NameCensus.

UK surname

Baldwin

An English surname derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements bald, meaning "bold," and wine, meaning "friend."

In the 1881 census there were 12,774 people recorded with the Baldwin surname, ranking it #321 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 18,123, ranked #329, down from #321 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, East Dean, Little Dean, Flaxley, Abinghall, Weston-under-Penyard (Ross, Herefordshire), Lea (Ross, H and Birmingham Town: Aston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean and Herefordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Baldwin is 19,151 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.9%.

1881 census count

12,774

Ranked #321

Modern count

18,123

2016, ranked #329

Peak year

1999

19,151 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Baldwin had 12,774 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #321 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 18,123 in 2016, ranked #329.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 17,916 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Baldwin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Baldwin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Baldwin 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 7,604 #366
1861 historical 7,795 #353
1881 historical 12,774 #321
1891 historical 14,113 #299
1901 historical 16,577 #302
1911 historical 17,916 #259
1997 modern 18,354 #317
1998 modern 19,039 #318
1999 modern 19,151 #319
2000 modern 18,911 #319
2001 modern 18,475 #320
2002 modern 18,620 #326
2003 modern 18,090 #327
2004 modern 18,121 #327
2005 modern 17,780 #327
2006 modern 17,563 #329
2007 modern 17,678 #330
2008 modern 17,714 #332
2009 modern 18,103 #333
2010 modern 18,368 #335
2011 modern 18,141 #333
2012 modern 17,816 #333
2013 modern 18,383 #329
2014 modern 18,463 #332
2015 modern 18,254 #331
2016 modern 18,123 #329

Geography

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Where Baldwins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, East Dean, Little Dean, Flaxley, Abinghall, Weston-under-Penyard (Ross, Herefordshire), Lea (Ross, H and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean and Herefordshire. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 East Dean, Little Dean, Flaxley, Abinghall, Weston-under-Penyard (Ross, Herefordshire), Lea (Ross, H Gloucestershire
4 London parishes London 2
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 003 Forest of Dean
2 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
3 Forest of Dean 007 Forest of Dean
4 Forest of Dean 008 Forest of Dean
5 Herefordshire 019 Herefordshire, County of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Baldwin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Baldwin

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Baldwin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Baldwin 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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, Baldwin 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

Baldwin 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

Baldwin falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Baldwin 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 Baldwin, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Baldwin

The surname Baldwin is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English words "bald" meaning bold or brave, and "wine" meaning friend or companion. It is believed to have originated in England during the early medieval period.

The name first appeared in written records in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled "Balduinus". This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Baldwin was Baldwine de Brembre, a wealthy merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1384. Another notable early Baldwin was William Baldwin, an English author and playwright who lived from around 1515 to 1563.

In the 13th century, the surname Baldwin was also found in the form "Baldewin" in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, indicating its continued presence in the region.

During the Middle Ages, the name Baldwin was often associated with places names such as Baldwin's Park in Buckinghamshire and Baldwin's Hill in West Sussex, further solidifying its connection to the English landscape.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the surname Baldwin, including:

1. Stanley Baldwin (1867-1947), British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1923 to 1924, and again from 1924 to 1929.

2. James Baldwin (1924-1987), an influential American novelist, playwright, and social critic known for works such as "Go Tell It on the Mountain" and "Notes of a Native Son".

3. Matthias William Baldwin (1795-1866), an American inventor and founder of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, which became one of the largest and most successful locomotive manufacturers in the world.

4. Alec Baldwin (born 1958), an American actor best known for films such as "The Departed", "The Cooler", and his portrayal of former President Donald Trump on "Saturday Night Live".

5. Roger Nash Baldwin (1884-1981), an American civil rights leader and co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Baldwin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Baldwin 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 2,150 Baldwins recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.45x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2,150 1.45x
Yorkshire 1,559 1.26x
Middlesex 1,469 1.18x
Kent 766 1.80x
Gloucestershire 743 3.04x
Surrey 732 1.21x
Norfolk 519 2.71x
Warwickshire 417 1.33x
Sussex 392 1.87x
Hertfordshire 382 4.45x
Worcestershire 323 1.99x
Suffolk 285 1.88x
Staffordshire 260 0.62x
Buckinghamshire 257 3.41x
Northamptonshire 232 1.98x
Hampshire 216 0.85x
Herefordshire 214 4.19x
Essex 196 0.80x
Lincolnshire 184 0.92x
Berkshire 157 1.68x
Derbyshire 155 0.79x
Durham 106 0.29x
Monmouthshire 97 1.08x
Oxfordshire 86 1.12x
Somerset 86 0.43x
Cheshire 84 0.31x
Glamorgan 84 0.39x
Wiltshire 82 0.74x
Northumberland 73 0.39x
Leicestershire 63 0.46x
Shropshire 55 0.51x
Nottinghamshire 53 0.32x
Bedfordshire 48 0.74x
Cambridgeshire 39 0.49x
Devon 32 0.12x
Radnorshire 25 2.49x
Westmorland 23 0.84x
Lanarkshire 20 0.05x
Midlothian 20 0.12x
Huntingdonshire 13 0.53x
Brecknockshire 8 0.32x
Renfrewshire 8 0.08x
Royal Navy 7 0.47x
West Lothian 7 0.37x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.10x
Flintshire 5 0.15x
Angus 4 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.10x
Channel Islands 3 0.08x
Clackmannanshire 3 0.29x
Rutland 3 0.33x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.04x
Cornwall 2 0.01x
Dorset 2 0.02x
Ayrshire 1 0.01x
Cardiganshire 1 0.03x
Cumberland 1 0.01x
Denbighshire 1 0.02x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.04x
Isle of Man 1 0.04x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.04x
Perthshire 1 0.02x
Stirlingshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westbury On Severn East in Gloucestershire leads with 168 Baldwins recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.42x.

