NameCensus.

UK surname

Madge

A surname derived from the medieval given name Matilda or Maud.

In the 1881 census there were 945 people recorded with the Madge surname, ranking it #4,082 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,109, ranked #5,300, down from #4,082 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) and Tormoham with Torquay. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Somerset, South Kesteven and West Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Madge is 1,270 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 17.4%.

1881 census count

945

Ranked #4,082

Modern count

1,109

2016, ranked #5,300

Peak year

1911

1,270 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Madge had 945 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,082 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,109 in 2016, ranked #5,300.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,270 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Madge surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Madge surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Madge 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 546 #4,628
1861 historical 634 #4,226
1881 historical 945 #4,082
1891 historical 1,001 #4,147
1901 historical 1,134 #4,280
1911 historical 1,270 #3,738
1997 modern 1,186 #4,755
1998 modern 1,208 #4,857
1999 modern 1,216 #4,865
2000 modern 1,218 #4,833
2001 modern 1,160 #4,955
2002 modern 1,146 #5,104
2003 modern 1,144 #5,014
2004 modern 1,118 #5,117
2005 modern 1,115 #5,081
2006 modern 1,115 #5,085
2007 modern 1,097 #5,199
2008 modern 1,075 #5,315
2009 modern 1,100 #5,316
2010 modern 1,157 #5,209
2011 modern 1,163 #5,123
2012 modern 1,120 #5,207
2013 modern 1,138 #5,221
2014 modern 1,160 #5,164
2015 modern 1,127 #5,241
2016 modern 1,109 #5,300

Geography

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Where Madges are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), Tormoham with Torquay, London parishes and Exbourne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Somerset, South Kesteven, West Devon, The Vale of Glamorgan and Carmarthenshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) Devon
3 Tormoham with Torquay Devon
4 London parishes London 3
5 Exbourne Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Somerset 010 South Somerset
2 South Kesteven 009 South Kesteven
3 West Devon 001 West Devon
4 The Vale of Glamorgan 006 Vale of Glamorgan
5 Carmarthenshire 010 Carmarthenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Madge

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Madge

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Madge is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Madge is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Madge falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Madge

The surname Madge is of English origin, derived from the medieval personal name Madge, a diminutive form of the name Matilda. Matilda itself is derived from the Germanic elements "maht" meaning "might" and "hild" meaning "battle." The name was introduced to England by the Normans after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Madge was a relatively common name in medieval England, and it appears in various historical records from that period. One early recorded instance is in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mentions a "Matilda Madge." The surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, referring to a "John Madge."

The earliest known bearer of the surname Madge was a landowner named Roger Madge, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. Another early bearer was William Madge, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1399.

Over the centuries, the surname has been found in various spellings, including Madge, Madgie, and Madgy. It has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Madge's Hill in Warwickshire and Madge's Farm in Oxfordshire.

Notable individuals with the surname Madge include:

1. Sir Thomas Madge (c. 1575-1634), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1628. 2. Henry Madge (1698-1784), an English clockmaker and inventor, known for developing the grasshopper escapement mechanism for clocks. 3. Mary Madge (1761-1843), an English writer and poet, known for her work "The Chimes of Poetry" published in 1834. 4. Sir Charles Madge (1832-1917), a British politician and barrister, who served as Solicitor-General for England and Wales from 1892 to 1895. 5. Charles Humphrey Madge (1912-1996), an English sociologist and poet, known for his work on mass observation and his book "The Intellectual Worker" published in 1961.

The surname Madge has a long and distinguished history, with roots that can be traced back to medieval England. While not among the most common surnames, it has been borne by notable individuals in various fields throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Madge families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Madge 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. Devon leads with 539 Madges recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.09x.

County Total Index
Devon 539 28.09x
Middlesex 74 0.80x
Glamorgan 51 3.18x
Surrey 44 0.98x
Hampshire 35 1.85x
Somerset 35 2.36x
Gloucestershire 30 1.66x
Lancashire 26 0.24x
Warwickshire 22 0.95x
Wiltshire 12 1.47x
Cumberland 10 1.26x
Essex 9 0.49x
Norfolk 8 0.56x
Northamptonshire 7 0.81x
Yorkshire 7 0.08x
Worcestershire 6 0.50x
Carmarthenshire 4 1.03x
Cheshire 4 0.20x
Hertfordshire 4 0.63x
Berkshire 3 0.43x
Cornwall 3 0.29x
Royal Navy 3 2.73x
Lincolnshire 2 0.14x
Monmouthshire 2 0.30x
Derbyshire 1 0.07x
Herefordshire 1 0.26x
Kent 1 0.03x
Leicestershire 1 0.10x
Oxfordshire 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. Crediton in Devon leads with 48 Madges recorded in 1881 and an index of 264.03x.

