NameCensus.

UK surname

Edwars

Apparently derived from a medieval form of the given name Edward.

In the 1881 census there were 4 people recorded with the Edwars surname, ranking it #33,288 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 17, ranked #36,904, down from #33,288 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Solihull, Lambeth and Eastbourne.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Edwars is 164 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 325.0%.

1881 census count

4

Ranked #33,288

Modern count

17

2016, ranked #36,904

Peak year

1997

164 bearers

Map years

1

1998 to 1998

Key insights

  • Edwars had 4 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,288 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 17 in 2016, ranked #36,904.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 96 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Edwars surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Edwars surname density by area, 1998 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Edwars 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 7 #32,070
1861 historical 58 #26,585
1881 historical 4 #33,288
1891 historical 65 #28,660
1901 historical 27 #31,057
1911 historical 96 #23,193
1997 modern 164 #19,944
1998 modern 162 #20,673
1999 modern 144 #22,405
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 16 #36,160
2002 modern 14 #36,484
2003 modern 13 #36,620
2004 modern 10 #37,096
2005 modern 9 #37,302
2006 modern 10 #37,224
2007 modern 13 #36,990
2008 modern 12 #37,143
2009 modern 13 #37,140
2010 modern 16 #36,937
2011 modern 16 #36,932
2012 modern 15 #36,982
2013 modern 15 #37,046
2014 modern 16 #36,974
2015 modern 16 #36,978
2016 modern 17 #36,904

Geography

Back to top

Where Edwars' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Solihull, Lambeth, Eastbourne, Burghead, Roseisle and Laich and Wrexham. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Solihull 025 Solihull
2 Lambeth 025 Lambeth
3 Eastbourne 004 Eastbourne
4 Burghead, Roseisle and Laich Moray
5 Wrexham 007 Wrexham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Edwars

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Edwars

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Edwars surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Edwars household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Edwars 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

Edwars is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Edwars

The surname "EDWARS" is an anglicized variant of the Welsh surname "Edwards", which originated in Wales. It is derived from the Welsh personal name "Edwart", which is the Welsh form of the English name Edward. The name Edward is derived from the Old English name "Ēadweard", composed of the elements "ēad" meaning "rich" or "blessed" and "weard" meaning "guard" or "protector".

The earliest recorded instances of the name Edwards can be traced back to the 13th century in Wales. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Rhys ap Edwart, who lived in Cardiganshire, Wales, in the mid-13th century. Another early bearer was Ieuan ab Edwart, who is mentioned in the Welsh manuscript "Llyfr Baglan" (The Book of Baglan) from the late 13th century.

The name Edwards has been associated with several notable historical figures throughout the centuries. One of the most famous was Edward I, also known as Edward Longshanks (1239-1307), who was the King of England from 1272 until his death. Another notable bearer was Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), a highly influential American Puritan philosopher, preacher, and theologian.

In the United States, the surname Edwards has been borne by several presidents and other notable figures, including Jonathan Edwards Jr. (1745-1801), a prominent American theologian and writer, and Calvin Edwards (1671-1717), a deputy governor of the Colony of Connecticut.

Other notable individuals with the surname Edwards include Amelia Opie (née Alderson) (1769-1853), an English author and poet; Alfred Edwards (1856-1914), an English artist and illustrator; and Dylan Edwards (born 1966), a Welsh professional golfer.

The surname "EDWARS" is a relatively rare variant of the more common surname Edwards, and its origins can be traced back to the Welsh name Edwart, which itself is derived from the Old English name Ēadweard. Despite its rarity, it shares the same rich history and notable bearers as the more widely recognized spelling.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Edwars families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Edwars 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. Derbyshire leads with 1 Edwars' recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.45x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 1 16.45x
Kent 1 7.54x
Oxfordshire 1 41.67x
Surrey 1 5.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Croydon in Surrey leads with 1 Edwars' recorded in 1881 and an index of 95.24x.

Place Total Index
Croydon 1 95.24x
Henley On Thames 1 2000.00x
Litchurch 1 416.67x
Woolwich 1 204.08x

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 2
John 1
Oliver 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 Edwars households.

FAQ

Edwars surname: questions and answers

How common was the Edwars surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4 people were recorded with the Edwars surname. That placed it at #33,288 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Edwars surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 17 in 2016. That gives Edwars a modern rank of #36,904.

What does the Edwars surname mean?

Apparently derived from a medieval form of the given name Edward.

What does the Edwars map show?

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