NameCensus.

UK surname

Caird

A Scottish locational surname derived from a location named after the Celtic word "càrn" meaning cairn or rocky hill.

In the 1881 census there were 608 people recorded with the Caird surname, ranking it #5,765 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 524, ranked #9,666, down from #5,765 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Inveresk, Forfar and Arbroath and St. Vigeans. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Angus, Arbroath Cliffburn and Friockheim.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Caird is 733 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 13.8%.

1881 census count

608

Ranked #5,765

Modern count

524

2016, ranked #9,666

Peak year

1901

733 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Caird had 608 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,765 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 524 in 2016, ranked #9,666.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 733 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Caird surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Caird surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Caird 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 475 #5,239
1861 historical 549 #4,796
1881 historical 608 #5,765
1891 historical 655 #5,925
1901 historical 733 #6,043
1911 historical 240 #13,281
1997 modern 539 #8,796
1998 modern 564 #8,749
1999 modern 550 #8,984
2000 modern 553 #8,908
2001 modern 545 #8,859
2002 modern 573 #8,710
2003 modern 553 #8,802
2004 modern 545 #8,919
2005 modern 520 #9,187
2006 modern 531 #9,063
2007 modern 544 #8,972
2008 modern 554 #8,911
2009 modern 558 #9,066
2010 modern 572 #9,082
2011 modern 557 #9,170
2012 modern 537 #9,348
2013 modern 551 #9,320
2014 modern 541 #9,517
2015 modern 540 #9,465
2016 modern 524 #9,666

Geography

Back to top

Where Cairds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Inveresk, Forfar, Arbroath and St. Vigeans, London parishes and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Angus, Arbroath Cliffburn, Friockheim, Redcar and Cleveland and Arbroath Harbour. 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 Inveresk Edinburgh
2 Forfar Forfar
3 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
4 London parishes London 3
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Angus Angus
2 Arbroath Cliffburn Angus
3 Friockheim Angus
4 Redcar and Cleveland 007 Redcar and Cleveland
5 Arbroath Harbour Angus

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Caird

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Caird

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Caird 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

Caird 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

Caird falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Caird

The surname Caird is of Scottish origin, originating in the Lowlands region of Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "caird," which means "tinker" or "wandering craftsman." This suggests that the name may have been initially applied as an occupational surname to those who worked as traveling tinsmiths or metalworkers.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, with references appearing in various Scottish charters and records. One notable early mention is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appeared in these rolls as "Kard" and "Karde."

In the 16th century, the name was also found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which were financial records kept by the Scottish government. Here, the spelling "Caird" was more commonly used.

The Caird surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was John Caird (c. 1470-1550), a Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Ross from 1519 to 1542.

In the 18th century, Edward Caird (1701-1768) was a Scottish architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Royal Exchange and the Merchant Maiden Hospital.

Another prominent figure with the Caird surname was John Caird (1820-1898), a Scottish theologian and philosopher who served as the Principal of the University of Glasgow from 1873 to 1898.

The name has also been connected to various place names in Scotland. For instance, the village of Cairneyhill in Fife was formerly known as "Cairdyhill" or "Cairdishil," likely derived from the Caird surname.

Other notable individuals with the Caird surname include James Caird (1916-2008), an English explorer and naval officer who took part in the famous Endurance expedition to Antarctica, and Douglas Caird (1917-2008), a British stage and film director who directed several productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Caird families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Caird 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. Angus leads with 185 Cairds recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.61x.

County Total Index
Angus 185 33.61x
Kincardineshire 79 109.21x
Midlothian 52 6.53x
Kirkcudbrightshire 35 40.70x
Lanarkshire 35 1.82x
Lancashire 30 0.43x
Aberdeenshire 23 4.18x
Middlesex 22 0.37x
Hertfordshire 16 3.91x
Surrey 14 0.48x
Renfrewshire 11 2.39x
Wigtownshire 11 13.95x
Argyllshire 10 6.05x
Kent 10 0.49x
Banffshire 8 6.49x
Cheshire 8 0.61x
Wiltshire 8 1.52x
Dunbartonshire 7 4.38x
Northumberland 6 0.68x
Monmouthshire 5 1.16x
Perthshire 4 1.50x
Yorkshire 4 0.07x
Devon 3 0.24x
Norfolk 3 0.33x
Royal Navy 3 4.24x
Berkshire 2 0.45x
Fife 2 0.57x
Glamorgan 2 0.19x
Herefordshire 2 0.82x
Pembrokeshire 2 1.06x
Worcestershire 2 0.26x
Berwickshire 1 1.39x
East Lothian 1 1.27x
Gloucestershire 1 0.09x
Hampshire 1 0.08x
Roxburghshire 1 0.93x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Vigeans in Angus leads with 43 Cairds recorded in 1881 and an index of 144.73x.

