NameCensus.

UK surname

Ledder

An occupational surname for one who made ladders or a dweller on a hillside.

In the 1881 census there were 92 people recorded with the Ledder surname, ranking it #20,709 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 115, ranked #28,348, down from #20,709 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Toxteth Park, Liverpool and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wirral and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ledder is 151 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.0%.

1881 census count

92

Ranked #20,709

Modern count

115

2016, ranked #28,348

Peak year

1911

151 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ledder had 92 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,709 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016, ranked #28,348.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 151 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Ledder surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ledder surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ledder 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 79 #19,712
1861 historical 144 #15,817
1881 historical 92 #20,709
1891 historical 138 #19,411
1901 historical 140 #18,795
1911 historical 151 #17,797
1997 modern 116 #24,688
1998 modern 110 #26,129
1999 modern 108 #26,602
2000 modern 114 #25,717
2001 modern 109 #26,059
2002 modern 114 #25,886
2003 modern 109 #26,361
2004 modern 111 #26,293
2005 modern 112 #26,114
2006 modern 111 #26,565
2007 modern 120 #25,606
2008 modern 118 #26,212
2009 modern 118 #26,766
2010 modern 108 #28,996
2011 modern 116 #27,477
2012 modern 111 #28,332
2013 modern 109 #29,209
2014 modern 113 #28,779
2015 modern 113 #28,645
2016 modern 115 #28,348

Geography

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Where Ledders are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Toxteth Park, Liverpool, Bradford, Wallasey and Walton-on-the-Hill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wirral 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 Toxteth Park Lancashire
2 Liverpool Lancashire
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Wallasey Cheshire
5 Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wirral 005 Wirral
2 Cornwall 021 Cornwall
3 Wirral 008 Wirral
4 Wirral 016 Wirral
5 Wirral 007 Wirral

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ledder

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ledder

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Ledder surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Ledder household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ledder is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ledder is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ledder falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ledder is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ledder, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ledder

The surname Ledder is of English origin and dates back to the late 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "læddre," meaning "ladder." This surname likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who lived near a ladder or worked as a ladder maker.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ledder can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a person named Walter Ledder was listed. The name also appears in various other historical records, including the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1354, which mentions a John Ledder.

The Ledder surname has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Ladder, Laddre, and Ledder. Some of these variations can be found in the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1664, which recorded individuals with the surname spelled as Lader and Ladder.

One notable bearer of the Ledder surname was John Ledder, born in 1602 in Oxfordshire, England. He was a respected scholar and theologian who authored several works on religious subjects.

Another individual of note was William Ledder, born in 1675 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a prominent merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the local community.

In the 18th century, Thomas Ledder, born in 1732 in Yorkshire, England, gained recognition as a skilled architect and was responsible for the design of several notable buildings in the region.

During the 19th century, the Ledder surname gained further prominence with the birth of Mary Ledder in 1816 in Lancashire, England. She was a renowned author and poet, known for her works that explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.

Another notable figure was James Ledder, born in 1854 in Derbyshire, England. He was a pioneering engineer who made significant contributions to the development of railway infrastructure in Britain during the Industrial Revolution.

While the Ledder surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, carried by individuals and families who migrated from Britain over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ledder families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ledder 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. Cheshire leads with 45 Ledders recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.71x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 45 22.71x
Lancashire 22 2.07x
Yorkshire 15 1.69x
Buckinghamshire 5 9.21x
Middlesex 3 0.33x
Dumfriesshire 1 5.05x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.83x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liscard in Cheshire leads with 31 Ledders recorded in 1881 and an index of 868.35x.

Place Total Index
Liscard 31 868.35x
Bowling 9 102.16x
Liverpool 7 10.82x
Eccleston In Prescot 6 112.15x
Leeds 6 11.95x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 6 263.16x
Aylesbury 5 208.33x
Birkenhead 5 31.67x
Toxteth Park 5 13.87x
Everton 4 11.79x
Wallasey 3 447.76x
Kensington London 1 2.00x
Nottingham St Mary 1 3.20x
Paddington London 1 3.03x
Shoreditch London 1 2.57x
Tinwald 1 384.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 8
John 5
Thomas 5
William 5
Samuel 3
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Herbert 2
Alfred 1
Alice 1
Clifford 1
Daniel 1
Dannil 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Ledder surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ledder surname in 1881?

In 1881, 92 people were recorded with the Ledder surname. That placed it at #20,709 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ledder surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016. That gives Ledder a modern rank of #28,348.

What does the Ledder surname mean?

An occupational surname for one who made ladders or a dweller on a hillside.

What does the Ledder map show?

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