UK surname
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the elements "eld" (old) and "ridge."
In the 1881 census there were 104 people recorded with the Elridge surname, ranking it #19,296 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7, ranked #37,967, down from #19,296 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Lincoln St Botolph, Beverley St John and Doncaster. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Elridge is 243 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 93.3%.
1881 census count
104
Ranked #19,296
Modern count
7
2016, ranked #37,967
Peak year
1861
243 bearers
Map years
5
1861 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Elridge surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Elridge surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 57 | #23,092 |
| 1861 | historical | 243 | #10,116 |
| 1881 | historical | 104 | #19,296 |
| 1891 | historical | 153 | #18,078 |
| 1901 | historical | 102 | #22,596 |
| 1911 | historical | 124 | #20,023 |
| 1997 | modern | 15 | #36,409 |
| 1998 | modern | 26 | #35,254 |
| 1999 | modern | 21 | #35,810 |
| 2000 | modern | 21 | #35,799 |
| 2001 | modern | 7 | #37,293 |
| 2002 | modern | 8 | #37,206 |
| 2003 | modern | 8 | #37,248 |
| 2004 | modern | 7 | #37,496 |
| 2005 | modern | 6 | #37,724 |
| 2006 | modern | 5 | #37,956 |
| 2007 | modern | 6 | #37,837 |
| 2008 | modern | 8 | #37,597 |
| 2009 | modern | 8 | #37,689 |
| 2010 | modern | 10 | #37,517 |
| 2011 | modern | 9 | #37,598 |
| 2012 | modern | 8 | #37,740 |
| 2013 | modern | 7 | #37,909 |
| 2014 | modern | 7 | #37,929 |
| 2015 | modern | 7 | #37,920 |
| 2016 | modern | 7 | #37,967 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Lincoln St Botolph, Beverley St John, Doncaster, Caunton and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincoln St Botolph | Lincolnshire |
| 2 | Beverley St John | Yorkshire, East Riding |
| 3 | Doncaster | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 4 | Caunton | Nottinghamshire |
| 5 | St John Hackney | London (North Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Elridge surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Elridge, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Elridge surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Elridge household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Elridge is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Elridge is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Elridge, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Elridge is believed to have originated in England in the Middle Ages. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name. One possible origin is from the Old English words "eld" meaning old and "ryge" meaning ridge or hill, suggesting the name referred to someone who lived near an old ridge or hill.
Another theory is that the name comes from the village of Eldrydge or Eldridge in Wiltshire, England. This place name is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Alredisc" and "Alredesye". It may have derived from the Old English personal name Aldred combined with "ige" meaning island or ridge.
Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname include William de Eldreche in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1207, and Reginald de Eldrugg in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1285. The spelling variations in these early records highlight the evolution of the name over time.
One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Eldred (c.1552-1632), an English merchant and adventurer who helped establish trade relations between England and India. He was a member of the Levant Company and the East India Company.
Another was Sarah Eldredge (1680-1756), an early settler of Southampton, Long Island, New York. She was accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials but was eventually acquitted.
In the 18th century, John Eldridge (1737-1804) was a prominent American merchant and shipowner from Boston, Massachusetts. He played a role in the American Revolutionary War by supplying ships and goods to the Continental Army.
Joseph Eldridge (1834-1875) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire and Middlesex in the 1860s and 1870s.
