NameCensus.

UK surname

Edlin

A surname meaning someone who lived near a hill or ridge.

In the 1881 census there were 240 people recorded with the Edlin surname, ranking it #11,410 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 396, ranked #11,967, down from #11,410 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hillingdon (Hillingdon), Ickenham, Cowley, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newark and Sherwood and Dover.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Edlin is 479 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.0%.

1881 census count

240

Ranked #11,410

Modern count

396

2016, ranked #11,967

Peak year

1998

479 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Edlin had 240 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,410 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 396 in 2016, ranked #11,967.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 408 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Edlin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Edlin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Edlin 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 145 #13,223
1861 historical 190 #12,520
1881 historical 240 #11,410
1891 historical 317 #10,611
1901 historical 334 #10,818
1911 historical 408 #9,161
1997 modern 454 #10,004
1998 modern 479 #9,928
1999 modern 471 #10,098
2000 modern 464 #10,187
2001 modern 452 #10,192
2002 modern 471 #10,076
2003 modern 456 #10,179
2004 modern 462 #10,092
2005 modern 440 #10,382
2006 modern 427 #10,683
2007 modern 445 #10,428
2008 modern 450 #10,416
2009 modern 456 #10,558
2010 modern 441 #11,087
2011 modern 439 #10,995
2012 modern 416 #11,372
2013 modern 410 #11,693
2014 modern 404 #11,906
2015 modern 398 #11,949
2016 modern 396 #11,967

Geography

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Where Edlins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hillingdon (Hillingdon), Ickenham, Cowley, London parishes, St Pancras, Newark-on-Trent, East Stoke (East Stoke), Park Leys, Rolleston (Fiskerton), Morton and Ruislip. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newark and Sherwood and Dover. 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 Hillingdon (Hillingdon), Ickenham, Cowley Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Newark-on-Trent, East Stoke (East Stoke), Park Leys, Rolleston (Fiskerton), Morton Nottinghamshire
5 Ruislip Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newark and Sherwood 011 Newark and Sherwood
2 Newark and Sherwood 007 Newark and Sherwood
3 Newark and Sherwood 009 Newark and Sherwood
4 Newark and Sherwood 010 Newark and Sherwood
5 Dover 001 Dover

Forenames

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First names often paired with Edlin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Edlin

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

Edlin is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Edlin falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Edlin

The surname Edlin originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "edel", meaning noble or illustrious, combined with the diminutive suffix "-in". This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone of noble or distinguished ancestry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Edlin can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1200, where a person named Roger Edelin is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, which lists a William Edelin as a landowner in the area.

During the 13th century, the name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Bedfordshire, and Buckinghamshire, suggesting that these areas may have been the original strongholds of the Edlin family.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records and manuscripts, including the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John Edelyn is mentioned in 1315. Another notable occurrence is in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists a Richard Edelyn as a taxpayer.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Edlin was John Edlin, a wealthy merchant who lived in London in the late 15th century. He was born around 1460 and is mentioned in the City of London records as a prominent figure in the wool trade.

Another notable Edlin was Sir Thomas Edlin, a member of the English gentry who lived in the 16th century. He was born in 1520 in Gloucestershire and served as a member of Parliament for the borough of Tewkesbury during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the name Edlin was associated with several religious figures. Reverend Samuel Edlin, born in 1624 in Buckinghamshire, was a prominent Puritan minister who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Aylesbury.

During the 18th century, the Edlin family had a presence in various parts of England. One notable individual was Captain William Edlin, born in 1725 in Hampshire, who served in the British Royal Navy and participated in several naval battles during the Seven Years' War.

