NameCensus.

UK surname

Meredith

A Welsh surname derived from the given name Meredydd, meaning "great lord" or "sea lord."

In the 1881 census there were 6,044 people recorded with the Meredith surname, ranking it #730 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,435, ranked #682, up from #730 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Sedgley and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blaenau Gwent, Powys and Monmouthshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Meredith is 9,687 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 56.1%.

1881 census count

6,044

Ranked #730

Modern count

9,435

2016, ranked #682

Peak year

2010

9,687 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Meredith had 6,044 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #730 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,435 in 2016, ranked #682.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,418 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Meredith surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Meredith surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Meredith 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 4,153 #688
1861 historical 3,742 #754
1881 historical 6,044 #730
1891 historical 6,444 #709
1901 historical 7,607 #709
1911 historical 8,418 #592
1997 modern 8,972 #706
1998 modern 9,526 #686
1999 modern 9,639 #682
2000 modern 9,650 #678
2001 modern 9,397 #681
2002 modern 9,596 #683
2003 modern 9,461 #673
2004 modern 9,495 #671
2005 modern 9,277 #676
2006 modern 9,195 #684
2007 modern 9,190 #695
2008 modern 9,233 #695
2009 modern 9,485 #691
2010 modern 9,687 #688
2011 modern 9,579 #687
2012 modern 9,394 #683
2013 modern 9,584 #684
2014 modern 9,639 #681
2015 modern 9,491 #684
2016 modern 9,435 #682

Geography

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Where Merediths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Sedgley, London parishes, Manchester and Bedwelty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blaenau Gwent, Powys, Monmouthshire and Stoke-on-Trent. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Sedgley Staffordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Bedwelty Monmouthshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blaenau Gwent 008 Blaenau Gwent
2 Powys 011 Powys
3 Powys 015 Powys
4 Monmouthshire 004 Monmouthshire
5 Stoke-on-Trent 012 Stoke-on-Trent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Meredith

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Meredith

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

Meredith is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Meredith falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Meredith

The surname Meredith has its origins in Wales, deriving from the Old Welsh words "mer" meaning "mariner" or "sea protector" and "iddyn" meaning "estate" or "land". It was initially a place name referring to a coastal estate or property.

The name can be traced back to the 12th century, with early records showing variations such as Meredith, Meredyth, and Merideth. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Pipe Rolls of Herefordshire in 1195, mentioning a Richard de Merieth.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in the Liber Feodorum, a record of feudal landholdings, with references to individuals bearing the name Meredith in Glamorgan and Monmouthshire.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the name Meredith, as it primarily covered areas of England at that time.

Notable individuals with the surname Meredith include Sir William Meredith (c. 1328-1395), a Welsh knight and landowner who served in the military campaigns of Edward III and Richard II. Another prominent figure was George Meredith (1828-1909), an English novelist and poet widely regarded as one of the great Victorian-era writers.

Other historically significant individuals with the Meredith surname include Sir William Meredith (c. 1604-1679), a Welsh politician and judge who served as the Chief Justice of Chester, and Richard Meredith (1754-1815), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 14th United States Secretary of the Treasury.

In the realm of the arts, George Meredith (1796-1860), an English painter and engraver, and George Frampton Meredith (1839-1909), an English sculptor known for his works depicting Queen Victoria and other notable figures, both carried the Meredith surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Meredith families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Meredith 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. Monmouthshire leads with 541 Merediths recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.68x.

County Total Index
Monmouthshire 541 12.68x
Shropshire 497 9.75x
Lancashire 479 0.68x
Middlesex 470 0.80x
Glamorgan 430 4.18x
Herefordshire 354 14.63x
Staffordshire 324 1.63x
Radnorshire 300 63.00x
Worcestershire 281 3.65x
Brecknockshire 266 22.54x
Gloucestershire 248 2.14x
Warwickshire 240 1.61x
Montgomeryshire 226 16.71x
Cheshire 201 1.54x
Surrey 197 0.69x
Yorkshire 143 0.24x
Denbighshire 103 4.62x
Hampshire 72 0.60x
Flintshire 59 3.72x
Lincolnshire 51 0.54x
Essex 47 0.40x
Carmarthenshire 46 1.85x
Kent 40 0.20x
Sussex 40 0.40x
Durham 39 0.22x
Cardiganshire 37 2.57x
Merionethshire 31 2.87x
Caernarfonshire 30 1.26x
Somerset 30 0.32x
Oxfordshire 25 0.69x
Nottinghamshire 23 0.29x
Lanarkshire 19 0.10x
Ayrshire 18 0.41x
Anglesey 17 1.63x
Northumberland 16 0.18x
Leicestershire 15 0.23x
Dorset 12 0.31x
Hertfordshire 11 0.27x
Berkshire 8 0.18x
Derbyshire 8 0.09x
Devon 7 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 7 0.37x
Royal Navy 7 1.00x
Angus 5 0.09x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.14x
Midlothian 5 0.06x
Norfolk 4 0.04x
Cumberland 3 0.06x
Northamptonshire 3 0.05x
Bedfordshire 2 0.07x
Wiltshire 2 0.04x
Cornwall 1 0.02x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.08x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.06x
Isle of Man 1 0.09x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.12x
Suffolk 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ystradyfodwg in Glamorgan leads with 114 Merediths recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.65x.

