NameCensus.

UK surname

Attwood

An English locational surname derived from a place called Attwood in Shropshire.

In the 1881 census there were 2,971 people recorded with the Attwood surname, ranking it #1,503 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,471, ranked #1,523, down from #1,503 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Cheltenham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dudley, Cheltenham and Mendip.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Attwood is 4,849 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.5%.

1881 census count

2,971

Ranked #1,503

Modern count

4,471

2016, ranked #1,523

Peak year

1999

4,849 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Attwood had 2,971 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,503 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,471 in 2016, ranked #1,523.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,717 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Attwood surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Attwood surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Attwood 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 1,761 #1,640
1861 historical 1,638 #1,744
1881 historical 2,971 #1,503
1891 historical 3,374 #1,418
1901 historical 4,404 #1,290
1911 historical 4,717 #1,097
1997 modern 4,651 #1,406
1998 modern 4,818 #1,407
1999 modern 4,849 #1,408
2000 modern 4,792 #1,419
2001 modern 4,727 #1,404
2002 modern 4,799 #1,417
2003 modern 4,675 #1,422
2004 modern 4,690 #1,410
2005 modern 4,531 #1,444
2006 modern 4,449 #1,476
2007 modern 4,422 #1,494
2008 modern 4,479 #1,489
2009 modern 4,556 #1,501
2010 modern 4,601 #1,518
2011 modern 4,597 #1,496
2012 modern 4,520 #1,495
2013 modern 4,590 #1,497
2014 modern 4,616 #1,499
2015 modern 4,556 #1,504
2016 modern 4,471 #1,523

Geography

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Where Attwoods are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Cheltenham and Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dudley, Cheltenham, Mendip and Worcester. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Cheltenham Gloucestershire
5 Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dudley 033 Dudley
2 Dudley 037 Dudley
3 Cheltenham 003 Cheltenham
4 Mendip 009 Mendip
5 Worcester 005 Worcester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Attwood

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Attwood

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Attwood 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

Attwood is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Attwood

The surname Attwood has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational surname derived from the Old English words "aet" meaning "at" and "wudu" meaning "wood," referring to someone who lived near or in a wooded area.

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Atte Wode." This early spelling variation highlights the name's locational origins and its connection to a specific place or area with a wooded landscape.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname Attwood began to appear more frequently in various records and documents across England. One notable example is John Attwood, a member of Parliament for Warwickshire in 1334. Another early record is that of Robert Attwood, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

In the 15th century, the surname Attwood was closely associated with the village of Attwood in Worcestershire. This place name likely contributed to the surname's prevalence in the region. One notable individual from this era was Thomas Attwood (c. 1420-1495), a prominent English cleric and diplomat who served as the Bishop of Salisbury.

As the centuries progressed, the Attwood surname continued to be widely dispersed throughout England, with notable individuals emerging from various regions. One such figure was Thomas Attwood (1783-1856), a renowned English political economist and campaigner for parliamentary reform, who was born in Buckinghamshire.

Another prominent individual was Sir Reginald John Attwood (1892-1962), a British civil servant and diplomat who served as the Governor of the Leeward Islands and the British Windward Islands in the mid-20th century.

Other individuals of note bearing the Attwood surname include the English composer Thomas Attwood (1765-1838), renowned for his church music compositions, and the American actor and filmmaker Lionel Attwood (1885-1944), who starred in several notable silent films in the early 20th century.

While the Attwood surname has its roots in England's medieval history, it has since spread globally, with descendants carrying on the name in various parts of the world. However, its origins can be traced back to the wooded landscapes of England, where it first emerged as a locational identifier for those who lived in or near forested areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Attwood families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Attwood 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 368 Attwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.27x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 368 1.27x
Kent 336 3.40x
Gloucestershire 319 5.62x
Staffordshire 311 3.18x
Worcestershire 252 6.67x
Surrey 187 1.33x
Warwickshire 181 2.48x
Hampshire 144 2.43x
Hertfordshire 98 4.91x
Somerset 77 1.65x
Lancashire 64 0.19x
Essex 62 1.09x
Sussex 53 1.09x
Yorkshire 51 0.18x
Oxfordshire 50 2.80x
Shropshire 47 1.88x
Bedfordshire 45 3.00x
Monmouthshire 35 1.67x
Berkshire 33 1.52x
Derbyshire 33 0.73x
Huntingdonshire 29 5.05x
Cambridgeshire 21 1.15x
Cheshire 21 0.33x
Durham 21 0.24x
Wiltshire 20 0.78x
Buckinghamshire 19 1.09x
Northamptonshire 15 0.55x
Devon 12 0.20x
Herefordshire 11 0.93x
Dorset 7 0.37x
Glamorgan 7 0.14x
Lincolnshire 7 0.15x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.18x
Angus 6 0.22x
Suffolk 6 0.17x
Leicestershire 3 0.09x
Norfolk 2 0.05x
Royal Navy 2 0.58x
Channel Islands 1 0.12x
Merionethshire 1 0.19x
Northumberland 1 0.02x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kingswinford in Staffordshire leads with 119 Attwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.56x.

