NameCensus.

UK surname

Meadows

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near or worked in a meadow or grassland.

In the 1881 census there were 4,179 people recorded with the Meadows surname, ranking it #1,075 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,388, ranked #1,057, up from #1,075 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, Gateshead and Gloucester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Meadows is 6,610 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 52.9%.

1881 census count

4,179

Ranked #1,075

Modern count

6,388

2016, ranked #1,057

Peak year

2000

6,610 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Meadows had 4,179 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,075 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,388 in 2016, ranked #1,057.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,104 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Meadows surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Meadows surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Meadows 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 2,589 #1,139
1861 historical 2,583 #1,137
1881 historical 4,179 #1,075
1891 historical 4,548 #1,032
1901 historical 5,413 #1,031
1911 historical 6,104 #843
1997 modern 6,360 #1,034
1998 modern 6,523 #1,046
1999 modern 6,581 #1,049
2000 modern 6,610 #1,033
2001 modern 6,469 #1,032
2002 modern 6,553 #1,040
2003 modern 6,346 #1,055
2004 modern 6,316 #1,056
2005 modern 6,177 #1,064
2006 modern 6,204 #1,054
2007 modern 6,239 #1,059
2008 modern 6,245 #1,061
2009 modern 6,474 #1,048
2010 modern 6,601 #1,046
2011 modern 6,498 #1,051
2012 modern 6,321 #1,061
2013 modern 6,416 #1,064
2014 modern 6,462 #1,061
2015 modern 6,415 #1,055
2016 modern 6,388 #1,057

Geography

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Where Meadows' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes, Wigan and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan, Gateshead, Gloucester and Sefton. 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 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Wigan Lancashire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 024 Wigan
2 Gateshead 024 Gateshead
3 Gloucester 002 Gloucester
4 Sefton 002 Sefton
5 Wigan 026 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Meadows

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Meadows

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Meadows is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Meadows 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

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

Meaning and origin of Meadows

The surname Meadows is an English habitation name derived from the Old English word "maed" meaning meadow or tract of grass land. It was originally used as a locational identifier for someone who lived near or came from an area known for its meadows or grasslands.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Meadows can be traced back to the late 12th century in various county records and tax rolls across England. One notable early appearance is in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1199, which mentions a Richard de Medwe.

In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 lists a William de la Medewe in Oxfordshire. The Meadows spelling variation can be found in records from the 14th century onwards, such as the Poll Tax of Yorkshire from 1379 which includes a John Medows.

The name Meadows was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Staffordshire, and Gloucestershire, where many medieval records document individuals bearing this surname. Some of these early recordings include John atte Medwe (1327) in Somerset and William de la Medewe (1332) in Oxfordshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Meadows surname was Sir Philip Meadows (1626-1718), an English diplomat and politician who served as Envoy Extraordinary to Portugal and Sweden. Another notable figure was Sir Sydney Meadows (1701-1792), a British naval officer and colonial administrator who served as Governor of the Leeward Islands from 1742 to 1751.

Other historical figures with the Meadows surname include Thomas Taylor Meadows (1815-1868), a British sinologist and translator of Chinese literature, and Charles Meadows (1737-1821), an English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Justice of the Calcutta Supreme Court.

The name Meadows has also been associated with various place names across England, such as Meadows in Derbyshire, Meadows in Nottinghamshire, and Meadows in Staffordshire. These locations likely derived their names from the presence of meadowlands or grasslands in the area.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Meadows families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Meadows 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 880 Meadows' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.82x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 880 1.82x
Suffolk 417 8.38x
Middlesex 403 0.99x
Northamptonshire 347 9.03x
Gloucestershire 284 3.54x
Surrey 215 1.08x
Leicestershire 150 3.31x
Kent 128 0.92x
Warwickshire 126 1.22x
Essex 125 1.55x
Norfolk 121 1.93x
Yorkshire 115 0.28x
Rutland 90 30.00x
Cheshire 87 0.96x
Lincolnshire 80 1.22x
Huntingdonshire 70 8.63x
Worcestershire 69 1.29x
Staffordshire 54 0.39x
Nottinghamshire 49 0.89x
Buckinghamshire 45 1.82x
Cambridgeshire 39 1.51x
Hampshire 31 0.37x
Oxfordshire 23 0.91x
Bedfordshire 21 0.99x
Berkshire 21 0.68x
Durham 21 0.17x
Derbyshire 19 0.30x
Sussex 19 0.28x
Northumberland 18 0.30x
Glamorgan 17 0.24x
Monmouthshire 15 0.51x
Orkney 12 2.67x
Herefordshire 11 0.66x
Somerset 9 0.14x
Devon 8 0.09x
Cornwall 7 0.15x
Shropshire 7 0.20x
Dorset 6 0.22x
Aberdeenshire 5 0.13x
Hertfordshire 5 0.18x
Wiltshire 4 0.11x
Angus 3 0.08x
Brecknockshire 3 0.37x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.12x
Cumberland 2 0.06x
Isle of Man 2 0.26x
Channel Islands 1 0.08x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x
Royal Navy 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hindley in Lancashire leads with 117 Meadows' recorded in 1881 and an index of 56.61x.

