NameCensus.

UK surname

Floyd

Of Welsh origin, derived from the personal name "Llwyd," meaning "gray" or "gray-haired."

In the 1881 census there were 2,844 people recorded with the Floyd surname, ranking it #1,571 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,792, ranked #1,781, down from #1,571 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Camborne. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Devon, Redcar and Cleveland and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Floyd is 3,873 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.3%.

1881 census count

2,844

Ranked #1,571

Modern count

3,792

2016, ranked #1,781

Peak year

1999

3,873 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Floyd had 2,844 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,571 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,792 in 2016, ranked #1,781.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,474 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Floyd surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Floyd surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Floyd 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 1,819 #1,580
1861 historical 1,856 #1,561
1881 historical 2,844 #1,571
1891 historical 2,873 #1,651
1901 historical 3,294 #1,695
1911 historical 3,474 #1,502
1997 modern 3,639 #1,784
1998 modern 3,844 #1,755
1999 modern 3,873 #1,758
2000 modern 3,820 #1,768
2001 modern 3,768 #1,750
2002 modern 3,851 #1,759
2003 modern 3,724 #1,777
2004 modern 3,693 #1,789
2005 modern 3,637 #1,796
2006 modern 3,660 #1,783
2007 modern 3,666 #1,796
2008 modern 3,712 #1,786
2009 modern 3,769 #1,809
2010 modern 3,862 #1,801
2011 modern 3,822 #1,795
2012 modern 3,715 #1,811
2013 modern 3,807 #1,804
2014 modern 3,853 #1,786
2015 modern 3,819 #1,778
2016 modern 3,792 #1,781

Geography

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Where Floyds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Camborne and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Devon, Redcar and Cleveland and Cornwall. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Camborne Cornwall
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Devon 002 North Devon
2 Redcar and Cleveland 009 Redcar and Cleveland
3 Cornwall 023 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 013 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 028 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Floyd

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Floyd

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Floyd 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

Floyd is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Floyd

The surname Floyd is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "flod," meaning "flood" or "stream." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a river or other body of water.

In the 13th century, the name is recorded as "Flod" in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, England. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records of landholders compiled between 1273 and 1275, providing early evidence of the name's use.

By the late 13th century, the name had evolved to its modern spelling, "Floyd." The earliest known record of this spelling is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, which lists a person named "Robertus Floyd."

The name Floyd is also associated with several place names in England, such as Floyd's Green in Staffordshire and Floyd's Park in Buckinghamshire. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname who lived in or owned those areas.

Notable historical figures with the surname Floyd include:

1. Sir John Floyd (c. 1480 - 1541), an English soldier and Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. 2. Edward Floyd (1587 - 1670), one of the original settlers of the Virginia Colony and a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. 3. William Floyd (1734 - 1821), an American Revolutionary War general and a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence. 4. John Floyd (1783 - 1837), an American surveyor, explorer, and the first governor of the Virginia Territory (now the state of Washington). 5. John Buchanan Floyd (1806 - 1863), an American politician who served as the 33rd Governor of Virginia and as the Secretary of War under President James Buchanan.