Place Total Index
Kingswinford 119 33.56x
Birmingham 87 3.58x
Rowley Regis 70 25.72x
St Pancras London 55 2.36x
Cheltenham 42 9.59x
Overbury 36 542.99x
Aston 35 1.74x
Camberwell 35 1.89x
Islington London 34 1.21x
Harpenden 30 98.65x
Shoreditch London 30 2.39x
Dudley 28 6.10x
Tewkesbury 28 55.29x
Cradley 27 79.02x
Dawley 27 29.68x
Stinchcombe 27 810.81x
Luton 26 10.03x
Bedminster 24 5.48x
Bishops Cleeve 24 166.78x
Bethnal Green London 23 1.83x
Kensington London 23 1.43x
Hackney London 22 1.36x
Hemel Hempstead 22 24.48x
Lambeth 22 0.87x
Thornham 22 342.68x
Portsea 21 1.81x
Fulham London 20 4.77x
Hasbury 19 76.89x
Lee 19 13.26x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 18 3.37x
Croydon 18 2.30x
Basingstoke 17 24.92x
Folkestone 17 8.88x
St Marylebone London 17 1.10x
Stockbury 17 276.42x
Wadhurst 16 49.95x
Brighton 15 1.52x
Bromley London 15 2.36x
Lye 15 23.86x
Monks Coppenhall 15 6.22x
Newington 15 1.40x
St Luke London 15 3.23x
Warwick St Nicholas 15 28.03x
Brightside Bierlow 14 2.49x
Gillingham 14 6.88x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 14 13.48x
Sedgley 14 3.86x
Sittingbourne 14 17.96x
Stapenhill 14 20.76x
Charlton Kings 13 33.11x
Harborne 13 4.15x
Lt Tew 13 474.45x
Southampton St Mary 13 3.49x
Battersea 12 1.13x
Birlingham 12 343.84x
Detling 12 360.36x
Edgbaston 12 5.30x
Hucking 12 888.89x
Linton 12 100.76x
Mile End Old Town London 12 1.95x
St Ives 12 40.28x
St Thomas Winchester 12 28.66x
Stoke Upon Trent 12 1.16x
Swindon 12 597.01x
Greenwich 11 2.39x
Hollingbourn 11 96.49x
Llanover 11 15.40x
Rushall 11 19.14x
Upchurch 11 98.83x
Barrow In Furness 10 2.14x
Bitton 10 20.25x
Braintree 10 19.50x
Bristol St George 10 3.81x
Chatham 10 3.68x
East Meon 10 64.60x
Eldersfield 10 168.63x
Newington In Milton 10 97.18x
Streatham 10 4.66x
West Bromwich 10 1.79x
Woolhampton 10 204.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 167
Elizabeth 123
Sarah 106
Eliza 76
Jane 53
Alice 52
Ann 51
Annie 50
Ellen 49
Emily 44
Emma 38
Caroline 33
Hannah 28
Louisa 26
Harriet 24
Martha 24
Charlotte 22
Fanny 22
Florence 19
Kate 19
Ada 18
Rose 16
Frances 15
Maria 15
Catherine 13
Harriett 12
Margaret 12
Agnes 11
Esther 11
Susan 11
Edith 10
Matilda 10
Amy 9
Anne 9
Minnie 9
Julia 8
Lucy 8
Amelia 7
Clara 6
Laura 6
Lizzie 6
Lydia 6
Priscilla 6
Rosa 6
Bertha 5
Rebecca 5
Sophia 5
Eleanor 4
Ethel 4
Gertrude 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 184
John 116
George 99
Thomas 88
Charles 79
James 79
Henry 76
Joseph 65
Alfred 52
Albert 39
Samuel 35
Arthur 32
Frederick 31
Richard 30
Edward 28
Edwin 21
Harry 21
Frank 18
Ernest 16
Walter 16
Benjamin 14
Robert 13
Francis 10
Herbert 10
David 9
Wm. 7
Aaron 6
Eli 6
Hubert 6
Alexander 5
Daniel 5
Edmund 5
Fredrick 5
Percy 5
Sidney 5
Stephen 5
Thos. 5
Abel 4
Chas. 4
Gilbert 4
Isaac 4
Roger 4
Abraham 3
Amos 3
Enoch 3
Horace 3
Job 3
Levi 3
Mark 3
Noah 3

FAQ

Attwood surname: questions and answers

How common was the Attwood surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,971 people were recorded with the Attwood surname. That placed it at #1,503 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Attwood surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,471 in 2016. That gives Attwood a modern rank of #1,523.

What does the Attwood surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place called Attwood in Shropshire.

What does the Attwood map show?

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