NameCensus.

UK surname

Ord

A topographic surname referring to a person who lived near a ridge or point.

In the 1881 census there were 1,786 people recorded with the Ord surname, ranking it #2,430 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,804, ranked #2,409, up from #2,430 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead and Guisborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, South Tyneside and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ord is 2,970 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.0%.

1881 census count

1,786

Ranked #2,430

Modern count

2,804

2016, ranked #2,409

Peak year

2010

2,970 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ord had 1,786 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,430 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,804 in 2016, ranked #2,409.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,340 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Ord surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ord surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Ord 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 1,382 #2,073
1881 historical 1,786 #2,430
1891 historical 197 #15,101
1901 historical 2,340 #2,317
1997 modern 2,916 #2,217
1998 modern 2,954 #2,281
1999 modern 2,969 #2,286
2000 modern 2,889 #2,330
2001 modern 2,854 #2,303
2002 modern 2,917 #2,311
2003 modern 2,820 #2,332
2004 modern 2,800 #2,348
2005 modern 2,792 #2,329
2006 modern 2,799 #2,325
2007 modern 2,778 #2,362
2008 modern 2,782 #2,372
2009 modern 2,852 #2,360
2010 modern 2,970 #2,322
2011 modern 2,933 #2,320
2012 modern 2,839 #2,349
2013 modern 2,859 #2,381
2014 modern 2,832 #2,413
2015 modern 2,809 #2,410
2016 modern 2,804 #2,409

Geography

Back to top

Where Ords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead, Guisborough, Liverpool and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, South Tyneside and Northumberland. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Guisborough Yorkshire, North Riding
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 019 County Durham
2 South Tyneside 016 South Tyneside
3 County Durham 059 County Durham
4 Northumberland 022 Northumberland
5 South Tyneside 012 South Tyneside

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Ord

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Ord

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ord, 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 Ord surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Ord 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ord 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

Ord 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

Ord falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ord is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Ord

The surname Ord is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "ord," which means "point" or "spear." This suggests that the name might have originally referred to someone who was skilled with a spear or lived near a pointed feature of the landscape.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Ord can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Orde." This census, commissioned by William the Conqueror, recorded landowners and their properties across England and parts of Wales.

During the 13th century, the name Ord was particularly prevalent in the Yorkshire region of northern England. It is believed that the name originated in this area and may have been connected to a place name, such as the village of Ord in North Yorkshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Walter Ord, who was documented in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1195. Another early record is that of William Ord, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland in 1279.

In the 14th century, the surname Ord appeared in various spellings, including Orde, Orthe, and Ourde. This variation in spelling was common during that time period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

Notable individuals with the surname Ord throughout history include:

1. Robert Ord (c. 1490-1556), an English Roman Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of Queen Mary I.

2. John Ord (c. 1566-1646), an English composer and musician who served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal.

3. Craven Ord (1756-1832), a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became Governor of the Bahamas.

4. Sir Harry St. John Ord (1819-1885), a British army officer who served in the Crimean War and later became Governor of Victoria, Australia.

5. William Miller Ord (1834-1902), an American army surgeon who served in the American Civil War and later became a pioneer in the field of neurology.

While the surname Ord has roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration patterns. However, it remains most prevalent in regions with strong historical ties to the British Isles.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Ord families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ord 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 738 Ords recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.89x.

County Total Index
Durham 738 12.89x
Northumberland 507 17.71x
Yorkshire 199 1.04x
Lancashire 105 0.46x
Middlesex 66 0.34x
Aberdeenshire 60 3.37x
Banffshire 37 9.27x
Lanarkshire 29 0.47x
Surrey 28 0.30x
Kent 25 0.38x
Hampshire 24 0.61x
Roxburghshire 17 4.88x
Midlothian 16 0.62x
Devon 14 0.35x
Cheshire 13 0.31x
Suffolk 11 0.47x
Essex 7 0.18x
Somerset 7 0.23x
Gloucestershire 6 0.16x
Kincardineshire 6 2.56x
Perthshire 6 0.69x
Wiltshire 6 0.35x
Glamorgan 5 0.15x
Kinross-shire 5 10.28x
Ayrshire 4 0.28x
Derbyshire 4 0.13x
Staffordshire 4 0.06x
Berwickshire 3 1.29x
Cumberland 3 0.18x
Angus 2 0.11x
Ross-shire 2 0.38x
Sussex 2 0.06x
Warwickshire 2 0.04x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.09x
Fife 1 0.09x
Lincolnshire 1 0.03x
Morayshire 1 0.33x
Norfolk 1 0.03x
Northamptonshire 1 0.06x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.04x
Radnorshire 1 0.64x
Royal Navy 1 0.44x
Westmorland 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bishopwearmouth in Durham leads with 79 Ords recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.07x.

