NameCensus.

UK surname

Edmondson

Son of Edmond, a diminutive form of the Old English personal name Ēadmund, meaning "rich protector."

In the 1881 census there were 3,459 people recorded with the Edmondson surname, ranking it #1,319 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,225, ranked #1,602, down from #1,319 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lancaster Borough, Dalton-in-Furness and Barnoldswick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Lakeland, Lancaster and Allerdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Edmondson is 4,722 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.1%.

1881 census count

3,459

Ranked #1,319

Modern count

4,225

2016, ranked #1,602

Peak year

1911

4,722 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Edmondson had 3,459 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,319 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,225 in 2016, ranked #1,602.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,722 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Edmondson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Edmondson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Edmondson 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 2,210 #1,329
1861 historical 2,436 #1,198
1881 historical 3,459 #1,319
1891 historical 3,885 #1,234
1901 historical 4,398 #1,294
1911 historical 4,722 #1,095
1997 modern 4,195 #1,543
1998 modern 4,361 #1,545
1999 modern 4,370 #1,553
2000 modern 4,412 #1,532
2001 modern 4,349 #1,523
2002 modern 4,455 #1,519
2003 modern 4,360 #1,515
2004 modern 4,339 #1,523
2005 modern 4,242 #1,535
2006 modern 4,273 #1,526
2007 modern 4,293 #1,538
2008 modern 4,311 #1,540
2009 modern 4,405 #1,543
2010 modern 4,497 #1,552
2011 modern 4,409 #1,551
2012 modern 4,242 #1,578
2013 modern 4,305 #1,593
2014 modern 4,331 #1,594
2015 modern 4,276 #1,595
2016 modern 4,225 #1,602

Geography

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Where Edmondsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lancaster Borough, Dalton-in-Furness, Barnoldswick, Bradford and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Lakeland, Lancaster, Allerdale and Craven. 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 Lancaster Borough Lancashire
2 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire
3 Barnoldswick Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Lakeland 008 South Lakeland
2 Lancaster 016 Lancaster
3 Allerdale 012 Allerdale
4 Craven 001 Craven
5 South Lakeland 010 South Lakeland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Edmondson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Edmondson

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

Edmondson is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Edmondson

The surname Edmondson originated in England, emerging in the late medieval period. It is a locational surname derived from the Old English personal name "Eadmund" combined with the word "tun," meaning an enclosure or settlement. The name likely referred to the settlement or estate of someone named Edmund.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Edmundestone" in Yorkshire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in parts of northern England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, records show variations of the spelling, including "Edmundeston" and "Edmondeston." These early spellings reflect the name's origins as a place name before evolving into a surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Edmondson include Sir Thomas Edmondson (1600-1659), an English lawyer and member of Parliament during the English Civil War. John Edmondson (1776-1868) was a prominent English Quaker and philanthropist, known for his work in prison reform and the abolition of the slave trade.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Robert Edmondson (1775-1859), a Quaker minister and abolitionist from South Carolina. William Edmondson (1874-1951) was a renowned African American sculptor from Tennessee, known for his unique carvings in limestone.

Another notable figure is Sir Archibald Edmondson (1908-1973), a British diplomat who served as ambassador to several countries, including the Soviet Union and the United States.

The Edmondson surname has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its origins firmly rooted in the medieval English landscape and the development of locational surnames.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Edmondson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Edmondson 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 1,722 Edmondsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.30x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,722 4.30x
Yorkshire 1,101 3.29x
Cumberland 161 5.54x
Middlesex 84 0.25x
Westmorland 62 8.36x
Durham 55 0.55x
Cheshire 52 0.70x
Surrey 33 0.20x
Roxburghshire 24 3.92x
Northumberland 22 0.44x
Somerset 16 0.29x
Kent 14 0.12x
Essex 13 0.20x
Sussex 13 0.23x
Buckinghamshire 9 0.44x
Shropshire 9 0.31x
Warwickshire 9 0.11x
Gloucestershire 7 0.11x
Staffordshire 7 0.06x
Suffolk 7 0.17x
Dumfriesshire 5 0.67x
Hampshire 5 0.07x
Midlothian 5 0.11x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.09x
Angus 3 0.10x
East Lothian 2 0.45x
Flintshire 2 0.22x
Channel Islands 1 0.10x
Derbyshire 1 0.02x
Devon 1 0.01x
Dorset 1 0.05x
Hertfordshire 1 0.04x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.15x
Monmouthshire 1 0.04x
Norfolk 1 0.02x
Northamptonshire 1 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.09x
Royal Navy 1 0.25x
Selkirkshire 1 0.33x
Shetland 1 0.29x
Wigtownshire 1 0.22x
Worcestershire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Little Marsden in Lancashire leads with 129 Edmondsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 70.29x.

