NameCensus.

UK surname

Aldridge

From the Old English words "eald" meaning old, and "hrycg" meaning ridge, referring to someone living near an old ridge.

In the 1881 census there were 5,787 people recorded with the Aldridge surname, ranking it #761 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 8,582, ranked #771, down from #761 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and St Mary Islington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sandwell, Walsall and Brighton and Hove.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Aldridge is 9,157 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 48.3%.

1881 census count

5,787

Ranked #761

Modern count

8,582

2016, ranked #771

Peak year

1999

9,157 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Aldridge had 5,787 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #761 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 8,582 in 2016, ranked #771.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,511 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Aldridge surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Aldridge surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Aldridge 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 3,648 #778
1861 historical 3,811 #736
1881 historical 5,787 #761
1891 historical 6,540 #698
1901 historical 7,673 #700
1911 historical 8,511 #580
1997 modern 8,788 #716
1998 modern 9,149 #718
1999 modern 9,157 #724
2000 modern 9,114 #722
2001 modern 8,905 #724
2002 modern 9,083 #728
2003 modern 8,818 #733
2004 modern 8,752 #738
2005 modern 8,582 #742
2006 modern 8,485 #749
2007 modern 8,458 #760
2008 modern 8,464 #765
2009 modern 8,684 #763
2010 modern 8,800 #769
2011 modern 8,704 #765
2012 modern 8,611 #756
2013 modern 8,793 #754
2014 modern 8,785 #762
2015 modern 8,664 #767
2016 modern 8,582 #771

Geography

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Where Aldridges are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, St Mary Islington and St Giles Camberwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sandwell, Walsall, Brighton and Hove and Raploch. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sandwell 014 Sandwell
2 Walsall 023 Walsall
3 Brighton and Hove 025 Brighton and Hove
4 Sandwell 022 Sandwell
5 Raploch Stirling

Forenames

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First names often paired with Aldridge

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Aldridge

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Aldridge, 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 Aldridge surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Aldridge 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Aldridge is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Aldridge is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Aldridge falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Aldridge 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 Aldridge, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Aldridge

The surname Aldridge originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words 'ald' meaning old and 'hrycg' meaning ridge, referring to someone who lived near an old ridge or hill. The name was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Alredge' in Somerset.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname include Ailric de Alriz in Worcestershire in 1275 and Robert de Aldrich in Cambridgeshire in 1279. The name also appeared as Alderich, Aldridge, and Aldredge in various historical records.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir Ralph Aldridge (c.1330-1397), a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1368. Another was Sir Benjamin Aldridge (1737-1823), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

In the 16th century, the name was found in the village of Aldridge, near Walsall in Staffordshire, which likely took its name from the Old English words for old ridge. Thomas Aldridge (1554-1623), a clergyman and author, was born in this village.

Other historical figures with the surname include Thomas Aldridge (1617-1674), an English Puritan and religious writer, and John Aldridge (1805-1887), a British geologist and paleontologist who made significant contributions to the study of fossil reptiles.