The surname Floyd has a rich history dating back to medieval England, with its origins rooted in Old English vocabulary related to bodies of water. Over the centuries, it has been carried by notable individuals across various fields, from politics and military to exploration and settlement.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Floyd families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Floyd 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. Middlesex leads with 427 Floyds recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.54x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 427 1.54x
Cornwall 222 7.06x
Warwickshire 202 2.88x
Lancashire 186 0.56x
Surrey 178 1.32x
Glamorgan 129 2.67x
Devon 120 2.08x
Kent 119 1.26x
Gloucestershire 100 1.84x
Somerset 100 2.24x
Hampshire 97 1.70x
Worcestershire 79 2.18x
Berkshire 78 3.74x
Staffordshire 70 0.75x
Oxfordshire 65 3.79x
Yorkshire 63 0.23x
Cheshire 59 0.96x
Herefordshire 53 4.65x
Durham 52 0.63x
Essex 50 0.91x
Buckinghamshire 48 2.86x
Hertfordshire 46 2.40x
Lanarkshire 40 0.45x
Northamptonshire 36 1.38x
Derbyshire 28 0.64x
Nottinghamshire 22 0.59x
Sussex 17 0.36x
Cambridgeshire 15 0.85x
Northumberland 13 0.31x
Angus 12 0.47x
Norfolk 11 0.26x
Suffolk 11 0.33x
Leicestershire 10 0.32x
Shropshire 10 0.42x
Bedfordshire 9 0.63x
Cumberland 9 0.38x
Dunbartonshire 9 1.21x
Ayrshire 8 0.38x
Midlothian 8 0.22x
Renfrewshire 7 0.33x
Brecknockshire 4 0.72x
Carmarthenshire 3 0.26x
Denbighshire 3 0.29x
Dorset 3 0.16x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.34x
Royal Navy 3 0.91x
Monmouthshire 2 0.10x
Perthshire 2 0.16x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.09x
Channel Islands 1 0.12x
Fife 1 0.06x
Lincolnshire 1 0.02x
Radnorshire 1 0.45x
Wiltshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 109 Floyds recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.67x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 109 4.67x
Islington London 94 3.49x
Aston 67 3.47x
Camborne 56 43.23x
St Pancras London 43 1.92x
Cumnor 37 385.02x
Toxteth Park 35 3.14x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 30 5.85x
Kensington London 29 1.88x
Porlock 29 398.35x
Camberwell 28 1.58x
Marytavy 26 305.16x
Hemel Hempstead 24 27.83x
Phillack 24 59.14x
Barony 23 1.01x
Hammersmith London 23 3.36x
Perranuthnoe 23 268.38x
St Austell 22 20.47x
Stoke Upon Trent 22 2.21x
Cheltenham 21 5.00x
St Marylebone London 21 1.42x
Chelsea London 20 2.39x
Plymouth Charles The 20 7.85x
Handsworth 19 8.22x
Oldbury 19 10.65x
Poynton 19 92.19x
Manchester 18 1.21x
Tonbridge 18 5.27x
Croydon 17 2.26x
Lambeth 17 0.70x
Luccombe 17 481.59x
Tottenham 17 3.84x
Walton On Thames 17 27.36x
Bermondsey 16 1.94x
Newcastle Higher 16 48.72x
Newington 16 1.56x
Paddington London 16 1.57x
Bethnal Green London 15 1.24x
Madron Penzance 15 13.12x
Plymouth St Andrew 15 3.37x
Princes Risborough 15 66.70x
Romsey Extra 15 44.31x
Clase 14 7.79x
Lewisham 14 2.77x
Mile End Old Town London 14 2.37x
Northwood 14 17.27x
South Stoneham 14 11.34x
Walthamstow 14 7.10x
Accrington 13 4.34x
Bristol St George 13 5.16x
Gayton 13 237.66x
Redruth 13 14.62x
Swansea St Thomas 13 26.76x
Barton Upon Irwell 12 4.84x
Dundee 12 1.25x
Edgbaston 12 5.53x
Monks Coppenhall 12 5.19x
Oxford St Giles 12 14.67x
Templenewsam 12 60.21x
Ystradyfodwg 12 2.83x
Bedminster 11 2.62x
Chester Le Street 11 17.34x
Gwinear 11 73.73x
Leyton 11 11.65x
Llanwonno 11 6.33x
Radford 11 5.78x
Cardiff St John 10 6.33x
Chatham 10 3.84x
Gateshead 10 1.62x
Northampton Priory St 10 6.38x
Oxford St Thomas 10 12.49x
Poplar London 10 1.91x
Shoreditch London 10 0.83x
Thame 10 32.06x
Dumbarton 9 8.66x
Hentland 9 164.53x
Southampton St Mary 9 2.51x
St Andrewthe Less 9 4.48x
Warrington 9 2.30x
Wendron 9 20.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 172
Elizabeth 140
Sarah 74
Alice 51
Ann 51
Jane 51
Annie 44
Eliza 43
Ellen 43
Emma 42
Emily 36
Martha 26
Hannah 23
Margaret 22
Florence 20
Edith 19
Ada 17
Charlotte 16
Kate 16
Susan 16
Caroline 15
Catherine 15
Fanny 15
Louisa 15
Harriet 14
Clara 12
Harriett 12
Anne 11
Agnes 10
Maria 10
Rose 10
Frances 9
Jessie 9
Lucy 9
Betsy 8
Isabella 8
Julia 8
Matilda 8
Amelia 7
Bessie 7
Grace 7
Laura 7
Minnie 7
Sophia 7
Beatrice 6
Lizzie 6
Rebecca 6
Amy 5
Elizth. 5
Esther 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 189
John 127
Thomas 102
James 95
George 87
Henry 62
Charles 54
Joseph 51
Alfred 38
Richard 38
Frederick 36
Edward 29
Robert 27
Arthur 24
Walter 24
Frank 16
Samuel 16
Albert 15
Harry 15
Ernest 14
Benjamin 11
Edwin 11
Francis 11
Wm. 10
Stephen 9
Isaac 8
Peter 8
Thos. 7
David 6
Abraham 5
Daniel 5
Fred 5
Herbert 4
Jas. 4
Lewis 4
Matthew 4
Phillip 4
Edmund 3
F. 3
Fredk. 3
Fredrick 3
Israel 3
Nicholas 3
Oliver 3
Sidney 3
Tom 3
Willie 3
Chas. 2
Philip 2
Rd. 2

FAQ

Floyd surname: questions and answers

How common was the Floyd surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,844 people were recorded with the Floyd surname. That placed it at #1,571 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Floyd surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,792 in 2016. That gives Floyd a modern rank of #1,781.

What does the Floyd surname mean?

Of Welsh origin, derived from the personal name "Llwyd," meaning "gray" or "gray-haired."

What does the Floyd map show?

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