NameCensus.

UK surname

Allardice

A Scottish locational surname derived from a place in Kincardineshire, likely meaning "Aldred's cottage" in Scots.

In the 1881 census there were 396 people recorded with the Allardice surname, ranking it #8,024 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 455, ranked #10,716, down from #8,024 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Glamis, Forfar and Arbroath and St. Vigeans. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ryedale, Carlisle and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Allardice is 460 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.9%.

1881 census count

396

Ranked #8,024

Modern count

455

2016, ranked #10,716

Peak year

1998

460 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Allardice had 396 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,024 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 455 in 2016, ranked #10,716.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 420 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Allardice surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Allardice surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Allardice 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 183 #11,166
1861 historical 219 #11,124
1881 historical 396 #8,024
1891 historical 416 #8,596
1901 historical 420 #9,169
1911 historical 65 #26,343
1997 modern 421 #10,589
1998 modern 460 #10,232
1999 modern 460 #10,293
2000 modern 445 #10,539
2001 modern 433 #10,561
2002 modern 441 #10,618
2003 modern 414 #10,980
2004 modern 436 #10,581
2005 modern 441 #10,368
2006 modern 444 #10,347
2007 modern 445 #10,428
2008 modern 438 #10,668
2009 modern 460 #10,481
2010 modern 460 #10,719
2011 modern 453 #10,732
2012 modern 432 #11,015
2013 modern 443 #10,968
2014 modern 451 #10,882
2015 modern 454 #10,751
2016 modern 455 #10,716

Geography

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Where Allardices are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Glamis, Forfar, Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ryedale, Carlisle, County Durham, Broughty Ferry West and Forfar East. 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 Glamis Forfar
2 Forfar Forfar
3 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ryedale 002 Ryedale
2 Carlisle 011 Carlisle
3 County Durham 012 County Durham
4 Broughty Ferry West Dundee City
5 Forfar East Angus

Forenames

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First names often paired with Allardice

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Allardice

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Allardice surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Allardice household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Challenged Inner London Communities

Within London, Allardice is most associated with areas classed as Challenged Inner London Communities, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Resident in some of Inner London’s most over-crowded communities, many families have children and marriage/civil partnership rates are above the Supergroup average. Other adults such as students live in communal establishments. Few residents have Level 4 educational qualifications, levels of unemployment are above the Supergroup average, and employment is concentrated in service occupations such as distribution, hotels and restaurants. Relative to the Supergroup average, fewer residents identify as being of mixed/multiple ethnicities, Black or Other Asian.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Allardice is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Allardice falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Allardice

The surname Allardice is of Scottish origin, derived from the lands of Allardyce in Kincardineshire. The name is believed to have originated in the 12th century and is thought to come from the Old English words "ald" meaning old and "dʹic" meaning a ditch or trench, suggesting it may have referred to an ancient boundary ditch or fortification.

Records from the 13th century show the name spelled as Alrethes, Alretheys, and Alerdes. It is believed to have evolved into the modern spelling of Allardice by the 15th century. The earliest known reference to the name is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists John de Alredes as a landowner who swore fealty to King Edward I of England.

In the 14th century, the Allardice family held lands in Kincardineshire and were closely associated with the powerful Barclay family. Sir John Allardice of Allardice Castle was knighted in 1488 for his service to King James IV of Scotland.

During the Scottish Reformation in the 16th century, the Allardice family remained loyal to the Roman Catholic faith. Robert Allardice (1510-1586) was a prominent Catholic priest and controversialist who argued against the teachings of the Protestant reformers.

In the 17th century, the Allardice family supported the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. James Allardice (1615-1675) was a colonel in the Royalist army and was captured at the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

Notable Allardices in more recent history include Sir Robert Allardice (1720-1801), a Scottish politician and landowner, and James Allardice (1819-1885), a Scottish historian and author of several books on Scottish history and genealogy.

Throughout its history, the Allardice name has been associated with the lands and estates in Kincardineshire, and the family has played a role in Scottish politics, religion, and military conflicts over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Allardice families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Allardice 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. Angus leads with 171 Allardices recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.78x.

