NameCensus.

UK surname

Leddy

A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Leadaigh," meaning "descendant of Leadach," a personal name meaning "reverent."

In the 1881 census there were 134 people recorded with the Leddy surname, ranking it #16,602 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 415, ranked #11,550, up from #16,602 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Manchester and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Burgh, Eastfield and Silverbank and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Leddy is 443 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 209.7%.

1881 census count

134

Ranked #16,602

Modern count

415

2016, ranked #11,550

Peak year

2000

443 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Leddy had 134 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,602 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 415 in 2016, ranked #11,550.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 189 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Leddy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Leddy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Leddy 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 60 #22,584
1861 historical 54 #27,127
1881 historical 134 #16,602
1891 historical 151 #18,242
1901 historical 189 #15,684
1911 historical 149 #17,937
1997 modern 426 #10,490
1998 modern 436 #10,663
1999 modern 440 #10,648
2000 modern 443 #10,578
2001 modern 417 #10,878
2002 modern 419 #11,059
2003 modern 402 #11,228
2004 modern 395 #11,390
2005 modern 392 #11,355
2006 modern 404 #11,159
2007 modern 395 #11,481
2008 modern 404 #11,374
2009 modern 421 #11,246
2010 modern 429 #11,324
2011 modern 427 #11,243
2012 modern 421 #11,245
2013 modern 424 #11,402
2014 modern 423 #11,488
2015 modern 417 #11,532
2016 modern 415 #11,550

Geography

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Where Leddys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, Manchester, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Tadcaster and Melcombe Regis. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Burgh, Eastfield and Silverbank, Northumberland and Shropshire. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Tadcaster Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Melcombe Regis Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 051 County Durham
2 Burgh, Eastfield and Silverbank South Lanarkshire
3 County Durham 034 County Durham
4 Northumberland 023 Northumberland
5 Shropshire 017 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Leddy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Leddy

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Leddy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Leddy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Leddy 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

Leddy is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Leddy falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Leddy 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Leddy

The surname Leddy is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "laiddir" which means "strong" or "stout." It is believed to have originated in County Tipperary, Ireland, during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instances of the Leddy name can be traced back to the 16th century in County Tipperary. The name was often spelled as "Leady" or "Leadie" in its early forms, reflecting the phonetic spelling of the time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Leddy surname was John Leddy, who was born in County Tipperary in the late 16th century. He was a landowner and farmer who lived in the town of Carrick-on-Suir.

In the 17th century, the Leddy name appears in various historical records, including the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665, which documented households in Ireland for tax purposes. During this time, the name was also found in the parish records of Clonmel, County Tipperary.

A notable figure with the Leddy surname was Patrick Leddy (1720-1795), an Irish Catholic priest and scholar who served as the Bishop of Dromore from 1779 until his death. He was known for his efforts to promote education and improve the living conditions of the Catholic community in Ireland.

Another prominent individual was Michael Leddy (1785-1853), an Irish lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Carlow in the early 19th century. He was a vocal advocate for Catholic Emancipation and played a significant role in the political movements of his time.

In the 19th century, the Leddy family spread to other parts of Ireland and beyond. James Leddy (1830-1901) was a successful businessman and philanthropist who emigrated from Ireland to the United States in the mid-1800s. He established a successful textile manufacturing company in New York City and became known for his charitable contributions to various causes.

Throughout history, the Leddy surname has been associated with various professions, including farming, clergy, law, politics, and business. While the name originated in County Tipperary, it has since spread throughout Ireland and to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration patterns.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Leddy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Leddy 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 27 Leddys recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.30x.

County Total Index
Angus 27 22.30x
Lancashire 27 1.74x
Northumberland 22 11.31x
Lanarkshire 17 4.02x
Cheshire 10 3.47x
Yorkshire 7 0.54x
Dorset 6 6.99x
Middlesex 5 0.38x
Glamorgan 4 1.76x
Dunbartonshire 3 8.54x
Essex 3 1.16x
Cumberland 1 0.89x
Derbyshire 1 0.49x
Kent 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Berwick Upon Tweed in Northumberland leads with 21 Leddys recorded in 1881 and an index of 509.71x.

Place Total Index
Berwick Upon Tweed 21 509.71x
Liff Benvie 15 81.61x
Dundee 12 26.55x
Haslingden 9 140.19x
Govan 7 6.70x
Barrow In Furness 6 28.45x
Brinnington 6 222.22x
Melcombe Regis 6 168.54x
Shotts 6 118.58x
North Meols 5 32.94x
Tadcaster West 5 485.44x
Birkenhead 4 17.39x
Clase 4 47.28x
Bonhill 3 53.19x
Glasgow 3 4.00x
Hulme 3 9.27x
Edmonton 2 18.99x
Halstead 2 66.45x
Heston 2 46.08x
Wigan 2 9.23x
Ashford 1 23.04x
Bardsey Cum Rigton 1 714.29x
Egremont 1 37.31x
Gorbals 1 39.84x
Kyloe 1 222.22x
Leyton 1 22.52x
Litchurch 1 12.15x
Liverpool 1 1.06x
Manchester 1 1.43x
Normanby In 1 28.90x
St Bartholomew Less 1 149.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 7
William 6
James 5
Patrick 5
Thomas 4
Hugh 3
Thos. 3
Michael 2
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Jas. 1
Matthias 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Leddy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Leddy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 134 people were recorded with the Leddy surname. That placed it at #16,602 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Leddy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 415 in 2016. That gives Leddy a modern rank of #11,550.

What does the Leddy surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Leadaigh," meaning "descendant of Leadach," a personal name meaning "reverent."

What does the Leddy map show?

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