NameCensus.

UK surname

Muddle

In the 1881 census there were 295 people recorded with the Muddle surname, ranking it #9,842 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 192, ranked #20,118, down from #9,842 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Buxted, London parishes and Dover St James, Dover St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Horsham, Wealden and Lewes.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Muddle is 441 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 34.9%.

1881 census count

295

Ranked #9,842

Modern count

192

2016, ranked #20,118

Peak year

1911

441 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Muddle had 295 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,842 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 192 in 2016, ranked #20,118.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 441 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Muddle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Muddle surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Muddle 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 192 #10,756
1861 historical 165 #14,112
1881 historical 295 #9,842
1891 historical 372 #9,386
1901 historical 398 #9,508
1911 historical 441 #8,638
1997 modern 234 #15,939
1998 modern 238 #16,218
1999 modern 249 #15,844
2000 modern 244 #16,004
2001 modern 237 #16,048
2002 modern 238 #16,378
2003 modern 231 #16,504
2004 modern 228 #16,723
2005 modern 231 #16,529
2006 modern 223 #17,036
2007 modern 221 #17,343
2008 modern 222 #17,442
2009 modern 233 #17,241
2010 modern 237 #17,368
2011 modern 225 #17,841
2012 modern 210 #18,604
2013 modern 211 #18,872
2014 modern 210 #19,064
2015 modern 202 #19,433
2016 modern 192 #20,118

Geography

Back to top

Where Muddles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Buxted, London parishes, Dover St James, Dover St Mary, Framfield and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Horsham, Wealden, Lewes and Eastleigh. 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 Buxted Sussex
2 London parishes London 3
3 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent
4 Framfield Sussex
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Horsham 015 Horsham
2 Wealden 009 Wealden
3 Wealden 008 Wealden
4 Lewes 003 Lewes
5 Eastleigh 008 Eastleigh

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Muddle

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Muddle

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Muddle surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Muddle household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Muddle is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Muddle 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

Muddle falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Muddle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Muddle 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. Sussex leads with 167 Muddles recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.42x.

County Total Index
Sussex 167 34.42x
Kent 44 4.48x
Surrey 41 2.92x
Middlesex 31 1.08x
Cheshire 5 0.79x
Hampshire 4 0.68x
Essex 2 0.35x
Suffolk 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Framfield in Sussex leads with 37 Muddles recorded in 1881 and an index of 2466.67x.

Place Total Index
Framfield 37 2466.67x
Buxted 34 1789.47x
Brighton 19 19.41x
Uckfield 16 758.29x
Reigate Foreign 11 72.46x
Battle 9 275.23x
Guston 9 2307.69x
Ticehurst 9 303.03x
Battersea 8 7.56x
Poplar London 8 14.73x
Balcombe 7 804.60x
Lewes St John Under 7 1060.61x
Wandsworth 7 25.27x
Cuxton 6 1538.46x
Limehouse London 6 18.99x
Clapham 5 13.90x
Croydon 5 6.42x
East Grinstead 5 72.78x
Goudhurst 5 183.82x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 5 68.40x
Strood 5 89.29x
Bethnal Green London 4 3.20x
Clayton 4 218.58x
Ditchling 4 303.03x
Hougham 4 68.49x
Portsea 4 3.46x
Brenchley 3 85.47x
Catsfield 3 428.57x
Chiswick 3 19.08x
Edgware 3 375.00x
Hackney London 3 1.86x
Mitcham 3 33.86x
Tonbridge 3 8.47x
Deal 2 23.89x
Gillingham 2 9.88x
Mayfield 2 69.69x
Portslade 2 67.34x
Withyam 2 96.15x
Ashford 1 10.46x
Beddington 1 18.45x
Camberwell 1 0.54x
Colchester St Botolph 1 20.70x
Dover St Mary Virgin 1 10.53x
Eastbourne 1 4.48x
Fletching 1 46.08x
Greenwich 1 2.18x
Hamsey 1 181.82x
Kensington London 1 0.63x
Keymer 1 29.15x
Lowestoft 1 6.04x
Milton In Milton 1 23.98x
Newenden 1 666.67x
Preston 1 11.81x
Romford 1 11.14x
Seaford 1 60.61x
South Bersted 1 24.21x
St Anne Soho London 1 6.09x
St George Bloomsbury 1 6.06x
Westminster St 1 9.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Emily 8
Sarah 8
Alice 7
Eliza 7
Elizabeth 7
Ellen 6
Jane 6
Ann 5
Ada 4
Harriett 4
Lucy 4
Agnes 3
Caroline 3
Charlotte 3
Fanny 3
Harriet 3
Louisa 3
Martha 3
Anne 2
Annie 2
Clara 2
Emma 2
Esther 2
Isabella 2
Lydia 2
Mersey 2
Ruth 2
Amy 1
Anna 1
Charity 1
Edith 1
Emmer 1
Ethel 1
Frances 1
Hope 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lois 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Matilda 1
Mercy 1
Minnie 1
Phebe 1
Philadelphia 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 24
William 23
George 11
James 11
Charles 10
Alfred 5
David 5
Henry 5
Joseph 4
Samuel 4
Thomas 4
Albert 3
Edward 3
Frederick 3
Robert 3
Spencer 3
Walter 3
Ernest 2
Fredrick 2
Isaac 2
Lewis 2
Obed 2
Richard 2
Ruben 2
A. 1
Alfd.Thos. 1
Allen 1
Claud 1
Ebenezer 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Elizabeth 1
F. 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
Josf. 1
Joshua 1
Michael 1
S.S. 1
Stanley 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Thos.Wm. 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Muddle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Muddle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 295 people were recorded with the Muddle surname. That placed it at #9,842 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Muddle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 192 in 2016. That gives Muddle a modern rank of #20,118.

What does the Muddle map show?

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