NameCensus.

UK surname

Edmonds

Derived from the Old English personal name "Eadmund," meaning "rich protector" or "wealthy defender."

In the 1881 census there were 5,669 people recorded with the Edmonds surname, ranking it #778 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,604, ranked #1,021, down from #778 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Swindon, Lyddington and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Hams, Warrington and Monmouthshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Edmonds is 7,171 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.5%.

1881 census count

5,669

Ranked #778

Modern count

6,604

2016, ranked #1,021

Peak year

1911

7,171 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Edmonds had 5,669 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #778 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,604 in 2016, ranked #1,021.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,171 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Edmonds surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Edmonds surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Edmonds 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 4,223 #676
1861 historical 4,213 #668
1881 historical 5,669 #778
1891 historical 5,770 #814
1901 historical 6,335 #875
1911 historical 7,171 #725
1997 modern 6,720 #969
1998 modern 6,954 #972
1999 modern 7,007 #977
2000 modern 6,999 #970
2001 modern 6,793 #977
2002 modern 6,918 #978
2003 modern 6,710 #986
2004 modern 6,621 #1,000
2005 modern 6,546 #1,005
2006 modern 6,515 #1,006
2007 modern 6,446 #1,021
2008 modern 6,465 #1,024
2009 modern 6,621 #1,024
2010 modern 6,723 #1,031
2011 modern 6,646 #1,027
2012 modern 6,592 #1,013
2013 modern 6,708 #1,015
2014 modern 6,746 #1,017
2015 modern 6,649 #1,020
2016 modern 6,604 #1,021

Geography

Back to top

Where Edmonds' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Swindon, Lyddington, London parishes and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Hams, Warrington, Monmouthshire and St. Helens. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Swindon, Lyddington Wiltshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Hams 010 South Hams
2 Warrington 017 Warrington
3 Monmouthshire 008 Monmouthshire
4 South Hams 011 South Hams
5 St. Helens 022 St. Helens

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Edmonds

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Edmonds

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Edmonds is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Edmonds 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

Edmonds falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Edmonds

The surname Edmonds is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English personal name Eadmund, which is composed of the elements 'ead', meaning prosperity or fortune, and 'mund', meaning protection.

The name Edmonds is believed to have first appeared in the counties of Middlesex and Essex, which were home to many individuals bearing this surname during the Middle Ages. It is likely that the name originated as a descriptive nickname referring to someone who was particularly prosperous or fortunate.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Edmonds can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1202, which mention a Robert Edmunds. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals with the surname Edmonds, including Walter Edmunds of Oxfordshire and William Edmunds of Berkshire.

In the 14th century, the name Edmonds began to appear in various historical records and manuscripts, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1348, which mention a John Edmonds. The Poll Tax Returns of 1379 also list several individuals with the surname Edmonds, including Thomas Edmonds of Yorkshire and Richard Edmonds of Cambridgeshire.

One notable figure with the surname Edmonds was Sir Thomas Edmonds (c. 1563-1639), an English diplomat and politician who served as the ambassador to France and the Netherlands during the reign of King James I. Another prominent individual was Sir Clement Edmonds (1567-1622), an English writer and clerk of the Privy Council.

Other notable individuals with the surname Edmonds include:

1. John Edmonds (1599-1670), an English Quaker leader and writer. 2. Walter Edmonds (1903-1998), an American writer and author of historical fiction novels. 3. Cyrus Read Edmonds (1857-1932), an American classical scholar and educator. 4. Walter D. Edmonds (1873-1957), an American journalist and author of historical novels. 5. Franklin Spencer Edmonds (1886-1948), an American painter known for his landscape and genre paintings.

