NameCensus.

UK surname

Ednie

Of Scottish origin, denoting a homestead where ivy grew.

In the 1881 census there were 172 people recorded with the Ednie surname, ranking it #14,163 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 180, ranked #21,022, down from #14,163 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kilconquhar, Scoonie and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Methil Methilhill, Anstruther and Blair Atholl, Strathardle and Glenshee.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ednie is 206 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.7%.

1881 census count

172

Ranked #14,163

Modern count

180

2016, ranked #21,022

Peak year

1901

206 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ednie had 172 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,163 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 180 in 2016, ranked #21,022.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 206 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Ednie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ednie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ednie 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 99 #17,294
1861 historical 106 #20,147
1881 historical 172 #14,163
1891 historical 176 #16,404
1901 historical 206 #14,845
1911 historical 25 #30,654
1997 modern 165 #19,861
1998 modern 181 #19,229
1999 modern 186 #19,073
2000 modern 188 #18,916
2001 modern 191 #18,453
2002 modern 186 #19,150
2003 modern 175 #19,690
2004 modern 174 #19,871
2005 modern 177 #19,598
2006 modern 172 #20,073
2007 modern 175 #20,090
2008 modern 175 #20,311
2009 modern 183 #20,135
2010 modern 184 #20,521
2011 modern 179 #20,732
2012 modern 177 #20,836
2013 modern 182 #20,795
2014 modern 184 #20,809
2015 modern 185 #20,641
2016 modern 180 #21,022

Geography

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Where Ednies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kilconquhar, Scoonie, Edinburgh, Carnbee and St. Andrews and St Leonards. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Methil Methilhill, Anstruther, Blair Atholl, Strathardle and Glenshee, Inverness Drakies and Methil West. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Kilconquhar Fife
2 Scoonie Fife
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Carnbee Fife
5 St. Andrews and St Leonards Fife

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Methil Methilhill Fife
2 Anstruther Fife
3 Blair Atholl, Strathardle and Glenshee Perth and Kinross
4 Inverness Drakies Highland
5 Methil West Fife

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ednie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ednie

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ednie, 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 Ednie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Ednie 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Ednie is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ednie is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ednie 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 Ednie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ednie, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ednie

The surname Ednie has its origins in the Scottish region of Angus, specifically in the village of Ednie near Arbroath. It is believed to derive from the Gaelic term "eadhnadh," which means "jealous" or "envious." This suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive nickname applied to an individual with a jealous or envious nature.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Ednie dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage pledges made to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners. In these rolls, the name is spelled "Ednye," reflecting the phonetic variations common in that era.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Ednie surname was Sir Thomas Ednie, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. Sir Thomas was recorded as receiving a land grant in Angus for his service to the Scottish crown.

In the 16th century, the Ednie surname appeared in the records of the Burgh of Arbroath, where several individuals with this name held positions of prominence within the local community. One notable example is John Ednie, who served as a Baillie (magistrate) of Arbroath in the late 1500s.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Ednie name spread beyond Angus to other parts of Scotland, particularly the regions of Fife and Aberdeenshire. Notable individuals from this period include David Ednie (1679-1745), a renowned Scottish physician and author of medical treatises, and James Ednie (1720-1795), a prominent merchant and landowner in Aberdeenshire.

In the 19th century, several individuals bearing the Ednie surname achieved notable accomplishments. One such individual was Robert Ednie (1810-1892), a Scottish painter and member of the Royal Scottish Academy, known for his landscape and portrait works. Another was John Ednie (1835-1915), a successful businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Aberdeen.

As the Ednie surname spread beyond Scotland, it also took root in other parts of the British Isles and, eventually, in countries around the world. While the name remains relatively uncommon, it has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ednie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ednie 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 130 Ednies recorded in 1881 and an index of 130.89x.

County Total Index
Fife 130 130.89x
Midlothian 16 7.12x
Lanarkshire 7 1.29x
Yorkshire 7 0.42x
Aberdeenshire 5 3.22x
Perthshire 3 3.98x
Lancashire 2 0.10x
Angus 1 0.64x
Roxburghshire 1 3.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Scoonie in Fife leads with 41 Ednies recorded in 1881 and an index of 1906.98x.

Place Total Index
Scoonie 41 1906.98x
St Andrews 19 420.35x
Crail 11 1089.11x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 10 11.06x
Carnbee 9 1475.41x
Kirkcaldy 9 182.56x
Abbotshall 7 188.68x
Cameron 7 1206.90x
Guiseley 7 328.64x
Glasgow 6 6.23x
Newburgh 6 476.19x
Newburn 6 3000.00x
Aberdeen Old Machar 5 15.41x
Kilmany 4 1111.11x
North Leith 4 38.46x
Dunfermline 3 19.65x
Dysart 3 44.84x
Forgan 2 105.26x
Great Bolton 2 7.58x
Markinch 2 59.35x
Scone 2 149.25x
Auchtergaven 1 79.37x
Barony 1 0.73x
Edinburgh St Andrews 1 53.76x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 22.88x
Glamis 1 106.38x
Jedburgh 1 33.56x
Kingsbarns 1 217.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Agnes 1
Annie 1
Hellan 1
Marg. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
Archibald 1
James 1
Robert 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 Ednie households.

FAQ

Ednie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ednie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 172 people were recorded with the Ednie surname. That placed it at #14,163 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ednie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 180 in 2016. That gives Ednie a modern rank of #21,022.

What does the Ednie surname mean?

Of Scottish origin, denoting a homestead where ivy grew.

What does the Ednie map show?

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