NameCensus.

UK surname

Orde

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "ridge".

In the 1881 census there were 68 people recorded with the Orde surname, ranking it #23,950 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 89, ranked #32,297, down from #23,950 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Hopton and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ20, West Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Orde is 117 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.9%.

1881 census count

68

Ranked #23,950

Modern count

89

2016, ranked #32,297

Peak year

1998

117 bearers

Map years

2

1901 to 1998

Key insights

  • Orde had 68 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,950 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 89 in 2016, ranked #32,297.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 101 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Orde surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Orde surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Orde 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 64 #21,914
1861 historical 45 #28,296
1881 historical 68 #23,950
1891 historical 82 #26,494
1901 historical 101 #22,726
1911 historical 90 #23,797
1997 modern 100 #26,901
1998 modern 117 #25,190
1999 modern 112 #26,044
2000 modern 105 #27,001
2001 modern 101 #27,252
2002 modern 88 #29,534
2003 modern 83 #30,088
2004 modern 89 #29,623
2005 modern 92 #29,271
2006 modern 90 #29,893
2007 modern 92 #29,929
2008 modern 90 #30,567
2009 modern 93 #30,682
2010 modern 99 #30,397
2011 modern 97 #30,552
2012 modern 96 #30,949
2013 modern 97 #31,239
2014 modern 100 #31,033
2015 modern 97 #31,499
2016 modern 89 #32,297

Geography

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Where Ordes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Hopton, London parishes, Newcastle All Saints and Alnwick. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ20, West Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Northumberland and Cheviot East. 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 Hopton Suffolk
3 London parishes London 3
4 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
5 Alnwick Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ20 East Lothian
2 West Oxfordshire 004 West Oxfordshire
3 Wiltshire 044 Wiltshire
4 Northumberland 006 Northumberland
5 Cheviot East Scottish Borders

Forenames

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First names often paired with Orde

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Orde

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Orde is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Orde 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

Orde falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Orde 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Orde

The surname ORDE is of Anglo-Saxon origin and can be traced back to the regions of Northumberland and County Durham in northern England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "ord," which means "point" or "spearhead," suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a promontory or a pointed hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the ORDE surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland in 1199, where it appears as "de Orde." This spelling variation suggests that the name may have initially been a locational surname, referring to someone from a specific place called Orde.

In the 13th century, the ORDE family held lands and estates in Northumberland, particularly in the area around Felton and Wooler. Sir Robert de Orde, born around 1250, was a prominent member of the family during this period and served as a knight under King Edward I.

The ORDE surname is also mentioned in the Bain's Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland, a collection of historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. This suggests that the family may have had connections or holdings in Scotland as well.

One of the notable members of the ORDE family was Thomas Orde, born around 1548 in Northumberland. He was a merchant and served as the Mayor of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1593. His son, Sir Thomas Orde, was knighted in 1619 and became a Member of Parliament for Newcastle.

Another prominent figure was Sir John Orde, born in 1689 in Northumberland. He was a naval officer and served as the Governor of Virginia from 1768 to 1771. His son, Sir John Orde, also had a distinguished military career and served as a British Army officer during the American Revolutionary War.

In the 18th century, the ORDE family established themselves in County Down, Ireland, where they held the estate of Westbrooke. Sir John Orde, born in 1751, was a member of the Irish Parliament and served as the Lord Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer.

The ORDE surname can also be found in various place names, such as Orde Hill in Northumberland and Orde Burn, a stream that flows through the village of Felton in Northumberland. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and the geographic locations associated with the family's origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Orde families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Orde 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 32 Ordes recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.43x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 32 32.43x
Suffolk 9 11.14x
Argyllshire 5 27.09x
Cumberland 3 5.25x
Derbyshire 3 2.89x
Lancashire 3 0.38x
Surrey 3 0.93x
Yorkshire 3 0.46x
Middlesex 2 0.30x
Buckinghamshire 1 2.49x
Durham 1 0.51x
Gloucestershire 1 0.77x
Midlothian 1 1.13x
Somerset 1 0.94x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hopton in Suffolk leads with 8 Ordes recorded in 1881 and an index of 4000.00x.

Place Total Index
Hopton 8 4000.00x
Callaly Yetlington 6 10000.00x
Glassary 5 505.05x
Morpeth 5 431.03x
Hedley Woodside 4 4000.00x
Nunny Kirk 4 40000.00x
Shoreston 4 13333.33x
Lambeth 3 5.19x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 3 50.93x
Titlington 3 15000.00x
Armley 2 68.97x
Castleton 2 1333.33x
Eskdale Wasdale 2 1666.67x
West Derby 2 8.69x
Bullers Green 1 1428.57x
Crumpsall 1 54.05x
Derby St Alkmund 1 32.15x
Dunwich 1 1666.67x
East Chevington 1 303.03x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 2.80x
Eton 1 109.89x
Fleetham 1 10000.00x
Hanwell 1 84.75x
Heworth 1 25.71x
Pontefract 1 70.42x
St Pancras London 1 1.87x
Walcot 1 17.57x
Westbury On Trym 1 22.68x
Whitehaven 1 32.89x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Leonard 3
Thomas 3
George 2
Henry 2
William 2
Arthur 1
Chester 1
Harry 1
James 1
Jonathan 1
Julian 1
Lancelot 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1
W. 1

FAQ

Orde surname: questions and answers

How common was the Orde surname in 1881?

In 1881, 68 people were recorded with the Orde surname. That placed it at #23,950 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Orde surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 89 in 2016. That gives Orde a modern rank of #32,297.

What does the Orde surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "ridge".

What does the Orde map show?

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