NameCensus.

UK surname

Aldred

Old English name derived from the elements "eald," meaning old, and "ræd," meaning counsel or advice.

In the 1881 census there were 2,578 people recorded with the Aldred surname, ranking it #1,733 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,435, ranked #1,985, down from #1,733 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Eccles and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pembrokeshire, Bolton and Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Aldred is 3,697 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.2%.

1881 census count

2,578

Ranked #1,733

Modern count

3,435

2016, ranked #1,985

Peak year

1999

3,697 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Aldred had 2,578 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,733 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,435 in 2016, ranked #1,985.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,510 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Aldred surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Aldred surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Aldred 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 1,652 #1,740
1861 historical 1,519 #1,859
1881 historical 2,578 #1,733
1891 historical 2,762 #1,711
1901 historical 3,253 #1,713
1911 historical 3,510 #1,487
1997 modern 3,584 #1,807
1998 modern 3,633 #1,860
1999 modern 3,697 #1,842
2000 modern 3,661 #1,845
2001 modern 3,654 #1,803
2002 modern 3,693 #1,833
2003 modern 3,590 #1,837
2004 modern 3,575 #1,848
2005 modern 3,457 #1,884
2006 modern 3,453 #1,886
2007 modern 3,481 #1,892
2008 modern 3,476 #1,911
2009 modern 3,533 #1,931
2010 modern 3,643 #1,914
2011 modern 3,583 #1,924
2012 modern 3,530 #1,908
2013 modern 3,538 #1,947
2014 modern 3,549 #1,946
2015 modern 3,473 #1,963
2016 modern 3,435 #1,985

Geography

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Where Aldreds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Eccles, Manchester, Ilkeston and Leigh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pembrokeshire, Bolton, Wigan and North East Lincolnshire. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Eccles Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Ilkeston Nottinghamshire
5 Leigh Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pembrokeshire 012 Pembrokeshire
2 Bolton 029 Bolton
3 Bolton 013 Bolton
4 Wigan 023 Wigan
5 North East Lincolnshire 019 North East Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Aldred

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Aldred

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Aldred is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Aldred is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Aldred 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 Aldred is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Aldred

The surname ALDRED is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is believed to have emerged in the late 8th or early 9th century in the Kingdom of Mercia, one of the ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdoms that comprised what is now central England. The name is derived from the Old English personal name Aldred, which is composed of the elements "ald" meaning "old" and "ræd" meaning "counsel" or "wisdom."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ALDRED can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England. The Domesday Book mentions an individual named Aldred who held lands in Lincolnshire.

In the 12th century, a notable figure bearing the name ALDRED was Aldred of Beverley, who served as the Bishop of Worcester from 1046 to 1062. He was known for his literary works, including a collection of saints' lives and a treatise on the Virgin Mary.

During the Middle Ages, the ALDRED surname was particularly concentrated in the northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire and Lancashire. One notable individual from this period was Sir William Aldred, who was born around 1350 and served as a knight and landowner in Yorkshire.

In the 16th century, the ALDRED surname appears in various historical records, including the parish registers of several English counties. One notable individual from this time was John Aldred, who was born in 1547 in Derbyshire and served as a member of the English Parliament.

Another prominent figure bearing the ALDRED surname was Sir Benjamin Aldred, born in 1688, who was a successful merchant and politician in London. He served as a Member of Parliament and was involved in the establishment of the East India Company.

Throughout the centuries, the ALDRED surname has undergone various spelling variations, such as Aldred, Aldrede, Aldryd, and Aldridge. These variations often reflected regional dialects or the preferences of individual scribes who recorded the name in historical documents.

While the ALDRED surname has its roots in the Anglo-Saxon period, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration and migration. However, its origins and early history remain firmly rooted in the ancient kingdoms of central and northern England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Aldred families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Aldred 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. Lancashire leads with 1,255 Aldreds recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.22x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,255 4.22x
Suffolk 301 9.85x
Middlesex 155 0.62x
Derbyshire 128 3.26x
Cheshire 120 2.17x
Surrey 111 0.91x
Yorkshire 110 0.44x
Norfolk 102 2.64x
Hampshire 84 1.63x
Essex 40 0.81x
Kent 28 0.33x
Nottinghamshire 25 0.74x
Sussex 19 0.45x
Leicestershire 13 0.47x
Shropshire 12 0.55x
Devon 9 0.17x
Bedfordshire 8 0.62x
Northamptonshire 7 0.30x
Buckinghamshire 6 0.40x
Lincolnshire 6 0.15x
Durham 5 0.07x
Worcestershire 5 0.15x
Staffordshire 4 0.05x
Berkshire 3 0.16x
Cornwall 3 0.11x
Denbighshire 3 0.32x
Hertfordshire 2 0.12x
Oxfordshire 2 0.13x
Warwickshire 2 0.03x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.04x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.06x
Royal Navy 1 0.33x
Wiltshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Atherton in Lancashire leads with 206 Aldreds recorded in 1881 and an index of 190.09x.

