NameCensus.

UK surname

Oldroyd

A locational surname derived from place names beginning with "Old road".

In the 1881 census there were 1,515 people recorded with the Oldroyd surname, ranking it #2,773 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,820, ranked #3,485, down from #2,773 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mirfield, Kirkheaton and Thornhill. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Oldroyd is 1,884 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.1%.

1881 census count

1,515

Ranked #2,773

Modern count

1,820

2016, ranked #3,485

Peak year

2010

1,884 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Oldroyd had 1,515 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,773 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,820 in 2016, ranked #3,485.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,874 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Oldroyd surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Oldroyd surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Oldroyd 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 922 #2,992
1861 historical 1,062 #2,645
1881 historical 1,515 #2,773
1891 historical 1,566 #2,836
1901 historical 1,796 #2,913
1911 historical 1,874 #2,640
1997 modern 1,780 #3,365
1998 modern 1,835 #3,401
1999 modern 1,873 #3,365
2000 modern 1,839 #3,397
2001 modern 1,810 #3,377
2002 modern 1,847 #3,386
2003 modern 1,834 #3,345
2004 modern 1,848 #3,320
2005 modern 1,827 #3,320
2006 modern 1,793 #3,384
2007 modern 1,827 #3,357
2008 modern 1,844 #3,360
2009 modern 1,857 #3,420
2010 modern 1,884 #3,445
2011 modern 1,878 #3,411
2012 modern 1,826 #3,435
2013 modern 1,844 #3,462
2014 modern 1,864 #3,452
2015 modern 1,838 #3,472
2016 modern 1,820 #3,485

Geography

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Where Oldroyds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mirfield, Kirkheaton, Thornhill, Birstall and Batley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield and Kirklees. 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 Mirfield Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Kirkheaton Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Thornhill Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 021 Wakefield
2 Wakefield 025 Wakefield
3 Wakefield 029 Wakefield
4 Kirklees 008 Kirklees
5 Kirklees 028 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Oldroyd

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Oldroyd

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Oldroyd 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

Oldroyd is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Oldroyd 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 Oldroyd 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 Oldroyd, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Oldroyd

The surname Oldroyd has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "eald" meaning "old" and "rod" meaning "clearing," referring to an old clearing or open space in a forest or woodland area.

The name was initially concentrated in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where many early records of the surname can be found. Some of the earliest known spellings of the name include Olderode, Oldroyd, and Oldroyde, appearing in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Oldroyd can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which lists a Richard Olderode from the West Riding of Yorkshire. Another notable early reference is in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, where a John Oldroyd is mentioned in 1492.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Oldroyd family spread across various parts of northern England, with several branches establishing themselves in different regions. One notable individual from this period was William Oldroyd, a yeoman farmer from Huddersfield, who lived in the late 16th century.

In the 18th century, the name Oldroyd continued to be predominantly found in Yorkshire, with some families also settling in neighboring counties like Lancashire and Derbyshire. A notable figure from this era was John Oldroyd (1718-1789), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist from Dewsbury, Yorkshire.

The 19th century saw the Oldroyd name spread further across England and even to other parts of the world, as many members of the family emigrated to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. One notable individual from this period was Sir Mark Oldroyd (1856-1932), a British industrialist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Dewsbury constituency.

Other notable individuals with the surname Oldroyd throughout history include William Oldroyd (1837-1914), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in Yorkshire, and Geoffrey Oldroyd (1909-1991), an English cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Oldroyd families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Oldroyd 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. Yorkshire leads with 1,350 Oldroyds recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.22x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,350 9.22x
Lancashire 56 0.32x
Durham 16 0.36x
Kent 13 0.26x
Middlesex 13 0.09x
Essex 10 0.34x
Cambridgeshire 9 0.96x
Surrey 8 0.11x
Cornwall 7 0.42x
Northumberland 5 0.23x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.20x
Shropshire 4 0.31x
Isle of Man 3 1.09x
Lincolnshire 3 0.13x
Norfolk 3 0.13x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.32x
Stirlingshire 2 0.37x
Sussex 2 0.08x
Denbighshire 1 0.18x
Derbyshire 1 0.04x
East Lothian 1 0.51x
Leicestershire 1 0.06x
Westmorland 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dewsbury in Yorkshire leads with 232 Oldroyds recorded in 1881 and an index of 154.46x.

