, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Alders surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Alders household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Alders is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Alders is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Alders falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Alders is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Alders

The surname Alders has its roots in England, originating in the late 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "alor," meaning alder tree. The alder is a type of tree that thrives in damp environments, so it is likely that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a grove of alder trees or in an area where these trees were abundant.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various medieval documents, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Atte Alders." This spelling suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive phrase, referring to someone who lived "at the alders."

By the 14th century, the name had evolved into its more modern form, with variations such as "Aldres" and "Aulders" appearing in records like the Poll Tax Returns of 1379. These early spellings reflect the fluidity of English orthography during that period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Alders, a merchant from London who was mentioned in the City of London Records in 1357. Another notable figure was Sir William Alders, a knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in various parish registers and court records, often associated with locations that had place names derived from the alder tree, such as Aldermaston in Berkshire or Alderton in Gloucestershire.

Among the more prominent individuals with the surname Alders throughout history are:

1. Thomas Alders (1590-1660), an English merchant and philanthropist who founded several schools and almshouses in London.

2. Richard Alders (1638-1692), a renowned English astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of comets.

3. Mary Alders (1720-1807), a British botanist and naturalist, known for her extensive collection of plant specimens from various parts of the world.

4. John Alders (1784-1853), a British naval officer who served with distinction during the Napoleonic Wars and later became an admiral.

5. William Alders (1875-1949), an English architect and designer responsible for several notable buildings in London, including the Old Vic Theatre.

While the surname Alders is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and is deeply rooted in the country's linguistic and cultural heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Alders families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Alders 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. Durham leads with 20 Alders' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.11x.

County Total Index
Durham 20 8.11x
Warwickshire 17 8.13x
Middlesex 14 1.69x
Derbyshire 7 5.39x
Hampshire 7 4.12x
Kent 7 2.47x
Surrey 6 1.49x
Essex 3 1.83x
Suffolk 2 1.98x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.90x
Yorkshire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 17 Alders' recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.40x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 17 24.40x
Claylane 7 388.89x
Ford 7 945.95x
Brandon Byshottles 6 194.17x
Portsea 6 18.01x
St Martin In Fields 5 100.81x
Stranton 5 60.24x
Newington 3 9.79x
Northfleet 3 120.48x
Chatham 2 25.71x
St George In East London 2 25.64x
West Ham 2 5.54x
Westminster St John 2 19.80x
Bermondsey 1 4.05x
Borough Green 1 909.09x
Camberwell 1 1.89x
Chelsea London 1 4.00x
Chelsfield 1 370.37x
Farnborough 1 56.18x
Holy Trinity 1 5.06x
Ipswich St Mathew 1 35.34x
Kensington London 1 2.17x
Keston 1 476.19x
Lambeth 1 1.38x
Mendham 1 476.19x
Mile End Old Town London 1 5.67x
Paddington London 1 3.28x
South Shields 1 45.45x
Springfield 1 138.89x
St Marylebone London 1 2.26x
Washington 1 97.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Elizabeth 4
Emma 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Christiana 2
Ellen 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Julia 2
Minnie 2
Sarah 2
... 1
Anmee 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Jane 1
Lucy 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Robert 6
Thomas 5
Henry 4
James 4
Charles 3
William 3
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Matthew 2
Arthur 1
Betsy 1
Ernest 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
George 1
John 1
Ralph 1
Richard 1
Rose 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Alders surname: questions and answers

How common was the Alders surname in 1881?

In 1881, 84 people were recorded with the Alders surname. That placed it at #21,690 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Alders surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016. That gives Alders a modern rank of #26,566.

What does the Alders surname mean?

Derived from the Old English "alor" meaning "alder tree," referring to someone living near alder trees.

What does the Alders map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Alders 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.