County Total Index
Angus 171 47.78x
Lanarkshire 52 4.16x
Ayrshire 41 14.18x
Middlesex 21 0.54x
Midlothian 16 3.09x
Aberdeenshire 12 3.35x
Cheshire 12 1.41x
Perthshire 9 5.19x
Kincardineshire 8 17.01x
Stirlingshire 7 4.91x
Fife 6 2.62x
Renfrewshire 6 2.00x
Sussex 6 0.92x
Dunbartonshire 5 4.82x
Shetland 5 12.67x
Dumfriesshire 4 4.69x
Essex 4 0.52x
Caernarfonshire 2 1.28x
Cumberland 2 0.60x
Buteshire 1 4.27x
Dorset 1 0.39x
East Lothian 1 1.95x
Hampshire 1 0.13x
Orkney 1 2.35x
Royal Navy 1 2.17x
West Lothian 1 1.72x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 54 Allardices recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.42x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 54 40.42x
Glamis 22 1018.52x
Forfar 21 108.36x
Cambusnethan 20 72.07x
St Vigeans 15 77.64x
Liff Benvie 14 25.77x
Kilwinning 13 139.19x
Shotts 13 86.96x
Higher Bebington 12 219.78x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 11 5.28x
Dreghorn 10 191.20x
Kilmaurs 9 182.93x
Auckinleck 8 89.39x
Eassie Nevay 8 1081.08x
Islington London 8 2.14x
Arbuthnott 7 654.21x
Kettins 7 583.33x
Rutherglen 7 38.19x
Chelsea London 6 5.15x
East Greenock 6 21.22x
Kirriemuir 6 67.95x
New Monkland 6 16.25x
South Bersted 6 108.30x
Dumbarton 5 34.60x
Errol 5 155.76x
Forgan 5 114.16x
Lerwick Gulberwick 5 81.83x
Turriff 5 86.66x
Aberdeen Old Machar 4 5.36x
Abroath St Vigeans 4 272.11x
Arbroath 4 33.73x
Dryfesdale 4 101.78x
Edinburgh St Stephens 4 39.25x
Falkirk 4 11.99x
Glasgow 4 1.80x
Mains 4 131.58x
Guthrie 3 508.47x
Monifieth 3 23.73x
Paddington London 3 2.11x
Stirling 3 16.70x
Bangor 2 13.28x
Blairgowrie 2 29.15x
Bowness 2 155.04x
Brechin 2 14.22x
Govan 2 0.65x
Kelvedon 2 98.52x
St George Hanover Square 2 2.94x
Walthamstow 2 7.29x
Arbirlot 1 91.74x
Balmerino 1 113.64x
Barry 1 23.31x
Cargill 1 55.56x
Charmouth 1 120.48x
Cockpen 1 16.53x
Crimond 1 90.91x
Dunnottar 1 30.21x
Fulham London 1 1.79x
Haddington 1 13.25x
Kensington London 1 0.47x
Kilmarnock 1 2.91x
Kinnoull 1 21.93x
Lintrathen 1 117.65x
Methlick 1 34.97x
Montrose 1 4.61x
Newhills 1 13.64x
Rothesay 1 8.83x
Rousay Egilshay 1 67.57x
Royal Navy 1 2.54x
Ventnor 1 13.28x
Whitburn 1 11.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alice 2
Ann 2
Elizabeth 2
Emma 2
Jane 2
Agnes 1
Alexena 1
Constance 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Florence 1
Georgina 1
Graham 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Margret 1
Marion 1
Mary 1
Rosa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
David 4
William 3
Alan 1
Alf.J. 1
Cha.Ric. 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
George 1
Gerald 1
James 1
John 1
Josep. 1
Joseph 1
Norman 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1

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 Allardice households.

FAQ

Allardice surname: questions and answers

How common was the Allardice surname in 1881?

In 1881, 396 people were recorded with the Allardice surname. That placed it at #8,024 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Allardice surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 455 in 2016. That gives Allardice a modern rank of #10,716.

What does the Allardice surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname derived from a place in Kincardineshire, likely meaning "Aldred's cottage" in Scots.

What does the Allardice map show?

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