NameCensus.

UK surname

Pardon

An English surname derived from the obsolete French word "pardon", meaning forgiveness or pardon.

In the 1881 census there were 311 people recorded with the Pardon surname, ranking it #9,470 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 302, ranked #14,660, down from #9,470 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, London parishes and Knapton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Norfolk, Broadland and Bolton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pardon is 430 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.9%.

1881 census count

311

Ranked #9,470

Modern count

302

2016, ranked #14,660

Peak year

1891

430 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pardon had 311 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,470 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 302 in 2016, ranked #14,660.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 430 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Pardon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pardon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pardon 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 239 #9,092
1861 historical 310 #8,175
1881 historical 311 #9,470
1891 historical 430 #8,344
1901 historical 345 #10,541
1911 historical 359 #10,084
1997 modern 302 #13,459
1998 modern 319 #13,330
1999 modern 318 #13,444
2000 modern 302 #13,848
2001 modern 299 #13,758
2002 modern 315 #13,561
2003 modern 296 #13,944
2004 modern 294 #14,055
2005 modern 282 #14,368
2006 modern 289 #14,234
2007 modern 297 #14,135
2008 modern 311 #13,800
2009 modern 310 #14,113
2010 modern 303 #14,626
2011 modern 302 #14,535
2012 modern 299 #14,537
2013 modern 305 #14,577
2014 modern 302 #14,772
2015 modern 300 #14,758
2016 modern 302 #14,660

Geography

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Where Pardons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, London parishes, Knapton, Budock and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Norfolk, Broadland and Bolton. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Knapton Norfolk
4 Budock Cornwall
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Norfolk 010 North Norfolk
2 Broadland 014 Broadland
3 North Norfolk 003 North Norfolk
4 North Norfolk 007 North Norfolk
5 Bolton 013 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pardon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pardon

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Pardon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Pardon household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Pardon is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pardon is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pardon falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pardon is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Pardon

The surname PARDON is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "pardon" which means "forgiveness" or "remission." This surname first emerged in the 12th century in the northern regions of France.

In medieval times, many surnames were derived from occupations, and PARDON may have been initially given to someone who worked as a scribe or clerk, responsible for recording pardons or indulgences granted by the Church or the crown. Alternatively, it could also have been given as a nickname to someone who had received a pardon or forgiveness for a transgression.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname PARDON can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Pardun" in this record.

During the 13th century, the surname PARDON appeared in various records in France, including the Trésor des Chartes, a collection of royal charters and decrees. In the year 1263, a certain Renaud PARDON is mentioned in a document from the city of Arras, in northern France.

In the 14th century, the PARDON name began to spread across Europe, with records showing individuals bearing this surname in England, Germany, and the Netherlands. One notable individual from this period was John PARDON, a merchant from London who was born around 1320 and traded in wool and cloth.

In the 16th century, the PARDON surname was well-established in France, and some individuals with this name achieved prominence. For example, Jean PARDON (1515-1588) was a French Protestant theologian and scholar who taught at the University of Geneva and wrote several influential works on theology and biblical exegesis.

Another significant figure was Jacques PARDON (1590-1657), a French architect and engineer who was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings and fortifications in Paris and other parts of France during the reign of Louis XIII.

Throughout the centuries, the PARDON surname has been subject to various spellings and variations, including Pardun, Pardone, Pardones, and Pardoen, reflecting the regional dialects and influences of different areas where the name was adopted.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pardon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pardon 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. Norfolk leads with 67 Pardons recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.36x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 67 14.36x
Middlesex 52 1.71x
Devon 42 6.65x
Yorkshire 34 1.13x
Lancashire 25 0.69x
Kent 18 1.74x
Surrey 18 1.22x
Cornwall 16 4.66x
Staffordshire 10 0.98x
Durham 9 1.00x
Lanarkshire 4 0.41x
Essex 3 0.50x
Warwickshire 3 0.39x
Gloucestershire 2 0.34x
Northumberland 2 0.44x
Berkshire 1 0.44x
Cheshire 1 0.15x
Glamorgan 1 0.19x
Midlothian 1 0.25x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.24x
Shropshire 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Knapton in Norfolk leads with 13 Pardons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3939.39x.