The surname Edmonds has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Edmondsley in County Durham and Edmondsham in Dorset, which likely derived their names from individuals bearing the surname Edmonds who resided in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Edmonds families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Edmonds 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 895 Edmonds' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.60x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 895 1.60x
Surrey 569 2.09x
Gloucestershire 296 2.70x
Warwickshire 269 1.91x
Devon 242 2.08x
Kent 224 1.18x
Monmouthshire 216 5.35x
Lancashire 189 0.29x
Wiltshire 186 3.77x
Somerset 180 2.00x
Hampshire 173 1.51x
Staffordshire 169 0.90x
Buckinghamshire 158 4.68x
Cornwall 156 2.47x
Glamorgan 130 1.34x
Sussex 126 1.34x
Hertfordshire 117 3.04x
Worcestershire 115 1.58x
Norfolk 111 1.29x
Dorset 108 2.95x
Suffolk 104 1.53x
Berkshire 103 2.46x
Yorkshire 85 0.15x
Oxfordshire 67 1.94x
Shropshire 63 1.31x
Essex 60 0.54x
Bedfordshire 50 1.73x
Durham 50 0.30x
Channel Islands 46 2.78x
Northamptonshire 46 0.88x
Pembrokeshire 44 2.48x
Herefordshire 42 1.84x
Leicestershire 38 0.61x
Cheshire 34 0.28x
Carmarthenshire 26 1.11x
Angus 23 0.44x
Brecknockshire 23 2.06x
Cumberland 19 0.40x
Derbyshire 18 0.21x
Midlothian 17 0.23x
Lincolnshire 16 0.18x
Lanarkshire 15 0.08x
Montgomeryshire 12 0.94x
East Lothian 11 1.49x
Royal Navy 11 1.65x
Perthshire 8 0.32x
Ayrshire 7 0.17x
Northumberland 7 0.08x
Dumfriesshire 6 0.49x
Radnorshire 6 1.33x
Renfrewshire 6 0.14x
Caernarfonshire 5 0.22x
Merionethshire 5 0.49x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.11x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.27x
Rutland 4 0.98x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.04x
Wigtownshire 2 0.27x
Anglesey 1 0.10x
Flintshire 1 0.07x
Westmorland 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 166 Edmonds' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.41x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 166 3.41x
Birmingham 109 2.32x
Swindon 89 23.24x
Islington London 86 1.59x
Camberwell 78 2.19x
Aston 70 1.81x
Newington 58 2.81x
Poplar London 56 5.32x
Mile End Old Town London 54 4.55x
St Pancras London 53 1.18x
Portsea 50 2.23x
Kensington London 46 1.48x
Bermondsey 44 2.65x
Hackney London 44 1.41x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 41 3.98x
Almondsbury 38 90.89x
Lowestoft 38 11.83x
Battersea 37 1.80x
Rowley Regis 36 6.86x
St Woollos 36 7.99x
Bethnal Green London 32 1.32x
Clerkenwell London 32 2.43x
Croydon 32 2.12x
Paddington London 32 1.56x
Swanage 32 70.75x
Stokenham 31 94.71x
Walcot 30 6.27x
St Marylebone London 29 0.97x
West Ham 29 1.19x
Tenby St Mary In 28 31.01x
Langton Matravers 27 158.08x
St George Hanover Square 27 2.75x
St Luke London 27 3.02x
Brighton 26 1.37x
Great Yarmouth 26 3.66x
Newport 25 12.99x
Chelsea London 24 1.43x
Halesowen 24 37.51x
Plymouth St Andrew 24 2.68x
Great Marlow 23 25.25x
Westminster St John 23 3.38x
Hammersmith London 22 1.60x
Merthyr Tydfil 22 2.36x
Shoreditch London 22 0.91x
Trevethin 22 5.77x
Handsworth 21 4.52x
Lopen 21 310.65x
Ludgershall 21 260.55x
St Sampson 21 28.18x
Stoke Damerel 21 2.58x
Uny Lelant 21 61.48x
Eglwysilan 20 11.86x
Everton 20 0.95x
Harborne 20 3.31x
Madron Penzance 20 8.70x
Redruth 20 11.19x
South Brent 20 80.16x
South Petherton 20 43.11x
St Peter Port 20 6.54x
Warrington 20 2.55x
Watford 20 6.70x
Bromley London 19 1.55x
Hornsey 19 2.69x
Oxford St Giles 19 11.55x
Wolverley 19 29.69x
Alvescot 18 260.12x
Hemsby 18 145.40x
Kingston On Thames 18 2.76x
Leicester St Margaret 18 1.19x
Plymouth Charles The 18 3.52x
Reading St Mary 18 5.36x
Southwark St George Martyr 18 1.60x
Swansea Town 18 2.26x
West Dean 18 10.12x
Barrow In Furness 17 1.89x
Caistor Next Yarmouth 17 56.27x
Greenwich 17 1.91x
Limehouse London 17 2.77x
Rugby 17 8.93x
Rochester St Margaret 16 7.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 341
Elizabeth 256
Sarah 189
Jane 111
Ann 104
Emma 103
Eliza 97
Alice 93
Emily 87
Annie 76
Ellen 74
Hannah 58
Caroline 44
Florence 44
Martha 44
Edith 39
Margaret 38
Charlotte 37
Ada 36
Harriet 35
Louisa 35
Fanny 33
Clara 31
Frances 29
Maria 29
Catherine 28
Harriett 24
Kate 24
Amelia 23
Anne 23
Susan 23
Amy 20
Rose 18
Sophia 18
Lucy 17
Gertrude 16
Julia 16
Jessie 15
Bessie 14
Laura 14
Agnes 12
Elizth. 12
Rebecca 12
Selina 12
Matilda 11
Maud 11
Eleanor 10
Francis 10
Minnie 10
Anna 9

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 347
John 297
George 204
Thomas 195
James 153
Charles 134
Henry 124
Joseph 73
Alfred 70
Edward 68
Frederick 65
Robert 61
Walter 55
Richard 52
Arthur 47
Samuel 47
Edwin 37
Albert 34
Harry 34
Ernest 26
Herbert 23
David 21
Frank 19
Wm. 19
Benjamin 15
Francis 15
Isaac 11
Fred 10
Fredk. 10
Josiah 10
Percy 10
Peter 10
Fredrick 9
Daniel 8
Edmund 8
Harold 7
Lewis 7
Geo. 6
Giles 6
Matthew 6
Sidney 6
Frederic 5
Jno. 5
Sydney 5
W. 5
Willie 5
Andrew 4
Martin 4
Thos. 4
Tom 4

FAQ

Edmonds surname: questions and answers

How common was the Edmonds surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,669 people were recorded with the Edmonds surname. That placed it at #778 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Edmonds surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,604 in 2016. That gives Edmonds a modern rank of #1,021.

What does the Edmonds surname mean?

Derived from the Old English personal name "Eadmund," meaning "rich protector" or "wealthy defender."

What does the Edmonds map show?

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