NameCensus.

UK surname

Mendes

A patronymic surname of Spanish and Portuguese origin, meaning "son of Mendo" or "son of Mem."

In the 1881 census there were 34 people recorded with the Mendes surname, ranking it #28,837 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,632, ranked #3,812, up from #28,837 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swindon, Peterborough and Lambeth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mendes is 1,632 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 4700.0%.

1881 census count

34

Ranked #28,837

Modern count

1,632

2016, ranked #3,812

Peak year

2016

1,632 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mendes had 34 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,837 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,632 in 2016, ranked #3,812.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 81 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Mendes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mendes surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mendes 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 30 #27,891
1861 historical 27 #30,543
1881 historical 34 #28,837
1891 historical 57 #29,533
1901 historical 59 #27,609
1911 historical 81 #24,719
1997 modern 472 #9,716
1998 modern 517 #9,357
1999 modern 560 #8,855
2000 modern 598 #8,447
2001 modern 574 #8,539
2002 modern 651 #7,933
2003 modern 683 #7,540
2004 modern 768 #6,898
2005 modern 850 #6,311
2006 modern 929 #5,889
2007 modern 1,025 #5,500
2008 modern 1,092 #5,250
2009 modern 1,192 #4,963
2010 modern 1,292 #4,732
2011 modern 1,306 #4,621
2012 modern 1,366 #4,391
2013 modern 1,440 #4,277
2014 modern 1,526 #4,118
2015 modern 1,557 #3,996
2016 modern 1,632 #3,812

Geography

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Where Mendes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swindon, Peterborough, Lambeth, Brent and Westminster. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swindon 015 Swindon
2 Peterborough 014 Peterborough
3 Lambeth 010 Lambeth
4 Brent 024 Brent
5 Westminster 021 Westminster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mendes

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mendes

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Mendes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Mendes 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Mendes is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mendes is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mendes falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mendes is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Mendes

The surname Mendes is a Portuguese name that originated in the northern regions of Portugal, particularly in the areas around Porto and Braga. It likely derives from the Latin word "munda," meaning "clean" or "pure," and may have been initially bestowed upon someone who lived near a clean water source or worked as a cleaner or washer.

The earliest recorded instances of the Mendes surname can be traced back to the 12th and 13th centuries in various Portuguese municipal records and census documents. One notable early bearer of the name was Fernão Mendes, a 13th-century Portuguese nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the reconquest of the Algarve region from the Moors.

In the 14th century, the Mendes surname appeared in several legal documents and property records, such as the Inquirições de D. Afonso III (Inquiries of King Alfonso III), which cataloged landholdings and population figures throughout Portugal.

During the Age of Exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries, many Portuguese families with the Mendes surname participated in the colonization efforts and spread the name to various parts of the world, including Brazil, Africa, and Asia.

One of the most famous historical figures with the Mendes surname was Pedro Mendes (1558-1637), a Portuguese explorer and navigator who played a crucial role in the early exploration and settlement of Newfoundland, Canada.

Other notable individuals with the Mendes surname include:

1. João Mendes de Vasconcelos (1624-1718), a Portuguese Jesuit priest and theologian known for his work on moral theology.

2. Francisco Mendes (1673-1743), a Portuguese painter and engraver who worked in the Baroque style.

3. Manuel Mendes da Conceição Santos (1876-1949), a Portuguese politician and lawyer who served as the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1923 to 1925.

4. José Mendes Cabeçadas (1888-1965), a Portuguese military officer and politician who served as the President of Portugal from 1925 to 1926.

5. Murilo Mendes (1901-1975), a renowned Brazilian poet and one of the pioneers of the Brazilian Modernist movement in literature.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mendes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mendes 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 27 Mendes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.14x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 27 8.14x
Surrey 5 3.09x
Lancashire 1 0.25x
Monmouthshire 1 4.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Marylebone London in Middlesex leads with 10 Mendes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 56.50x.

Place Total Index
St Marylebone London 10 56.50x
Bethnal Green London 7 48.61x
Battersea 5 40.98x
St Botolph Aldgate 5 1111.11x
Whitechapel London 3 91.74x
Bedwellty 1 23.64x
Broughton In Salford 1 27.78x
Mile End Old Town 1 19.12x
Paddington London 1 8.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Maria 3
Hannah 2
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Esther 1
Grella 1
Jean 1
Jessey 1
Lizzie 1
Marian 1
Nancy 1
Rebecca 1
Rica 1
Rosetta 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
Abraham 2
David 1
Frank 1
Isaac 1
Jacob 1
Jean 1
Jonothan 1
Joseph 1
Leonard 1
Nicolas 1
Noah 1

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 Mendes households.

FAQ

Mendes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mendes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 34 people were recorded with the Mendes surname. That placed it at #28,837 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mendes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,632 in 2016. That gives Mendes a modern rank of #3,812.

What does the Mendes surname mean?

A patronymic surname of Spanish and Portuguese origin, meaning "son of Mendo" or "son of Mem."

What does the Mendes map show?

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