NameCensus.

UK surname

Ladd

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a watercourse, stream, or ditch.

In the 1881 census there were 1,066 people recorded with the Ladd surname, ranking it #3,708 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,004, ranked #5,786, down from #3,708 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Coulston, East and Margate. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waveney, Pembrokeshire and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ladd is 1,303 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 5.8%.

1881 census count

1,066

Ranked #3,708

Modern count

1,004

2016, ranked #5,786

Peak year

1911

1,303 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ladd had 1,066 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,708 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,004 in 2016, ranked #5,786.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,303 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ladd surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ladd surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ladd 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 809 #3,317
1861 historical 819 #3,363
1881 historical 1,066 #3,708
1891 historical 1,020 #4,081
1901 historical 1,214 #4,057
1911 historical 1,303 #3,656
1997 modern 1,017 #5,415
1998 modern 1,028 #5,548
1999 modern 1,036 #5,548
2000 modern 1,054 #5,450
2001 modern 1,045 #5,389
2002 modern 1,055 #5,452
2003 modern 1,000 #5,593
2004 modern 976 #5,707
2005 modern 943 #5,816
2006 modern 951 #5,790
2007 modern 952 #5,841
2008 modern 956 #5,851
2009 modern 978 #5,869
2010 modern 986 #5,941
2011 modern 967 #5,978
2012 modern 994 #5,764
2013 modern 1,008 #5,779
2014 modern 1,013 #5,794
2015 modern 1,013 #5,749
2016 modern 1,004 #5,786

Geography

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Where Ladds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Coulston, East, Margate and Buckland-near-Dover. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waveney, Pembrokeshire, Wiltshire and Thanet. 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 Coulston, East Wiltshire
4 Margate Kent
5 Buckland-near-Dover Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waveney 014 Waveney
2 Pembrokeshire 001 Pembrokeshire
3 Pembrokeshire 002 Pembrokeshire
4 Wiltshire 040 Wiltshire
5 Thanet 016 Thanet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ladd

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ladd

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

Ladd 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

Ladd falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Ladd

The surname Ladd is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "lad," which means a path or a way. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a path or road.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Ladd can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, where a person named Robert Lad is mentioned. The surname was also found in various other medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Ladde."

In some cases, the name Ladd may have also been a variant spelling of the surname Laidlaw, which is of Scottish origin and derived from the Old English words "lad" and "hlaw," meaning a path and a hill, respectively. This surname likely referred to someone who lived near a path on a hill.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Ladd was John Ladd, who was born around 1480 in Wingham, Kent, England. He was a prominent merchant and landowner during the reign of King Henry VIII.

Another historical figure was William Ladd (1778-1841), an American philanthropist and peace activist from New Hampshire. He was a pioneer in the anti-slavery and peace movements and founded the American Peace Society in 1828.

In the 17th century, several Ladd families emigrated from England to the American colonies, settling in various regions, including Massachusetts and Virginia. One of these early settlers was Daniel Ladd (1618-1693), who arrived in Massachusetts in 1638 and later became a prominent landowner and member of the General Court.

Other notable individuals with the surname Ladd include Christine Ladd-Franklin (1847-1930), an American philosopher and logician who made significant contributions to the study of color vision and logic, and George Trumbull Ladd (1842-1921), an American philosopher and psychologist who served as the president of Yale University from 1888 to 1898.

The name Ladd has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Laddingford in Kent and Ladd's Garden in Surrey, which may have derived their names from individuals with the surname Ladd who lived in or owned those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ladd families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ladd 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. Kent leads with 246 Ladds recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.00x.

