NameCensus.

UK surname

Auld

Derived from the Old English "eald," meaning "old," referring to an elderly person or the elder of two people.

In the 1881 census there were 1,806 people recorded with the Auld surname, ranking it #2,411 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,088, ranked #3,098, down from #2,411 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Riccarton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doon Valley South, Crosshouse, Gatehead and Kilmaurs Rural and Arran.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Auld is 2,103 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.6%.

1881 census count

1,806

Ranked #2,411

Modern count

2,088

2016, ranked #3,098

Peak year

1901

2,103 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Auld had 1,806 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,411 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,088 in 2016, ranked #3,098.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,103 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Auld surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Auld surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Auld 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 1,384 #2,067
1861 historical 1,485 #1,902
1881 historical 1,806 #2,411
1891 historical 1,847 #2,488
1901 historical 2,103 #2,553
1911 historical 506 #7,772
1997 modern 1,908 #3,162
1998 modern 1,990 #3,169
1999 modern 2,016 #3,164
2000 modern 1,975 #3,198
2001 modern 1,906 #3,229
2002 modern 1,945 #3,243
2003 modern 1,913 #3,221
2004 modern 1,902 #3,233
2005 modern 1,919 #3,194
2006 modern 1,918 #3,206
2007 modern 1,954 #3,185
2008 modern 1,963 #3,187
2009 modern 2,013 #3,196
2010 modern 2,057 #3,200
2011 modern 2,040 #3,188
2012 modern 2,001 #3,196
2013 modern 2,032 #3,197
2014 modern 2,068 #3,173
2015 modern 2,080 #3,126
2016 modern 2,088 #3,098

Geography

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Where Aulds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Riccarton, Glasgow and Kilmarnock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doon Valley South, Crosshouse, Gatehead and Kilmaurs Rural, Arran and Northumberland. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Riccarton Ayr
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Kilmarnock Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doon Valley South East Ayrshire
2 Crosshouse, Gatehead and Kilmaurs Rural East Ayrshire
3 Arran North Ayrshire
4 Northumberland 010 Northumberland
5 Northumberland 029 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Auld

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Auld

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

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Auld is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

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

Auld 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

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

Meaning and origin of Auld

The surname AULD is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Middle English and Scots words "ald" or "auld," meaning "old." It likely originated as a descriptive nickname for an elderly person or as a means of distinguishing between individuals with the same given name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the late 12th century, appearing in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls recording those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. This document lists several individuals with the surname AULD, hailing from various regions across Scotland.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the AULD surname appeared in various Scottish records and documents, often associated with landholdings and local nobility. One notable figure was Sir Andrew AULD, a Scottish knight who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence during the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the AULD family gained prominence in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the regions of Renfrewshire and Ayrshire. Records from this period show AULD families holding significant landholdings and estates in these areas.

One distinguished bearer of the name was Robert AULD (1572-1638), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the Principal of Marischal College in Aberdeen. He was a prominent figure in the Scottish Protestant Reformation and played a crucial role in the establishment of the Church of Scotland.

Another notable AULD was Sir Thomas AULD (1615-1693), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh and later as a Lord of Session, one of the highest judicial positions in Scotland at the time.

In the 18th century, the AULD surname continued to be associated with Scottish landed gentry and clergy. Reverend Robert AULD (1701-1781), a Presbyterian minister in Ayrshire, was a renowned scholar and author of several theological works.

As the Scottish diaspora spread across the world, the AULD surname traveled with it. One prominent figure was John AULD (1786-1858), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada.

Throughout history, the surname AULD has been spelled in various ways, including ALDE, AUDE, and AWDE, reflecting regional variations and linguistic influences. Despite these variations, the name's origins and meaning remained rooted in the Scottish heritage and the concept of "old age" or "antiquity."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Auld families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Auld 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. Ayrshire leads with 383 Aulds recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.06x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 383 29.06x
Lanarkshire 332 5.83x
Midlothian 183 7.76x
Aberdeenshire 123 7.54x
Northumberland 104 3.97x
Renfrewshire 84 6.16x
Durham 61 1.16x
Caithness 56 23.23x
Lancashire 47 0.23x
Stirlingshire 45 6.93x
Fife 43 4.13x
Angus 39 2.39x
Perthshire 36 4.56x
West Lothian 36 13.58x
Middlesex 30 0.17x
Surrey 29 0.34x
Cumberland 19 1.25x
Dunbartonshire 19 4.02x
Wigtownshire 18 7.70x
Banffshire 16 4.38x
Kent 14 0.23x
Yorkshire 11 0.06x
Orkney 10 5.16x
Selkirkshire 9 5.65x
Argyllshire 8 1.63x
Sussex 8 0.27x
Royal Navy 7 3.34x
Buteshire 6 5.62x
Dumfriesshire 5 1.29x
East Lothian 4 1.72x
Sutherland 4 2.95x
Cheshire 3 0.08x
Devon 2 0.05x
Glamorgan 2 0.07x
Leicestershire 2 0.10x
Derbyshire 1 0.04x
Essex 1 0.03x
Hertfordshire 1 0.08x
Inverness-shire 1 0.19x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.39x
Peeblesshire 1 1.21x
Roxburghshire 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 98 Aulds recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.96x.

