NameCensus.

UK surname

Balderson

A locational surname derived from Balderson, a village in Nottinghamshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 569 people recorded with the Balderson surname, ranking it #6,108 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 544, ranked #9,364, down from #6,108 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ashby, Cold, London parishes and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stoke-on-Trent, Burnley and West Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Balderson is 736 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.4%.

1881 census count

569

Ranked #6,108

Modern count

544

2016, ranked #9,364

Peak year

1911

736 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Balderson had 569 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,108 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 544 in 2016, ranked #9,364.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 736 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Balderson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Balderson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Balderson 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 344 #6,842
1861 historical 421 #6,096
1881 historical 569 #6,108
1891 historical 610 #6,300
1901 historical 693 #6,339
1911 historical 736 #5,831
1997 modern 615 #8,008
1998 modern 655 #7,854
1999 modern 633 #8,132
2000 modern 631 #8,125
2001 modern 618 #8,104
2002 modern 625 #8,209
2003 modern 612 #8,203
2004 modern 591 #8,442
2005 modern 566 #8,621
2006 modern 572 #8,587
2007 modern 574 #8,640
2008 modern 575 #8,685
2009 modern 587 #8,733
2010 modern 594 #8,854
2011 modern 574 #8,976
2012 modern 547 #9,203
2013 modern 557 #9,236
2014 modern 561 #9,242
2015 modern 556 #9,221
2016 modern 544 #9,364

Geography

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Where Baldersons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ashby, Cold, London parishes, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Great and Little Creaton, Spratton and Crowland. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stoke-on-Trent, Burnley, West Lindsey, Bradford and North East Lincolnshire. 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 Ashby, Cold Northamptonshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
4 Great and Little Creaton, Spratton Northamptonshire
5 Crowland Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stoke-on-Trent 023 Stoke-on-Trent
2 Burnley 010 Burnley
3 West Lindsey 001 West Lindsey
4 Bradford 004 Bradford
5 North East Lincolnshire 004 North East Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Balderson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Balderson

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Balderson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Balderson 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Balderson 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

Balderson is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Balderson

The surname Balderson has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "bald" and "erse," which together mean "bold or daring person." This suggests that the name may have been given initially as a nickname or descriptor for someone who exhibited such qualities.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century. One notable reference is found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, where a William Balderson is mentioned. This document served as a record of landholders and their properties during the reign of King Edward I.

Another early appearance of the name is in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, where a Robert Balderson is listed as a taxpayer. These rolls were used to collect taxes and provide a snapshot of the population at the time.

In the 14th century, the name is found in various records, including the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John Balderson is mentioned in 1348. This suggests that the name had spread to different parts of England by this time.

One notable individual with the surname Balderson was Sir Thomas Balderson (1548-1621), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

Another prominent figure was William Balderson (1683-1737), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society and published several works on astronomy and mathematics.

Moving forward to the 18th century, we find John Balderson (1718-1792), an English clockmaker and inventor known for his work on chronometers and other precision timekeeping devices. His creations were highly regarded and used by the Royal Navy.

In the 19th century, the name Balderson was associated with the village of Balderston, located in Nottinghamshire, England. This place name likely derived from a similar Old English origin as the surname and may have influenced the spelling variations seen during this period.

One notable individual from this era was Charles Balderson (1829-1898), a British engineer and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the railway system in India during the late 19th century.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Balderson who have left their mark on history, demonstrating the rich heritage and widespread distribution of this name across various regions of England over several centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Balderson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Balderson 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. Lincolnshire leads with 143 Baldersons recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.08x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 143 16.08x
Northamptonshire 105 20.08x
Yorkshire 99 1.80x
Lancashire 60 0.91x
Middlesex 48 0.86x
Cambridgeshire 28 7.95x
Surrey 15 0.55x
Nottinghamshire 13 1.73x
Norfolk 9 1.05x
Durham 7 0.42x
Kent 7 0.37x
Leicestershire 7 1.14x
Hertfordshire 6 1.57x
Suffolk 5 0.74x
Derbyshire 3 0.34x
Fife 2 0.61x
Midlothian 2 0.27x
Westmorland 2 1.64x
Cheshire 1 0.08x
Cumberland 1 0.21x
Dorset 1 0.27x
Glamorgan 1 0.10x
Hampshire 1 0.09x
Royal Navy 1 1.51x
Staffordshire 1 0.05x
Sussex 1 0.11x
Warwickshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Crowland in Lincolnshire leads with 30 Baldersons recorded in 1881 and an index of 537.63x.

