NameCensus.

UK surname

Medd

A surname derived from a place name, possibly a location with a meadow or meadows.

In the 1881 census there were 543 people recorded with the Medd surname, ranking it #6,354 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 595, ranked #8,776, down from #6,354 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, Gateshead and Leeds. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ryedale, Stockton-on-Tees and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Medd is 751 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9.6%.

1881 census count

543

Ranked #6,354

Modern count

595

2016, ranked #8,776

Peak year

1911

751 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Medd had 543 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,354 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 595 in 2016, ranked #8,776.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 751 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Medd surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Medd surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Medd 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 365 #6,492
1861 historical 434 #5,933
1881 historical 543 #6,354
1891 historical 617 #6,250
1901 historical 618 #6,904
1911 historical 751 #5,736
1997 modern 594 #8,208
1998 modern 611 #8,288
1999 modern 628 #8,179
2000 modern 626 #8,179
2001 modern 622 #8,062
2002 modern 601 #8,453
2003 modern 585 #8,479
2004 modern 591 #8,442
2005 modern 579 #8,482
2006 modern 592 #8,368
2007 modern 592 #8,442
2008 modern 577 #8,660
2009 modern 604 #8,557
2010 modern 606 #8,723
2011 modern 600 #8,696
2012 modern 602 #8,584
2013 modern 601 #8,741
2014 modern 606 #8,743
2015 modern 592 #8,815
2016 modern 595 #8,776

Geography

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Where Medds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, Gateshead, Leeds, Malton, Old and Danby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ryedale, Stockton-on-Tees, Scarborough and Sunderland. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Malton, Old Yorkshire, North Riding
5 Danby Yorkshire, North Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ryedale 003 Ryedale
2 Stockton-on-Tees 021 Stockton-on-Tees
3 Scarborough 013 Scarborough
4 Sunderland 036 Sunderland
5 Scarborough 002 Scarborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Medd

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Medd

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Medd is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Medd is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Medd falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Medd

The surname MEDD is of English origin, first appearing in records from the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "mede," meaning meadow or grassland. This suggests that the name likely originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near or worked on a meadow.

The earliest recorded instance of the MEDD surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a John Mede is listed. This is likely an early spelling variation of the name. Other early spellings include Meade, Mead, and Meads, all of which stem from the same Old English root.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several entries for places with names containing the word "mede," indicating that the name may have had a locational origin in some cases. For example, the village of Medeham in Norfolk is recorded, which could have given rise to the surname for someone hailing from that area.

One notable bearer of the MEDD surname was William Mede (1585-1638), an English biblical scholar and theologian. He was a renowned Calvinist and wrote several influential works on biblical interpretation and theology.

Another prominent figure was Joseph Mede (1586-1638), a fellow English scholar and theologian, who was also a Calvinist and wrote extensively on biblical prophecy and eschatology.

In the 17th century, there was a John Mede (1592-1662), an English physician and author who wrote several medical treatises and was an early advocate for the use of opium in medicine.

During the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was Richard Mead (1673-1754), an English physician and influential figure in the field of medicine. He served as the personal physician to King George II and was a pioneer in the study of infectious diseases.

In more recent history, there was Walter Russell Mead (1846-1920), an American businessman and entrepreneur who founded the Mead Paper Company, which became a major producer of paper products in the United States.

