NameCensus.

UK surname

Bridgford

A locational surname referring to someone from Bridgeford, Nottinghamshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 117 people recorded with the Bridgford surname, ranking it #18,026 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 102, ranked #30,722, down from #18,026 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Rushden and Kidderminster. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East, West Lindsey and Salford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bridgford is 144 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 12.8%.

1881 census count

117

Ranked #18,026

Modern count

102

2016, ranked #30,722

Peak year

1901

144 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bridgford had 117 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,026 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016, ranked #30,722.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 144 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Bridgford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bridgford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bridgford 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 88 #18,569
1861 historical 79 #23,702
1881 historical 117 #18,026
1891 historical 142 #18,995
1901 historical 144 #18,505
1911 historical 130 #19,504
1997 modern 120 #24,158
1998 modern 127 #23,940
1999 modern 121 #24,855
2000 modern 121 #24,824
2001 modern 116 #25,089
2002 modern 121 #24,984
2003 modern 107 #26,617
2004 modern 105 #27,181
2005 modern 108 #26,736
2006 modern 108 #27,015
2007 modern 109 #27,253
2008 modern 109 #27,533
2009 modern 106 #28,666
2010 modern 112 #28,336
2011 modern 113 #27,967
2012 modern 114 #27,868
2013 modern 115 #28,176
2014 modern 112 #28,934
2015 modern 106 #29,895
2016 modern 102 #30,722

Geography

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Where Bridgfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Rushden, Kidderminster, Kettering and Higham Ferrers. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East, West Lindsey, Salford and Wyre Forest. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 Rushden Northamptonshire
3 Kidderminster Worcestershire
4 Kettering Northamptonshire
5 Higham Ferrers Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 003 Cheshire East
2 West Lindsey 001 West Lindsey
3 Salford 012 Salford
4 Wyre Forest 013 Wyre Forest
5 Salford 014 Salford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bridgford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bridgford

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Bridgford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Bridgford household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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, Bridgford 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

Bridgford is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bridgford falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bridgford is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bridgford

The surname Bridgford originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the town of Bridgford, located in Nottinghamshire. The name is believed to have evolved from the Old English words "brycg" meaning bridge and "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing, indicating that the name refers to a settlement near a bridge crossing a river.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Brugeford." This ancient record provides evidence of the name's existence in England during the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, various spellings of the name appeared in historical records, such as "Bruggeford" and "Briggeford." These variations highlight the evolving nature of surnames during that time period.

Notable individuals with the surname Bridgford include John Bridgford, a merchant and landowner who lived in Nottinghamshire during the late 16th century. Records show that he owned properties in the town of Bridgford and surrounding areas.

Another prominent figure was Sir William Bridgford (1580-1642), a English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire in the early 17th century. He was known for his involvement in local affairs and his support for the Parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Thomas Bridgford (1712-1789) was a respected clergyman and author from Nottinghamshire. He published several religious works and served as the vicar of several parishes in the region.

The surname Bridgford also has connections to the town of Bridgford in Somerset, England. Records from the 16th century mention a family named Bridgford residing in this area, suggesting that the name may have originated from multiple locations within England.

Another notable individual was Elizabeth Bridgford (1834-1902), a philanthropist and social reformer from Nottinghamshire. She was actively involved in various charitable organizations and worked towards improving the living conditions of the underprivileged in her community.

While the surname Bridgford has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration. The name continues to carry its historical significance and connection to the bridge crossings of medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bridgford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bridgford 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. Northamptonshire leads with 32 Bridgfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.81x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 32 29.81x
Lancashire 25 1.85x
Middlesex 12 1.05x
Cambridgeshire 9 12.45x
Worcestershire 7 4.70x
Staffordshire 6 1.56x
Warwickshire 6 2.08x
Nottinghamshire 5 3.25x
Surrey 4 0.72x
Yorkshire 4 0.35x
Derbyshire 2 1.12x
Herefordshire 2 4.27x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.95x
Cheshire 1 0.40x
Hampshire 1 0.43x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kettering in Northamptonshire leads with 9 Bridgfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 207.37x.

Place Total Index
Kettering 9 207.37x
Doddington 8 1509.43x
Prestwich 8 236.69x
Rushden 8 555.56x
Lower Mitton 7 534.35x
Chelveston Cum Caldecott 6 3529.41x
Stretford 6 80.54x
Crumpsall 5 156.74x
Hucknall Torkard 5 128.21x
Limehouse London 5 39.90x
Birmingham 4 4.17x
Hammersmith London 4 14.23x
Higham Ferrers 4 689.66x
Lambeth 4 4.02x
Mayfield 4 833.33x
Salford 4 10.05x
Ecclesall Bierlow 3 13.04x
Rushton 3 1578.95x
St Pancras London 3 3.27x
Belper 2 57.80x
Eardisley 2 588.24x
Great Doddington 2 869.57x
Hartshill 2 952.38x
Beverley Parks 1 769.23x
Chester St Oswald 1 21.93x
Colwich 1 108.70x
Dyce 1 217.39x
Holdenhurst 1 16.31x
March 1 41.32x
Preston 1 2.76x
Walsall Foreign 1 5.03x
Worsley 1 11.98x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Elizabeth 8
Sarah 4
Annie 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Caroline 2
Elizth. 2
Martha 2
Selina 2
Amy 1
Barbara 1
Beatrice 1
Bellinda 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Grace 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Lueulla 1
M. 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Marion 1
Rebeaca 1
Ruth 1
Winnifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 9
Thomas 6
John 5
James 4
Benjamin 2
Ernest 2
George 2
Robert 2
Sidney 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Chas.L. 1
Christhfor 1
Eli 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Gilbert 1
Groom 1
Harry 1
Jessie 1
Lancelott 1
Leo 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Rowland 1
Samuel 1
Thos.Chas.R. 1
W.C. 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Bridgford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bridgford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 117 people were recorded with the Bridgford surname. That placed it at #18,026 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bridgford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016. That gives Bridgford a modern rank of #30,722.

What does the Bridgford surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Bridgeford, Nottinghamshire, England.

What does the Bridgford map show?

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