NameCensus.

UK surname

Cady

Derived from the French surname Cadeiz, likely referring to someone from the town of Cadiz in southern Spain.

In the 1881 census there were 257 people recorded with the Cady surname, ranking it #10,861 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 239, ranked #17,322, down from #10,861 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Aldeburgh, London parishes and Chediston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, South Kesteven and Southwark.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cady is 327 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 7.0%.

1881 census count

257

Ranked #10,861

Modern count

239

2016, ranked #17,322

Peak year

1911

327 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cady had 257 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,861 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 239 in 2016, ranked #17,322.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 327 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cady surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cady surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Cady 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 179 #11,346
1861 historical 214 #11,365
1881 historical 257 #10,861
1891 historical 298 #11,167
1901 historical 314 #11,285
1911 historical 327 #10,742
1997 modern 279 #14,175
1998 modern 275 #14,715
1999 modern 281 #14,578
2000 modern 287 #14,345
2001 modern 282 #14,294
2002 modern 291 #14,275
2003 modern 290 #14,134
2004 modern 289 #14,219
2005 modern 267 #14,954
2006 modern 268 #15,000
2007 modern 269 #15,123
2008 modern 261 #15,597
2009 modern 267 #15,661
2010 modern 260 #16,343
2011 modern 255 #16,428
2012 modern 237 #17,132
2013 modern 233 #17,606
2014 modern 241 #17,338
2015 modern 243 #17,141
2016 modern 239 #17,322

Geography

Back to top

Where Cadys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Aldeburgh, London parishes, Chediston, Wickham Market and St Paul Shadwell, Ratcliff hamlet. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire, South Kesteven, Southwark, Windsor and Maidenhead and Suffolk Coastal. 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 Aldeburgh Suffolk
2 London parishes London 3
3 Chediston Suffolk
4 Wickham Market Suffolk
5 St Paul Shadwell, Ratcliff hamlet London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 029 Wiltshire
2 South Kesteven 007 South Kesteven
3 Southwark 031 Southwark
4 Windsor and Maidenhead 009 Windsor and Maidenhead
5 Suffolk Coastal 004 Suffolk Coastal

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Cady

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Cady

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

Cady is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Cady

The surname Cady is of French origin, deriving from the Old French word "cade," which means "barrel" or "cask." It is believed to have originated in the region of Normandy, France, during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the early 12th century. It is found in medieval records, such as the Domesday Book, which was commissioned in 1086 by King William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a family with the surname Cady residing in the village of Cadney, Lincolnshire, England.

The name Cady is also believed to have derived from various place names, such as Cadys, a small village in Normandy, France, or Cadix, an old spelling of the Spanish city Cadiz. This suggests that the name may have been adopted by individuals who hailed from these locations or resided near them.

One of the earliest known individuals bearing the surname Cady was Robert Cady, a Norman nobleman who lived in the 12th century. He is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Normandy, which were administrative records kept by the English Crown.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named William Cady was a member of the English gentry and served as a knight in the service of King Edward I. He is recorded as having participated in the Welsh Wars and the Scottish Wars of Independence.

During the 16th century, the Cady family established themselves in the county of Somerset, England. John Cady, born in 1542, was a prominent landowner and held the position of High Sheriff of Somerset in 1589.

Another significant figure was Samuel Cady, born in 1619 in Wethersfield, Essex, England. He later emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s and became one of the founders of the town of Groton, Connecticut.

