NameCensus.

UK surname

Calderhead

A habitational surname referring to someone from a place called "Calderhead".

In the 1881 census there were 191 people recorded with the Calderhead surname, ranking it #13,224 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 169, ranked #21,884, down from #13,224 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Greenock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pollokshaws, Darnley East and Carfin North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Calderhead is 257 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 11.5%.

1881 census count

191

Ranked #13,224

Modern count

169

2016, ranked #21,884

Peak year

1901

257 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Calderhead had 191 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,224 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 169 in 2016, ranked #21,884.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 257 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Routine Occupations or Retirement.

Calderhead surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Calderhead surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Calderhead 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 128 #14,474
1861 historical 180 #13,057
1881 historical 191 #13,224
1891 historical 217 #14,062
1901 historical 257 #12,898
1911 historical 66 #26,249
1997 modern 195 #17,912
1998 modern 197 #18,283
1999 modern 192 #18,689
2000 modern 197 #18,384
2001 modern 192 #18,388
2002 modern 191 #18,817
2003 modern 183 #19,152
2004 modern 172 #20,008
2005 modern 172 #19,908
2006 modern 175 #19,850
2007 modern 177 #19,965
2008 modern 175 #20,311
2009 modern 174 #20,782
2010 modern 168 #21,733
2011 modern 169 #21,499
2012 modern 177 #20,836
2013 modern 164 #22,236
2014 modern 167 #22,180
2015 modern 166 #22,159
2016 modern 169 #21,884

Geography

Back to top

Where Calderheads are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Greenock, Glasgow and Dalton-in-Furness. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pollokshaws, Darnley East, Carfin North, Craigend and Ruchazie and Derby. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Greenock Renfrew
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pollokshaws Glasgow City
2 Darnley East Glasgow City
3 Carfin North North Lanarkshire
4 Craigend and Ruchazie Glasgow City
5 Derby 023 Derby

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Calderhead

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Calderhead

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

Routine Occupations or Retirement

Nationally, the Calderhead surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Routine Occupations or Retirement, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Calderhead household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are characterised by high proportions of single, often never-married adults of normal retirement age or older, including many that are in the most advanced age groups. Most adults are UK born and live at high residential densities, and many of the children living with parents are in adulthood. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are uncommon, but above average proportions of households include individuals that identify with different ethnic groups. Long-term disability is relatively common, and the dominant accommodation type is flats. Unemployment rates are high, with most of those employed working in routine occupations. Few individuals have high level qualifications. Car ownership is not high.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Calderhead is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Calderhead 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

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

Meaning and origin of Calderhead

The surname Calderhead is of Scottish origin and dates back to the 16th century. It is a locational name derived from the place name Calderhead, a small village located in the parish of Shotts in Lanarkshire, Scotland. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "calder" meaning "cold" and "heafod" meaning "head" or "source", referring to the cold headwaters of a stream or river.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Scottish Presbytery records of 1683, where a Thomas Calderhead is mentioned as a resident of the parish of Shotts. In the early 18th century, the name appears in the Baptismal Register of the Parish of Dalserf, Lanarkshire, with the birth of John Calderhead in 1723.

The Calderhead surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such individual was James Calderhead (1792-1863), a Scottish minister and writer who served as the minister of the Parish of Cupar in Fife, Scotland. Another notable figure was Alexander Calderhead (1800-1868), a Scottish-born minister who immigrated to Canada and served as the minister of St. Andrew's Church in Stratford, Ontario.

In the late 19th century, the name appears in the records of the Falkirk Parish in Stirlingshire, Scotland, with the birth of David Calderhead in 1878. Meanwhile, in the United States, William Calderhead (1845-1917) was a prominent lawyer and politician from Ohio, serving as a member of the Ohio State Senate and as a delegate to the Republican National Convention.

Another notable individual bearing the Calderhead surname was John Calderhead (1880-1954), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who founded the Calderhead Trust, a charitable organization that supported educational initiatives in Scotland.

Throughout its history, the Calderhead surname has maintained a strong connection to its Scottish roots, with many bearers of the name tracing their ancestry back to the Lanarkshire region and the village of Calderhead itself.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Calderhead families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Calderhead 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. Lanarkshire leads with 51 Calderheads recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.46x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 51 8.46x
Renfrewshire 37 25.63x
Fife 31 28.11x
West Lothian 14 49.91x
Lancashire 11 0.50x
Midlothian 7 2.80x
Surrey 7 0.77x
Cumberland 6 3.74x
Dunbartonshire 6 11.99x
Warwickshire 6 1.28x
Middlesex 5 0.27x
Angus 4 2.32x
Ayrshire 2 1.43x
Stirlingshire 2 2.91x
Cheshire 1 0.24x
Clackmannanshire 1 6.50x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cambusnethan in Lanarkshire leads with 22 Calderheads recorded in 1881 and an index of 164.42x.

Place Total Index
Cambusnethan 22 164.42x
East Greenock 22 161.41x
Carnock 16 2388.06x
West Greenock 13 50.17x
Barony 9 5.90x
Barrow In Furness 9 29.93x
Battersea 7 10.21x
Dunfermline 7 41.27x
Glasgow 7 6.54x
Bathgate 6 98.52x
Cleator 6 89.82x
Dalserf 6 99.83x
Leamington Priors 6 51.90x
Beath 5 143.27x
Dumbarton 5 71.74x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 3.98x
Govan 4 2.68x
Montrose 4 38.24x
St George Hanover Square 4 12.19x
Uphall 4 129.45x
Whitburn 4 98.77x
Cathcart 2 25.61x
Cheetham 2 12.13x
Edinburgh Canongate 2 31.50x
Larbert 2 48.66x
Riccarton Hurlford 2 81.63x
Wemyss 2 42.83x
Carluke 1 18.28x
Carnwath 1 26.81x
Dollar 1 62.89x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 19.31x
Hamilton 1 5.95x
Kirkcaldy 1 18.28x
Kirkintilloch 1 14.71x
Lymm 1 33.44x
St Pancras London 1 0.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Margaret 3
Annie 2
Janet 2
Winifred 2
Agnes 1
Charlotte 1
Elizabeth 1
Florence 1
Georgina 1
Isabella 1
Laura 1
Maggie 1
Margariet 1
Maria 1
Mary 1
Rosina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
William 3
James 2
Albert 1
Andrew 1
Charles 1
Fredrick 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Calderhead households.

FAQ

Calderhead surname: questions and answers

How common was the Calderhead surname in 1881?

In 1881, 191 people were recorded with the Calderhead surname. That placed it at #13,224 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Calderhead surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 169 in 2016. That gives Calderhead a modern rank of #21,884.

What does the Calderhead surname mean?

A habitational surname referring to someone from a place called "Calderhead".

What does the Calderhead map show?

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