In the 19th century, the surname Edlin was carried by several literary figures and academics. William Edlin, born in 1805 in Gloucestershire, was a renowned poet and writer who published several volumes of poetry and literary works.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Edlin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Edlin 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. Middlesex leads with 84 Edlins recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.60x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 84 3.60x
Leicestershire 38 14.70x
Nottinghamshire 38 12.09x
Surrey 22 1.94x
Lancashire 14 0.51x
Lincolnshire 10 2.68x
Devon 4 0.82x
Durham 4 0.58x
Essex 4 0.87x
Kent 4 0.50x
Derbyshire 3 0.82x
Brecknockshire 2 4.29x
Cheshire 2 0.39x
Warwickshire 2 0.34x
Berkshire 1 0.57x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.71x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.68x
Hampshire 1 0.21x
Hertfordshire 1 0.62x
Radnorshire 1 5.32x
Somerset 1 0.27x
Yorkshire 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. Newark Upon Trent in Nottinghamshire leads with 22 Edlins recorded in 1881 and an index of 194.86x.

Place Total Index
Newark Upon Trent 22 194.86x
Harefield 14 1166.67x
St Pancras London 14 7.46x
Leicester Black Friars 13 773.81x
Ruislip 12 1034.48x
Ickenham 11 3437.50x
Leicester All Sts 8 157.48x
Nether Broughton 8 2222.22x
Allington 7 2692.31x
Camberwell 7 4.70x
Levenshulme 7 245.61x
Nottingham St Mary 7 8.61x
Hayes 6 252.10x
Northolt 6 1500.00x
Wandsworth 6 26.74x
Ealing 5 24.00x
Hawton 5 2173.91x
West Drayton 5 617.28x
Croxton Keyrial 4 909.09x
Darlington 4 14.94x
Everton 4 4.54x
Leicester St Margaret 4 6.35x
Lewisham 4 9.43x
Compton Gifford 3 197.37x
Newington 3 3.48x
Battersea 2 2.33x
Beeston 2 55.40x
Chester St Martin 2 243.90x
Chesterfield 2 14.62x
Llangammarch 2 238.10x
Mitcham 2 27.86x
Salford 2 2.46x
St Andrew Holborn London 2 19.82x
St Marylebone London 2 1.61x
Wanstead 2 24.81x
Barking 1 7.43x
Birmingham 1 0.51x
Bishops Hull 1 82.64x
Bolehall Glascote 1 40.16x
Bunny 1 476.19x
Chelsea London 1 1.42x
Denton 1 227.27x
Derby St Peter 1 8.60x
East Ham 1 11.71x
East Stoke 1 588.24x
Enfield 1 6.54x
Fulham London 1 2.96x
Fulmer 1 294.12x
Grantham 1 20.58x
Hertford St John 1 41.84x
Holdenhurst 1 7.98x
Hornsey 1 3.39x
Islington London 1 0.44x
Knighton 1 65.79x
Lambeth 1 0.49x
Lambourn 1 57.80x
Manchester 1 0.80x
Mortlake 1 19.76x
Nether Hallam 1 3.20x
Plymouth Charles The 1 4.68x
Saltby 1 454.55x
Spittlegate 1 19.38x
St Andrewthe Less 1 5.93x
St Thomas Apostle London 1 3333.33x
Twickenham 1 10.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Charles 9
Thomas 9
Henry 8
John 8
William 7
Albert 5
Alfred 5
Arthur 5
Edward 5
Frederick 4
Herbert 4
Joseph 4
George 3
Samuel 3
Ernest 2
Harry 2
James 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Vernon 2
Walter 2
Alexander 1
Daniel 1
Ebenezer 1
Edgar 1
Elijah 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Geo.Od. 1
Gifford 1
Gilbert 1
Jesse 1
Mark 1
Oliver 1
Percy 1
Robt.J. 1
Robt.Wm. 1
Rose 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Edlin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Edlin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 240 people were recorded with the Edlin surname. That placed it at #11,410 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Edlin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 396 in 2016. That gives Edlin a modern rank of #11,967.

What does the Edlin surname mean?

A surname meaning someone who lived near a hill or ridge.

What does the Edlin map show?

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