NameCensus.

UK surname

Chadwick

Derived from a place name meaning "farm belonging to Chad" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 13,091 people recorded with the Chadwick surname, ranking it #314 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13,788, ranked #464, down from #314 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Bury and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton, Rochdale and Bury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Chadwick is 16,452 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.3%.

1881 census count

13,091

Ranked #314

Modern count

13,788

2016, ranked #464

Peak year

1911

16,452 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Chadwick had 13,091 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #314 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 13,788 in 2016, ranked #464.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 16,452 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Chadwick surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Chadwick surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Chadwick 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 8,744 #303
1861 historical 9,161 #297
1881 historical 13,091 #314
1891 historical 13,547 #319
1901 historical 15,265 #341
1911 historical 16,452 #294
1997 modern 13,228 #462
1998 modern 14,073 #449
1999 modern 14,170 #450
2000 modern 14,085 #449
2001 modern 13,835 #447
2002 modern 14,186 #447
2003 modern 13,751 #448
2004 modern 13,656 #451
2005 modern 13,443 #452
2006 modern 13,505 #452
2007 modern 13,532 #455
2008 modern 13,541 #458
2009 modern 13,857 #458
2010 modern 14,121 #461
2011 modern 13,887 #458
2012 modern 13,563 #463
2013 modern 13,944 #460
2014 modern 13,987 #462
2015 modern 13,875 #465
2016 modern 13,788 #464

Geography

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Where Chadwicks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Bury, Manchester, Bolton-le-Moors and Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton, Rochdale and Bury. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Bury Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
5 Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 031 Bolton
2 Bolton 017 Bolton
3 Rochdale 018 Rochdale
4 Bury 007 Bury
5 Rochdale 012 Rochdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Chadwick

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Chadwick

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Chadwick surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Chadwick household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Chadwick 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

Chadwick 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

Chadwick falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Chadwick

The surname Chadwick originates from the Old English language and can be traced back to the regions of Lancashire and Yorkshire in England during the late 11th century. It is derived from two words, "ceade" meaning "valley" and "wic" meaning "dwelling" or "village". The earliest recorded spelling of the name was "Cadewic" in the Domesday Book of 1086, referring to a place name in the region.

Chadwick is primarily a locational surname, indicating that the original bearers of the name hailed from a settlement or village situated in a valley. The name evolved over time, with variations such as Chadwyck, Chadwicke, and Chadwyk appearing in historical records.

One of the earliest documented references to the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from 1176, where a Robert de Chadewic is mentioned. In the 13th century, a William de Chadwyk appears in the Assize Court Rolls of Yorkshire in 1285.

During the Middle Ages, the Chadwick family established themselves as prominent landowners and gentry in Lancashire and Yorkshire. Notable individuals from this period include Sir Andrew Chadwick (c. 1390-1460), a prominent knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses, and Thomas Chadwick (c. 1510-1580), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Lancashire.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the name continued to be well-represented in the region, with several Chadwicks serving as local officials and members of the gentry class. One notable figure was John Chadwick (1572-1648), a successful lawyer and Member of Parliament for Lancashire during the reign of King Charles I.

As the British Empire expanded, the Chadwick name spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia. Sir Edwin Chadwick (1800-1890), a renowned social reformer and pioneer of public health, was an influential figure in Victorian England and played a significant role in improving sanitation and living conditions for the working class.

Other notable individuals with the surname Chadwick include James Chadwick (1891-1974), a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who discovered the neutron, and Lynn Chadwick (1914-2003), a renowned British sculptor known for his abstract metal sculptures.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Chadwick families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Chadwick 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. Lancashire leads with 7,697 Chadwicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.08x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 7,697 5.08x
Yorkshire 2,053 1.62x
Staffordshire 813 1.89x
Cheshire 699 2.48x
Middlesex 382 0.30x
Derbyshire 292 1.46x
Warwickshire 126 0.39x
Nottinghamshire 119 0.69x
Kent 112 0.26x
Norfolk 106 0.54x
Surrey 90 0.14x
Leicestershire 84 0.59x
Durham 62 0.16x
Worcestershire 40 0.24x
Denbighshire 37 0.77x
Lincolnshire 29 0.14x
Gloucestershire 28 0.11x
Glamorgan 27 0.12x
Essex 25 0.10x
Hampshire 25 0.10x
Shropshire 23 0.21x
Berkshire 21 0.22x
Devon 17 0.06x
Sussex 16 0.07x
Northumberland 15 0.08x
Flintshire 14 0.41x
Somerset 14 0.07x
Lanarkshire 13 0.03x
Cumberland 12 0.11x
Northamptonshire 11 0.09x
Hertfordshire 10 0.11x
Monmouthshire 9 0.10x
Royal Navy 9 0.59x
Caernarfonshire 7 0.14x
Suffolk 7 0.05x
Angus 6 0.05x
Herefordshire 6 0.11x
Cornwall 4 0.03x
Dorset 4 0.05x
Isle of Man 4 0.17x
Merionethshire 4 0.17x
Rutland 4 0.43x
Midlothian 3 0.02x
Morayshire 2 0.10x
Peeblesshire 2 0.33x
Selkirkshire 2 0.17x
Wiltshire 2 0.02x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.01x
Anglesey 1 0.04x
Argyllshire 1 0.03x
Ayrshire 1 0.01x
Banffshire 1 0.04x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.04x
Renfrewshire 1 0.01x
West Lothian 1 0.05x
Westmorland 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 426 Chadwicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.71x.