Finally, Frederick Leroy Eldridge (1901-1992) was an American artist and illustrator best known for his work on the popular comic strip The Little King, which he drew from 1933 until his retirement in 1975.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Elridge surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 29 Elridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.94x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire | 29 | 2.94x |
| Nottinghamshire | 15 | 11.19x |
| Middlesex | 14 | 1.41x |
| Kent | 10 | 2.95x |
| Norfolk | 7 | 4.58x |
| Surrey | 7 | 1.44x |
| Sussex | 5 | 2.98x |
| Durham | 4 | 1.35x |
| Dorset | 3 | 4.59x |
| Lincolnshire | 3 | 1.89x |
| Lancashire | 2 | 0.17x |
| Gloucestershire | 1 | 0.51x |
| Hampshire | 1 | 0.49x |
| Hertfordshire | 1 | 1.46x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tibthorpe in Yorkshire leads with 8 Elridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 8000.00x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Tibthorpe | 8 | 8000.00x |
| Caunton | 7 | 5000.00x |
| Great Yarmouth | 7 | 55.25x |
| Bermondsey | 6 | 20.26x |
| Milton In Gravesend | 6 | 117.88x |
| Clerkenwell London | 5 | 21.29x |
| Guisbrough | 5 | 232.56x |
| Mile End Old Town London | 5 | 23.62x |
| Barcombe | 4 | 1000.00x |
| Kirkby In Ashfield | 4 | 279.72x |
| Long Riston | 4 | 3076.92x |
| Stranton | 4 | 40.16x |
| Hunslet | 3 | 19.52x |
| Laxton | 3 | 1875.00x |
| Metheringham | 3 | 468.75x |
| Sheffield | 3 | 9.56x |
| Beckenham | 2 | 45.05x |
| Hackney London | 2 | 3.59x |
| Marske In Guisbrough | 2 | 114.29x |
| Moreton | 2 | 1818.18x |
| Aldershot | 1 | 14.64x |
| Brighton | 1 | 2.96x |
| Deptford St Paul | 1 | 3.82x |
| East Lulworth | 1 | 833.33x |
| Gloucester Barton St | 1 | 87.72x |
| Hougham | 1 | 49.51x |
| Kensington London | 1 | 1.81x |
| Kingston On Thames | 1 | 8.59x |
| Little Hadham | 1 | 344.83x |
| North Skirlaugh | 1 | 1000.00x |
| Nottingham St Mary | 1 | 2.88x |
| Rowley | 1 | 454.55x |
| Sculcoates | 1 | 6.40x |
| St Augustine Watling | 1 | 2000.00x |
| Walton On Hill | 1 | 15.65x |
| Wath On Dearne | 1 | 50.76x |
| West Derby | 1 | 2.90x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Elridge surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Elridge surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Elridge households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 22 |
| Ag Lab | 2 |
| Farmer Daur | 2 |
| Wheelwright | 2 |
| Ag Lab Son | 1 |
| Ag Lab Wife | 1 |
| Ag Labs Wife | 1 |
| Annuitant | 1 |
| Bricklayer | 1 |
| Brokers Messenger | 1 |
| Carpenter | 1 |
| Clothiers Cutter | 1 |
| Contractor | 1 |
| Corpl Infantry | 1 |
| Cotton Porter | 1 |
| Dress Maker | 1 |
| Driver Of Furniture Van | 1 |
| Farm Bailiff | 1 |
| Farm Servant (Indr) | 1 |
| Farmer | 1 |
| Farmer Of 146 Acres Employing 5 Men 2 Boys | 1 |
| Farmer Wife | 1 |
| Farmers Daur | 1 |
| Farmers Wife | 1 |
| Footman (Dom Serv) | 1 |
| Footman Domestic Servant | 1 |
| Gen Serv | 1 |
| General Servant | 1 |
| Housemaid | 1 |
| Iron Founder | 1 |
| Iron Founder Wife | 1 |
| Iron Miner | 1 |
| Laborer | 1 |
| Labourer | 1 |
| Laundress | 1 |
| Nurse | 1 |
| Pensioner Gen Lab | 1 |
| Seamans Wife | 1 |
| Seamstress | 1 |
| Serv | 1 |
| Servant Out Of Place | 1 |
| Shop Keeper | 1 |
| Shopkeeper | 1 |
| Shopman Book Trade | 1 |
| Tailor | 1 |
| Watch Maker | 1 |
| Watch Maker Wife | 1 |
| Wholesale Draper | 1 |
| Woodman | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 104 people were recorded with the Elridge surname. That placed it at #19,296 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 7 in 2016. That gives Elridge a modern rank of #37,967.
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the elements "eld" (old) and "ridge."
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Elridge bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.