NameCensus.

UK surname

Archdeacon

An ecclesiastical surname originally denoting a senior clergyman in the Church.

In the 1881 census there were 110 people recorded with the Archdeacon surname, ranking it #18,695 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 118, ranked #27,873, down from #18,695 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to South Stoneham, London parishes and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Port Glasgow Upper East, Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central and South Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Archdeacon is 121 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7.3%.

1881 census count

110

Ranked #18,695

Modern count

118

2016, ranked #27,873

Peak year

2011

121 bearers

Map years

3

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Archdeacon had 110 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,695 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016, ranked #27,873.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 110 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Archdeacon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Archdeacon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Archdeacon 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 71 #20,875
1861 historical 65 #25,618
1881 historical 110 #18,695
1891 historical 92 #25,109
1901 historical 93 #23,689
1911 historical 76 #25,221
1997 modern 107 #25,924
1998 modern 110 #26,129
1999 modern 108 #26,602
2000 modern 112 #25,978
2001 modern 110 #25,900
2002 modern 116 #25,632
2003 modern 101 #27,561
2004 modern 99 #28,136
2005 modern 98 #28,325
2006 modern 99 #28,453
2007 modern 102 #28,351
2008 modern 104 #28,341
2009 modern 106 #28,666
2010 modern 109 #28,831
2011 modern 121 #26,789
2012 modern 115 #27,717
2013 modern 117 #27,838
2014 modern 116 #28,253
2015 modern 116 #28,151
2016 modern 118 #27,873

Geography

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Where Archdeacons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around South Stoneham, London parishes, Wigan, Sutton and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Port Glasgow Upper East, Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central, South Cambridgeshire, Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central and Cheshire 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 South Stoneham Hampshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Sutton Cambridgeshire
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Port Glasgow Upper East Inverclyde
2 Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central Inverclyde
3 South Cambridgeshire 017 South Cambridgeshire
4 Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central Inverclyde
5 Cheshire East 051 Cheshire East

Forenames

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First names often paired with Archdeacon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Archdeacon

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Archdeacon, 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 Archdeacon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Archdeacon 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Archdeacon is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Archdeacon is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Archdeacon 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 Archdeacon 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 Archdeacon, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Archdeacon

The surname "ARCHDEACON" is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It derives from the Old English words "arce" meaning "arch" and "deacon", referring to a senior clergyman who ranked below a bishop and was responsible for the administration of a diocese.

The name likely originated in areas with a strong ecclesiastical presence, such as cathedral cities or towns with large monastic communities. Early spelling variations include "Archedekne", "Archidiacre", and "Archidecano".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a Robert Archdeacon is mentioned. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname but does record individuals with the title "archidiaconus" in various counties.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Geoffrey Archdeacon, a clergyman and royal justice who served under King Henry III. He is mentioned in the Close Rolls of 1240 and the Patent Rolls of 1241.

During the 14th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mentions a John Archdeacon from the town of Evesham.

In the 15th century, a prominent individual with the surname was John Archdeacon (c.1420-1498), a Catholic priest and diplomat who served as the Archdeacon of Suffolk and played a role in the negotiations leading to the marriage of Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon.

Another notable figure was Thomas Archdeacon (c.1450-1519), a Welsh scholar and clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Taunton and was involved in the translation of the Bible into Welsh.

During the 16th century, the name appears in various parish records, such as the baptismal records of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, which mention the christening of a child named Alice Archdeacon in 1583.

In the 17th century, a prominent individual was John Archdeacon (1628-1699), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Archdeacon of Totnes and was involved in the translation of the Authorized King James Version of the Bible.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Archdeacon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Archdeacon 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 51 Archdeacons recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.04x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 51 4.04x
Surrey 22 4.25x
Middlesex 17 1.60x
Yorkshire 8 0.76x
Cambridgeshire 5 7.43x
Hampshire 4 1.84x
Essex 1 0.48x
Huntingdonshire 1 4.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Derby in Lancashire leads with 12 Archdeacons recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.51x.

Place Total Index
West Derby 12 32.51x
Liverpool 8 10.44x
Much Woolton 8 467.84x
Westminster St James 8 73.19x
Newington 7 17.83x
Tottington Lower End 6 100.17x
Bury 5 34.70x
Halifax 5 32.32x
Lambeth 5 5.39x
Parr 5 110.86x
Sutton 5 892.86x
Cheetham 4 42.51x
Clapham 4 30.10x
St Marylebone London 4 7.05x
Clerkenwell London 3 11.96x
Southampton St Mary 3 21.90x
Bradford 2 7.84x
Mile End Old Town London 2 8.84x
Wandsworth 2 19.55x
Wimbledon 2 34.36x
Birkdale 1 31.35x
Camberwell 1 1.47x
Everton 1 2.49x
Huntingdon St Mary 1 188.68x
Manchester 1 1.76x
Portsea 1 2.34x
Southwark Christchurch 1 20.08x
West Ham 1 2.16x
York St Maurice 1 50.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Sarah 5
Annie 3
Ellen 3
Margaret 3
Alice 2
Amelia 2
Ann 2
Louisa 2
Minnie 2
Ada 1
Adelaide 1
Anne 1
Caroline 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
F.M. 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
G.W. 1
Georgina 1
Hannah 1
Henrietta 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Leila 1
Madolina 1
Martha 1
Rosetta 1
Ruth 1
W.E. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 7
William 7
James 5
John 5
Alfred 2
George 2
Henry 2
Maurice 2
Robert 2
Wm.Hy. 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Chas. 1
Clarence 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Joseph 1
Laurence 1
Maxwell 1
Montegu 1
Richard 1
Thos.Hy. 1
Twinfen 1
W. 1

FAQ

Archdeacon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Archdeacon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 110 people were recorded with the Archdeacon surname. That placed it at #18,695 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Archdeacon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016. That gives Archdeacon a modern rank of #27,873.

What does the Archdeacon surname mean?

An ecclesiastical surname originally denoting a senior clergyman in the Church.

What does the Archdeacon map show?

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