NameCensus.

UK surname

Edmonston

A locational surname derived from a place name in Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 140 people recorded with the Edmonston surname, ranking it #16,151 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 117, ranked #28,033, down from #16,151 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Crathie and Braemar, Edinburgh and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blackburn, East Staffordshire and Isle of Wight.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Edmonston is 164 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 16.4%.

1881 census count

140

Ranked #16,151

Modern count

117

2016, ranked #28,033

Peak year

1861

164 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Edmonston had 140 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,151 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016, ranked #28,033.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 164 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Edmonston surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Edmonston surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Edmonston 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 139 #13,659
1861 historical 164 #14,188
1881 historical 140 #16,151
1891 historical 132 #19,976
1901 historical 139 #18,876
1911 historical 34 #29,600
1997 modern 113 #25,106
1998 modern 116 #25,332
1999 modern 111 #26,182
2000 modern 107 #26,700
2001 modern 105 #26,620
2002 modern 102 #27,596
2003 modern 97 #28,217
2004 modern 97 #28,455
2005 modern 105 #27,203
2006 modern 113 #26,267
2007 modern 113 #26,641
2008 modern 120 #25,922
2009 modern 124 #25,957
2010 modern 124 #26,582
2011 modern 120 #26,930
2012 modern 119 #27,100
2013 modern 120 #27,406
2014 modern 119 #27,813
2015 modern 122 #27,245
2016 modern 117 #28,033

Geography

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Where Edmonstons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Crathie and Braemar, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Glenmuick, Tullich and Glengairn and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blackburn, East Staffordshire, Isle of Wight and Tunbridge Wells. 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 Crathie and Braemar Aberdeen
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Glenmuick, Tullich and Glengairn Aberdeen
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blackburn West Lothian
2 East Staffordshire 001 East Staffordshire
3 Isle of Wight 014 Isle of Wight
4 Isle of Wight 015 Isle of Wight
5 Tunbridge Wells 011 Tunbridge Wells

Forenames

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First names often paired with Edmonston

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Edmonston

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Edmonston surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Edmonston household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Edmonston 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

Edmonston is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Edmonston falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Edmonston

The surname Edmonston originated from Scotland, specifically from the Lowlands region, around the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "Eadmund" and "tun," meaning "prosperous protector" and "farm" or "settlement," respectively. The name likely referred to someone who lived in a settlement owned or governed by a person named Edmund or a variation thereof.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Edmonston can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish landowners who swore fealty to Edward I of England. This suggests that the Edmonston family held lands in Scotland during that time period.

In the 16th century, the Edmonstons were recognized as a prominent family in the Borders region of Scotland. They held lands in the area of Kelso and Jedburgh, and their name appeared in various legal documents and charters from that era.

A notable figure with the surname Edmonston was Sir Archibald Edmonston, a Scottish politician and landowner who lived from 1795 to 1871. He served as a Member of Parliament for Greenock from 1837 to 1857 and played an active role in promoting trade and commerce in the region.

Another prominent individual was Thomas Edmonston, a Scottish naturalist and writer born in 1825. He conducted extensive research on the flora and fauna of the Shetland Islands and authored several books, including "A Flora of Shetland" and "The Etymological Glossary of Shetland and Orkney Dialect."

In the 18th century, the Edmonston family established themselves in the West Indies, particularly in Jamaica. John Edmonston, born in 1793, was a successful plantation owner and merchant in Jamaica, contributing to the family's wealth and influence in the region.

The Edmonstons were also well-established in the United States, with some of the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 17th century. One notable figure was Robert Edmonston, born in 1810, who served as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Throughout history, the surname Edmonston has been associated with different variations in spelling, including Edmiston, Edmondston, and Edmunston, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic influences of the areas where the family resided.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Edmonston families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Edmonston 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 25 Edmonstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.93x.

County Total Index
Fife 25 30.93x
Aberdeenshire 24 18.98x
Midlothian 22 12.03x
Lanarkshire 21 4.76x
Lancashire 10 0.62x
Middlesex 10 0.73x
Perthshire 7 11.42x
Durham 5 1.23x
Northumberland 4 1.97x
Sussex 4 1.74x
Surrey 2 0.30x
West Lothian 2 9.73x
Ayrshire 1 0.98x
Glamorgan 1 0.42x
Renfrewshire 1 0.95x
Stirlingshire 1 1.99x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 12 Edmonstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.74x.

Place Total Index
Barony 12 10.74x
Clerkenwell London 9 27.92x
Cupar 9 255.68x
Aberdeen Old Machar 8 30.30x
Glenmuick Tullich 7 769.23x
Abdie 6 1304.35x
Kincardine 6 952.38x
Cheetham 5 41.36x
Duddingston 5 136.24x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 6.79x
Glengairn 4 6666.67x
Hastings St Mary In The 4 81.47x
Old Monkland 4 22.83x
St Andrews 4 108.70x
Broughton In Salford 3 20.24x
Edinburgh St Johns 3 260.87x
Govan 3 2.75x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 3 17.06x
Tweedmouth 3 118.58x
Wemyss 3 87.72x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 2 8.45x
Lasswade 2 47.85x
Leslie 2 97.56x
Newton In Makerfield 2 40.32x
North Leith 2 23.61x
South Leith 2 9.72x
Benwell 1 45.05x
Bishopwearmouth 1 2.87x
Bothkennar 1 66.67x
Ceres 1 103.09x
Currie 1 89.29x
Dundonald 1 26.53x
East Greenock 1 10.01x
Edinburgh St Andrews 1 66.23x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 27.78x
Glass 1 208.33x
Islington London 1 0.76x
Lambeth 1 0.84x
Lesmahagow 1 21.41x
Maryhill 1 11.57x
Meldrum 1 93.46x
Newington 1 1.98x
Perth East Church 1 17.30x
Rhynie 1 188.68x
St John Near Swansea 1 34.01x
Uphall 1 44.25x
Westoe 1 4.34x
Whitburn 1 33.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
E. 2
Jessie 2
Mary 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Ann 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Hannah 1
L. 1
M. 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Penelope 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 3
G. 2
Robert 2
A. 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Amory 1
Chas.Evans 1
E. 1
Gray 1
Lawrance 1
Thomas 1
W. 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 Edmonston households.

FAQ

Edmonston surname: questions and answers

How common was the Edmonston surname in 1881?

In 1881, 140 people were recorded with the Edmonston surname. That placed it at #16,151 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Edmonston surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016. That gives Edmonston a modern rank of #28,033.

What does the Edmonston surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in Scotland.

What does the Edmonston map show?

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