NameCensus.

UK surname

Maddy

A variant of the surname Maddock, derived from a nickname for the given name Matthew.

In the 1881 census there were 191 people recorded with the Maddy surname, ranking it #13,224 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 317, ranked #14,198, down from #13,224 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Eaton Socon with Wyboston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Rotherham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Maddy is 386 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 66.0%.

1881 census count

191

Ranked #13,224

Modern count

317

2016, ranked #14,198

Peak year

1998

386 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Maddy had 191 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,224 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 317 in 2016, ranked #14,198.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 297 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Maddy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Maddy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Maddy 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 205 #10,223
1861 historical 172 #13,619
1881 historical 191 #13,224
1891 historical 246 #12,912
1901 historical 272 #12,440
1911 historical 297 #11,524
1997 modern 372 #11,621
1998 modern 386 #11,668
1999 modern 371 #12,101
2000 modern 355 #12,430
2001 modern 344 #12,526
2002 modern 353 #12,512
2003 modern 346 #12,511
2004 modern 352 #12,399
2005 modern 348 #12,410
2006 modern 346 #12,539
2007 modern 353 #12,521
2008 modern 346 #12,813
2009 modern 349 #12,995
2010 modern 346 #13,352
2011 modern 341 #13,341
2012 modern 321 #13,836
2013 modern 324 #13,961
2014 modern 339 #13,581
2015 modern 329 #13,800
2016 modern 317 #14,198

Geography

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Where Maddys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Eaton Socon with Wyboston and Bedwelty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Rotherham. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Eaton Socon with Wyboston Huntingdonshire
4 Bedwelty Monmouthshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 020 Herefordshire, County of
2 Herefordshire 010 Herefordshire, County of
3 Rhondda Cynon Taf 004 Rhondda Cynon Taf
4 Rotherham 020 Rotherham
5 Rhondda Cynon Taf 015 Rhondda Cynon Taf

Forenames

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First names often paired with Maddy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Maddy

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Maddy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Maddy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Maddy 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

Maddy is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Maddy falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Maddy

The surname Maddy is of English origin, derived from the medieval personal name Madoc, which itself is derived from the Welsh name Madog, meaning "good" or "fortunate". The name can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Shropshire, Cheshire, and Lancashire.

Maddy is a variant spelling of the more common Madoc or Maddox surnames, which can be found in early records and documents such as the Domesday Book of 1086. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Pipe Rolls of Shropshire from 1199, where a certain William Madoc is mentioned.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms, such as Modoc, Maduk, and Maddok, in records from counties like Cheshire and Lancashire. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the way the name was pronounced in different areas.

During the medieval period, the Maddy surname was often associated with places like Maddeley in Shropshire, and Maddock in Cheshire, suggesting a strong connection between the name and specific locations.

One notable individual bearing the Maddy surname was John Maddy, a 17th-century English clergyman and author, born in 1648 in Shropshire. Another was Thomas Maddy, a 19th-century English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire between 1830 and 1843.

In the United States, the Maddy surname can be traced back to early colonial times, with records showing individuals like Samuel Maddy, born in 1683 in Virginia, and Nathaniel Maddy, born in 1692 in Maryland.

Other notable individuals with the Maddy surname include William Maddy (1763-1832), an English painter known for his portraits and landscapes, and George Maddy (1844-1926), a British trade unionist and politician who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament for Walthamstow West from 1918 to 1922.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Maddy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Maddy 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. Herefordshire leads with 34 Maddys recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.74x.

County Total Index
Herefordshire 34 44.74x
Middlesex 28 1.51x
Glamorgan 23 7.13x
Bedfordshire 22 22.92x
Brecknockshire 20 53.97x
Monmouthshire 19 14.18x
Yorkshire 13 0.71x
Gloucestershire 7 1.93x
Norfolk 7 2.46x
Surrey 5 0.55x
Warwickshire 3 0.64x
Cardiganshire 2 4.42x
Carmarthenshire 2 2.56x
Lancashire 2 0.09x
Suffolk 2 0.89x
Durham 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Eaton Socon in Bedfordshire leads with 21 Maddys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1390.73x.

Place Total Index
Eaton Socon 21 1390.73x
Brightside Bierlow 9 24.99x
Islington London 9 5.01x
Gelligaer 8 108.55x
Llanvigan 8 2285.71x
Preston Wynne 7 6363.64x
Edvin Ralph 6 6000.00x
Down Hatherley 5 4166.67x
Hereford All Sts 5 143.68x
Llanblethian 5 1086.96x
Llanthewy Skirrid 5 7142.86x
Llanvillo 5 3571.43x
Llanwenarth Ultra 5 510.20x
Michaelchurch Escely 5 2500.00x
Mile End Old Town 5 17.09x
St Luke London 5 16.82x
Ystradyfodwg 5 17.66x
Bedwellty 4 16.91x
Bermondsey 4 7.25x
Hackney London 4 3.85x
Hunslet 4 13.97x
Linton In Bromyard 4 1212.12x
Swaffham 4 172.41x
Aston 3 2.33x
Llanigon 3 1304.35x
Lower Llanvrechva 3 227.27x
Beechamwell 2 1000.00x
Kensington London 2 1.94x
Llanarthney 2 169.49x
Llanddewi Aberarth 2 219.78x
Abbey Dore 1 294.12x
Aberystruth 1 8.47x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.24x
Bishopwearmouth 1 2.11x
Bosbury 1 158.73x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 8.25x
Burghill 1 116.28x
Chelsea London 1 1.79x
Chorlton Cum Hardy 1 68.49x
Coyty Lower 1 47.85x
Dorstone 1 357.14x
Fwythog 1 1666.67x
Goodrich 1 208.33x
Hay 1 72.46x
Hereford St Peter 1 49.26x
Hulme 1 2.18x
Ipswich St Margaret 1 13.05x
Llangenny 1 312.50x
Llansannor 1 833.33x
Llanthetty 1 312.50x
Llantrisant 1 12.30x
Llanvrynach 1 384.62x
Luton 1 6.02x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 3.22x
Mutford 1 400.00x
Newington 1 1.46x
Newport 1 15.65x
Norwich St Paul 1 58.48x
St George Hanover 1 4.13x
Swansea Town 1 3.78x
Tidenham 1 178.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Elizabeth 15
Ann 5
Jane 5
Alice 3
Sarah 3
Agnes 2
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Harriett 2
Martha 2
Sophia 2
(Mrs) 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Bertha 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Ester 1
Florence 1
Gwen 1
Hannah 1
Hellen 1
Joan 1
Joyce 1
Lucy 1
Margret 1
Marie 1
Matilda 1
Maud 1
Phillis 1
Rachel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 16
Thomas 10
William 10
George 7
James 7
Henry 5
Samuel 5
Edwin 4
Walter 4
Evan 3
Herbert 3
David 2
Frederick 2
Philo 2
Richd. 2
Tom 2
Wm. 2
... 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Bentley 1
Bertrand 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Jeremiah 1
Joseph 1
Lewis 1
Mary 1
Richard 1
Simon 1
Stephen 1
Watkin 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Maddy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Maddy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 191 people were recorded with the Maddy surname. That placed it at #13,224 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Maddy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 317 in 2016. That gives Maddy a modern rank of #14,198.

What does the Maddy surname mean?

A variant of the surname Maddock, derived from a nickname for the given name Matthew.

What does the Maddy map show?

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