NameCensus.

UK surname

Giddings

Derived from the Old English place name Gydding, meaning "settlement of Gydda's people."

In the 1881 census there were 1,360 people recorded with the Giddings surname, ranking it #3,012 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,254, ranked #2,881, up from #3,012 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Ealing, Chiswick and East and West Lavington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Central Bedfordshire, Wiltshire and East Northamptonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Giddings is 2,457 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.7%.

1881 census count

1,360

Ranked #3,012

Modern count

2,254

2016, ranked #2,881

Peak year

2000

2,457 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Giddings had 1,360 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,012 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,254 in 2016, ranked #2,881.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,252 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Giddings surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Giddings surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Giddings 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 777 #3,438
1861 historical 741 #3,687
1881 historical 1,360 #3,012
1891 historical 1,550 #2,851
1901 historical 1,874 #2,810
1911 historical 2,252 #2,246
1997 modern 2,372 #2,635
1998 modern 2,444 #2,661
1999 modern 2,448 #2,678
2000 modern 2,457 #2,657
2001 modern 2,409 #2,649
2002 modern 2,408 #2,704
2003 modern 2,373 #2,690
2004 modern 2,371 #2,689
2005 modern 2,304 #2,718
2006 modern 2,303 #2,719
2007 modern 2,323 #2,729
2008 modern 2,331 #2,736
2009 modern 2,378 #2,754
2010 modern 2,392 #2,793
2011 modern 2,302 #2,855
2012 modern 2,252 #2,861
2013 modern 2,278 #2,882
2014 modern 2,276 #2,893
2015 modern 2,266 #2,873
2016 modern 2,254 #2,881

Geography

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Where Giddings' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Ealing, Chiswick, East and West Lavington and Urchfont. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Central Bedfordshire, Wiltshire, East Northamptonshire, Rutland and Sevenoaks. 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 Ealing, Chiswick Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
4 East and West Lavington Wiltshire
5 Urchfont Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Central Bedfordshire 003 Central Bedfordshire
2 Wiltshire 024 Wiltshire
3 East Northamptonshire 001 East Northamptonshire
4 Rutland 004 Rutland
5 Sevenoaks 009 Sevenoaks

Forenames

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First names often paired with Giddings

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Giddings

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Giddings 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

Giddings 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

Giddings falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Giddings

The surname Giddings originated in England and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "gyding," which means "guidance" or "leading." The name is thought to have been initially given as a descriptive name to someone who was a guide or a leader.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Giddings can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1199, where it appears as "Gidding." This suggests that the name may have originated in the village of Gidding, located in the county of Huntingdonshire (now part of Cambridgeshire).

The Giddings name is also associated with the village of Little Gidding, which was home to the Ferrar family's religious community in the 17th century. Nicholas Ferrar, born in 1592 and died in 1637, was a notable figure who established the community at Little Gidding, where he and his family lived a life of devotion and charitable works.

During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various spellings, such as "Gyddynge," "Gyddyng," and "Gidding." This variation in spelling was common in those times due to the lack of standardized orthography.

One notable bearer of the Giddings name was Sir William Giddings, a 16th-century English politician and landowner. He served as a Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire in 1559 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Joshua Reed Giddings, an American lawyer, politician, and abolitionist. Born in 1795 and died in 1864, he served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio and was a vocal opponent of slavery.

In the 18th century, Edward Giddings, born in 1693 and died in 1768, was an English clergyman and author. He is known for his work "A Course of Sermons on the Lord's Prayer," published in 1763.

Another notable bearer of the Giddings surname was Franklin Henry Giddings, an American sociologist and economist. Born in 1855 and died in 1931, he was a pioneer in the field of sociology and contributed significantly to the development of the discipline in the United States.

The Giddings name has also been associated with various places, such as Gidding Park in Cambridgeshire, England, which was once owned by the Giddings family.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Giddings families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Giddings 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. Wiltshire leads with 375 Giddings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.87x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 375 31.87x
Middlesex 175 1.32x
Cambridgeshire 139 16.49x
Surrey 86 1.33x
Bedfordshire 84 12.19x
Northamptonshire 57 4.55x
Somerset 51 2.38x
Hertfordshire 50 5.45x
Yorkshire 49 0.37x
Huntingdonshire 36 13.63x
Hampshire 26 0.95x
Lancashire 26 0.16x
Berkshire 25 2.50x
Monmouthshire 25 2.60x
Gloucestershire 24 0.92x
Kent 23 0.51x
Glamorgan 19 0.82x
Sussex 12 0.53x
Warwickshire 11 0.33x
Worcestershire 11 0.63x
Northumberland 10 0.51x
Staffordshire 10 0.22x
Cheshire 6 0.20x
Essex 6 0.23x
Midlothian 6 0.34x
Oxfordshire 4 0.49x
Lincolnshire 3 0.14x
Dorset 2 0.23x
Durham 2 0.05x
Herefordshire 2 0.37x
Leicestershire 2 0.14x
Royal Navy 2 1.26x
Derbyshire 1 0.05x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.06x
Perthshire 1 0.17x
Rutland 1 1.02x
Suffolk 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Urchfont in Wiltshire leads with 73 Giddings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1514.52x.

