NameCensus.

UK surname

Mallard

A surname derived from the Old French "malart," referring to a wild drake or male duck.

In the 1881 census there were 774 people recorded with the Mallard surname, ranking it #4,784 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 652, ranked #8,163, down from #4,784 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Duston and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wellingborough, South Northamptonshire and Tonbridge and Malling.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mallard is 1,015 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 15.8%.

1881 census count

774

Ranked #4,784

Modern count

652

2016, ranked #8,163

Peak year

1911

1,015 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mallard had 774 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,784 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 652 in 2016, ranked #8,163.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,015 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mallard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mallard surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mallard 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 509 #4,914
1861 historical 562 #4,687
1881 historical 774 #4,784
1891 historical 799 #5,033
1901 historical 934 #4,998
1911 historical 1,015 #4,487
1997 modern 762 #6,796
1998 modern 764 #6,999
1999 modern 774 #6,970
2000 modern 753 #7,078
2001 modern 729 #7,128
2002 modern 747 #7,131
2003 modern 726 #7,175
2004 modern 718 #7,237
2005 modern 678 #7,534
2006 modern 685 #7,500
2007 modern 686 #7,549
2008 modern 685 #7,609
2009 modern 712 #7,539
2010 modern 711 #7,692
2011 modern 695 #7,733
2012 modern 682 #7,772
2013 modern 693 #7,790
2014 modern 684 #7,925
2015 modern 667 #8,026
2016 modern 652 #8,163

Geography

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Where Mallards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Duston, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Kidderminster and Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wellingborough, South Northamptonshire, Tonbridge and Malling, Daventry and Northampton. 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 Duston Northamptonshire
3 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
4 Kidderminster Worcestershire
5 Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wellingborough 009 Wellingborough
2 South Northamptonshire 002 South Northamptonshire
3 Tonbridge and Malling 007 Tonbridge and Malling
4 Daventry 002 Daventry
5 Northampton 012 Northampton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mallard

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mallard

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Mallard 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

Mallard 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

Mallard falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mallard

The surname Mallard originates from the Old French word "malart," which means "wild drake" or "male duck." This name has its roots in the northern regions of France, particularly in the Normandy region, dating back to the 11th century.

The Mallard surname was primarily used as a nickname or a descriptive name, indicating that the initial bearer of the name may have had some physical or behavioral resemblance to a wild duck. It was common practice during the Middle Ages to assign surnames based on occupations, personal characteristics, or places of origin.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Mallard surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Malard," suggesting that it was likely brought to England by Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, the surname Mallard was recorded in various spellings, such as Malard, Mallarde, and Maillard, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling during that period. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Buckinghamshire in England.

Notable individuals with the surname Mallard include:

1. John Mallard (c. 1460 - 1536), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Headmaster of Eton College from 1511 to 1535. 2. Francois Mallard (c. 1590 - 1653), a French explorer and trader who was one of the first Europeans to navigate the St. Lawrence River in Canada. 3. Sir William Mallard (c. 1640 - 1715), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Malmesbury in the late 17th century. 4. Marie-Anne Mallard (1765 - 1835), a French painter and miniaturist known for her portraits of aristocratic families during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. 5. Charles Mallard (1787 - 1864), a British engineer and inventor who patented several improvements to steam locomotive designs, contributing to the development of early railway technology.

The Mallard surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Mallard's Green in Oxfordshire, England, and Mallard Creek in North Carolina, United States, suggesting the presence of families bearing this surname in those locations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mallard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mallard 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. Northamptonshire leads with 177 Mallards recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.89x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 177 24.89x
Worcestershire 111 11.24x
Middlesex 76 1.01x
Gloucestershire 51 3.44x
Warwickshire 39 2.05x
Hampshire 35 2.26x
Lancashire 34 0.38x
Wiltshire 31 4.64x
Yorkshire 26 0.35x
Cheshire 24 1.44x
Somerset 23 1.89x
Leicestershire 21 2.51x
Devon 16 1.02x
Hertfordshire 15 2.88x
Surrey 14 0.38x
Oxfordshire 10 2.14x
Staffordshire 10 0.39x
Kent 9 0.35x
Berkshire 8 1.41x
Sussex 8 0.63x
Dorset 7 1.41x
Durham 7 0.31x
Shropshire 7 1.07x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.66x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.29x
Bedfordshire 2 0.51x
Monmouthshire 2 0.37x
Rutland 2 3.60x
Essex 1 0.07x
Glamorgan 1 0.08x
Midlothian 1 0.10x
Royal Navy 1 1.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kidderminster Borough in Worcestershire leads with 45 Mallards recorded in 1881 and an index of 77.88x.