Place Total Index
Bishopwearmouth 79 16.07x
Westoe 52 16.02x
Gateshead 49 11.43x
Guisbrough 49 117.56x
Byker 41 28.96x
Elswick 40 17.50x
Liverpool 32 2.31x
Middlesbrough 28 11.27x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 26 15.20x
Hartlepool 25 30.72x
Darlington 24 10.86x
Bedlington 21 21.96x
Bishop Auckland 21 27.34x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 21 8.47x
Chirton 20 30.86x
Corsenside 20 445.43x
Hetton Le Hole 20 27.56x
Heworth 20 17.73x
Stranton 19 9.86x
Berwick Upon Tweed 18 29.66x
Cramlington 18 47.57x
Monkwearmouth 18 32.84x
Seghill 18 128.21x
Coundon 17 73.24x
Crossgate 17 67.92x
Gamrie 17 38.14x
Islington London 16 0.86x
Penshaw 16 93.02x
Trimdon 16 79.05x
Hexham 15 33.84x
Portsea 15 1.94x
Stockton On Tees 15 5.43x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 14 4.20x
Bothal Demesne 14 102.19x
Escomb 14 53.21x
Haswell 14 34.11x
West Matfen 14 686.27x
Ancroft 13 129.10x
Aberdeen Old Machar 12 3.22x
Cornforth 12 71.17x
Crailing 12 284.36x
Govan 12 0.78x
Great Lumley 12 122.45x
Lofthouse 12 42.15x
Morpeth 12 35.64x
South Shields 12 23.52x
Tanfield 12 17.62x
East Chevington 11 115.43x
St George Hanover 11 4.38x
St Pancras London 11 0.71x
Tynemouth 11 7.17x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 10 0.96x
Sunderland 10 9.89x
Ardwick 9 4.37x
Brandon Byshottles 9 12.55x
Ross 9 1764.71x
Ryhope 9 22.64x
St Marylebone London 9 0.88x
Streatham 9 6.30x
Whickham 9 17.08x
Barony 8 0.51x
Belford 8 131.36x
Birtley 8 317.46x
Cowpen 8 12.13x
Dawdon 8 11.36x
Deptford St Paul 8 1.58x
Everton 8 1.10x
Framwellgate 8 23.58x
Haughton Le Skerne 8 169.49x
Haydon 8 51.09x
Newbottle 8 25.58x
Sherburn 8 45.90x
Wingate 8 20.38x
Gartly 7 119.25x
Lewisham 7 2.00x
Redcar 7 46.27x
Sculcoates 7 2.32x
Sturton Grange 7 921.05x
Widdrington 7 102.19x
Witton Gilbert 7 30.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 134
Elizabeth 101
Jane 75
Margaret 71
Sarah 52
Isabella 45
Ann 38
Annie 25
Alice 20
Ellen 18
Hannah 17
Eliza 16
Catherine 14
Emma 13
Eleanor 12
Emily 10
Frances 9
Anne 8
Dorothy 8
Florence 8
Maria 8
Martha 8
Julia 7
Ada 6
Charlotte 6
Esther 6
Rebecca 6
Agnes 5
Jessie 5
Edith 4
Elisabeth 4
Francis 4
Georgina 4
Grace 4
Harriet 4
Rachel 4
Amelia 3
Clara 3
Elizth. 3
Fanny 3
Isabel 3
Lilian 3
Lucy 3
Margt. 3
Rose 3
Susannah 3
Adelaide 2
Christina 2
Janet 2
Jemima 2

Top male names

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

FAQ

Ord surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ord surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,786 people were recorded with the Ord surname. That placed it at #2,430 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ord surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,804 in 2016. That gives Ord a modern rank of #2,409.

What does the Ord surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to a person who lived near a ridge or point.

What does the Ord map show?

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