NameCensus.

UK surname

Edie

A surname derived from the given name Edgar or Ædwine, meaning "wealthy friend".

In the 1881 census there were 168 people recorded with the Edie surname, ranking it #14,380 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 201, ranked #19,525, down from #14,380 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cupar, Abernethy and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Burntisland West, Southwark and Walsall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Edie is 202 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.6%.

1881 census count

168

Ranked #14,380

Modern count

201

2016, ranked #19,525

Peak year

2010

202 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Edie had 168 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,380 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 201 in 2016, ranked #19,525.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 196 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Edie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Edie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Edie 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 196 #10,573
1861 historical 133 #16,835
1881 historical 168 #14,380
1891 historical 145 #18,752
1901 historical 115 #21,050
1911 historical 33 #29,703
1997 modern 168 #19,642
1998 modern 172 #19,883
1999 modern 172 #20,009
2000 modern 177 #19,634
2001 modern 177 #19,357
2002 modern 180 #19,533
2003 modern 182 #19,215
2004 modern 188 #18,919
2005 modern 185 #19,051
2006 modern 186 #19,140
2007 modern 186 #19,337
2008 modern 187 #19,465
2009 modern 196 #19,274
2010 modern 202 #19,322
2011 modern 197 #19,483
2012 modern 188 #20,018
2013 modern 201 #19,454
2014 modern 199 #19,775
2015 modern 197 #19,774
2016 modern 201 #19,525

Geography

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Where Edies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cupar, Abernethy, St Pancras, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Burntisland West, Southwark, Walsall, Chirnside and Area and Broxburn South. 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 Cupar Fife
2 Abernethy Perth
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Burntisland West Fife
2 Southwark 029 Southwark
3 Walsall 031 Walsall
4 Chirnside and Area Scottish Borders
5 Broxburn South West Lothian

Forenames

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First names often paired with Edie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Edie

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Edie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Edie 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 includes many younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Edie 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

Edie is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Edie falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Edie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Edie, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Edie

The surname Edie has its roots in ancient Scotland, where it first appeared around the 12th century. It is believed to have originated as a Scottish variant of the French name "Edouard" or "Edward," which itself is derived from the Old English name "Eadweard," meaning "wealthy" or "prosperous" guardian.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Edie can be found in the records of the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which date back to the late 13th century. These rolls list individuals who paid taxes or owed money to the Scottish crown, and they provide valuable insights into the names and occupations of people living in Scotland during that time.

The name Edie is also closely associated with the Scottish Borders region, particularly the areas around Berwickshire and Roxburghshire. It is possible that the name was originally a locational surname, referring to someone who lived or worked near a place with a name similar to "Edie" or "Edieston."

In the 16th century, the surname Edie appears in the records of the Scottish Parliament, indicating that some individuals bearing this name had achieved a certain level of prominence and influence in Scottish society. One notable example is William Edie, a member of the Scottish Parliament who represented the burgh of Haddington in the mid-16th century.

As the centuries passed, the Edie surname spread beyond Scotland to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to other parts of the world through migration and exploration. In the 17th century, several individuals named Edie were among the early settlers in the American colonies, including William Edie, who arrived in Virginia in 1635, and John Edie, who settled in Maryland in 1676.

Other notable individuals with the surname Edie throughout history include:

1. George Edie (1832-1908), a Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist who established the Edie Charitable Trust in New York City. 2. Richard Edie (1887-1965), an American physicist and engineer who made significant contributions to the field of thermodynamics. 3. John Edie (1803-1876), a Scottish poet and journalist who wrote extensively about Scottish culture and history. 4. Mary Edie (1848-1924), a Scottish painter and illustrator known for her portraits and landscapes. 5. Robert Edie (1926-2012), an Australian cricketer who played for the New South Wales state team in the 1950s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Edie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Edie 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. Fife leads with 74 Edies recorded in 1881 and an index of 76.74x.

County Total Index
Fife 74 76.74x
Angus 12 7.95x
Midlothian 9 4.12x
Middlesex 8 0.49x
Selkirkshire 8 54.27x
Ayrshire 5 4.10x
Clackmannanshire 5 37.17x
Essex 5 1.55x
Perthshire 5 6.84x
Surrey 5 0.63x
Dunbartonshire 4 9.14x
Lanarkshire 4 0.76x
Durham 3 0.62x
Kinross-shire 3 72.82x
Morayshire 3 11.85x
Banffshire 2 5.92x
Hampshire 2 0.60x
Lancashire 2 0.10x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.66x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.02x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.97x
Dorset 1 0.94x
Kent 1 0.18x
Northumberland 1 0.41x
Peeblesshire 1 13.05x
Sussex 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Andrews in Fife leads with 45 Edies recorded in 1881 and an index of 1025.06x.

Place Total Index
St Andrews 45 1025.06x
Dundee 11 19.52x
Kilrenny 8 449.44x
Roberton 8 2500.00x
Burntisland 6 222.22x
Abernethy 5 520.83x
Cupar 5 119.33x
Tillicoultry 5 167.22x
West Ham 5 7.04x
Cardross 4 76.05x
Govan 4 3.07x
Largs 4 139.37x
Penge 4 38.42x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 3 198.68x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 3 14.29x
Kinloss 3 500.00x
Portmoak 3 508.47x
St Luke London 3 11.48x
St Pancras London 3 2.29x
Andover 2 63.49x
Ceres 2 172.41x
Cockpen 2 78.43x
Cullen 2 160.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 2.28x
Flisk 2 1333.33x
Largo 2 160.00x
St Leonards 2 465.12x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 3.17x
Ayr 1 17.39x
Barrow In Furness 1 3.80x
Brighton 1 1.80x
Edinburgh St Johns 1 72.46x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 23.58x
Elswick 1 5.17x
Forgan 1 54.05x
Greenwich 1 3.86x
Kemback 1 208.33x
Lambeth 1 0.70x
Liverpool 1 0.85x
Montrose 1 10.93x
Peebles 1 44.25x
Portland 1 17.39x
St Andrewthe Less 1 8.48x
St Marylebone London 1 1.15x
Upton Cum Chalvey 1 25.51x
Westminster St Margaret 1 12.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Sarah 3
Elizabeth 2
Emma 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Ellen 1
Esther 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
William 2
Alexander 1
Andrew 1
Charles 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
James 1
Robert 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 Edie households.

FAQ

Edie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Edie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 168 people were recorded with the Edie surname. That placed it at #14,380 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Edie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 201 in 2016. That gives Edie a modern rank of #19,525.

What does the Edie surname mean?

A surname derived from the given name Edgar or Ædwine, meaning "wealthy friend".

What does the Edie map show?

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