Place Total Index
Knapton 13 3939.39x
Budock 11 426.36x
Edingthorpe 11 5500.00x
Roborough 11 2619.05x
Trimingham 11 5500.00x
Scarborough 10 36.60x
Worsley 10 45.07x
Burlingham St Andrew 9 5000.00x
Chagford 9 596.03x
Heworth 9 50.62x
Sheffield 9 9.40x
Wardleworth 9 43.75x
Hornsey 8 20.86x
Camberwell 7 3.61x
Shoreditch London 7 5.32x
Winkleigh 7 551.18x
Doncaster 6 27.32x
Felmingham 6 1463.41x
Lambeth 6 2.27x
Paddington London 6 5.38x
Walmer 6 133.33x
Walsall Foreign 6 11.34x
Bridge 5 561.80x
Hackney London 5 2.94x
Leeds 5 2.95x
Ratcliffe London 5 29.85x
Shadwell London 5 58.89x
Southrepps 5 555.56x
St Marylebone London 5 3.09x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 8.22x
Wolborough 4 50.13x
Kensington London 3 1.78x
Northrepps 3 500.00x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 3 28.96x
Woolwich 3 7.85x
Barony 2 0.81x
Coventry St Michael 2 8.14x
Gloucester St Nicholas 2 72.73x
Hainford 2 307.69x
Halstead 2 28.61x
Hanwell 2 37.17x
Holt 2 125.79x
Lewisham 2 3.62x
North Bovey 2 434.78x
North Tawton 2 103.09x
Old Monkland 2 5.14x
St Agnes 2 41.58x
St Austell 2 17.04x
St George Hanover 2 5.05x
Throwleigh 2 606.06x
Wallbottle 2 208.33x
Wednesbury 2 7.82x
Aylsham 1 35.97x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 1 9.73x
Bridgnorth St Leonard 1 33.67x
Buxton 1 172.41x
Castleton 1 2.78x
Caterham 1 15.31x
Catton 1 128.21x
East West Hagbourn 1 129.87x
Gate Fulford 1 14.25x
Great Yarmouth 1 2.59x
Hammersmith London 1 1.34x
Huddersfield 1 2.28x
Hunworth 1 454.55x
Islington London 1 0.34x
Kinver 1 33.90x
Moss Side 1 5.28x
Newington 1 0.89x
Norwood 1 14.41x
Reigate Borough 1 29.33x
Sculcoates 1 2.10x
Southwark St John 1 10.78x
Southwark St Saviour 1 6.41x
Spotland 1 2.50x
Stoke Newington London 1 4.23x
Tipton 1 3.19x
Tormoham 1 3.74x
Upton 1 192.31x
Walthamstow 1 4.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Elizabeth 14
Ann 10
Sarah 9
Eliza 8
Emily 6
Anne 4
Charlotte 4
Harriet 4
Martha 4
Bridget 3
Edith 3
Alice 2
Amy 2
Anna 2
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Frances 2
Jane 2
Janetta 2
Louisa 2
Mabel 2
Priscilla 2
Blanche 1
Caroline 1
Celia 1
Christiana 1
Elizh. 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Emmeline 1
Enil 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Harritt 1
Hetty 1
J... 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Leah 1
Lily 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Phoebe 1
Prudence 1
Sybilla 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Pardon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pardon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 311 people were recorded with the Pardon surname. That placed it at #9,470 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pardon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 302 in 2016. That gives Pardon a modern rank of #14,660.

What does the Pardon surname mean?

An English surname derived from the obsolete French word "pardon", meaning forgiveness or pardon.

What does the Pardon map show?

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