Place Total Index
Atherton 206 190.09x
Ilkeston 71 64.47x
Manchester 62 4.63x
Worsley 61 33.24x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 58 67.68x
Great Yarmouth 43 13.46x
Hindley 43 33.87x
Little Hulton 43 87.22x
Little Bolton 42 10.97x
Great Bolton 40 10.14x
Westleigh 37 54.73x
Hyde 33 20.19x
Lowestoft 30 20.78x
Padiham 29 40.32x
Pennington In Leigh 29 50.77x
Chorlton On Medlock 26 5.50x
Salford 26 2.97x
Bedford 25 40.15x
Flixton 24 157.38x
Kearsley 24 38.31x
Pendleton In Salford 24 6.77x
Wakefield 24 12.57x
Ashton On Mersey 22 76.84x
Broughton In Salford 19 6.98x
Darcy Lever 19 110.85x
Gillingham 19 492.23x
Gorton 19 6.79x
Headley 19 135.91x
Lambeth 19 0.87x
Beccles 18 36.59x
Blackburn 18 2.27x
Barsham 17 648.86x
Failsworth 17 24.96x
Farnworth 17 9.53x
Leeds 17 1.21x
St Pancras London 17 0.84x
Wenhaston 17 225.46x
Kensington London 16 1.15x
Tottington Lower End 15 10.60x
Ince In Makerfield 14 10.11x
Mutford 14 412.98x
Clayton Le Moors 13 22.51x
Edmonton 13 6.43x
Frensham 13 72.42x
Great Harwood 13 24.16x
Islington London 13 0.53x
Newington 13 1.40x
Reydon 13 471.01x
Streatham 13 6.98x
Heigham 12 5.80x
Holton 12 306.12x
Madeley 12 15.10x
Moss Side 12 7.66x
Openshaw 12 8.61x
St Marylebone London 12 0.90x
Dockenfield 11 614.53x
Great Lever 11 34.82x
Newton 11 4.79x
Shadingfield 11 780.14x
Tonge With Haulgh 11 18.98x
Barton Upon Irwell 10 4.46x
Heanor 10 17.02x
Heaton Norris 10 5.90x
Leicester St Margaret 10 1.47x
Levenshulme 10 32.64x
Radford 10 5.82x
Steep 10 194.17x
Wandsworth 10 4.14x
Westhall 10 270.27x
Binsted 9 45.90x
Clanfield 9 375.00x
Frostenden 9 271.08x
Habergham Eaves 9 3.31x
Hackney London 9 0.64x
Halliwell 9 8.31x
Headingley Cum Burley 9 5.62x
Newton 9 104.77x
Paddington London 9 0.98x
Wrentham 9 106.13x
Tarbock 8 148.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 187
Sarah 104
Elizabeth 94
Alice 70
Ann 56
Ellen 55
Jane 46
Eliza 42
Martha 37
Annie 34
Margaret 31
Emily 30
Emma 30
Hannah 26
Maria 22
Louisa 19
Charlotte 17
Harriet 16
Betsy 15
Florence 14
Clara 12
Edith 12
Caroline 11
Agnes 10
Betty 10
Esther 10
Kate 10
Lucy 9
Ada 8
Elizth. 8
Frances 8
Amy 6
Fanny 6
Harriett 6
Julia 6
Matilda 6
Amelia 5
Anne 5
Bertha 5
Lilly 5
Nancy 5
Rebecca 5
Susan 5
Catherine 4
Eliz. 4
Isabella 4
Lily 4
Lydia 4
Margt. 4
Ruth 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 174
William 124
James 117
Thomas 96
George 54
Henry 54
Joseph 51
Robert 45
Charles 41
Samuel 36
Alfred 34
Richard 26
Edward 23
Albert 19
Arthur 18
Frederick 18
Harry 18
Peter 15
Isaac 11
Wm. 11
Ernest 10
Herbert 10
David 8
Walter 8
Aaron 7
Benjamin 7
Fredrick 6
Thos. 6
Abraham 5
Frank 5
Fred 5
Jas. 5
Stephen 5
Chas. 4
Daniel 4
Hugh 4
Isaiah 4
Clement 3
Edwin 3
Matthew 3
Robt. 3
Saml. 3
Alfd. 2
Bold 2
C. 2
Charley 2
Ellis 2
Emanuel 2
Jeremiah 2
Wright 2

FAQ

Aldred surname: questions and answers

How common was the Aldred surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,578 people were recorded with the Aldred surname. That placed it at #1,733 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Aldred surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,435 in 2016. That gives Aldred a modern rank of #1,985.

What does the Aldred surname mean?

Old English name derived from the elements "eald," meaning old, and "ræd," meaning counsel or advice.

What does the Aldred map show?

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