NameCensus.

UK surname

Edison

Derived from an English place name meaning "Eadis estate" or "Eada's estate," referring to a settlement owned by someone with those names.

In the 1881 census there were 74 people recorded with the Edison surname, ranking it #23,062 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 202, ranked #19,475, up from #23,062 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Skinnand, London parishes and Langton (near Wragby). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Lindsey, North Kesteven and East Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Edison is 206 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 173.0%.

1881 census count

74

Ranked #23,062

Modern count

202

2016, ranked #19,475

Peak year

2013

206 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Edison had 74 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,062 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 202 in 2016, ranked #19,475.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 109 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Edison surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Edison surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Edison 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 49 #24,448
1861 historical 109 #19,693
1881 historical 74 #23,062
1891 historical 66 #28,541
1901 historical 47 #28,929
1911 historical 70 #25,853
1997 modern 155 #20,684
1998 modern 169 #20,104
1999 modern 169 #20,233
2000 modern 178 #19,570
2001 modern 168 #19,986
2002 modern 179 #19,598
2003 modern 178 #19,489
2004 modern 180 #19,424
2005 modern 172 #19,908
2006 modern 169 #20,294
2007 modern 180 #19,745
2008 modern 180 #19,946
2009 modern 185 #20,010
2010 modern 197 #19,640
2011 modern 194 #19,662
2012 modern 194 #19,606
2013 modern 206 #19,153
2014 modern 203 #19,504
2015 modern 200 #19,567
2016 modern 202 #19,475

Geography

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Where Edisons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Skinnand, London parishes, Langton (near Wragby), Wakefield and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Lindsey, North Kesteven, East Lindsey and Shepway. 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 Skinnand Lincolnshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Langton (near Wragby) Lincolnshire
4 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Lindsey 011 West Lindsey
2 North Kesteven 012 North Kesteven
3 East Lindsey 010 East Lindsey
4 North Kesteven 001 North Kesteven
5 Shepway 008 Shepway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Edison

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Edison

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Edison surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Edison household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Edison is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Edison 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

Edison falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Edison

The surname Edison originates from England and dates back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "Eades" and "tun," which together mean "Eade's town." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a town or village owned or founded by someone named Eade.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Edison surname can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Burnham, Buckinghamshire, England, where a certain William Edeson was mentioned in 1594. Other early variations of the spelling include Edyson, Eddyson, and Edeson.

The Edison surname is also associated with various place names in England, such as Edisonton (now known as Edington) in Wiltshire and Ediston in Northumberland. These place names likely contributed to the development and spread of the surname.

Notable individuals with the Edison surname include Thomas Edison (1847-1931), the famous American inventor and businessman credited with developing many devices, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and the long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. Another prominent figure was Sir Edward John Edison (1886-1967), a British civil engineer and naval architect who designed several notable ships, including the battleship HMS Vanguard.

Other historical figures with the Edison surname include Richard Edison (1670-1738), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works, and John Edison (1804-1896), a Scottish-born American inventor and manufacturer who developed several improvements to the telegraph system.

The Edison surname also has ties to the Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. While the name Edison itself is not mentioned, the village of Edington (formerly Edisonton) in Wiltshire is recorded, suggesting that the surname may have originated from this area.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Edison families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Edison 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. Lincolnshire leads with 27 Edisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.40x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 27 23.40x
Surrey 13 3.70x
Yorkshire 12 1.68x
Lancashire 8 0.93x
Angus 3 4.49x
Middlesex 3 0.42x
Cumberland 2 3.22x
Somerset 2 1.72x
Leicestershire 1 1.25x
Midlothian 1 1.03x
Perthshire 1 3.09x
Shropshire 1 1.60x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bilsby in Lincolnshire leads with 10 Edisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 7692.31x.

Place Total Index
Bilsby 10 7692.31x
Newington 8 30.01x
Habergham Eaves 7 89.40x
Langton By Wragby 6 8571.43x
Battersea 5 18.83x
Brightside Bierlow 5 35.66x
Holy Trinity 4 23.26x
St Mark Lincoln 4 1600.00x
Covenham St Bartholomew 3 5000.00x
Dundee 3 12.02x
Apley 2 4000.00x
Arthuret 2 307.69x
Benniworth 2 2222.22x
Glastonbury 2 210.53x
St Giles In Fields London 2 56.50x
Barnsley 1 13.55x
Blair Athole 1 232.56x
Bury 1 10.22x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 2.57x
Great Bowden 1 136.99x
Oswestry Town 1 50.00x
Scarborough 1 15.38x
St George Hanover Square 1 7.87x
York St Peter Le 1 714.29x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 5
William 5
John 4
Richard 3
George 2
James 2
Thomas 2
Albert 1
Andrew 1
Benjamin 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Henry 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 Edison households.

FAQ

Edison surname: questions and answers

How common was the Edison surname in 1881?

In 1881, 74 people were recorded with the Edison surname. That placed it at #23,062 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Edison surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 202 in 2016. That gives Edison a modern rank of #19,475.

What does the Edison surname mean?

Derived from an English place name meaning "Eadis estate" or "Eada's estate," referring to a settlement owned by someone with those names.

What does the Edison map show?

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