Place Total Index
Westbury On Severn East 168 30.42x
Burnley 148 11.89x
Habergham Eaves 137 10.14x
Aston 125 1.45x
Lambeth 124 1.14x
Leeds 122 1.75x
Blackburn 119 3.03x
Wigan 107 5.18x
Islington London 104 0.86x
Hackney London 100 1.43x
St Pancras London 99 0.99x
Birmingham 95 0.91x
Kensington London 95 1.37x
Horton In Bradford 86 4.46x
Colne 83 18.85x
Walton Le Dale 82 20.65x
Bethnal Green London 80 1.48x
Watford 78 11.72x
Keighley 77 5.85x
Camberwell 72 0.90x
Shoreditch London 64 1.19x
Guiseley 63 39.86x
West Dean 63 15.88x
Great Little Marsden 62 9.16x
Poplar London 62 2.64x
Deptford St Paul 60 1.83x
Preston 60 1.52x
Rickmansworth 59 24.96x
Brighton 55 1.30x
Newington 55 1.20x
Portsea 55 1.10x
Mile End Old Town London 54 2.04x
St Marylebone London 54 0.81x
Battersea 53 1.16x
Paddington London 53 1.16x
Wadhurst 52 37.71x
Liverpool 51 0.57x
Croydon 50 1.48x
Haworth 50 17.04x
Wrotham 50 35.51x
Cholsey 49 66.23x
Orrell 47 25.58x
West Derby 46 1.06x
Tonbridge 45 2.94x
Tottenham 45 2.27x
Kildwick 43 38.26x
Bradford 42 1.41x
Bromley London 42 1.53x
Scarisbrick 42 24.48x
Southwark St George Martyr 42 1.68x
Huddersfield 41 2.28x
Bury 40 2.37x
Newent 40 32.22x
West Bromwich 40 1.66x
Cheltenham 39 2.07x
Saham Toney 39 75.46x
Woodton 39 191.36x
Barnoldswick 37 21.47x
Walsall Foreign 37 1.70x
Great Malvern 36 10.61x
Hammersmith London 35 1.14x
Northowram 35 4.04x
Chelsea London 34 0.91x
Kings Norton 33 2.26x
Heigham 32 3.11x
St George Hanover Square 32 1.46x
Bathford 31 75.26x
Gillingham 31 3.54x
Tring 31 13.52x
Chorlton On Medlock 30 1.28x
Everton 30 0.64x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 30 6.71x
Hemel Hempstead 30 7.75x
Bingley 29 3.69x
Hampstead London 29 1.49x
Lower Mitton 29 20.23x
Shipley 29 4.53x
Hunslet 28 1.45x
Northfleet 28 7.48x
Ticehurst 28 21.79x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 803
Elizabeth 513
Sarah 475
Ann 245
Alice 238
Ellen 220
Jane 219
Eliza 191
Annie 164
Emily 163
Emma 157
Martha 144
Hannah 124
Margaret 119
Caroline 100
Louisa 96
Charlotte 90
Harriet 85
Ada 82
Maria 79
Kate 75
Edith 72
Fanny 68
Rose 62
Florence 59
Lucy 58
Clara 57
Harriett 53
Frances 52
Catherine 49
Susan 48
Agnes 39
Matilda 39
Anne 38
Amelia 36
Isabella 36
Esther 35
Susannah 32
Rebecca 30
Sophia 29
Amy 25
Ethel 24
Gertrude 24
Laura 23
Minnie 23
Anna 22
Lydia 22
Ruth 22
Eleanor 20
Rosa 19

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 744
John 660
James 426
George 421
Thomas 384
Henry 295
Charles 270
Joseph 208
Edward 172
Robert 152
Alfred 151
Arthur 148
Frederick 136
Albert 107
Richard 96
Walter 96
Harry 86
Samuel 86
David 65
Edwin 58
Frank 57
Herbert 55
Benjamin 48
Ernest 46
Wm. 46
Francis 34
Fred 32
Thos. 31
Daniel 28
Stephen 27
Geo. 24
Peter 24
Edgar 19
Tom 19
Edmund 18
Fredk. 18
Jesse 14
Jonathan 14
Percy 14
Fredrick 12
Stanley 12
Amos 11
Jacob 11
Jas. 11
Leonard 11
Philip 11
Abraham 10
Isaac 10
Matthew 10
Wilfred 10

FAQ

Baldwin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Baldwin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12,774 people were recorded with the Baldwin surname. That placed it at #321 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Baldwin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 18,123 in 2016. That gives Baldwin a modern rank of #329.

What does the Baldwin surname mean?

An English surname derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements bald, meaning "bold," and wine, meaning "friend."

What does the Baldwin map show?

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