Place Total Index
Crowland 30 537.63x
Spratton 28 1783.44x
Cold Ashby 18 2769.23x
Thorney 17 434.78x
Northampton All Sts 14 78.87x
Burton Upon Stather 13 1150.44x
Hackney London 13 4.17x
Elkington 11 6875.00x
Great Grimsby 11 19.49x
Huttoft 11 964.91x
Ince In Makerfield 10 32.57x
Whitwood 10 127.71x
Alford 9 163.34x
Brightside Bierlow 9 8.33x
Hammersmith London 9 6.57x
Oldham 9 4.23x
Friskney 8 283.69x
Newington 8 52.74x
Nottingham St Mary 8 4.13x
Wigan 8 8.68x
Wisbech St Peter 8 45.30x
Wrangle 8 360.36x
Bishopwearmouth 7 4.93x
Hardingstone 7 140.28x
Mile End Old Town London 7 5.92x
Sheffield 7 3.99x
Cleckheaton 6 29.56x
Crick 6 338.98x
Euxton 6 273.97x
Hemel Hempstead 6 34.74x
Northampton Priory St 6 19.12x
Alkborough 5 657.89x
Bentham 5 119.05x
Flixborough 5 1136.36x
Golcar 5 34.32x
Heap 5 14.29x
Huddersfield 5 6.23x
Kettering 5 23.64x
Kimberworth 5 16.35x
Kirton 5 140.45x
Stoke Newington London 5 11.54x
Barnes 4 34.90x
Basford 4 11.58x
Batley 4 7.64x
Bielby 4 952.38x
Holy Trinity 4 3.02x
Keelby 4 283.69x
Lambeth 4 0.83x
Lancaster 4 10.19x
Leake 4 98.28x
Norwich St Saviour 4 133.33x
Out Rawcliffe 4 254.78x
St Dunstan In West London 4 231.21x
St Pancras London 4 0.89x
Winterton 4 131.15x
Wrentham 4 212.77x
Askham Bryan 3 517.24x
Bradford 3 2.25x
Chatham 3 5.75x
Derby St Werburgh 3 5.97x
Frodingham 3 94.64x
Leicester St Margaret 3 2.00x
Melton Mowbray 3 27.08x
Newton 3 5.90x
North Cave Drewton 3 138.25x
Winteringham 3 234.38x
Claxby In Caistor 2 322.58x
Duston 2 42.11x
Ealing 2 4.03x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 1.78x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 0.67x
Fakenham 2 47.51x
Gillingham 2 5.11x
Great Creaton 2 333.33x
Hotham 2 281.69x
Liverpool 2 0.50x
Northampton St Giles 2 10.04x
Salford 2 1.03x
Thorpe Next Norwich 2 22.08x
Wood Ditton 2 68.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 34
Elizabeth 26
Sarah 25
Jane 13
Annie 11
Alice 10
Ann 10
Louisa 9
Eliza 8
Emma 8
Hannah 7
Margaret 7
Susannah 7
Ada 6
Emily 6
Ellen 5
Martha 5
Caroline 4
Fanny 4
Florence 4
Harriett 4
Julia 4
Anne 3
Betsy 3
Charlotte 3
Edith 3
Harriet 3
Maria 3
Rachel 3
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Clara 2
Fanney 2
Frances 2
Kate 2
Marion 2
Sophia 2
Susan 2
Susanna 2
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Betsey 1
Dorothy 1
E. 1
Eda 1
Elizar 1
Elizth. 1
Jessica 1
Jessie 1
Tabitha 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 40
John 32
George 23
Joseph 18
Robert 15
James 14
Richard 13
Henry 12
Thomas 11
Alfred 7
Frederick 7
Charles 6
Arthur 5
Edward 5
Walter 5
Frank 3
Fredrick 3
Benjamin 2
Edgar 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Fred 2
Herbert 2
Isaac 2
Levi 2
Samuel 2
Thos. 2
Asa 1
Ben 1
Chas. 1
Chetham 1
Christopher 1
Claude 1
Cornelius 1
Felix 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
Jack 1
Job 1
Joe 1
Jonathan 1
Leonard 1
Lleuellyn 1
Martin 1
Peter 1
Rd. 1
Squire 1
Zacariah 1

FAQ

Balderson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Balderson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 569 people were recorded with the Balderson surname. That placed it at #6,108 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Balderson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 544 in 2016. That gives Balderson a modern rank of #9,364.

What does the Balderson surname mean?

A locational surname derived from Balderson, a village in Nottinghamshire, England.

What does the Balderson map show?

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