Place Total Index
St Vigeans 43 144.73x
Fetteresso 35 308.64x
Liff Benvie 34 40.69x
Inveresk 25 116.01x
Forfar 21 70.47x
Govan 21 4.42x
Dundee 19 9.25x
Dunnottar 19 373.28x
Everton 17 7.57x
Montrose 15 44.98x
Newhills 15 133.10x
Benholm 14 450.16x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 12 3.75x
Brechin 11 50.86x
Hamilton 11 20.53x
Newabbey 11 597.83x
Arbroath 10 54.82x
Monifieth 10 51.44x
Aberdeen Old Machar 8 6.96x
South Leith 8 8.93x
Totteridge 8 625.00x
West Greenock 8 9.68x
Barry 7 106.06x
Fisherton Anger 7 72.02x
Hertford St John 7 114.75x
Buittle 6 297.03x
Campbeltown 6 30.08x
Duddingston 6 37.55x
Hornsey 6 7.99x
Kirkpatrick Durham 6 223.88x
North Shields 6 34.01x
Tealing 6 389.61x
Woolwich 6 8.01x
Bedwellty 5 6.59x
Bermondsey 5 2.83x
Terregles 5 520.83x
Banchory Ternan 4 63.90x
Clerkenwell London 4 2.85x
Colton 4 108.99x
Cullen 4 87.53x
Dunoon Kilmun 4 31.01x
Fordyce 4 45.10x
Glenbervie 4 202.02x
Kirkcolm 4 105.82x
Kirkcudbright 4 56.18x
Penninghame 4 49.75x
Perth East Church 4 15.91x
Addingham 3 68.18x
Barony 3 0.62x
Birkenhead 3 2.87x
Broughton In Salford 3 4.65x
Camberwell 3 0.79x
Cathcart 3 12.04x
Dalry 3 149.25x
Dumbarton 3 13.50x
Exeter St David 3 28.41x
Kirkdale 3 2.53x
Latchford 3 34.44x
Marykirk 3 100.67x
Mortlake 3 23.26x
Roseneath 3 98.04x
Cheadle 2 7.98x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 1.79x
Coupar Angus 2 38.39x
East Dereham 2 17.33x
Forgan 2 29.67x
Paddington London 2 0.92x
Panbride 2 69.69x
Pembroke St Mary 2 8.23x
Plumstead 2 2.96x
Royal Navy 2 3.31x
St Luke London 2 2.10x
St Marylebone London 2 0.63x
Stranraer 2 27.74x
Swansea Town 2 2.36x
Thatcham 2 29.11x
Yarkhill 2 222.22x
Cheltenham 1 1.11x
Downton 1 14.53x
St George Hanover Square 1 0.96x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Emily 5
Elizabeth 4
Ellen 4
Sarah 4
Jane 3
Marion 3
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Mary 2
Selina 2
Agness 1
Alice 1
Anabella 1
Angela 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Dorothea 1
Edith 1
Ethel 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Hope 1
Ida 1
Isabella 1
Isbella 1
Jeanie 1
Jemima 1
Jennette 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Marther 1
Nelly 1
Priscilla 1
Rose 1
Sophia 1
Sushannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 13
James 10
John 10
Charles 7
George 5
Robert 4
David 3
Andrew 2
Francis 2
Wm. 2
Albert 1
Alex. 1
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Annie 1
Archibald 1
Benjamin 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Gordon 1
Henry 1
Jas. 1
Lindsay 1
Lothian 1
Mortimer 1
Robt. 1
T.Wilson 1

FAQ

Caird surname: questions and answers

How common was the Caird surname in 1881?

In 1881, 608 people were recorded with the Caird surname. That placed it at #5,765 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Caird surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 524 in 2016. That gives Caird a modern rank of #9,666.

What does the Caird surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname derived from a location named after the Celtic word "càrn" meaning cairn or rocky hill.

What does the Caird map show?

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