NameCensus.

UK surname

Olds

Derived from a place name meaning "old house" in Old English, likely referring to someone who lived there.

In the 1881 census there were 374 people recorded with the Olds surname, ranking it #8,364 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 547, ranked #9,323, down from #8,364 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Madron and Sancreed. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall and Sunderland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Olds is 608 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.3%.

1881 census count

374

Ranked #8,364

Modern count

547

2016, ranked #9,323

Peak year

2000

608 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Olds had 374 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,364 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 547 in 2016, ranked #9,323.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 594 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Olds surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Olds surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Olds 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 222 #9,597
1861 historical 235 #10,427
1881 historical 374 #8,364
1891 historical 428 #8,377
1901 historical 531 #7,717
1911 historical 594 #6,890
1997 modern 584 #8,299
1998 modern 602 #8,376
1999 modern 604 #8,407
2000 modern 608 #8,356
2001 modern 580 #8,485
2002 modern 607 #8,387
2003 modern 572 #8,602
2004 modern 552 #8,833
2005 modern 544 #8,859
2006 modern 544 #8,890
2007 modern 558 #8,802
2008 modern 569 #8,742
2009 modern 576 #8,851
2010 modern 579 #9,013
2011 modern 569 #9,030
2012 modern 559 #9,063
2013 modern 567 #9,093
2014 modern 561 #9,242
2015 modern 555 #9,243
2016 modern 547 #9,323

Geography

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Where Olds' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Madron, Sancreed, St George and St Just. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall and Sunderland. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Madron Cornwall
3 Sancreed Cornwall
4 St George Gloucestershire
5 St Just Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 069 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 065 Cornwall
3 Sunderland 020 Sunderland
4 Cornwall 052 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 053 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Olds

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Olds

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Olds is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Olds is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Olds falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Olds is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Olds, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Olds

The surname Olds is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "eald" or "ald," meaning "old" or "aged." It likely originated as a nickname or descriptive name for an elderly person or someone perceived as wise or experienced beyond their years.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Olds can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. Records from the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention individuals with the surname Olds or similar spellings such as Olde and Oldes.

In the Middle Ages, the name Olds appeared in various historical documents, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which listed a Robert Olde among the taxpayers. The Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379 also mentioned a John Olde.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Olds, born around 1450 in Lincolnshire, England. He was a landowner and farmer who passed his estate down to his descendants.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Olds family began to spread across different parts of England, with some members settling in the county of Cheshire. One notable individual from this period was Thomas Olds, born in 1590 in Cheshire, who served as a member of the Parliament during the English Civil War.

In the late 17th century, the Olds surname was also found in the neighboring regions of Wales and Scotland, possibly due to migration or intermarriage. One such individual was David Olds, born in 1678 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, who was a respected merchant and trader.

As the centuries progressed, the Olds surname continued to spread across the British Isles and eventually to other parts of the world through emigration. Notable bearers of the name include:

1. Ransom Olds (1864-1950), an American automobile pioneer and founder of the Oldsmobile brand. 2. Sir Alfred Olds (1891-1978), a British civil engineer and industrialist. 3. Moyna Olds (1923-2002), an American artist and painter known for her abstract expressionist works. 4. Sharon Olds (born 1942), an American poet and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. 5. Robin Olds (1922-2007), a highly decorated American fighter pilot and ace during World War II and the Vietnam War.

While the surname Olds may have evolved from a simple descriptive nickname, it has become a lasting legacy carried by individuals across various fields and professions throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Olds families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Olds 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. Cornwall leads with 174 Olds' recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.24x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 174 42.24x
Gloucestershire 73 10.23x
Warwickshire 30 3.27x
Cumberland 22 7.02x
Kent 20 1.61x
Oxfordshire 19 8.46x
Surrey 8 0.45x
Berkshire 7 2.56x
Middlesex 6 0.16x
Derbyshire 2 0.35x
Somerset 2 0.34x
Worcestershire 2 0.42x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.45x
Devon 1 0.13x
Durham 1 0.09x
Lancashire 1 0.02x
Leicestershire 1 0.25x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.20x
Royal Navy 1 2.31x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Just In Penwith in Cornwall leads with 54 Olds' recorded in 1881 and an index of 675.84x.

