NameCensus.

UK surname

Middlemas

A surname referring to the middle day or festival observed at Michaelmas.

In the 1881 census there were 482 people recorded with the Middlemas surname, ranking it #6,956 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 405, ranked #11,774, down from #6,956 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kelso, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside and Hawick and Wilton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Sunderland and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Middlemas is 544 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 16.0%.

1881 census count

482

Ranked #6,956

Modern count

405

2016, ranked #11,774

Peak year

1901

544 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Middlemas had 482 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,956 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 405 in 2016, ranked #11,774.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 544 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Middlemas surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Middlemas surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Middlemas 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 290 #7,844
1861 historical 326 #7,814
1881 historical 482 #6,956
1891 historical 475 #7,734
1901 historical 544 #7,583
1911 historical 245 #13,084
1997 modern 370 #11,666
1998 modern 393 #11,495
1999 modern 407 #11,305
2000 modern 428 #10,850
2001 modern 413 #10,962
2002 modern 419 #11,059
2003 modern 409 #11,088
2004 modern 416 #10,963
2005 modern 409 #10,999
2006 modern 405 #11,131
2007 modern 393 #11,526
2008 modern 403 #11,398
2009 modern 398 #11,768
2010 modern 422 #11,493
2011 modern 415 #11,514
2012 modern 419 #11,295
2013 modern 423 #11,422
2014 modern 423 #11,488
2015 modern 416 #11,561
2016 modern 405 #11,774

Geography

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Where Middlemas' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kelso, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Hawick and Wilton, Eccles and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Sunderland, Scarborough and Glenwood North. 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 Kelso Roxburgh
2 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
3 Hawick and Wilton Roxburgh
4 Eccles Berwick
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 011 County Durham
2 Sunderland 025 Sunderland
3 Scarborough 001 Scarborough
4 Glenwood North Glasgow City
5 Scarborough 003 Scarborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Middlemas

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Middlemas

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Middlemas 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

Middlemas is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Middlemas falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Middlemas

The surname Middlemas is of English origin, derived from a combination of the Old English words "middel" meaning middle and "masse" meaning mass or feast. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, referring to someone who lived near a church or chapel where mass was celebrated on certain feast days or holidays.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1208, where a person named Middlemas is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the early 13th century.

The surname Middlemas is also closely related to the place name Middlemass, a small village in Roxburghshire, Scotland. The village is thought to have been named after the nearby church or chapel where the feast of Michaelmas (a festival celebrated on September 29th) was observed.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Thomas Middlemas (born around 1500) was a Scottish clergyman and author. He served as the Abbot of Newbattle Abbey and wrote several religious works.

Another historical figure with the surname Middlemas was Sir John Middlemas (c. 1608-1673), an English politician and member of the House of Commons. He represented the constituency of Northamptonshire during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Robert Middlemas (1718-1792) was a Scottish physician and author. He wrote several medical treatises and served as the president of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

A more recent figure with the Middlemas surname was Keith Middlemas (1936-2014), a British historian and academic. He was a professor at the University of Glasgow and authored several books on British political history.

While the name Middlemas is not as common today, it remains a unique and historically significant surname with deep roots in English and Scottish heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Middlemas families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Middlemas 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. Durham leads with 109 Middlemas' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.96x.