Place Total Index
Oldham 426 8.71x
Bury 401 23.16x
Castleton 310 20.48x
Ashton Under Lyne 261 7.88x
Spotland 261 15.49x
Heap 251 31.22x
Leeds 220 3.08x
Manchester 208 3.05x
Stoke Upon Trent 195 4.26x
Accrington 183 13.28x
Butterworth 175 47.38x
Salford 168 3.77x
Blackburn 163 4.04x
Dukinfield 159 12.20x
Preston 153 3.77x
Tottington Lower End 141 19.57x
Wardleworth 135 15.58x
Hunslet 116 5.88x
Little Bolton 108 5.54x
Great Bolton 103 5.13x
Wuerdle Wardle 103 22.38x
Chadderton 101 13.63x
Over Darwen 101 8.34x
Wolstanton 100 7.63x
Barton Upon Irwell 99 8.67x
Habergham Eaves 98 7.07x
Hyde 97 11.66x
Chorlton On Medlock 91 3.78x
Liverpool 91 0.99x
Farnworth 88 9.69x
Pilkington 84 14.59x
Elton 83 15.85x
Toxteth Park 83 1.62x
Westhoughton 83 20.52x
Blatchinworth 82 23.76x
Hulme 82 2.59x
Dewsbury 80 6.16x
Gorton 80 5.61x
Bethnal Green London 75 1.35x
Wigan 75 3.54x
Burnley 73 5.72x
Great Little Marsden 72 10.37x
Crompton 71 16.45x
Stretford 71 8.51x
Birmingham 67 0.62x
Newton 66 5.65x
Pendleton In Salford 66 3.65x
Warrington 65 3.62x
Broughton In Salford 60 4.33x
Eccleston In Prescot 59 7.75x
Hopwood 57 28.76x
Sheffield 54 1.34x
Everton 53 1.10x
Radcliffe 53 7.25x
Bramley In Bramley 52 10.73x
Golcar 50 14.94x
Droylsden 48 9.71x
Glossop Dale 48 5.12x
Sculcoates 48 2.39x
Chorley 46 5.41x
Heaton Norris 45 5.22x
Flamborough 44 71.77x
Mirfield 44 6.33x
North Meols 44 2.97x
West Derby 44 0.99x
Ashby De La Zouch 43 13.10x
Cheetham 43 3.80x
Headingley Cum Burley 43 5.28x
Bradford 42 5.92x
Islington London 42 0.34x
Ardwick 41 3.00x
Royton 41 8.84x
Cliviger 40 46.85x
Kirkdale 40 1.57x
Cheadle 39 7.24x
Macclesfield 39 3.11x
Openshaw 39 5.49x
Burslem 38 3.08x
Newchurch 38 3.06x
Moss Side 37 4.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,027
Sarah 609
Elizabeth 495
Alice 336
Ann 286
Jane 284
Hannah 237
Ellen 205
Martha 194
Margaret 175
Annie 171
Emma 170
Eliza 169
Emily 97
Harriet 74
Ada 68
Clara 65
Betty 62
Maria 58
Edith 54
Fanny 53
Esther 47
Florence 47
Betsy 45
Catherine 44
Louisa 44
Agnes 42
Charlotte 42
Nancy 42
Lucy 40
Bertha 39
Frances 38
Elizth. 35
Isabella 35
Rachel 31
Caroline 30
Susannah 29
Anne 28
Grace 28
Susan 27
Lydia 25
Rebecca 25
Gertrude 23
Sophia 23
Amelia 21
Minnie 21
Harriett 20
Ruth 20
Matilda 18
Selina 18

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 931
William 648
James 616
Thomas 490
George 316
Joseph 267
Robert 223
Charles 172
Samuel 161
Henry 150
Arthur 115
Edward 114
Richard 106
Walter 91
Albert 84
Alfred 76
Wm. 62
Harry 60
David 57
Fred 54
Benjamin 49
Frederick 49
Edmund 45
Edwin 43
Herbert 42
Frank 38
Ernest 36
Peter 35
Thos. 34
Andrew 27
Daniel 25
Abraham 24
Isaac 24
Jas. 18
Robt. 18
Ellis 17
Jonathan 16
Matthew 16
Harold 15
Jno. 15
Tom 15
Adam 13
Mark 13
Chas. 12
Eli 12
Geo. 12
Moses 12
Francis 11
Squire 11
Joe 10

FAQ

Chadwick surname: questions and answers

How common was the Chadwick surname in 1881?

In 1881, 13,091 people were recorded with the Chadwick surname. That placed it at #314 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Chadwick surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 13,788 in 2016. That gives Chadwick a modern rank of #464.

What does the Chadwick surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "farm belonging to Chad" in Old English.

What does the Chadwick map show?

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