NameCensus.

UK surname

Bridgwood

A locational surname referring to someone from an area with a wooden bridge.

In the 1881 census there were 280 people recorded with the Bridgwood surname, ranking it #10,202 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 432, ranked #11,135, down from #10,202 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Trentham and Wolstanton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stoke-on-Trent and Harborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bridgwood is 470 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.3%.

1881 census count

280

Ranked #10,202

Modern count

432

2016, ranked #11,135

Peak year

1911

470 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bridgwood had 280 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,202 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 432 in 2016, ranked #11,135.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 470 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bridgwood surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bridgwood surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bridgwood 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 244 #8,950
1861 historical 232 #10,535
1881 historical 280 #10,202
1891 historical 348 #9,873
1901 historical 447 #8,746
1911 historical 470 #8,217
1997 modern 296 #13,646
1998 modern 459 #10,250
1999 modern 469 #10,139
2000 modern 460 #10,245
2001 modern 449 #10,254
2002 modern 435 #10,736
2003 modern 433 #10,614
2004 modern 421 #10,866
2005 modern 432 #10,531
2006 modern 432 #10,583
2007 modern 435 #10,613
2008 modern 428 #10,869
2009 modern 442 #10,844
2010 modern 437 #11,165
2011 modern 450 #10,790
2012 modern 439 #10,873
2013 modern 446 #10,911
2014 modern 441 #11,082
2015 modern 438 #11,055
2016 modern 432 #11,135

Geography

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Where Bridgwoods are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Trentham, Wolstanton, Burslem and Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington. 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 and Harborough. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Trentham Staffordshire
3 Wolstanton Staffordshire
4 Burslem Staffordshire
5 Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stoke-on-Trent 020 Stoke-on-Trent
2 Harborough 002 Harborough
3 Stoke-on-Trent 026 Stoke-on-Trent
4 Stoke-on-Trent 031 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Stoke-on-Trent 032 Stoke-on-Trent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bridgwood

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bridgwood

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bridgwood, 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 Bridgwood surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bridgwood 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

Professional Periphery

Within London, Bridgwood is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Bridgwood is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bridgwood falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bridgwood is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bridgwood

The surname Bridgwood is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the regions of Staffordshire and Worcestershire. It is derived from a combination of two Old English words: "brycg" meaning bridge and "wudu" meaning wood, suggesting that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a wooded bridge or a wooden bridge.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, where a John de Bruggewode was listed. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time, reflecting the changes in language and pronunciation.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms in different records, such as William Bruggewode in the Calendarium Inquisitionum post Mortem from 1368, and John Bryggewode in the Calendarium Rotulorum Patentium from 1375.

The Bridgwood name has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Sir Orlando Bridgwood (1609-1674), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Staffordshire in the 17th century.

Another prominent figure was John Bridgwood (1655-1734), an English clergyman and author who served as the chaplain to King William III and later became the Bishop of Chester.

In the 18th century, Thomas Bridgwood (1717-1793) gained recognition as a renowned British architect, responsible for designing several notable buildings, including St. James's Church in Piccadilly, London.

The Bridgwood surname was also found in the United States, with one of the earliest recorded instances being that of William Bridgwood (1711-1784), a colonial merchant and landowner who settled in Virginia.

In the 19th century, James Bridgwood (1825-1901) made his mark as a successful businessman and philanthropist in Manchester, England, where he established a successful textile manufacturing company and was known for his charitable contributions to the local community.

These examples illustrate the rich history and diverse backgrounds associated with the Bridgwood surname, spanning across different regions, professions, and time periods.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bridgwood families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bridgwood 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. Staffordshire leads with 205 Bridgwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.24x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 205 22.24x
Lancashire 23 0.71x
Warwickshire 12 1.74x
Durham 11 1.35x
Derbyshire 10 2.34x
Surrey 6 0.45x
Shropshire 4 1.70x
Hampshire 3 0.54x
Devon 2 0.35x
Yorkshire 2 0.07x
Denbighshire 1 0.97x
Essex 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 48 Bridgwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.10x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 48 49.10x
Trentham 25 318.88x
Caverswall 24 501.04x
Tettenhall 23 407.80x
Stone 16 135.71x
Willenhall 14 81.07x
Castle Church 11 198.56x
Burslem 10 37.86x
Aston 8 4.22x
Westoe 8 17.37x
Salford 7 7.34x
Camberwell 6 3.44x
Liverpool 6 3.05x
Smallthorne 6 175.44x
Wednesbury 6 26.04x
Ashton Under Lyne 5 7.06x
Hartshorn 5 308.64x
Kniveton 5 2000.00x
Wolstanton 5 17.86x
Birmingham 4 1.74x
Droylsden 4 37.84x
Newport 4 140.35x
Sandon 4 833.33x
Weston On Trent 4 816.33x
South Shields 3 41.44x
Stafford St Chad 3 697.67x
Christchurch 2 16.47x
Hilderstone 2 540.54x
Tormoham 2 8.32x
Barlaston 1 129.87x
Colwich 1 45.66x
Huddersfield 1 2.54x
Kirk Deighton 1 303.03x
Llandrillo Yn Rhos 1 65.36x
Longdon 1 78.13x
Manchester 1 0.69x
Minstead 1 123.46x
Orsett 1 70.92x
Stafford St Mary 1 7.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Sarah 12
Elizabeth 9
Ann 8
Annie 5
Jane 5
Alice 4
Charlotte 4
Eliza 4
Ellen 4
Emily 4
Emma 4
Florence 4
Hannah 4
Harriet 4
Agnes 3
Amy 3
Amelia 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Fanny 2
Martha 2
Nellie 2
Treaser 2
Bertha 1
Catharine 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Elisa 1
Elizth. 1
Frances 1
Glen 1
Grace 1
Gurtrude 1
Harriott 1
Isabella 1
Julia 1
Lillie 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Matilda 1
Myra 1
Nancy 1
Phoebe 1
Rachel 1
Reblae 1
Rose 1
Za...mo 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 23
George 15
John 11
Charles 9
James 7
Thomas 7
David 6
Sampson 6
Frederick 5
Joseph 5
Samuel 5
Alfred 4
Arthur 3
Ernest 3
Harry 3
Henry 3
Richard 3
Richd. 3
Wm. 2
Albert 1
Bryan 1
Chas. 1
Edward 1
Edwd. 1
Ephrain 1
Ephram 1
Evonsh 1
Francis 1
Hubert 1
Isaac 1
Jervis 1
Jonathon 1
Michael 1
Octavius 1
Paul 1
Robert 1
Sam 1
Saml.Henry 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Bridgwood surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bridgwood surname in 1881?

In 1881, 280 people were recorded with the Bridgwood surname. That placed it at #10,202 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bridgwood surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 432 in 2016. That gives Bridgwood a modern rank of #11,135.

What does the Bridgwood surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from an area with a wooden bridge.

What does the Bridgwood map show?

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