NameCensus.

UK surname

Middlemiss

A topographic surname referring to someone living in the middle of a village or settlement.

In the 1881 census there were 706 people recorded with the Middlemiss surname, ranking it #5,148 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,086, ranked #5,382, down from #5,148 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kelso, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Lauder and Area and Berwickshire Central.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Middlemiss is 1,144 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.8%.

1881 census count

706

Ranked #5,148

Modern count

1,086

2016, ranked #5,382

Peak year

2000

1,144 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Middlemiss had 706 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,148 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,086 in 2016, ranked #5,382.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,024 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Middlemiss surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Middlemiss surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Middlemiss 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 385 #6,225
1861 historical 480 #5,436
1881 historical 706 #5,148
1891 historical 922 #4,481
1901 historical 1,024 #4,662
1911 historical 884 #5,037
1997 modern 1,090 #5,108
1998 modern 1,121 #5,173
1999 modern 1,121 #5,216
2000 modern 1,144 #5,092
2001 modern 1,126 #5,071
2002 modern 1,133 #5,154
2003 modern 1,084 #5,242
2004 modern 1,077 #5,282
2005 modern 1,085 #5,190
2006 modern 1,051 #5,337
2007 modern 1,068 #5,308
2008 modern 1,081 #5,292
2009 modern 1,099 #5,323
2010 modern 1,116 #5,369
2011 modern 1,105 #5,352
2012 modern 1,060 #5,452
2013 modern 1,088 #5,424
2014 modern 1,090 #5,446
2015 modern 1,087 #5,396
2016 modern 1,086 #5,382

Geography

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Where Middlemiss' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kelso, London parishes, Gateshead, Monkwearmouth and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Lauder and Area and Berwickshire Central. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Monkwearmouth Durham
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 008 Northumberland
2 Lauder and Area Scottish Borders
3 Northumberland 017 Northumberland
4 Northumberland 030 Northumberland
5 Berwickshire Central Scottish Borders

Forenames

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First names often paired with Middlemiss

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Middlemiss

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Middlemiss, 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 Middlemiss surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Middlemiss 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Middlemiss is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Middlemiss 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

Middlemiss falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Middlemiss

The surname Middlemiss originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "middel" meaning middle and "mees" meaning meadow or pasture. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name lived in or near a meadow situated between two other locations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a list of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The entry "Willielmus de Middilmese" likely refers to an early bearer of the name from the area now known as Midlothian.

By the 15th century, variations such as Middlemas and Middlemest were also in use. A notable early bearer was John Middlemiss, who was granted lands in Ayrshire by King James IV of Scotland in 1506.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various parish records across Scotland, with spellings like Midlemes, Middelmes, and Middlemaist. One example is the christening of Isobel Middlemes in Edinburgh in 1634.

The Middlemiss surname has also been associated with several notable figures throughout history. These include:

1. Gilbert Middlemiss (1599-1673), a Scottish minister and author of theological works. 2. Robert Middlemiss (1753-1826), a Scottish engineer who designed early steam engines. 3. Jane Middlemiss (1846-1919), a British novelist and children's author. 4. Frederick Middlemiss (1871-1943), an English cricketer who played for Hampshire. 5. Charles Stewart Middlemiss (1880-1946), a Scottish geologist who worked in India and Pakistan.

The Middlemiss surname has also been connected to various place names in Scotland, such as Middlemiss Farm in East Lothian and Middlemiss Burn, a stream in the Scottish Borders.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Middlemiss families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Middlemiss 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. Northumberland leads with 212 Middlemiss' recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.60x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 212 20.60x
Durham 131 6.37x
Berwickshire 89 106.27x
Roxburghshire 57 45.50x
Yorkshire 54 0.79x
Middlesex 45 0.65x
Kent 31 1.31x
Midlothian 29 3.13x
Lancashire 18 0.22x
Lanarkshire 12 0.54x
Surrey 9 0.27x
Gloucestershire 7 0.52x
East Lothian 6 6.55x
West Lothian 3 2.88x
Royal Navy 2 2.43x
Argyllshire 1 0.52x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.23x
Clackmannanshire 1 1.75x
Sussex 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. Berwick Upon Tweed in Northumberland leads with 42 Middlemiss' recorded in 1881 and an index of 192.66x.

