NameCensus.

UK surname

Edge

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a hillside or cliffside.

In the 1881 census there were 5,166 people recorded with the Edge surname, ranking it #862 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,716, ranked #864, down from #862 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Eccles, Manchester and Birmingham Town: Aston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Cheshire East and Wrexham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Edge is 8,124 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.4%.

1881 census count

5,166

Ranked #862

Modern count

7,716

2016, ranked #864

Peak year

1999

8,124 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Edge had 5,166 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #862 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,716 in 2016, ranked #864.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,605 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Edge surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Edge surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Edge 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 3,495 #812
1861 historical 3,785 #744
1881 historical 5,166 #862
1891 historical 5,847 #806
1901 historical 6,734 #820
1911 historical 7,605 #686
1997 modern 7,440 #865
1998 modern 8,007 #835
1999 modern 8,124 #832
2000 modern 8,056 #831
2001 modern 7,932 #824
2002 modern 8,042 #834
2003 modern 7,881 #822
2004 modern 7,892 #821
2005 modern 7,719 #828
2006 modern 7,759 #825
2007 modern 7,800 #828
2008 modern 7,814 #835
2009 modern 7,986 #836
2010 modern 8,059 #850
2011 modern 7,923 #850
2012 modern 7,798 #844
2013 modern 7,846 #859
2014 modern 7,910 #854
2015 modern 7,803 #854
2016 modern 7,716 #864

Geography

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Where Edges are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Eccles, Manchester, Birmingham Town: Aston, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Cheshire East and Wrexham. 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 Eccles Lancashire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 001 Shropshire
2 Cheshire East 051 Cheshire East
3 Shropshire 004 Shropshire
4 Wrexham 018 Wrexham
5 Shropshire 008 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Edge

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Edge

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Edge 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

Edge is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Edge

The surname Edge originates from England and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "ecg," meaning "edge" or "ridge," which refers to someone who lived near a prominent ridge or edge of land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Edge appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. Several individuals with variations of the name, such as "Edgge" and "Egge," are mentioned in this historical document.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the surname Edge was concentrated in the northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire. This geographic distribution is reflected in the presence of various place names incorporating the word "edge," such as Edge Hill in Warwickshire and Edgeley in Cheshire.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Roger de Egge was recorded as a landowner in the village of Edgeley, Cheshire. Another early bearer of the name was John Egge, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379.

During the Renaissance period, the surname Edge gained prominence with individuals like Sir Thomas Edge (c. 1560-1624), who was a wealthy merchant and benefactor in London. He endowed a grammar school in his hometown of Olney, Buckinghamshire, which still bears his name today.

In the 17th century, the Edge family produced several notable figures, including Reverend John Edge (1593-1665), an English Presbyterian minister, and Ralph Edge (1609-1676), a Member of Parliament and Lord Mayor of London.

Moving into the 18th century, Benjamin Edge (1720-1803) was a prominent British architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

The 19th century saw the rise of the industrialist and philanthropist Thomas Edge (1808-1888), who made his fortune in the textile industry and was a prominent figure in the city of Manchester.

Another notable bearer of the Edge surname was the poet and author Selwyn Edge (1868-1940), who was a member of the Bloomsbury Group and known for his literary works and critical essays.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Edge families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Edge 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 1,690 Edges recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.83x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,690 2.83x
Staffordshire 825 4.86x
Cheshire 684 6.16x
Warwickshire 414 3.26x
Shropshire 378 8.69x
Derbyshire 234 2.97x
Middlesex 155 0.31x
Yorkshire 135 0.27x
Norfolk 101 1.31x
Worcestershire 73 1.11x
Surrey 61 0.25x
Nottinghamshire 59 0.87x
Flintshire 57 4.21x
Gloucestershire 46 0.47x
Kent 43 0.25x
Hampshire 40 0.39x
Denbighshire 28 1.47x
Leicestershire 20 0.36x
Lincolnshire 15 0.19x
Buckinghamshire 13 0.43x
Somerset 10 0.12x
Lanarkshire 9 0.06x
Caernarfonshire 7 0.34x
Devon 7 0.07x
Dorset 7 0.21x
Durham 6 0.04x
Northumberland 6 0.08x
Wiltshire 6 0.13x
Hertfordshire 5 0.14x
Essex 4 0.04x
Royal Navy 3 0.50x
Herefordshire 2 0.10x
Monmouthshire 2 0.06x
Angus 1 0.02x
Ayrshire 1 0.03x
Bedfordshire 1 0.04x
Brecknockshire 1 0.10x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.03x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.05x
Glamorgan 1 0.01x
Isle of Man 1 0.11x
Midlothian 1 0.01x
Northamptonshire 1 0.02x
Oxfordshire 1 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.06x
Suffolk 1 0.02x
Sussex 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 202 Edges recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.78x.