Place Total Index
Kidderminster Borough 45 77.88x
Blisworth 33 1204.38x
Oldbury 24 49.41x
Birmingham 20 3.15x
Duston 17 263.57x
Moulton 15 379.75x
Claines 14 51.68x
Corsham 13 133.20x
Portsea 13 4.28x
Ecton 12 750.00x
Manchester 12 2.97x
Mears Ashby 12 923.08x
Northampton Priory St 12 28.12x
Wootton 12 568.72x
Yatton Keynell 12 882.35x
Aston 11 2.10x
Hemsworth 11 255.81x
Kettering 11 38.25x
Leicester St Margaret 11 5.38x
Northampton St Sepulchre 11 30.41x
Plymouth Charles The 11 15.87x
South Hamlet 10 109.05x
Bedminster 9 7.87x
Bristol St Augustine 9 37.61x
Kidderminster Foreign 9 64.47x
Northampton St Giles 9 33.22x
St George Martyr 9 70.64x
Sywell 9 1475.41x
Burton Overy 8 727.27x
Chester St Mary On Hill 8 55.87x
Hampstead London 8 6.79x
Holdenhurst 8 19.69x
Chester St John Baptist 7 23.33x
Eastbourne 7 11.94x
Everton 7 2.45x
Hemel Hempstead 7 29.81x
Lower Mitton 7 80.46x
Portbury 7 344.83x
Snaith Cowick 7 156.25x
Stockton On Tees 7 6.46x
Burntwood Edial 6 36.81x
Chester Holy Trinity 6 76.73x
Cookham 6 33.92x
Dawley 6 25.24x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 6 22.12x
Lydney 6 78.43x
St Clement Danes 6 49.02x
St George Hanover 6 6.08x
Alverstoke 5 8.91x
Broughton In Salford 5 6.10x
Holwell 5 1612.90x
Lower Swell 5 476.19x
Mile End Old Town 5 4.19x
Portland 5 18.74x
Ribbesford 5 60.83x
Southampton St John 5 314.47x
St Giles In Fields 5 19.18x
St Pancras London 5 0.82x
Wellingborough 5 13.99x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 4 2.87x
Bromsgrove 4 12.04x
Fulham London 4 3.65x
Lambeth 4 0.61x
Leamington Priors 4 8.53x
Long Ashton 4 66.34x
Loose 4 105.54x
Minster Lovell 4 303.03x
Northampton All Sts 4 16.58x
Rushden 4 42.06x
Stoke Newington London 4 6.79x
Bethnal Green London 3 0.91x
Bristol St George 3 4.38x
Brixworth 3 98.68x
Camberwell 3 0.62x
Grittleton 3 375.00x
Northchurch 3 53.96x
Nottingham St Mary 3 1.14x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 2.47x
St Marylebone London 3 0.74x
Tintwistle 3 33.63x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 48
Elizabeth 36
Sarah 28
Eliza 20
Emily 17
Ellen 12
Jane 12
Alice 10
Charlotte 10
Ann 8
Harriet 8
Louisa 8
Clara 7
Hannah 7
Ada 6
Annie 6
Edith 6
Emma 6
Amy 5
Caroline 5
Fanny 5
Margaret 5
Martha 5
Amelia 4
Florence 4
Kate 4
Maria 4
Minnie 4
Rebecca 4
Rose 4
Catherine 3
Esther 3
Agnes 2
Bertha 2
Cealia 2
Eleanor 2
Ethel 2
Frances 2
Gertrude 2
Harriett 2
Infant 2
Lizzie 2
May 2
Milicent 2
Prudence 2
Rachel 2
Rhoda 2
Sidney 2
Diana 1
Eliz. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 43
John 39
George 32
Thomas 25
Henry 22
Joseph 20
Charles 18
James 14
Walter 11
Frederick 10
Robert 10
Alfred 8
Arthur 8
Edward 8
Richard 7
Albert 6
Samuel 6
Benjamin 5
Ernest 5
Harry 5
Frank 4
Sidney 4
Stephen 4
Edmund 3
Edwin 3
Herbert 3
David 2
Fred 2
Gad 2
Jabez 2
Wm. 2
Bernard 1
Christopher 1
Claude 1
Cloe 1
Earnest 1
F. 1
Francis 1
Fredk.J. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Lewis 1
Mark 1
Michael 1
Nathaniel 1
Orlando 1
Owen 1
Patrick 1
Peter 1
Wm.Thos. 1

FAQ

Mallard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mallard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 774 people were recorded with the Mallard surname. That placed it at #4,784 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mallard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 652 in 2016. That gives Mallard a modern rank of #8,163.

What does the Mallard surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French "malart," referring to a wild drake or male duck.

What does the Mallard map show?

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