County Total Index
Kent 246 7.00x
Middlesex 206 2.00x
Surrey 183 3.65x
Wiltshire 62 6.81x
Pembrokeshire 48 14.66x
Suffolk 36 2.87x
Devon 34 1.59x
Lincolnshire 34 2.06x
Gloucestershire 24 1.19x
Somerset 24 1.45x
Hampshire 18 0.85x
Buckinghamshire 15 2.41x
Sussex 13 0.75x
Glamorgan 12 0.67x
Carmarthenshire 9 2.07x
Durham 9 0.29x
Essex 9 0.44x
Lancashire 8 0.07x
Norfolk 8 0.51x
Warwickshire 7 0.27x
Yorkshire 7 0.07x
Cardiganshire 6 2.39x
Berkshire 5 0.65x
Northamptonshire 5 0.52x
Derbyshire 4 0.25x
Herefordshire 4 0.95x
Northumberland 4 0.26x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.46x
Royal Navy 3 2.44x
Cornwall 2 0.17x
Hertfordshire 2 0.28x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.14x
Bedfordshire 1 0.19x
Dorset 1 0.15x
Midlothian 1 0.07x
Shropshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 50 Ladds recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.01x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 50 5.01x
Lambeth 27 3.01x
Camberwell 23 3.50x
Margate St John Baptist 23 35.74x
East Coulston 21 5833.33x
Southwold 19 255.72x
St Pancras London 17 2.05x
St Marylebone London 15 2.73x
Wandsworth 15 15.13x
Woolwich 13 10.01x
Canterbury St Mary 12 50.87x
Dover St James 12 77.92x
Chartham 11 125.57x
Kingston On Thames 11 9.12x
Mortlake 11 49.17x
Shoreditch London 11 2.46x
St Dogmells 11 126.44x
Stoke Damerel 11 7.33x
Ash Next Sandwich 10 128.53x
Buckland In Dover 10 85.84x
Charlton 10 42.84x
Shere 10 165.02x
Sholden 10 729.93x
Bromley 9 16.80x
Carmarthen St Ishmael 9 196.51x
Clerkenwell London 9 3.70x
Croydon 9 3.23x
Dorking 9 26.71x
Eastry 9 184.80x
Wimbledon 9 15.97x
Wye 9 165.44x
Battersea 8 2.11x
Chelsea London 8 2.58x
Ealing 8 8.69x
Erith 8 23.10x
Eton 8 56.66x
Greenwich 8 4.88x
Pembroke St Mary 8 18.98x
St Luke London 8 4.84x
Trowbridge 8 19.87x
Bapchild 7 476.19x
Bermondsey 7 2.28x
Lewisham 7 3.73x
Llanychlwydog 7 1014.49x
Mattingley 7 391.06x
Shepton Mallet 7 37.63x
Sutton 7 19.27x
Banstead 6 44.12x
Bayvil 6 1224.49x
Boughton Aluph 6 301.51x
Brighton 6 1.71x
Cardigan St Mary 6 62.31x
Cowpen Bewley 6 172.91x
Deal 6 20.01x
Deptford St Paul 6 2.21x
Edington 6 182.37x
Gillingham 6 8.28x
Gosberton 6 81.97x
Hampstead London 6 3.74x
Limehouse London 6 5.31x
Mile End Old Town London 6 2.74x
Newport 6 112.99x
Ramsgate 6 10.46x
Sellinge 6 262.01x
Birmingham 5 0.58x
Bromley London 5 2.21x
Exeter Allhallows On The 5 142.05x
Folkestone 5 7.33x
Henstead 5 263.16x
Kensington London 5 0.87x
Manerdivy 5 187.27x
Moulton 5 63.05x
Painswick 5 34.99x
Peterborough 5 7.13x
South Kyme 5 267.38x
St Andrew Holborn London 5 11.21x
St George Hanover Square 5 2.75x
Worth 5 314.47x
Dartmouth St Saviour 4 65.36x
Gisleham 4 373.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 56
Elizabeth 40
Sarah 35
Eliza 23
Jane 22
Ellen 19
Ann 17
Annie 15
Fanny 15
Alice 14
Hannah 14
Emily 13
Louisa 13
Charlotte 11
Emma 9
Martha 9
Agnes 8
Edith 8
Ada 7
Caroline 7
Eleanor 7
Harriett 6
Maria 6
Amy 5
Frances 5
Harriet 5
Kate 5
Margaret 5
Matilda 5
Susan 5
Anna 4
Anne 4
Clara 4
Florence 4
Julia 4
Lucy 4
Rose 4
Bertha 3
Esther 3
Jessie 3
Laura 3
Rosa 3
Sophia 3
Susanna 3
Elizth. 2
Francis 2
Lilley 2
Lily 2
Mabel 2
Maud 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 79
John 47
George 33
Thomas 33
Henry 31
James 27
Charles 23
Alfred 16
Richard 16
Edward 15
Arthur 14
Frederick 14
Joseph 13
Robert 10
Walter 10
Harry 9
Albert 8
David 6
Stephen 6
Ernest 5
Samuel 5
Edwin 4
Francis 4
Frank 4
Herbert 4
Sydney 4
Daniel 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Isaac 2
Levi 2
Lewis 2
Llewellyn 2
Percy 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Alf.H. 1
Amos 1
Andrew 1
Bertie 1
Chas. 1
Fredk. 1
Gabriel 1
Gibbon 1
Gliuses 1
Mark 1
Matthew 1
Morice 1
Moses 1
Worthy 1

FAQ

Ladd surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ladd surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,066 people were recorded with the Ladd surname. That placed it at #3,708 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ladd surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,004 in 2016. That gives Ladd a modern rank of #5,786.

What does the Ladd surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a watercourse, stream, or ditch.

What does the Ladd map show?

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