Place Total Index
Berwick Upon Tweed 42 192.66x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 29 7.78x
Kelso 25 200.32x
Bishopwearmouth 22 12.46x
Eccles 22 599.46x
Monkwearmouth Shore 22 54.78x
Seaton Delaval 17 188.05x
St Marylebone London 15 4.06x
Stranton 14 20.21x
Bedlington 12 34.92x
Chatton 12 379.75x
Earlston 12 286.40x
Islington London 12 1.79x
Stockton On Tees 12 12.10x
Woolwich 12 13.76x
Langton 11 916.67x
Darlington 10 12.59x
Newcastle On Tyne St 10 18.75x
Oxnam 10 617.28x
Swinton 10 436.68x
Esh 9 60.12x
Manningham 9 10.66x
Ancroft 8 220.99x
Cowpen 8 33.76x
Drypool 8 76.26x
Morpeth 8 66.12x
Byker 7 13.76x
Cheltenham 7 6.69x
Glasgow 7 1.76x
Holy Trinity 7 4.25x
Paddington London 7 2.75x
Stannington 7 286.89x
Todmorden Walsden 7 31.83x
Tweedmouth 7 54.56x
Auckland St Andrew 6 110.50x
Chatham 6 9.24x
Chirton 6 25.76x
Coulsdon 6 97.88x
Eckford 6 276.50x
Foulden 6 645.16x
Kensington London 6 1.56x
Norham 6 263.16x
North Shields 6 29.23x
Roxburgh 6 250.00x
Sturton Grange 6 2222.22x
Whitsome 6 451.13x
Barmston 5 324.68x
Branxton 5 961.54x
Bromley 5 13.90x
Bunkle Preston 5 290.70x
Burnley 5 7.23x
Dirleton 5 138.89x
Felton 5 310.56x
Gateshead 5 3.25x
Great Lumley 5 142.05x
Greenwich 5 4.54x
Hawick 5 17.83x
Nenthorn 5 462.96x
Westgate 5 7.85x
Westoe 5 4.29x
Corbridge 4 106.10x
Dunse 4 50.38x
Monw Wearmouth Shore 4 203.05x
Morebattle 4 166.67x
Pudsey 4 10.92x
Scotton In Richmond 4 1481.48x
Swillington 4 205.13x
Wallsend 4 12.26x
Whalley 4 33.44x
Bainbridge 3 185.19x
Barony 3 0.53x
Carham 3 112.78x
Elswick 3 3.65x
Heworth 3 7.40x
Jesmond 3 20.72x
Minster In Sheppey 3 7.67x
Preston Under Soar 3 348.84x
South Shields 3 16.37x
Thornaby 3 11.71x
Thornbrough 3 1666.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 32
Margaret 30
Elizabeth 23
Jane 21
Ann 16
Isabella 12
Annie 9
Alice 8
Ellen 7
Emma 7
Barbara 5
Catherine 5
Eleanor 5
Eliza 4
Anne 3
Grace 3
Hannah 3
Martha 3
Sarah 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Amy 2
Anna 2
Dorothy 2
Edith 2
Maria 2
Maud 2
Rebecca 2
Susan 2
Susannah 2
Eden 1
Elizia 1
Elizth. 1
Elspeth 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Harriett 1
Jean 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Lilian 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
M. 1
Mag't. 1
Margret 1
Margt. 1
Matha 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 35
John 32
Thomas 28
George 25
Robert 25
William 24
Andrew 11
Henry 7
Alexander 5
Charles 4
David 4
Joseph 4
Jas. 3
Anthony 2
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Hugh 2
Robt. 2
Thos. 2
Alfd. 1
Alfred 1
Arth. 1
Augt. 1
Duncan 1
Earnest 1
J.Wm. 1
Johnson 1
Ken 1
Kerr 1
Launcelot 1
Leonard 1
Louis 1
Mark 1
Maurice 1
Mic. 1
Michael 1
Michall 1
Milton 1
Mungo 1
Nathanial 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Richd. 1
Ridley 1
Robt.H. 1
S.W. 1
Samuel 1
Ted. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Middlemiss surname: questions and answers

How common was the Middlemiss surname in 1881?

In 1881, 706 people were recorded with the Middlemiss surname. That placed it at #5,148 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Middlemiss surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,086 in 2016. That gives Middlemiss a modern rank of #5,382.

What does the Middlemiss surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone living in the middle of a village or settlement.

What does the Middlemiss map show?

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