Place Total Index
Govan 98 6.96x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 88 9.27x
Barony 85 5.90x
Kilmarnock 48 30.60x
Glasgow 45 4.45x
Bedlington 39 44.58x
Aberdeen Old Machar 32 9.40x
Cathcart 30 40.63x
Kilwinning 28 65.80x
Dundonald 26 53.51x
New Monkland 26 15.45x
Riccarton 25 125.75x
Loudoun 22 69.42x
Bathgate 21 36.48x
Galston 21 58.27x
Dalmellington 20 51.61x
Foveran 20 162.07x
Kilmadock 20 110.07x
Slamannan 20 56.24x
West Greenock 20 8.17x
Bermondsey 19 3.62x
Darlington 19 9.39x
South Leith 19 7.16x
Bower 18 185.38x
Seghill 17 132.40x
Ayr 16 25.73x
Dreghorn 16 67.06x
Dundee 16 2.63x
Ellon 16 71.33x
Ardrossan 15 32.89x
Riccarton Hurlford 15 64.91x
Ryhope 15 41.24x
Coylton 14 74.87x
Maryhill 14 12.56x
St Quivox 14 31.43x
Wick 14 17.98x
Inverkeithing 13 82.75x
Lamesley 13 46.12x
Bootle Cum Linacre 12 7.23x
Inveresk 12 18.79x
Auckinleck 11 26.97x
Edinburgh Canongate 11 18.32x
Everton 11 1.65x
Beath 10 30.36x
Heckmondwike 10 17.82x
Liff Benvie 10 4.04x
Newcastle On Tyne St 10 7.36x
Rousay Egilshay 10 147.93x
Stevenston 10 29.11x
Denny 9 26.06x
Dunlop 9 109.49x
Lewisham 9 2.81x
Old Monkland 9 3.98x
Olrig 9 74.75x
Paisley Low Church 9 20.83x
Shettleston 9 17.65x
Stewarton 9 34.52x
Abbey 8 3.84x
Bridekirk 8 66.06x
Cambusnethan 8 6.33x
Dalkeith 8 17.19x
Lambeth 8 0.52x
Tunstall 8 30.67x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 7 2.29x
Barrow In Furness 7 2.46x
Blenkinsopp 7 159.09x
Dalry 7 11.29x
Earsdon 7 32.85x
Inverurie 7 37.96x
Kinghorn 7 31.63x
Kirkintilloch 7 10.89x
Peterhead 7 8.12x
Portpatrick 7 89.29x
Selkirk 7 15.60x
St Ninians 7 10.87x
St Pancras London 7 0.49x
Tarbolton 7 32.27x
Watten 7 82.64x
Whitley 7 82.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 24
Margaret 17
Elizabeth 13
Jane 11
Sarah 10
Ann 9
Annie 9
Isabella 9
Alice 5
Jessie 5
Anne 3
Catherine 3
Florence 3
Martha 3
Ruth 3
Agnes 2
Clara 2
Eleanor 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Frances 2
Hannah 2
Lillian 2
Maggie 2
Susannah 2
Cristian 1
Edith 1
Elisabeth 1
Elizth.Jane 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Georgiana 1
Grace 1
Hall 1
Harriett 1
Hellen 1
Infant 1
Isabela 1
Kate 1
Kittey 1
Levina 1
Lily 1
M. 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Marion 1
May 1
Nellie 1
Rachael 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 26
William 25
James 18
Thomas 16
Robert 8
Elijah 6
Edward 5
Josiah 5
Charles 4
Henry 4
George 3
Joseph 3
Ernest 2
Richard 2
Tom 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Allen 1
Alston 1
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Curry 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Geo.W. 1
Hardiman 1
Harrison 1
Harry 1
Heny. 1
Hugh 1
Jessie 1
Mathew 1
Paterick 1
Ralph 1
Samuel 1
Simon 1
Stewart 1
W. 1

FAQ

Auld surname: questions and answers

How common was the Auld surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,806 people were recorded with the Auld surname. That placed it at #2,411 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Auld surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,088 in 2016. That gives Auld a modern rank of #3,098.

What does the Auld surname mean?

Derived from the Old English "eald," meaning "old," referring to an elderly person or the elder of two people.

What does the Auld map show?

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