Place Total Index
St Just In Penwith 54 675.84x
Bitton Oldland 29 397.81x
Bristol St George 24 72.73x
Paul 23 307.49x
Birmingham 19 6.21x
Bitton 16 257.65x
Millom 16 166.67x
Sancreed 15 1282.05x
W Adderbury 12 2142.86x
Perranzabuloe 11 309.86x
Madron Penzance 10 66.76x
Gillingham 9 35.16x
Gwinear 9 461.54x
Camborne 8 47.14x
Uny Lelant 8 358.74x
Deal 7 66.10x
Leamington Priors 7 31.00x
Madron 7 210.21x
St Buryan 7 411.76x
Zennor 7 921.05x
Sandhurst 6 113.42x
Arlecdon 5 60.02x
St Hilary 5 416.67x
Neithrop 4 52.98x
Newington 4 2.98x
Towednack 4 493.83x
Wonersh 4 181.00x
Coventry Holy Trinity 3 10.95x
Shadwell London 3 29.47x
Thornbury 3 61.48x
Bath St James 2 32.73x
Litchurch 2 8.73x
Sennen 2 219.78x
Worcester St Peter 2 22.25x
Banbury 1 22.22x
Bristol St Michael 1 16.34x
Buckingham 1 22.37x
Cleator 1 7.67x
Cowley 1 14.27x
Crowan 1 30.67x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.04x
Dover St Mary Virgin 1 8.32x
Everton 1 0.73x
Gulval 1 37.74x
Hornsey 1 2.17x
Ingleton 1 49.26x
Kenwyn 1 9.29x
Leicester St Martin 1 36.90x
Minster In Sheppey 1 4.86x
Minster In Thanet 1 38.76x
Monk Hesleden 1 33.11x
North Aston 1 357.14x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 1.71x
Royal Navy 1 2.70x
Selston 1 18.25x
Shoreditch London 1 0.63x
St Levan 1 135.14x
Wantage 1 22.99x
Westminster St John 1 2.26x
Weston 1 357.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 24
Elizabeth 15
Ellen 8
Jane 7
Sarah 7
Annie 6
Eliza 6
Alice 5
Ann 4
Catherine 4
Susan 4
Ada 3
Charlotte 3
Clara 3
Elizth. 3
Emily 3
Emma 3
Florence 3
Grace 3
Hannah 3
Kate 3
Agnes 2
Bessie 2
Blanche 2
Ester 2
Fanny 2
Isabella 2
Jenifer 2
Lilian 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Rachel 2
Rosina 2
Barber 1
Dianna 1
Dinnes 1
Elizth.J. 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Infant 1
Isabell 1
Janey 1
Jessie 1
Laura 1
Lissie 1
Love 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 34
John 26
James 19
Thomas 18
Henry 11
George 10
Joseph 9
Richard 8
Charles 6
Frederick 6
Albert 5
Alfred 5
Arthur 5
Peter 5
Samuel 5
Edward 3
Robert 3
Charley 2
Abraham 1
Arold 1
Charlie 1
Chas. 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Elizabeth 1
Fredric 1
Hedley 1
Herbert 1
Horatio 1
Johney 1
Jonas 1
Jonathan 1
Orville 1
Percy 1
Phillip 1
Rundle 1
Sidney 1

FAQ

Olds surname: questions and answers

How common was the Olds surname in 1881?

In 1881, 374 people were recorded with the Olds surname. That placed it at #8,364 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Olds surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 547 in 2016. That gives Olds a modern rank of #9,323.

What does the Olds surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "old house" in Old English, likely referring to someone who lived there.

What does the Olds map show?

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