Throughout its history, the MEDD surname has been found primarily in England, particularly in counties such as Worcestershire, Norfolk, and Cambridgeshire, where the name likely originated from various place names and locales connected to meadows or grasslands.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Medd families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Medd 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. Yorkshire leads with 406 Medds recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.76x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 406 7.76x
Durham 41 2.61x
Lancashire 22 0.35x
Lincolnshire 17 2.01x
Gloucestershire 10 0.97x
Middlesex 10 0.19x
Warwickshire 7 0.53x
Aberdeenshire 6 1.23x
Dorset 6 1.73x
Buckinghamshire 5 1.57x
Northumberland 3 0.38x
Derbyshire 2 0.24x
Norfolk 2 0.25x
Berkshire 1 0.25x
Devon 1 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.14x
Surrey 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 43 Medds recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.56x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 43 14.56x
Scarborough 27 56.82x
Holy Trinity 16 12.72x
Gateshead 15 12.76x
Weaverthorpe 15 1293.10x
Bilsdale Midcable 14 1147.54x
Middlesbrough 13 19.09x
Danby 12 568.72x
New Malton 12 192.00x
Bootle Cum Linacre 11 22.12x
Pickering 11 167.17x
Whorlton 11 894.31x
Sculcoates 10 12.06x
Lofthouse 9 115.24x
Bridlington 8 66.83x
Gate Fulford 8 65.52x
Wetherby 8 234.60x
Birmingham 7 1.58x
Bishopwearmouth 7 5.19x
Easingwold 7 189.70x
Helmsley 7 250.00x
Ormesby 7 49.82x
St Martin Lincoln 7 89.40x
Acomb 6 219.78x
Bradford 6 20.47x
Corfe Castle 6 186.92x
Hamsterley 6 674.16x
Marton In Middlesbrough 6 314.14x
Old Malton 6 182.37x
St Marylebone London 6 2.13x
Sutton St Mary 6 75.19x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 5 5.47x
Linthorpe 5 16.02x
North Cerney 5 442.48x
Sutton Stoneferry 5 33.42x
Whitby 5 28.38x
Wilton In Pickering 5 1666.67x
Wombleton 5 943.40x
Bradford 4 3.16x
Bransdale West Side 4 1142.86x
Guisbrough 4 35.00x
Sherburn 4 93.02x
Tudhoe 4 29.11x
Twickenham 4 17.68x
Whitchurch 4 305.34x
York St Maurice 4 40.61x
Amble 3 84.03x
Appleton Le Moors 3 555.56x
Barton Le Street 3 1000.00x
Eston 3 26.34x
Faceby 3 967.74x
Fimber 3 909.09x
Gloucester St Nicholas 3 62.63x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 3 4.41x
Ingleby Arncliffe 3 545.45x
Marske In Guisbrough 3 32.29x
North Newbald 3 254.24x
Norton 3 51.99x
Shipton In Pocklington 3 389.61x
Wakefield 3 7.47x
York All Sts Peasholme 3 352.94x
Bempton 2 357.14x
Beverley St Martin 2 22.91x
Didsbury 2 24.07x
Ditchingham 2 103.09x
Falsgrave 2 25.94x
Follifoot 2 222.22x
Foston 2 1111.11x
Great Driffield 2 18.64x
Heaton Norris 2 5.61x
Holbeach 2 21.28x
Hunslet 2 2.45x
Leavening 2 281.69x
Leven 2 129.87x
Market Weighton Arras 2 58.82x
Owthorne 2 204.08x
Rillington 2 125.79x
Scriven Cum Tentergate 2 103.09x
Slingsby 2 185.19x
Stockton On Tees 2 2.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 44
William 40
Thomas 27
George 16
James 11
Robert 11
Charles 9
Richard 7
Alfred 6
Arthur 6
Joseph 6
Albert 5
Francis 5
Frank 5
Geo. 4
Henry 3
Herbert 3
Martin 3
Samuel 3
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Enoch 2
Harold 2
Robt. 2
Stephen 2
Wm. 2
Ann 1
Arth. 1
Bennison 1
Christopher 1
Claud 1
Earnest 1
Everard 1
Frederick 1
Henery 1
Jabez 1
Johnson 1
Jonathan 1
Josha 1
Mark 1
Marsh 1
Mary 1
Michael 1
Morgan 1
Peter 1
Pickering 1
R. 1
Ralph 1
Richd. 1
Wm.Alfred 1

FAQ

Medd surname: questions and answers

How common was the Medd surname in 1881?

In 1881, 543 people were recorded with the Medd surname. That placed it at #6,354 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Medd surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 595 in 2016. That gives Medd a modern rank of #8,776.

What does the Medd surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name, possibly a location with a meadow or meadows.

What does the Medd map show?

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