In the 18th century, Jeremiah Cady, born in 1727 in Connecticut, was a distinguished American lawyer and politician. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and was a strong advocate for American independence during the Revolutionary War.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Cady families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cady 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. Suffolk leads with 119 Cadys recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.82x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 119 38.82x
Middlesex 40 1.59x
Lancashire 17 0.57x
Essex 14 2.82x
Yorkshire 13 0.52x
Glamorgan 10 2.28x
Kent 9 1.05x
Dorset 5 3.03x
Norfolk 5 1.29x
Surrey 5 0.41x
Cheshire 4 0.72x
Staffordshire 4 0.47x
Northumberland 3 0.80x
Cornwall 2 0.70x
Angus 1 0.43x
Ayrshire 1 0.53x
Denbighshire 1 1.05x
Inverness-shire 1 1.33x
Lincolnshire 1 0.25x
Royal Navy 1 3.33x
Somerset 1 0.25x
Wiltshire 1 0.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Benhall in Suffolk leads with 15 Cadys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2777.78x.

Place Total Index
Benhall 15 2777.78x
Dewsbury 12 46.91x
Yoxford 11 1208.79x
Chediston 9 2903.23x
Clase 8 49.11x
Ipswich St Margaret 8 76.92x
Liverpool 8 4.41x
Shoreditch London 8 7.33x
Swefling 8 3200.00x
Acton 7 1400.00x
Belchamp Otten 7 2413.79x
Ospringe 7 660.38x
Ratcliffe London 7 50.36x
Reydon 6 2142.86x
Weston 6 2608.70x
Halesworth 5 230.41x
Harrow On The Hill 5 99.40x
Ipswich St Mary Key 5 625.00x
Lowestoft 5 34.53x
Springfield 5 229.36x
St Luke London 5 12.39x
Walpole 5 1470.59x
Felixstow 4 533.33x
Kelsale 4 470.59x
Melcombe Regis 4 58.39x
St George Hanover Square 4 9.02x
Westminster St Margaret 4 32.95x
Barton Upon Irwell 3 13.35x
Beccles 3 60.85x
Bermondsey 3 4.00x
Beswick 3 39.27x
Great Ryburgh 3 500.00x
Kirkley 3 117.19x
Longbenton 3 18.92x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 3 46.95x
St Marylebone London 3 2.23x
Stoke Upon Trent 3 3.33x
Wickham Market 3 236.22x
Bromley London 2 3.61x
Chelmsford 2 23.47x
Iken 2 714.29x
Long Melford 2 70.18x
Swansea Lower 2 89.69x
Toxteth Park 2 1.98x
Walberswick 2 800.00x
West Wretham 2 1666.67x
Ayr 1 11.25x
Battersea 1 1.08x
Bawdsey 1 270.27x
Bethnal Green London 1 0.91x
Birkenhead 1 2.26x
Boleskine Abertarff 1 80.00x
Brislington 1 133.33x
Burton Extra 1 20.53x
Chalk 1 333.33x
Ilketshall St Margaret 1 400.00x
Liff Benvie 1 2.83x
Little Bolton 1 2.60x
Little Linstead 1 714.29x
Milton In Gravesend 1 7.76x
Newington 1 1.08x
Normanby In 1 14.99x
Paddington London 1 1.08x
Royal Navy 1 3.90x
Salisbury St Martin 1 43.10x
Saltash 1 45.25x
Sherborne 1 20.58x
Southwold 1 55.25x
St Minver 1 114.94x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 1 17.67x
Stansty 1 95.24x
Sudbury St Gregory 1 40.65x
Theberton 1 192.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 22
John 16
George 15
James 10
Samuel 7
Charles 6
Alfred 5
Robert 5
Thomas 5
David 4
Frederick 4
Edward 3
Daniel 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Bertie 1
Dan 1
Dennis 1
Edmond 1
Ellen 1
Ernest 1
Festy 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
Isaac 1
Joseph 1
Lewis 1
Martin 1
Michael 1
Paul 1
Richard 1
Silas 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Cady surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cady surname in 1881?

In 1881, 257 people were recorded with the Cady surname. That placed it at #10,861 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cady surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 239 in 2016. That gives Cady a modern rank of #17,322.

What does the Cady surname mean?

Derived from the French surname Cadeiz, likely referring to someone from the town of Cadiz in southern Spain.

What does the Cady map show?

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