Place Total Index
Hindley 117 56.61x
Kings Sutton 74 433.51x
Westleigh 60 54.50x
Aston 55 1.94x
Leicester St Margaret 48 4.35x
Everton 47 3.04x
Lambeth 41 1.15x
North Meols 40 8.43x
Pemberton 39 20.18x
Toxteth Park 38 2.31x
Camberwell 37 1.42x
Liverpool 36 1.22x
St Pancras London 35 1.06x
Longney 31 523.65x
Great Yarmouth 29 5.57x
Birmingham 28 0.82x
Great Meolse 28 495.58x
Ince In Makerfield 28 12.41x
Bethnal Green London 26 1.47x
Brandeston 26 463.46x
Blackburn 25 1.94x
West Ham 25 1.40x
Bermondsey 24 1.97x
Langham 24 251.57x
Croydon 23 2.08x
Islington London 23 0.58x
Litherland 23 22.69x
Mile End Old Town 23 3.57x
Blackrod 22 36.52x
Gloucester St Nicholas 22 59.30x
Ipswich St Mathew 22 15.78x
Shoreditch London 22 1.24x
Warboys 22 93.86x
Greenwich 21 3.23x
St George Hanover 21 3.94x
West Derby 21 1.48x
Braunston 20 369.69x
Glaphorn 20 389.86x
Hammersmith London 20 1.99x
Peterborough 20 7.19x
Chelsea London 19 1.54x
Deptford St Paul 19 1.77x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 19 12.96x
Hackney London 19 0.83x
Holy Trinity 19 1.95x
Little Oakley 18 1005.59x
St Ives 18 42.79x
Wigan 18 2.66x
Windle 18 6.60x
Battersea 17 1.13x
Elmsett 17 281.46x
Ipswich St Clement 17 13.44x
Skelmersdale 17 21.04x
Atherton 16 9.07x
Hendon 16 10.89x
Newport Pagnell 16 30.98x
Standish With Langtree 16 26.80x
Thrapston 16 82.86x
Uppingham 16 44.74x
Ipswich St Margaret 15 8.88x
Leicester St Mary 15 4.10x
Stoke Orchard 15 617.28x
Stratford On Avon 15 26.25x
Tichmarsh 15 115.92x
Aldringham 14 195.80x
Chillesford 14 428.13x
Kirkdale 14 1.72x
Lowick 14 254.08x
Raunds 14 35.78x
Basford 13 5.12x
Formby 13 23.68x
Kensington London 13 0.57x
Paston 13 79.61x
Penge 13 4.98x
Rainhill 13 41.85x
Sefton 13 242.09x
Tynemouth 13 3.99x
Lowestoft 12 5.11x
Paddington London 12 0.80x
St Andrewthe Less 12 4.06x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 263
Elizabeth 184
Sarah 119
Alice 90
Ellen 88
Ann 87
Jane 80
Emma 74
Eliza 61
Annie 52
Margaret 46
Hannah 44
Emily 42
Martha 36
Florence 29
Harriet 29
Louisa 29
Susan 26
Edith 25
Esther 24
Ada 23
Anne 23
Kate 23
Charlotte 22
Fanny 22
Amelia 21
Caroline 21
Frances 20
Lucy 20
Maria 19
Catherine 18
Harriett 18
Rebecca 16
Clara 14
Anna 13
Agnes 12
Gertrude 12
Jessie 12
Matilda 12
Lydia 11
Elizth. 10
Ethel 10
Susannah 10
Laura 9
Julia 8
Rose 8
Amy 7
Sophia 7
Eleanor 6
Isabella 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 282
John 237
George 152
Thomas 133
James 112
Henry 105
Charles 71
Richard 49
Joseph 48
Arthur 45
Robert 45
Frederick 44
Samuel 44
Walter 36
Alfred 31
Harry 29
Albert 27
Edward 27
Edwin 20
Herbert 20
Thos. 19
Benjamin 18
Ernest 18
Wm. 16
Francis 15
Peter 15
Frank 13
David 8
Isaac 8
Fredk. 7
Christopher 6
Earnest 6
Paul 6
Amos 5
Daniel 5
Elijah 5
Fred 5
Geo. 5
Horace 5
Jesse 5
Nathaniel 5
Reuben 5
Richd. 5
Sidney 5
Sydney 5
Edwd. 4
Roger 4
Stephen 4
Tom 4
Willm. 4

FAQ

Meadows surname: questions and answers

How common was the Meadows surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,179 people were recorded with the Meadows surname. That placed it at #1,075 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Meadows surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,388 in 2016. That gives Meadows a modern rank of #1,057.

What does the Meadows surname mean?

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near or worked in a meadow or grassland.

What does the Meadows map show?

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