Place Total Index
Crediton 48 264.03x
Tormoham 34 41.88x
Meeth 28 3783.78x
Plymouth St Andrew 28 18.94x
Portsea 22 5.94x
Plymouth Charles The 19 22.47x
Exeter St Sidwell 18 40.96x
Weston Super Mare 18 48.04x
Bideford 16 77.86x
Wolborough 16 65.95x
Bow 15 583.66x
Lambeth 15 1.87x
Swansea Town 15 11.40x
Paignton 14 95.89x
St Marylebone London 14 2.84x
Birmingham 13 1.68x
Llanguick 13 45.20x
Exbourne 12 1008.40x
Clase 11 18.43x
Exeter Heavitree 11 76.87x
Honiton 11 103.58x
Hendon 9 27.13x
Islington London 9 1.01x
Ottery St Mary 9 71.49x
West Derby 9 2.81x
West Ham 9 2.24x
Aylesbeare 8 287.77x
Battersea 8 2.36x
Bristol St Michael 8 51.61x
Corston 8 661.16x
Dowland 8 1600.00x
Goodleigh 8 1012.66x
Sandford 8 170.58x
Sydenham Damerel 8 540.54x
Twickenham 8 20.24x
Wilton 8 138.65x
Alcester 7 91.26x
Beaford 7 376.34x
Exeter St Edmund 7 169.08x
Exeter St George The 7 330.19x
Kingsbridge 7 145.23x
Roborough 7 551.18x
Thorverton 7 239.73x
Totnes 7 62.39x
Awliscombe 6 355.03x
Colebrooke 6 267.86x
Hammersmith London 6 2.64x
Kings Nympton 6 303.03x
Liverpool 6 0.90x
Moulton 6 124.48x
Newton Abbot St Nicholas 6 152.67x
Norwich St Peter 6 64.52x
Pinhoe 6 348.84x
Preston Quarter 6 26.98x
Stroud 6 17.06x
Tooting Graveney 6 48.00x
Westbury On Trym 6 9.80x
Westminster St James 6 6.33x
Bransford 5 617.28x
Cardiff St Mary 5 5.66x
Dolton 5 210.97x
Hatherleigh 5 104.82x
Jacobstowe 5 694.44x
Okehampton 5 69.06x
Sheepwash 5 381.68x
St Anne Soho London 5 9.50x
Stoke Damerel 5 3.72x
Topsham 5 55.19x
Uphill 5 245.10x
Bootle Cum Linacre 4 4.60x
Coldridge 4 275.86x
Exeter St David 4 24.41x
Exeter St Mary Major 4 34.57x
Highampton 4 425.53x
Millom 4 16.45x
Pembrey 4 22.38x
Shoreditch London 4 1.00x
Stoke Gabriel 4 197.04x
Swindon 4 6.33x
Walkhampton 4 217.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 70
John 63
Thomas 29
James 28
George 20
Henry 16
Samuel 16
Charles 15
Frederick 15
Richard 15
Walter 11
Arthur 10
Robert 9
Ernest 8
Philip 7
Edwin 6
Joseph 6
Albert 5
Alfred 5
Harry 5
Edward 4
Giles 4
Sidney 4
Frank 3
Fred 3
Herbert 3
Benjamin 2
Edgar 2
Frances 2
Francis 2
Jno. 2
Lewis 2
Mark 2
Matthew 2
Percy 2
Phillip 2
Silas 2
Willm. 2
Wm. 2
David 1
Donald 1
E.J. 1
Earnest 1
Fran.H. 1
Frederic 1
Fredk.T. 1
Fredrick 1
Louis 1
Luriaid 1
Wyndham 1

FAQ

Madge surname: questions and answers

How common was the Madge surname in 1881?

In 1881, 945 people were recorded with the Madge surname. That placed it at #4,082 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Madge surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,109 in 2016. That gives Madge a modern rank of #5,300.

What does the Madge surname mean?

A surname derived from the medieval given name Matilda or Maud.

What does the Madge map show?

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