Place Total Index
Aston 202 5.78x
Birmingham 154 3.64x
Stoke Upon Trent 126 6.99x
Worsley 99 26.89x
Salford 91 5.18x
Great Bolton 85 10.75x
Newcastle Under Lyme 85 28.28x
Atherton 74 34.04x
Halliwell 68 31.29x
Blackburn 62 3.90x
Toxteth Park 60 2.97x
Birkenhead 56 6.32x
Chester St Oswald 56 27.84x
Manchester 56 2.09x
Hulme 52 4.17x
Burslem 51 10.48x
Wednesfield 46 18.40x
Leek Lowe 45 19.91x
West Derby 45 2.58x
Rowley Regis 44 9.29x
Ellesmere 43 57.61x
Wolstanton 40 7.75x
Over Darwen 39 8.18x
Hodnet 37 108.92x
Preston 37 2.32x
Little Bolton 35 4.56x
Walsall Foreign 35 3.99x
Pendlebury 34 26.97x
Whitchurch 34 40.29x
South Creake 33 187.82x
Wem 32 49.48x
Chester St John Baptist 31 15.53x
Derby St Werburgh 30 6.59x
Madeley 30 18.82x
Everton 29 1.52x
Pendleton In Salford 29 4.08x
Kirkdale 28 2.79x
Liverpool 26 0.72x
Willenhall 25 7.86x
Crumpsall 24 17.05x
Macclesfield 24 4.86x
Wolverhampton 24 1.84x
Broughton In Salford 23 4.21x
Chorley 23 6.86x
Gorton 23 4.10x
Nantwich 23 17.82x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 23 13.38x
Westhoughton 23 14.43x
Heswall Cum Oldfield 22 143.70x
St Pancras London 22 0.54x
West Bromwich 22 2.26x
Broxton 21 233.85x
Kingswinford 21 3.40x
Portsea 21 1.04x
Ardwick 20 3.71x
Ashton Under Lyne 20 1.53x
Fawfieldhead 19 174.31x
Lathom 19 26.35x
Loddon 19 95.48x
Monks Coppenhall 19 4.53x
Tipton 19 3.65x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 18 3.87x
Barrow In Furness 18 2.22x
Brightside Bierlow 18 1.84x
Oldham 18 0.93x
Rishton 18 25.70x
Ashover 17 43.36x
Chorlton On Medlock 17 1.79x
Hartington Upper 17 45.22x
Buxton 16 24.00x
Lambeth 16 0.36x
Little Lever 16 20.95x
Marburywith Quoisley 16 137.58x
Stourbridge 16 9.46x
Agdn In Whtchrch Brdly 15 340.14x
Fitz 15 299.40x
Lostock 15 111.36x
Sheffield 15 0.94x
Welsh Hampton 15 167.04x
Kensington London 14 0.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 377
Sarah 249
Elizabeth 219
Ann 124
Ellen 104
Jane 101
Alice 96
Hannah 89
Eliza 80
Annie 77
Martha 67
Emma 59
Margaret 58
Emily 51
Charlotte 33
Harriet 30
Florence 23
Maria 23
Catherine 22
Edith 21
Anne 20
Elizth. 19
Fanny 19
Clara 18
Amelia 16
Esther 16
Louisa 16
Lucy 16
Ada 15
Caroline 15
Frances 15
Agnes 11
Laura 11
Rebecca 11
Susannah 11
Gertrude 10
Rose 10
Betsy 9
Harriett 9
Isabella 9
Ruth 9
Sophia 9
Betty 8
Nancy 8
Selina 8
Amy 7
Lizzie 7
Lydia 7
Susan 7
Beatrice 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 352
William 338
Thomas 209
James 192
George 185
Joseph 172
Samuel 91
Richard 59
Charles 55
Henry 54
Arthur 49
Robert 45
Alfred 41
Edward 39
Walter 34
Albert 29
Benjamin 25
David 24
Edwin 22
Frederick 22
Frank 21
Herbert 21
Daniel 19
Wm. 19
Francis 16
Harry 16
Thos. 15
Ernest 12
Peter 12
Ralph 12
Isaac 11
Richd. 9
Andrew 8
Adam 7
Stanley 7
Geo. 6
Leonard 6
Percy 6
Reuben 6
Chas. 5
Edmund 5
Elijah 5
Fred 5
Fredk. 5
Fredrick 5
Levi 5
Mark 5
Roland 5
Timothy 5
Moses 4

FAQ

Edge surname: questions and answers

How common was the Edge surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,166 people were recorded with the Edge surname. That placed it at #862 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Edge surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,716 in 2016. That gives Edge a modern rank of #864.

What does the Edge surname mean?

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a hillside or cliffside.

What does the Edge map show?

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