NameCensus.

UK surname

Meader

An occupational surname for one who mows or harvests hay or grass.

In the 1881 census there were 284 people recorded with the Meader surname, ranking it #10,100 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 453, ranked #10,748, down from #10,100 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newchurch, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mendip, Swindon and Caerphilly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Meader is 525 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 59.5%.

1881 census count

284

Ranked #10,100

Modern count

453

2016, ranked #10,748

Peak year

1911

525 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Meader had 284 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,100 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 453 in 2016, ranked #10,748.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 525 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Meader surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Meader surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Meader 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 227 #9,448
1861 historical 235 #10,427
1881 historical 284 #10,100
1891 historical 345 #9,944
1901 historical 457 #8,610
1911 historical 525 #7,551
1997 modern 510 #9,172
1998 modern 525 #9,254
1999 modern 513 #9,478
2000 modern 499 #9,653
2001 modern 482 #9,717
2002 modern 498 #9,664
2003 modern 467 #9,964
2004 modern 478 #9,823
2005 modern 458 #10,077
2006 modern 463 #10,015
2007 modern 453 #10,281
2008 modern 452 #10,369
2009 modern 466 #10,386
2010 modern 467 #10,570
2011 modern 470 #10,432
2012 modern 470 #10,332
2013 modern 469 #10,492
2014 modern 464 #10,645
2015 modern 456 #10,715
2016 modern 453 #10,748

Geography

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Where Meaders are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newchurch, London parishes, St Pancras, Swanage and Dorchester Holy Trinity, Fordington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mendip, Swindon, Caerphilly, Test Valley and Poole. 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 Newchurch Hampshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Swanage Dorset
5 Dorchester Holy Trinity, Fordington Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mendip 013 Mendip
2 Swindon 005 Swindon
3 Caerphilly 011 Caerphilly
4 Test Valley 012 Test Valley
5 Poole 008 Poole

Forenames

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First names often paired with Meader

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Meader

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Meader is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Meader is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Meader falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Meader is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Meader

The surname Meader originated in England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "mæde," meaning meadow, suggesting that the earliest bearers of the name lived near a meadow or worked as meadhands.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England compiled by order of William the Conqueror, there is an entry for a place called "Meadrow" in Somerset, which may be connected to the Meader surname's origins.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a William Meder. The surname also appears in various forms, such as Meder, Meader, and Meeder, in medieval records across different counties in England.

In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir John Meader (c. 1510-1585), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Devon. He served as the Sheriff of Devon in 1568 and was involved in various legal disputes over property ownership.

Another prominent figure with the Meader surname was Robert Meader (1608-1675), an early Puritan settler in New England who arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638. He was granted land in what is now Ipswich, Massachusetts, and his descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of New England.

William Meader (1683-1756), a descendant of Robert Meader, was a prominent farmer and landowner in Stratham, New Hampshire. He served as a selectman and was involved in the local militia during the French and Indian Wars.

In the 19th century, John Meader (1801-1879) was a notable figure in the shipbuilding industry in Maine. He owned a shipyard and was involved in the construction of numerous vessels, contributing significantly to the local economy.

Another individual of note was Mary Meader (1847-1924), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in Vermont. She founded the Brattleboro Domestic Seminary, one of the earliest educational institutions for women in the state, and was actively involved in the women's suffrage movement.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Meader families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Meader 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. Middlesex leads with 68 Meaders recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.45x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 68 2.45x
Dorset 56 30.69x
Hampshire 53 9.30x
Surrey 48 3.54x
Kent 27 2.85x
Essex 16 2.92x
Staffordshire 5 0.53x
Berkshire 3 1.44x
Durham 2 0.24x
Gloucestershire 2 0.37x
Somerset 2 0.45x
Yorkshire 2 0.07x
Royal Navy 1 3.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Newington in Surrey leads with 17 Meaders recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.55x.

Place Total Index
Newington 17 16.55x
Ramsgate 13 83.98x
Portsea 12 10.75x
Camberwell 11 6.19x
St Pancras London 11 4.92x
Swanage 11 488.89x
West Ham 11 9.08x
Northwood 10 123.30x
St George Bloomsbury 9 56.43x
Brading 7 92.47x
Dorchester All Sts 7 804.60x
Dorchester St Peter 7 530.30x
Rotherhithe 7 20.38x
St Luke London 7 15.70x
Ventnor 7 129.15x
Bromley London 6 9.81x
Lambeth 6 2.48x
Poplar London 6 11.44x
Sturminster Marshall 6 789.47x
Wimborne 6 271.49x
Bethnal Green London 5 4.14x
Burslem 5 18.60x
Fordington 5 127.23x
Hougham 5 88.65x
Ryde 5 40.85x
Stalbridge 5 289.02x
Sturminster 5 282.49x
Walthamstow 5 25.32x
Enfield 4 21.93x
Gillingham 4 20.45x
St Helens 4 96.62x
Carisbrooke 3 37.93x
Clapham 3 8.63x
Hackney London 3 1.92x
Islington London 3 1.11x
Mile End Old Town 3 6.84x
St George Hanover 3 8.27x
Ardington 2 555.56x
Blandford Forum 2 55.56x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 2 5.58x
Kensington London 2 1.29x
Milton In Gravesend 2 14.06x
Sculcoates 2 4.58x
Shoreditch London 2 1.66x
Southampton All Sts 2 20.45x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 3.58x
St Andrew Holborn 2 21.23x
Stapleton 2 19.34x
Wandsworth 2 7.47x
Acton 1 6.14x
Bexley 1 11.92x
Boxley 1 68.49x
Burnham 1 29.33x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.52x
Godshill 1 75.76x
Maidstone 1 3.54x
Meare 1 74.63x
Newbury 1 14.97x
Newchurch 1 77.52x
Poole St James 1 14.58x
Puddletown 1 89.29x
Royal Navy 1 3.53x
Southampton St Mary 1 2.79x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Elizabeth 14
Emma 7
Jane 7
Alice 6
Ann 6
Louisa 6
Annie 5
Sarah 5
Ada 4
Caroline 4
Eliza 4
Ellen 4
Fanny 4
Edith 3
Hannah 3
Clara 2
Emily 2
Flora 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Lucy 2
Adelaide 1
Agnes 1
Charlotte 1
E. 1
Ellenor 1
Ethell 1
Florence 1
Grace 1
H.Elizabeth 1
Lily 1
Linda 1
Lousia 1
M.Ellen 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Maude 1
Parneila 1
Rachael 1
Rebecca 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Selina 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Susanna 1
Susannah 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Henry 17
George 16
William 16
John 12
Thomas 12
James 11
Charles 8
Walter 6
Samuel 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Edgar 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Jesse 2
Joseph 2
Steven 2
A. 1
Abraham 1
Archibald 1
Arthur 1
Charley 1
Ebenezer 1
Edwin 1
Eustace 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
H.J.Beasant 1
Joshua 1
Josiah 1
Phillip 1
Phylis 1
Robert 1
Stephen 1
T.B.C. 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Meader surname: questions and answers

How common was the Meader surname in 1881?

In 1881, 284 people were recorded with the Meader surname. That placed it at #10,100 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Meader surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 453 in 2016. That gives Meader a modern rank of #10,748.

What does the Meader surname mean?

An occupational surname for one who mows or harvests hay or grass.

What does the Meader map show?

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