Place Total Index
Dewsbury 232 154.46x
Mirfield 130 161.69x
Batley 118 84.78x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 89 170.14x
Thornhill 66 154.46x
Soothill 63 119.09x
Kirkburton 53 306.89x
Leeds 46 5.56x
Kirkheaton 40 168.42x
Heckmondwike 35 74.31x
Gomersal 34 49.74x
Shitlington 26 171.62x
East Ardsley 23 181.39x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 21 39.49x
Horbury 20 78.06x
Morley 19 24.95x
Sandal Magna 19 87.72x
Halifax 18 8.37x
Hunslet 18 7.88x
Wakefield 17 15.12x
Wooldale 17 68.44x
Northowram 16 15.58x
Huddersfield 14 6.56x
West Ardsley 12 68.10x
Tottington Lower End 11 13.20x
Lepton 10 65.36x
Middleton In Hunslet 10 485.44x
West Ham 10 1.55x
Barkisland 9 84.67x
Sharlston 9 93.65x
Kilnwick 8 655.74x
Layton With Warbreck 8 12.43x
Westoe 8 3.21x
Brightside Bierlow 7 2.44x
Clayton 7 19.53x
Gildersome 7 39.77x
Headingley Cum Burley 7 7.43x
Illogan 7 15.80x
Knapwell 7 736.84x
Liversedge 7 10.74x
Normanton 7 15.91x
Barnsley 6 3.97x
Bowling 6 4.14x
Bradford 6 1.69x
Folkestone 6 6.13x
Heaton 6 38.14x
Lofthouse Cum Carlton 6 33.61x
Roystone 6 104.71x
Shadwell 6 107.72x
Warrington 6 2.89x
Bradford 5 6.09x
Dewsbury Ossett Cum 5 156.74x
Elswick 5 2.85x
Haswell 5 15.87x
Manningham 5 2.77x
Oldham 5 0.88x
South Crosland 5 32.43x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 1.68x
Templenewsam Thorpe 5 163.93x
Dalton In Huddersfield 4 12.19x
Hornsey 4 2.14x
Hulme 4 1.09x
Idle 4 5.89x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 4 10.83x
Shrewsbury Holy Cross 4 28.37x
Snydale 4 132.01x
Woolley 4 131.58x
Altofts 3 18.56x
Armley 3 4.64x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 3 2.20x
Faversham 3 6.24x
Onchan 3 3.80x
Potter Newton 3 11.61x
Shoreditch London 3 0.47x
South Lynn 3 11.70x
Strood 3 10.43x
Whitechapel London 3 2.06x
Worksop 3 5.08x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 0.52x
Wadhurst 2 12.22x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 87
Mary 86
Elizabeth 48
Ann 45
Hannah 40
Annie 34
Emma 32
Martha 30
Jane 27
Eliza 21
Alice 18
Ellen 16
Clara 15
Emily 14
Ada 13
Louisa 9
Charlotte 8
Harriet 8
Edith 7
Fanny 7
Sophia 6
Elizth. 5
Esther 5
Grace 5
Maud 5
Ruth 5
Agnes 4
Caroline 4
Florence 4
Frances 4
Laura 4
Margaret 4
Maria 4
Matilda 4
Nancy 4
Betty 3
Julia 3
Rachael 3
Rhoda 3
Rose 3
Selina 3
Susan 3
Carrie 2
Emeline 2
Eva 2
Kate 2
Lucy 2
Lydia 2
Margret 2
Rachel 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 77
William 55
Joseph 47
George 42
Thomas 37
James 35
Henry 28
Charles 23
Harry 18
Arthur 17
Fred 15
Samuel 13
Walter 13
Albert 12
Benjamin 12
Alfred 11
Tom 11
Richard 10
David 9
Joshua 9
Sam 9
Edward 8
Ernest 8
Herbert 8
Mark 8
Edwin 7
Robert 7
Allen 6
Matthew 6
Smith 6
Ben 5
Dan 5
Isaac 5
Willie 5
Geo. 4
Joe 4
Oliver 4
Stephen 4
Charlie 3
Daniel 3
Dick 3
Eli 3
Frederick 3
Jonathan 3
Lewis 3
Martin 3
Nelson 3
Philip 2
Ralph 2
Rowland 2

FAQ

Oldroyd surname: questions and answers

How common was the Oldroyd surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,515 people were recorded with the Oldroyd surname. That placed it at #2,773 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Oldroyd surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,820 in 2016. That gives Oldroyd a modern rank of #3,485.

What does the Oldroyd surname mean?

A locational surname derived from place names beginning with "Old road".

What does the Oldroyd map show?

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