NameCensus.

UK surname

Medlen

A variant spelling of the English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "middle valley".

In the 1881 census there were 91 people recorded with the Medlen surname, ranking it #20,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 136, ranked #25,377, down from #20,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Crayford, London parishes and Duloe. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Doncaster and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Medlen is 144 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.5%.

1881 census count

91

Ranked #20,843

Modern count

136

2016, ranked #25,377

Peak year

1911

144 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Medlen had 91 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 136 in 2016, ranked #25,377.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 144 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Medlen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Medlen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Medlen 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 74 #20,443
1861 historical 44 #28,433
1881 historical 91 #20,843
1891 historical 119 #21,415
1901 historical 129 #19,735
1911 historical 144 #18,325
1997 modern 125 #23,567
1998 modern 125 #24,198
1999 modern 128 #24,017
2000 modern 126 #24,220
2001 modern 123 #24,242
2002 modern 129 #24,021
2003 modern 118 #25,146
2004 modern 125 #24,443
2005 modern 121 #24,947
2006 modern 117 #25,695
2007 modern 122 #25,353
2008 modern 116 #26,510
2009 modern 113 #27,520
2010 modern 119 #27,250
2011 modern 115 #27,634
2012 modern 125 #26,298
2013 modern 138 #25,020
2014 modern 137 #25,345
2015 modern 135 #25,481
2016 modern 136 #25,377

Geography

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Where Medlens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Crayford, London parishes, Duloe, Tavistock. Whitechurch, St Peter Tavy and St Andrew. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Doncaster and Northumberland. 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 Crayford Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 Duloe Cornwall
4 Tavistock. Whitechurch, St Peter Tavy Devon
5 St Andrew Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 037 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 016 Cornwall
3 Doncaster 037 Doncaster
4 Northumberland 010 Northumberland
5 Northumberland 013 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Medlen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Medlen

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Medlen, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Medlen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Medlen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Medlen 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

Medlen is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Medlen falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Medlen is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Medlen

The surname Medlen is of English origin, originating in the county of Yorkshire during the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "medu" meaning meadow and "landu" meaning land, essentially translating to "meadow land." This suggests that the name likely originated from a specific place or settlement situated on or near a meadow.

One of the earliest known recordings of the name dates back to the 13th century, where it appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379 as "Robert de Medlond." This early spelling variation provides insight into the name's evolution over time.

While there is no definitive record of the name appearing in the Domesday Book, a significant historical reference can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, which lists a "Richard de Medlound." This reference predates the Poll Tax Returns and affirms the surname's longstanding presence in the Yorkshire region.

In the 16th century, the name appears to have undergone further variations in spelling, as evidenced by records from the Parish Registers of Wakefield, Yorkshire, which document the marriage of "John Medley" in 1588.

One notable bearer of the surname was Sir Thomas Medlen (1568-1637), a prominent English politician and Member of Parliament who represented the borough of Bramber in Sussex during the reign of King James I.

Another historically significant individual was Richard Medlen (1609-1679), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Provost of Eton College from 1651 until his death.

In the 18th century, the name appears in the records of the Yorkshire Parish Registers, where the baptism of "William Medlen" is recorded in 1712 in the village of Crofton.

A notable figure from this era was Captain James Medlen (1735-1805), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the American Revolutionary War and later served as the Governor of Newfoundland from 1798 to 1805.

The 19th century saw the continued presence of the Medlen surname, with records indicating the birth of "John Medlen" in 1832 in the village of Ecclesfield, Yorkshire.

Throughout its history, the Medlen surname has maintained a strong association with its Yorkshire roots, while also spreading to other parts of England and beyond through migration and the expansion of the British Empire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Medlen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Medlen 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 46 Medlens recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.62x.

County Total Index
Devon 46 24.62x
Cornwall 24 23.62x
Kent 9 2.94x
Northumberland 9 6.74x
Middlesex 3 0.33x
Royal Navy 1 9.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Plymouth St Andrew in Devon leads with 19 Medlens recorded in 1881 and an index of 132.04x.

Place Total Index
Plymouth St Andrew 19 132.04x
Duloe 12 4000.00x
Cramlington 9 511.36x
Plymouth Charles The 9 109.36x
Frindsbury 8 695.65x
Stoke 6 789.47x
Stoke Damerel 5 38.26x
East Stonehouse 4 108.70x
St Blazey 4 449.44x
West Looe 4 1481.48x
Tavistock 3 140.85x
Tottenham 3 20.99x
Wendron 3 212.77x
Deal 1 38.31x
Egloshayle 1 208.33x
Royal Navy 1 10.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Elizabeth 5
Eliza 3
Ann 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Ada 1
Amelia 1
Annah 1
Anne 1
Caroline 1
Celia 1
Emily 1
Etty 1
Florentine 1
Grace 1
Ida 1
Laura 1
Levinia 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Maud 1
Rhoda 1
Sarah 1
Susannah 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Medlen households.

FAQ

Medlen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Medlen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 91 people were recorded with the Medlen surname. That placed it at #20,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Medlen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 136 in 2016. That gives Medlen a modern rank of #25,377.

What does the Medlen surname mean?

A variant spelling of the English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "middle valley".

What does the Medlen map show?

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