Place Total Index
Ystradyfodwg 114 12.65x
Birmingham 107 2.16x
Bedwellty 82 10.89x
Sedgley 77 10.41x
Aston 76 1.85x
Monmouth 64 56.57x
Aberdare 61 8.65x
St Pancras London 51 1.07x
Lambeth 49 0.95x
Aberystruth 47 12.50x
Broseley 47 51.87x
Trevethin 46 11.42x
Merthyr Tydfil 44 4.45x
Llanidloes 43 42.90x
Wolverhampton 43 2.81x
Camberwell 42 1.11x
Vaynor 39 67.59x
Clyro 36 243.74x
Hackney London 36 1.09x
Kingswinford 36 4.98x
Ruabon 35 11.42x
Shoreditch London 35 1.37x
Westbury On Severn East 35 13.38x
Kington 34 56.74x
Llanelly 34 24.08x
Leintwardine 33 133.87x
Llandinam 33 105.53x
Liverpool 32 0.75x
Islington London 30 0.52x
Shrewsbury St Chad 30 16.76x
Gelligaer 29 12.36x
Llanwonno 29 7.85x
St George Hanover 29 3.76x
Kidderminster Borough 28 6.21x
Llangunider 28 38.09x
Oldham 28 1.24x
Paddington London 27 1.24x
Shifnal 26 18.78x
Mynyddyslwyn 25 14.85x
St Harmon Cennarth 25 269.11x
St Marylebone London 25 0.79x
Stoke Upon Tern 25 132.91x
Chorlton On Medlock 24 2.16x
Ludlow St Lawrence 24 23.66x
Abergavenny 23 14.39x
Glascomb 23 286.78x
Grosmont 23 162.66x
Llandefalley 23 194.92x
Penalt 23 238.59x
Chelsea London 22 1.24x
Llanwrthwl 22 222.22x
Everton 21 0.94x
Llandudno 21 24.69x
Stourbridge 21 10.59x
Clase 20 5.23x
Poplar London 20 1.80x
Gloucester St John Baptist 19 25.42x
Great Malvern 19 11.82x
Holmer 19 43.60x
Portsea 19 0.80x
Presteigne 19 62.87x
Salford 19 0.92x
Brighton 18 0.90x
Hulme 18 1.23x
Kensington London 18 0.55x
Oswestry Rural 18 23.04x
Ayr 17 8.16x
Codsall 17 60.03x
Heaton Norris 17 4.26x
Hereford St Owen 17 21.27x
Kirkdale 17 1.44x
Leeds 17 0.51x
Toxteth Park 17 0.72x
Walthamstow 17 4.05x
Battersea 16 0.74x
Brecknock St John 16 16.08x
Clun 16 44.20x
Manchester 16 0.51x
Newent 16 27.20x
St Harmon Clas 16 210.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 423
Elizabeth 268
Sarah 243
Ann 148
Margaret 120
Jane 114
Eliza 104
Ellen 89
Alice 75
Emma 67
Martha 61
Annie 59
Hannah 56
Emily 50
Anne 46
Harriet 40
Catherine 37
Caroline 36
Edith 33
Maria 30
Fanny 27
Clara 26
Louisa 24
Frances 22
Lucy 22
Florence 21
Ada 20
Esther 20
Charlotte 19
Susan 18
Kate 17
Rebecca 16
Amelia 15
Rachel 15
Sophia 15
Harriett 13
Lydia 13
Susannah 13
Elizth. 12
Ruth 11
Agnes 10
Eleanor 10
Rose 10
Julia 9
Lizzie 9
Margt. 9
Amy 8
Catharine 8
Isabella 8
Laura 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 418
William 388
Thomas 314
James 201
George 151
Charles 118
Edward 107
Joseph 104
Henry 97
Richard 84
David 82
Samuel 70
Alfred 59
Arthur 42
Evan 40
Robert 35
Albert 30
Frederick 30
Walter 25
Edwin 23
Benjamin 22
Daniel 22
Harry 19
Ernest 17
Thos. 16
Wm. 16
Lewis 15
Herbert 14
Frank 13
Morgan 10
Francis 9
Phillip 9
Moses 8
Tom 8
Chas. 7
Enoch 7
Isaac 7
Peter 7
Philip 7
Rees 7
Saml. 7
Aaron 6
Fred 6
Hugh 6
Noah 6
Owen 6
Geo. 5
Josiah 5
Leonard 5
Meredith 5

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 Meredith households.

FAQ

Meredith surname: questions and answers

How common was the Meredith surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,044 people were recorded with the Meredith surname. That placed it at #730 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Meredith surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,435 in 2016. That gives Meredith a modern rank of #682.

What does the Meredith surname mean?

A Welsh surname derived from the given name Meredydd, meaning "great lord" or "sea lord."

What does the Meredith map show?

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