NameCensus.

UK surname

Meeds

An English surname derived from a place name in England.

In the 1881 census there were 171 people recorded with the Meeds surname, ranking it #14,212 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 204, ranked #19,320, down from #14,212 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Boston (incl. Boston allotments), Manchester and Keymer, North & South. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Boston.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Meeds is 242 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.3%.

1881 census count

171

Ranked #14,212

Modern count

204

2016, ranked #19,320

Peak year

1911

242 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Meeds had 171 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,212 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 204 in 2016, ranked #19,320.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 242 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Meeds surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Meeds surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Meeds 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 84 #19,067
1861 historical 112 #19,279
1881 historical 171 #14,212
1891 historical 204 #14,702
1901 historical 178 #16,284
1911 historical 242 #13,193
1997 modern 208 #17,219
1998 modern 211 #17,532
1999 modern 211 #17,662
2000 modern 226 #16,840
2001 modern 213 #17,267
2002 modern 214 #17,545
2003 modern 214 #17,343
2004 modern 218 #17,230
2005 modern 220 #17,078
2006 modern 218 #17,297
2007 modern 223 #17,248
2008 modern 224 #17,337
2009 modern 227 #17,544
2010 modern 222 #18,148
2011 modern 215 #18,379
2012 modern 213 #18,422
2013 modern 215 #18,598
2014 modern 216 #18,705
2015 modern 208 #19,085
2016 modern 204 #19,320

Geography

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Where Meeds' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Boston (incl. Boston allotments), Manchester, Keymer, North & South, Friskney and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Boston. 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 Boston (incl. Boston allotments) Lincolnshire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Keymer, North & South Sussex
4 Friskney Lincolnshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Boston 002 Boston
2 Boston 004 Boston
3 Boston 003 Boston
4 Boston 008 Boston
5 Boston 007 Boston

Forenames

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First names often paired with Meeds

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Meeds

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

Meeds is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Meeds falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Meeds is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 20-25 mbit/s.

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

4
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Meeds

The surname MEEDS is of English origin, first recorded in the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "mæd," meaning "meadow" or "grassland." This suggests that the name may have originally been a topographic surname, given to someone who lived near or worked on a meadow.

The earliest known record of the MEEDS surname dates back to 1273 in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where it appears as "de la Mede." In the 14th century, it was recorded as "Mede" and "Meede" in various tax records and manuscripts from counties like Somerset and Gloucestershire.

One notable historical figure with the MEEDS surname was Sir John Mede, a member of the English Parliament in the 16th century (c. 1535-1590). He served as a Member of Parliament for Maldon, Essex, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another early bearer of the name was William Mede (1585-1638), an English clergyman and biblical scholar. He was a prominent figure in the ecclesiastical controversies of his time and wrote several works on religious subjects.

In the 17th century, the name was also associated with the village of Mede in Somerset, England. This place name likely derived from the Old English word "mæd" as well, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its topographic origins.

Joseph Mede (1586-1638), a contemporary of William Mede, was an English biblical scholar and one of the leading figures in the study of biblical prophecy during the 17th century. His works on the interpretation of the Book of Revelation were highly influential.

Another notable individual was Sir Robert Mede (1608-1692), an English politician and landowner. He served as a Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire and was a prominent figure in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.

While the MEEDS surname may have originated as a topographic name, it has since become a well-established surname in its own right, with bearers across different parts of England and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Meeds families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Meeds 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. Lincolnshire leads with 76 Meeds' recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.50x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 76 28.50x
Middlesex 24 1.44x
Sussex 22 7.82x
Yorkshire 16 0.97x
Lancashire 12 0.61x
Nottinghamshire 11 4.89x
Northamptonshire 3 1.91x
Gloucestershire 2 0.61x
Glamorgan 1 0.34x
Hampshire 1 0.29x
Herefordshire 1 1.46x
Surrey 1 0.12x
Warwickshire 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Boston in Lincolnshire leads with 35 Meeds' recorded in 1881 and an index of 432.63x.

Place Total Index
Boston 35 432.63x
Keymer 18 904.52x
Islington London 12 7.42x
Friskney 10 1176.47x
Mansfield 10 128.53x
Skirbeck 9 604.03x
Brightside Bierlow 8 24.68x
Manchester 8 8.99x
Langriville 7 3684.21x
Bethnal Green London 6 8.28x
Frithville Boston Sibsey 6 3529.41x
Hook 4 109.89x
Scott Willoughby 4 20000.00x
Brighton 3 5.29x
Middlesbrough 3 13.94x
Newborough 3 750.00x
St Pancras London 3 2.23x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 2 6.49x
Skirbeck Quarter 2 408.16x
Spotland 2 9.09x
Aston 1 0.86x
Donington 1 104.17x
Gorton 1 5.38x
Great Crosby 1 18.52x
Hackney London 1 1.07x
Hereford St John 1 128.21x
Holdenhurst 1 11.15x
Holy Trinity 1 2.52x
Hucknall Torkard 1 17.54x
Hurstpierpoint 1 64.10x
Leake 1 81.97x
Paddington London 1 1.63x
Roath 1 7.58x
Rotherhithe 1 4.85x
Shoreditch London 1 1.38x
Sibsey 1 166.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Elizabeth 7
Sarah 6
Ann 5
Charlotte 4
Ellen 4
Emma 4
Jane 4
Alice 3
Eliza 3
Kate 3
Louisa 3
Annie 2
Clara 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Allenor 1
Anne 1
Bertha 1
Constance 1
Edith 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Florince 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Helen 1
Julia 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Priscilla 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Meeds surname: questions and answers

How common was the Meeds surname in 1881?

In 1881, 171 people were recorded with the Meeds surname. That placed it at #14,212 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Meeds surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 204 in 2016. That gives Meeds a modern rank of #19,320.

What does the Meeds surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name in England.

What does the Meeds map show?

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