Place Total Index
Great Little Marsden 129 70.29x
Habergham Eaves 96 26.22x
Barnoldswick 92 197.00x
Barrow In Furness 92 16.88x
Burnley 87 25.79x
Bradford 82 10.12x
Manningham 82 19.90x
Aldingham 69 515.70x
Briercliffe Cum 68 512.05x
Blackburn 62 5.82x
Lancaster 62 26.01x
Skipton 50 47.49x
Horton In Bradford 47 9.00x
Everton 45 3.52x
Leeds 44 2.33x
Poulton Barre 43 94.34x
Shipley 43 24.77x
Bingley 38 17.84x
Keighley 36 10.10x
Manchester 35 1.94x
Salford 34 2.89x
Preston 32 2.99x
Padiham 31 32.03x
Colne 29 24.30x
West Derby 29 2.47x
Bowling 28 8.45x
Halifax 25 5.09x
North Bierley 25 13.84x
Wigan 25 4.47x
Caldewgate 24 15.07x
Tarleton 24 108.94x
Pendleton In Clitheroe 23 151.72x
Haworth 22 27.67x
Thornton In Craven 22 81.94x
Great Bolton 21 3.96x
Allerton 19 44.56x
Liverpool 19 0.78x
Thornton In Fylde 19 21.68x
Eccleston In Prescot 18 8.95x
Newchurch 18 5.49x
Ulverston 18 15.43x
Islington London 16 0.49x
Trawden 16 63.82x
Warton With Lindeth 16 95.24x
Watermillock 16 299.07x
Chorlton On Medlock 15 2.36x
Hulme 15 1.79x
Keswick 15 40.37x
Wilton 15 22.35x
Bury 14 3.06x
Pudsey 14 7.83x
St Pancras London 14 0.52x
Armley 13 8.81x
Gorton 13 3.45x
Higher Booths 13 18.00x
Lytham 13 21.26x
Skircoat 13 9.85x
Thornaby 13 10.40x
Birkdale 12 11.84x
Bolton Le Sands 12 132.16x
Broughton In Salford 12 3.28x
Dalton In Furness 12 7.76x
Kendal 12 8.83x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 11 9.61x
Cleckheaton 11 8.93x
Ellel 11 53.24x
Kirkdale 11 1.63x
Oswaldtwistle 11 7.77x
Settle 11 42.95x
Toxteth Park 11 0.81x
Wray With Botton 11 151.72x
Batley 10 3.15x
Bethnal Green London 10 0.68x
Crumpsall 10 10.59x
Dunham Massey 10 43.78x
Egton Cum Newland 10 85.91x
Headingley Cum Burley 10 4.64x
Southwark St George Martyr 10 1.47x
Tong 10 15.47x
Wrightington 10 57.18x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 296
Elizabeth 160
Sarah 117
Jane 109
Margaret 76
Ann 70
Alice 62
Annie 61
Ellen 61
Hannah 39
Martha 33
Isabella 32
Emma 24
Emily 22
Agnes 21
Eliza 19
Nancy 18
Fanny 17
Ruth 17
Grace 15
Louisa 15
Maria 15
Harriet 14
Ada 13
Eleanor 13
Frances 13
Esther 12
Clara 11
Edith 11
Lucy 11
Rebecca 11
Betty 10
Florence 10
Eliz. 9
Rachel 9
Anne 8
Charlotte 7
Elizth. 7
Susannah 7
Caroline 6
Catherine 6
Margret 6
Amy 5
Betsy 5
Ethel 5
Gertrude 5
Janet 5
Margt. 5
Susan 5
Anna 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 265
William 175
Thomas 160
James 133
George 73
Henry 67
Joseph 65
Robert 58
Richard 51
Charles 31
Alfred 28
Edward 28
Arthur 25
Wm. 23
Christopher 20
Harry 18
Samuel 18
Frederick 12
Thos. 12
Hugh 11
Isaac 11
Frank 10
Herbert 10
Walter 10
David 9
Tom 8
Moses 7
Peter 7
Richd. 7
Albert 6
Benjamin 6
Edmund 6
Ernest 6
Fred 6
Jas. 6
Jonas 6
Matthew 6
Anthony 5
Hartley 5
Jno. 5
Alexander 4
Allen 4
Daniel 4
Jonathan 4
Sam 4
Allan 3
J. 3
Johnson 3
Mark 3
R. 3

FAQ

Edmondson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Edmondson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,459 people were recorded with the Edmondson surname. That placed it at #1,319 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Edmondson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,225 in 2016. That gives Edmondson a modern rank of #1,602.

What does the Edmondson surname mean?

Son of Edmond, a diminutive form of the Old English personal name Ēadmund, meaning "rich protector."

What does the Edmondson map show?

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