NameCensus.

UK surname

Liddy

An English surname derived from a pet form of the given name Lydia.

In the 1881 census there were 118 people recorded with the Liddy surname, ranking it #17,935 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 332, ranked #13,706, up from #17,935 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wandsworth, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hammersmith and Fulham, Sunderland and Arran.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Liddy is 345 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 181.4%.

1881 census count

118

Ranked #17,935

Modern count

332

2016, ranked #13,706

Peak year

2000

345 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Liddy had 118 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,935 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 332 in 2016, ranked #13,706.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 132 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Liddy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Liddy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Liddy 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 36 #26,838
1861 historical 66 #25,487
1881 historical 118 #17,935
1891 historical 132 #19,976
1901 historical 132 #19,469
1911 historical 122 #20,245
1997 modern 300 #13,530
1998 modern 322 #13,248
1999 modern 323 #13,315
2000 modern 345 #12,693
2001 modern 328 #12,944
2002 modern 328 #13,186
2003 modern 303 #13,718
2004 modern 317 #13,400
2005 modern 313 #13,433
2006 modern 305 #13,766
2007 modern 297 #14,135
2008 modern 299 #14,177
2009 modern 312 #14,040
2010 modern 319 #14,110
2011 modern 326 #13,775
2012 modern 324 #13,751
2013 modern 329 #13,810
2014 modern 333 #13,770
2015 modern 336 #13,593
2016 modern 332 #13,706

Geography

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Where Liddys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wandsworth, London parishes, Manchester, Gwennap and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hammersmith and Fulham, Sunderland, Arran and Manchester. 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 Wandsworth London (South Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Gwennap Cornwall
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hammersmith and Fulham 002 Hammersmith and Fulham
2 Sunderland 023 Sunderland
3 Sunderland 021 Sunderland
4 Arran North Ayrshire
5 Manchester 003 Manchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Liddy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Liddy

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Liddy, 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 Liddy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Liddy 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Liddy 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

Liddy 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

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

Meaning and origin of Liddy

The surname Liddy has its origins in England and Ireland, and it is believed to have derived from the Old English personal name "Lida" or "Lidi", which is thought to have meant "gentle" or "gracious". It may also have been a diminutive form of the name "Lidia".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Liddy can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Lidi" in Norfolk, England. This suggests that the name had established itself in certain regions of England by the late 11th century.

In Ireland, the surname Liddy is thought to have originated from the old Gaelic name "Ó Lideadha", which means "descendant of Lideadha". The name was particularly prevalent in counties such as Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary.

Notable individuals who bore the surname Liddy include Sir Thomas Liddy (1737-1809), an Irish politician and member of the Irish House of Commons, and Christopher Liddy (1828-1907), an Irish-born American priest and author.

Other historical figures with the surname Liddy include William Liddy (1789-1871), an English architect and surveyor, and John Liddy (1825-1888), an Irish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales.

James Liddy (1934-2008) was an American author and academic, known for his works on Irish literature and culture. He served as the director of the Irish Studies program at Fordham University.

It is worth noting that while the surname Liddy has its roots in England and Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and settlement patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Liddy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Liddy 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. Lancashire leads with 31 Liddys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.27x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 31 2.27x
Surrey 22 3.92x
Middlesex 15 1.30x
Lanarkshire 12 3.22x
Durham 7 2.04x
Glamorgan 6 2.99x
Suffolk 4 2.85x
Yorkshire 4 0.35x
Cheshire 3 1.18x
Angus 2 1.88x
Midlothian 2 1.30x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.44x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.37x
Cornwall 1 0.77x
Inverness-shire 1 2.91x
Northamptonshire 1 0.92x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.64x
Sussex 1 0.52x
Warwickshire 1 0.34x
West Lothian 1 5.77x
Worcestershire 1 0.67x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wandsworth in Surrey leads with 15 Liddys recorded in 1881 and an index of 135.38x.

Place Total Index
Wandsworth 15 135.38x
Barony 6 6.37x
Briton Ferry 6 251.05x
Manchester 6 9.77x
Clayton Le Moors 5 188.68x
Rutherglen 5 91.58x
Barrow In Furness 4 21.53x
Burnley 4 34.78x
Dawdon 4 95.01x
Gorleston 4 112.36x
Hackney London 4 6.20x
Newington 4 9.41x
Poplar London 4 18.42x
Bermondsey 3 8.75x
Birkenhead 3 14.81x
Bishopwearmouth 3 10.21x
Burnage 3 909.09x
Sheffield 3 8.26x
St George In East London 3 27.70x
Accrington 2 16.10x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 9.22x
Kensington London 2 3.13x
Liff Benvie 2 12.35x
North Leith 2 28.01x
Pendleton In Salford 2 12.29x
Aston 1 1.25x
Cosgrove 1 400.00x
Govan 1 1.09x
Inverness 1 11.56x
Newport Pagnell 1 68.49x
Paddington London 1 2.36x
Reedley Hallows 1 384.62x
Rottingdean 1 151.52x
Snenton 1 16.39x
Stutton Cum Hazelwood 1 714.29x
Truro St Mary 1 91.74x
Wapping London 1 113.64x
West Derby 1 2.50x
Whitburn 1 40.00x
Whittingham 1 166.67x
Wisbech St Peter 1 27.32x
Wollescote 1 82.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Ellen 6
Alice 3
Ann 3
Catherine 3
Elizabeth 3
Agnes 2
Annie 2
Louisa 2
Margaret 2
Ada 1
Anna 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Jane 1
Lydia 1
Mace...ann 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 10
James 8
John 8
Henry 4
Thomas 3
George 2
Arthur 1
Bernard 1
Charles 1
David 1
Eleazer 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Joseph 1
Michell 1
Phillip 1
Ralph 1
Robert 1
Roland 1
Thos. 1
Virtue 1

FAQ

Liddy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Liddy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 118 people were recorded with the Liddy surname. That placed it at #17,935 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Liddy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 332 in 2016. That gives Liddy a modern rank of #13,706.

What does the Liddy surname mean?

An English surname derived from a pet form of the given name Lydia.

What does the Liddy map show?

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