County Total Index
Durham 109 7.96x
Northumberland 70 10.22x
Roxburghshire 65 77.94x
Midlothian 55 8.92x
Yorkshire 25 0.55x
Berwickshire 18 32.29x
Stirlingshire 16 9.42x
Selkirkshire 15 36.01x
Lanarkshire 13 0.87x
Lancashire 11 0.20x
Peeblesshire 11 50.78x
Surrey 10 0.45x
Middlesex 9 0.20x
Sussex 7 0.90x
West Lothian 7 10.10x
Aberdeenshire 5 1.17x
Perthshire 5 2.42x
Dunbartonshire 3 2.42x
Renfrewshire 3 0.84x
Argyllshire 2 1.56x
Banffshire 2 2.09x
Hampshire 2 0.21x
Shetland 2 4.25x
Wiltshire 2 0.49x
Angus 1 0.23x
Ayrshire 1 0.29x
Inverness-shire 1 0.73x
Kent 1 0.06x
Warwickshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 44 Middlemas' recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.73x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 44 17.73x
Kelso 25 300.84x
Gateshead 23 22.43x
Eccles 12 491.80x
Brancepeth 10 401.61x
Great Lumley 10 425.53x
Tanfield 10 61.39x
Hawick 9 48.23x
Crook Billy Row 8 45.61x
Falkirk 8 20.13x
Galashiels 8 51.95x
Long Houghton 8 1126.76x
Newlands 8 620.16x
Polmont 8 127.59x
Wilton 8 87.43x
Belford 7 479.45x
Chatton 7 333.33x
Hastings St Mary 7 36.23x
Morebattle 7 440.25x
Openshaw 7 27.35x
Thornaby 7 41.06x
Throston 7 266.16x
Ancrum 6 277.78x
Barony 6 1.59x
Battersea 6 3.54x
Govan 6 1.63x
Kirkliston 6 148.51x
Melrose 6 57.25x
Otterburn 6 1153.85x
Aberdeen Old Machar 5 5.62x
Caputh 5 153.85x
Collierley 5 81.97x
Ecclesfield 5 14.95x
Gordon 5 378.79x
Kyo 5 77.52x
Tynemouth 5 13.63x
Waldridge 5 218.34x
Bishopwearmouth 4 3.40x
Camberwell 4 1.36x
Carham 4 225.99x
Cowpen 4 25.36x
Earsdon 4 71.81x
East Thornton 4 5000.00x
Evenwood Barony 4 85.84x
Whitby 4 26.01x
Ardwick 3 6.09x
Bedlington 3 13.12x
Drumelzier 3 909.09x
Edinburgh Old Church 3 60.61x
Edmondsley 3 204.08x
Greencroft 3 119.52x
Kensington London 3 1.17x
Linthorpe 3 11.02x
Little Harle 3 3750.00x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 3 7.33x
Row 3 18.74x
South Leith 3 4.32x
South Mimms 3 47.54x
Aberlour 2 66.01x
Calne 2 23.87x
Cavers 2 95.69x
Elswick 2 3.66x
Hutton Rudby 2 147.06x
Jedburgh 2 24.48x
Kilbarchan 2 18.45x
Lerwick Gulberwick 2 27.47x
Liberton 2 21.01x
Melrose 2 27.74x
Portsea 2 1.08x
Shildon 2 18.17x
Westminster St James 2 4.23x
Crichton 1 58.14x
Edrom 1 41.84x
Elvet 1 10.11x
Harwood 1 2500.00x
Lismore Appin 1 23.47x
Morpeth 1 12.42x
Paisley Low Church 1 8.85x
Stranton 1 2.17x
Sutton At Hone 1 30.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 26
Margaret 13
Elizabeth 11
Ann 8
Isabella 8
Jane 7
Annie 3
Catherine 3
Dorothy 3
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Charlotte 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Frances 2
Hannah 2
Isabel 2
Margret 2
Martha 2
Ada 1
Annabella 1
Christina 1
Dora 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizah. 1
Elizath. 1
Harry 1
Isaballa 1
Isable 1
Janet 1
Jean 1
Katherine 1
Mabel 1
Madeline 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 25
John 19
James 10
William 10
George 9
Robert 7
Andrew 6
Edward 6
Henry 4
Joseph 4
Alfred 2
David 2
Geo. 2
Greener 2
Ralph 2
Walter 2
Adam 1
Alexander 1
Alexandr 1
Arthur 1
Charls 1
Edd.Thos. 1
Hugh 1
Infant 1
Joh 1
Jonathan 1
Leslie 1
Mark 1
Richard 1
Thos. 1
Wilkinson 1

FAQ

Middlemas surname: questions and answers

How common was the Middlemas surname in 1881?

In 1881, 482 people were recorded with the Middlemas surname. That placed it at #6,956 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Middlemas surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 405 in 2016. That gives Middlemas a modern rank of #11,774.

What does the Middlemas surname mean?

A surname referring to the middle day or festival observed at Michaelmas.

What does the Middlemas map show?

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