The Aldridge family coat of arms, granted in 1589, features a chevron between three fleurs-de-lis, symbolizing military service and loyalty. The name has also been associated with various place names, such as Aldridge Hill in Staffordshire and Aldridge Farm in Wiltshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Aldridge families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Aldridge 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. Middlesex leads with 1,153 Aldridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.04x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,153 2.04x
Surrey 484 1.75x
Hertfordshire 347 8.89x
Berkshire 337 7.93x
Staffordshire 286 1.50x
Hampshire 285 2.45x
Gloucestershire 273 2.46x
Kent 263 1.36x
Warwickshire 220 1.54x
Buckinghamshire 207 6.04x
Lancashire 192 0.29x
Suffolk 181 2.62x
Sussex 179 1.87x
Essex 170 1.52x
Yorkshire 131 0.23x
Norfolk 103 1.18x
Wiltshire 94 1.88x
Nottinghamshire 93 1.22x
Oxfordshire 87 2.49x
Leicestershire 82 1.31x
Worcestershire 77 1.04x
Devon 65 0.55x
Northamptonshire 64 1.20x
Somerset 63 0.69x
Dorset 51 1.37x
Bedfordshire 43 1.47x
Derbyshire 39 0.44x
Durham 38 0.23x
Glamorgan 26 0.26x
Shropshire 24 0.49x
Herefordshire 22 0.95x
Cambridgeshire 15 0.42x
Monmouthshire 13 0.32x
Cheshire 12 0.10x
Channel Islands 11 0.66x
Caernarfonshire 9 0.39x
Cornwall 8 0.12x
Lincolnshire 8 0.09x
Royal Navy 8 1.19x
Northumberland 7 0.08x
Dunbartonshire 6 0.39x
Montgomeryshire 6 0.46x
Angus 4 0.08x
Midlothian 4 0.05x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.22x
Cumberland 3 0.06x
Lanarkshire 3 0.02x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.18x
Brecknockshire 1 0.09x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.04x
Denbighshire 1 0.05x
Isle of Man 1 0.10x
Merionethshire 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. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 124 Aldridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.26x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 124 2.26x
St Pancras London 86 1.89x
Birmingham 81 1.70x
Camberwell 72 1.99x
Shoreditch London 71 2.89x
West Ham 70 2.84x
Walsall Foreign 64 6.48x
Hackney London 59 1.86x
Hammersmith London 58 4.16x
Lambeth 54 1.09x
Croydon 51 3.33x
Stoke Upon Trent 46 2.27x
Graveley 45 610.58x
St Marylebone London 44 1.45x
Wycombe 42 16.45x
Edmonton 41 8.98x
Kensington London 41 1.30x
Stroud 41 18.96x
Newington 40 1.91x
Chelsea London 39 2.28x
Clerkenwell London 37 2.77x
Blewbury 36 247.59x
Enfield 36 9.69x
Brighton 35 1.82x
Kingsclere 35 66.00x
Portsea 35 1.54x
Reading St Giles 33 7.91x
Paddington London 32 1.54x
Horsham 31 16.71x
Lewisham 31 3.01x
St Luke London 31 3.41x
Stevenage 30 49.55x
Toxteth Park 30 1.32x
Westoning 29 227.63x
Reading St Mary 28 8.22x
Wolverhampton 28 1.90x
Bromley London 27 2.17x
Waltham St Lawrence 27 162.26x
Eastbourne 26 5.92x
Braughing 25 125.19x
Mile End Old Town London 25 2.07x
Poplar London 25 2.34x
Reigate Foreign 25 8.36x
Aston 24 0.61x
Battersea 24 1.15x
Bray 24 19.21x
Fawley 24 65.18x
Newark Upon Trent 24 8.75x
Cookham 23 17.35x
Hornsey 23 3.21x
Liverpool 23 0.56x
St George Hanover Square 23 2.30x
Manchester 22 0.73x
Watford 22 7.27x
Yaxley 21 292.07x
Amersham 20 41.19x
Broxbourne 20 25.84x
Cheltenham 20 2.33x
Rotherhithe 20 2.86x
Salford 20 1.01x
Skipton 20 11.32x
Bethnal Green London 19 0.77x
Motcombe 19 69.44x
Bishops Cleeve 18 63.90x
Reading St Lawrence 18 19.79x
Monkwearmouth Shore 17 5.17x
Oldbury 17 4.67x
Plumstead 17 2.64x
Sedgley 17 2.39x
St Albans St Peter 17 12.90x
St George Bloomsbury 17 5.23x
Bermondsey 16 0.95x
Burghfield 16 63.62x
Chatham 16 3.01x
Fulham London 16 1.95x
Hove 16 3.82x
Leicester St Mary 16 3.15x
Southampton St Mary 16 2.19x
West Bromwich 16 1.46x
Stapleford 15 386.60x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 348
Elizabeth 226
Sarah 203
Emma 115
Eliza 107
Ellen 97
Jane 97
Ann 96
Alice 95
Emily 92
Annie 87
Caroline 55
Louisa 54
Martha 53
Harriet 43
Kate 43
Charlotte 41
Edith 41
Maria 40
Fanny 38
Hannah 37
Lucy 36
Ada 34
Florence 26
Clara 24
Frances 23
Margaret 23
Agnes 22
Catherine 21
Ethel 19
Rose 19
Susan 19
Anne 17
Harriett 17
Elizth. 16
Esther 16
Isabella 16
Jessie 16
Amy 15
Julia 15
Amelia 14
Matilda 14
Sophia 14
Gertrude 13
Rebecca 13
Selina 13
Eleanor 12
Rosa 11
Susannah 11
Rachel 10

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 362
John 248
George 211
Thomas 184
James 180
Henry 156
Charles 135
Joseph 102
Alfred 97
Arthur 83
Edward 71
Robert 60
Albert 59
Frederick 54
Walter 54
Richard 45
Samuel 42
Ernest 40
Harry 31
Frank 25
Herbert 25
Edwin 20
David 17
Daniel 16
Benjamin 15
Thos. 14
Edgar 13
Fredk. 13
Chas. 11
Francis 10
Isaac 10
Wm. 10
Mark 8
Sidney 8
Abraham 7
Percy 7
Stephen 7
Allen 6
Augustus 6
Edmund 6
Jesse 6
Jno. 6
Joshua 6
Fred 5
Geo. 5
Oliver 5
Peter 5
Willie 5
Willm. 5
Leonard 4

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Aldridge households.

FAQ

Aldridge surname: questions and answers

How common was the Aldridge surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,787 people were recorded with the Aldridge surname. That placed it at #761 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Aldridge surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 8,582 in 2016. That gives Aldridge a modern rank of #771.

What does the Aldridge surname mean?

From the Old English words "eald" meaning old, and "hrycg" meaning ridge, referring to someone living near an old ridge.

What does the Aldridge map show?

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