NameCensus.

UK surname

Kiddie

A Scottish occupational surname meaning 'someone who caught and sold kiddies (small cod fish)'.

In the 1881 census there were 303 people recorded with the Kiddie surname, ranking it #9,654 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 264, ranked #16,172, down from #9,654 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stobswell, South Cambridgeshire and Uddingston and Gardenside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kiddie is 368 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 12.9%.

1881 census count

303

Ranked #9,654

Modern count

264

2016, ranked #16,172

Peak year

1891

368 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kiddie had 303 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,654 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 264 in 2016, ranked #16,172.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 368 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Kiddie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kiddie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kiddie 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 126 #14,626
1861 historical 276 #9,052
1881 historical 303 #9,654
1891 historical 368 #9,464
1901 historical 368 #10,057
1911 historical 99 #22,850
1997 modern 263 #14,769
1998 modern 273 #14,803
1999 modern 287 #14,374
2000 modern 267 #15,055
2001 modern 260 #15,113
2002 modern 275 #14,819
2003 modern 268 #14,897
2004 modern 274 #14,762
2005 modern 275 #14,624
2006 modern 261 #15,289
2007 modern 253 #15,776
2008 modern 252 #15,984
2009 modern 248 #16,509
2010 modern 264 #16,163
2011 modern 260 #16,188
2012 modern 250 #16,523
2013 modern 254 #16,603
2014 modern 267 #16,161
2015 modern 269 #15,955
2016 modern 264 #16,172

Geography

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Where Kiddies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stobswell, South Cambridgeshire, Uddingston and Gardenside, Harborough and Wakefield. 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 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stobswell Dundee City
2 South Cambridgeshire 018 South Cambridgeshire
3 Uddingston and Gardenside South Lanarkshire
4 Harborough 010 Harborough
5 Wakefield 023 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kiddie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kiddie

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

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Kiddie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Kiddie 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Kiddie is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kiddie 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

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

Meaning and origin of Kiddie

The surname Kiddie is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "cydda," which means "announcer" or "messenger." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as an occupational surname to someone who worked as a town crier or messenger.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kiddie can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1194, where it is spelled as "Kydde." This document lists individuals who were required to pay taxes to the Crown, indicating that the Kiddie family had already established itself in the region by that time.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various records from different counties in England, including Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. For example, a Robert Kiddie is mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire from 1246, and a John Kyddy is listed in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273.

During the 14th century, the surname Kiddie began to spread to other parts of England, as evidenced by entries in various historical records. For instance, a William Kyddy is recorded in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, in 1345, while a Thomas Kiddie is mentioned in the Poll Tax Returns of Cambridgeshire from 1379.

One notable figure with the surname Kiddie was Sir John Kiddie (c. 1480-1545), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1538. He played a significant role in the city's governance and oversaw the construction of several public works projects during his tenure.

Another prominent individual was Sir William Kiddie (1585-1656), a British naval commander who served under King Charles I during the English Civil War. He is remembered for his courageous actions in several naval battles against the Dutch and the Parliamentary forces.

In the 18th century, the Kiddie family had established itself in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire. One notable figure from this period was Reverend Thomas Kiddie (1720-1789), a Church of England clergyman who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, for over 40 years.

The 19th century saw the Kiddie surname spreading to other parts of the British Isles and beyond, as individuals with this name immigrated to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. One notable figure from this era was John Kiddie (1806-1875), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Barnabas in Pimlico.

Throughout its history, the surname Kiddie has been associated with various places and locations across England, including the villages of Kiddie in Gloucestershire and Kiddie in Lincolnshire, both of which may have derived their names from the same Old English word that gave rise to the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kiddie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kiddie 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. Angus leads with 102 Kiddies recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.13x.

County Total Index
Angus 102 37.13x
Lanarkshire 38 3.96x
Fife 32 18.23x
Northumberland 27 6.12x
Midlothian 24 6.04x
Lancashire 21 0.60x
Perthshire 15 11.27x
Stirlingshire 10 9.14x
Dunbartonshire 9 11.29x
Middlesex 9 0.30x
Ayrshire 4 1.80x
Durham 4 0.45x
Argyllshire 3 3.63x
Shropshire 3 1.17x
Isle of Man 2 3.63x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 52 Kiddies recorded in 1881 and an index of 50.70x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 52 50.70x
Widnes 16 63.04x
Arbroath 14 153.85x
Tynemouth 14 59.25x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 11 6.88x
Rutherglen 11 78.18x
Montrose 10 60.06x
Dumbarton 9 81.15x
Glasgow 8 4.70x
Kilmany 8 1250.00x
Methven 8 410.26x
Poplar London 8 14.29x
Aberlemno 6 588.24x
Cambuslang 6 62.05x
Chirton 6 60.06x
Liff Benvie 6 14.39x
Markinch 6 100.67x
South Leith 6 13.42x
Stirling 6 43.51x
Blairgowrie 5 95.06x
Hamilton 5 18.69x
North Meols 5 14.51x
Auchtertool 4 547.95x
Colinton 4 90.29x
Dundonald 4 48.90x
Ferry Port On Craig 4 138.41x
Govan 4 1.69x
Monifieth 4 41.24x
St Ninians 4 36.90x
Tweedmouth 4 72.73x
Cults 3 416.67x
Dunfermline 3 11.12x
Dysart 3 25.38x
Glenaray 3 454.55x
Kinnettles 3 769.23x
Oswestry Town 3 36.59x
St Vigeans 3 20.23x
Barony 2 0.82x
Bishopwearmouth 2 2.64x
New Monkland 2 7.05x
Onchan 2 12.61x
South Shields 2 25.45x
Dundee St Andrew 1 1666.67x
Edinburgh New North 1 28.90x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 12.79x
Guthrie 1 222.22x
Kensington London 1 0.61x
Kettins 1 108.70x
Kinglassie 1 74.63x
Kinnoull 1 28.57x
Mains 1 42.92x
Middlesbrough 1 2.61x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 3.80x
Penicuik 1 18.52x
St Martins 1 131.58x
Wallsend 1 7.15x
Westgate 1 3.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 6
James 3
William 3
Peter 2
Thomas 2
Andrew 1
Danield 1
David 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Joseph 1
Michael 1
Nicholas 1
Robert 1

FAQ

Kiddie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kiddie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 303 people were recorded with the Kiddie surname. That placed it at #9,654 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kiddie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 264 in 2016. That gives Kiddie a modern rank of #16,172.

What does the Kiddie surname mean?

A Scottish occupational surname meaning 'someone who caught and sold kiddies (small cod fish)'.

What does the Kiddie map show?

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