NameCensus.

UK surname

Blagdon

A locational surname derived from the village of Blagdon in Somerset, England.

In the 1881 census there were 156 people recorded with the Blagdon surname, ranking it #15,114 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 184, ranked #20,731, down from #15,114 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Durham St Oswald and East and West Lavington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Plymouth and Torbay.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blagdon is 238 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 17.9%.

1881 census count

156

Ranked #15,114

Modern count

184

2016, ranked #20,731

Peak year

1901

238 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Blagdon had 156 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,114 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 184 in 2016, ranked #20,731.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 238 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Blagdon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Blagdon surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Blagdon 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 117 #15,456
1861 historical 161 #14,392
1881 historical 156 #15,114
1891 historical 173 #16,600
1901 historical 238 #13,528
1911 historical 228 #13,759
1997 modern 213 #16,948
1998 modern 215 #17,306
1999 modern 218 #17,258
2000 modern 195 #18,494
2001 modern 189 #18,590
2002 modern 190 #18,889
2003 modern 183 #19,152
2004 modern 181 #19,363
2005 modern 181 #19,334
2006 modern 179 #19,592
2007 modern 177 #19,965
2008 modern 182 #19,800
2009 modern 193 #19,463
2010 modern 204 #19,200
2011 modern 195 #19,610
2012 modern 183 #20,356
2013 modern 186 #20,502
2014 modern 189 #20,441
2015 modern 188 #20,417
2016 modern 184 #20,731

Geography

Back to top

Where Blagdons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Durham St Oswald, East and West Lavington and Thurrock, Grays. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Plymouth, Torbay and Kingston upon Hull. 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 Durham St Oswald Durham
4 East and West Lavington Wiltshire
5 Thurrock, Grays Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 034 Cornwall
2 Plymouth 007 Plymouth
3 Torbay 013 Torbay
4 Plymouth 026 Plymouth
5 Kingston upon Hull 031 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Blagdon

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Blagdon

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

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Blagdon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Blagdon household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Blagdon is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Blagdon 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

Blagdon falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Blagdon is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Blagdon, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Blagdon

The surname Blagdon has its origins in England, likely dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational surname, derived from places named Blagdon in the counties of Somerset and Northumberland. These place names are composed of two Old English elements: "blæc," meaning "black" or "dark," and "dūn," meaning "hill" or "mound." Therefore, Blagdon would have originally referred to a "dark hill" or "black hill," possibly referencing the appearance of the landscape.

The earliest reference to the name Blagdon can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where the village of Blagdon in Somerset is recorded as "Blachedone." Over the centuries, the name evolved through various spellings, including Blakedon, Blackadon, and eventually Blagdon.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was William de Blagdon, who appeared in documents in 1225. Another historical reference includes a Walter de Blagdon, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327. These individuals were likely named after their place of origin, a common practice in medieval England.

In the 15th century, Sir Richard Blagdon (1432-1490) of Northumberland was a prominent figure. Known for his service as a knight, his family owned significant amounts of land in the region, reinforcing the locational origin of the surname.

Elizabeth Blagdon, born in the early 1600s in Somerset, was another notable figure. She gained recognition for her involvement in local governance and charity work, contributing to the community's welfare during a tumultuous period in English history.

John Blagdon, a sailor born in 1755, sailed with the British Navy during the American Revolutionary War. His exploits and contributions during the war were recorded in naval logs, providing a glimpse into the life of a Blagdon outside the typical landowning class.

In the 19th century, Reverend Thomas Blagdon (1801-1880), born in Devon, was a well-known clergyman and author. His sermons and writings, many of which have been preserved, highlight his influence within the Church of England during a period of considerable change.

The surname Blagdon serves as a fascinating example of how locational surnames encapsulate the geography and history of an area, as well as the lives of those who bore the name through the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Blagdon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blagdon 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. Devon leads with 30 Blagdons recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.35x.

County Total Index
Devon 30 9.35x
Surrey 17 2.26x
Durham 16 3.49x
Yorkshire 14 0.92x
Derbyshire 13 5.39x
Nottinghamshire 12 5.78x
Cornwall 10 5.73x
Middlesex 8 0.52x
Wiltshire 7 5.14x
Somerset 6 2.42x
Essex 5 1.64x
Kent 4 0.76x
Hampshire 3 0.95x
Channel Islands 2 4.38x
Dorset 2 1.98x
Northumberland 2 0.87x
Sussex 2 0.77x
Berkshire 1 0.86x
Cheshire 1 0.29x
Glamorgan 1 0.37x
Leicestershire 1 0.59x
Suffolk 1 0.53x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holy Trinity in Yorkshire leads with 11 Blagdons recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.95x.

Place Total Index
Holy Trinity 11 29.95x
Rotherhithe 9 47.27x
Maker 8 496.89x
Market Lavington 7 945.95x
Framwellgate 6 220.59x
Newbold Dunston 6 262.01x
Plymouth St Andrew 6 24.28x
Elvet 5 151.06x
Grays Thurrock 5 176.68x
Hackney London 5 5.79x
Plymstock 5 297.62x
Stonehouse East 5 306.75x
Battersea 4 7.05x
Hucknall Torkard 4 75.90x
Lenton 4 81.80x
Radford 4 37.91x
Wandsworth 4 26.97x
Woolwich 4 20.59x
Brixham 3 80.65x
East Stonehouse 3 47.47x
Plymouth Charles The 3 21.23x
Portsea 3 4.85x
St Giles 3 104.90x
Antony 2 119.05x
Bakewell 2 151.52x
Brampton 2 59.35x
Hasland 2 81.30x
Sherborne 2 67.11x
St Peter Port 2 23.67x
Tormoham 2 14.74x
Tynemouth 2 16.29x
Bath St James 1 38.61x
Bath St Peter St Paul 1 90.91x
Brede 1 185.19x
Cardiff St Mary 1 6.77x
Clevedon 1 38.76x
Crediton 1 32.89x
Crossgate 1 50.00x
Devonport 1 27.10x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 3.22x
Gorleston 1 20.96x
Hampstead London 1 4.17x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 5.04x
Hyde 1 9.96x
Kenton 1 99.01x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 81.97x
Long Eaton 1 31.45x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 15.41x
Marston Magna 1 625.00x
Melton Mowbray 1 32.57x
Nether Hallam 1 4.84x
Newbury 1 26.95x
Paddington London 1 1.76x
Petworth 1 64.52x
Shepton Mallet 1 35.97x
St Pancras London 1 0.81x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
George 8
James 8
William 8
Samuel 5
Charles 4
Edward 4
Thomas 4
Joseph 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Augustus 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Jno. 1
Joshua 1
Percy 1
Robt. 1
Saml. 1
Seymour 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Blagdon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Blagdon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 156 people were recorded with the Blagdon surname. That placed it at #15,114 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Blagdon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 184 in 2016. That gives Blagdon a modern rank of #20,731.

What does the Blagdon surname mean?

A locational surname derived from the village of Blagdon in Somerset, England.

What does the Blagdon map show?

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