Place Total Index
Urchfont 73 1514.52x
March 34 120.48x
Islington London 30 2.33x
Whittlesey St Mary St 29 98.51x
Lambeth 27 2.33x
Sutton 27 2014.93x
Market Lavington 24 376.77x
North Newnton 23 1352.94x
Trowbridge 21 40.38x
Devizes St James 20 127.88x
Potton 20 218.58x
St Pancras London 19 1.77x
Christchurch 18 60.48x
Devizes St Mary 18 151.39x
Woodborough 18 994.48x
Bradford On Avon 17 45.13x
Longstow 17 1338.58x
Hackney London 16 2.14x
Kings Cliffe 15 257.29x
St Marylebone London 15 2.11x
Baldock 13 150.81x
Loddington 13 1101.69x
Lyncombe Widcombe 13 23.18x
Neath 13 27.58x
North Bradley 13 151.34x
Shoreditch London 13 2.25x
Sutton 13 185.98x
West Lavington 13 230.50x
Hemel Hempstead 12 29.04x
St Albans St Peter 12 38.78x
Clapham 11 6.61x
Dunstable 11 51.96x
Ramsbury 11 103.19x
St Luke London 11 5.15x
Stretford 11 12.66x
Bedminster 10 4.97x
Orwell 10 273.97x
St George Hanover Square 10 4.27x
St Ives 10 72.99x
Waterbeach 10 145.56x
Wimblington 10 201.21x
Aston Blank 9 656.93x
Tilshead 9 412.84x
Birmingham 8 0.72x
Camberwell 8 0.94x
Clerkenwell London 8 2.55x
Leek Lowe 8 13.39x
Wantage 8 50.25x
Bedford St Paul 7 14.81x
Bethnal Green London 7 1.21x
Calne 7 28.89x
Devizes St John 7 79.19x
Ealing 7 5.89x
Frome 7 13.66x
No Mans Land 7 1147.54x
Redditch 7 19.87x
Reigate Foreign 7 9.97x
Brightside Bierlow 6 2.32x
Croydon 6 1.67x
Fletton 6 71.09x
Kensington London 6 0.81x
Kimbolton 6 107.72x
Offley 6 100.50x
Oldham 6 1.18x
Oundle 6 42.89x
Putney 6 9.89x
Saddleworth 6 5.90x
Salisbury St Edmund 6 31.76x
Sheffield 6 1.43x
South Leith 6 2.99x
Thorney 6 64.10x
Woking 6 15.36x
Chelsea London 5 1.25x
Chester St John Baptist 5 9.47x
Northowram 5 5.41x
Portslade 5 36.47x
Potterne 5 94.88x
Tynemouth 5 4.72x
Wilsford 5 297.62x
Woodford 5 71.84x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 90
John 59
George 58
James 43
Thomas 39
Charles 38
Henry 36
Alfred 21
Samuel 18
Albert 16
Frederick 16
Robert 16
Arthur 15
Edward 15
Richard 15
Walter 15
Joseph 11
Frank 9
Ernest 8
Jacob 8
Edwin 7
Harry 7
Isaac 7
Francis 5
Stephen 5
David 4
Amos 3
Daniel 3
Herbert 3
Mark 3
Sidney 3
Elijah 2
Fred 2
Frederic 2
Fredk. 2
Jesse 2
Job 2
Jonas 2
Levi 2
Oliver 2
Silas 2
Soloman 2
Solomon 2
Christopher 1
Claudius 1
Cornelius 1
Ellis 1
Frederrick 1
Jeffory 1
Wm.S. 1

FAQ

Giddings surname: questions and answers

How common was the Giddings surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,360 people were recorded with the Giddings surname. That placed it at #3,012 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Giddings surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,254 in 2016. That gives Giddings a modern rank of #2,881.

What does the Giddings surname mean?

Derived from the Old English place name Gydding, meaning "settlement of Gydda's people."

What does the Giddings map show?

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