NameCensus.

UK surname

Partridge

An English occupational surname for a hunter or seller of partridges, a type of game bird.

In the 1881 census there were 7,795 people recorded with the Partridge surname, ranking it #541 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,253, ranked #703, down from #541 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, Dudley and Babergh.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Partridge is 10,349 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.7%.

1881 census count

7,795

Ranked #541

Modern count

9,253

2016, ranked #703

Peak year

1911

10,349 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Partridge had 7,795 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #541 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,253 in 2016, ranked #703.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 10,349 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Partridge surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Partridge surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Partridge 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 4,957 #558
1861 historical 4,595 #621
1881 historical 7,795 #541
1891 historical 7,850 #565
1901 historical 9,782 #536
1911 historical 10,349 #472
1997 modern 9,378 #669
1998 modern 9,708 #673
1999 modern 9,783 #672
2000 modern 9,797 #664
2001 modern 9,705 #655
2002 modern 9,834 #663
2003 modern 9,573 #666
2004 modern 9,519 #669
2005 modern 9,273 #677
2006 modern 9,261 #675
2007 modern 9,294 #677
2008 modern 9,279 #687
2009 modern 9,478 #692
2010 modern 9,579 #700
2011 modern 9,568 #691
2012 modern 9,335 #693
2013 modern 9,475 #693
2014 modern 9,512 #693
2015 modern 9,361 #697
2016 modern 9,253 #703

Geography

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Where Partridges are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, Dudley, Babergh and Cotswold. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) Staffordshire
4 London parishes London 2
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
2 Dudley 033 Dudley
3 Babergh 004 Babergh
4 Cotswold 004 Cotswold
5 Dudley 039 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Partridge

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Partridge

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

Professional Periphery

Within London, Partridge is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Partridge is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Partridge

The surname Partridge is an English locational name derived from places called Partridge, which were so named from the Old English words 'pertric' or 'perdix', meaning partridge, the bird. The name likely originated as a distinguishing name for someone who lived near a spot where partridges were found in abundance.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Pertric'. It was initially concentrated in the counties of Worcestershire, Shropshire, and Herefordshire, suggesting these were the areas where the name first emerged.

In the 13th century, William Partrich was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. Around the same time, Robert de Pertrich was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Partrich, who was born in Shropshire in 1412. He was a renowned archer and served under King Henry V during the Hundred Years' War.

Another notable figure was Sir Miles Partridge (1508-1572), a prominent English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He served as a judge on the Court of King's Bench.

In the 17th century, John Partridge (1644-1715) was a renowned English astrologer and almanac maker. He was satirized by Jonathan Swift in his work "Predictions for the Year 1708".

The name Partridge has also been associated with several places, such as Partridge Green in West Sussex, which was recorded as 'Pertriggegrene' in the 14th century.

Other notable bearers of the surname include Ralph Partridge (1888-1960), an English novelist and co-founder of the literary magazine 'Hogarth Press', and Frances Partridge (1900-2004), an English writer and diarist.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Partridge families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Partridge 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. Middlesex leads with 1,004 Partridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.32x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,004 1.32x
Staffordshire 794 3.08x
Devon 710 4.47x
Worcestershire 505 5.07x
Surrey 466 1.25x
Warwickshire 453 2.35x
Gloucestershire 413 2.76x
Essex 399 2.65x
Northamptonshire 325 4.53x
Suffolk 306 3.29x
Yorkshire 227 0.30x
Lancashire 206 0.23x
Kent 179 0.69x
Berkshire 163 2.85x
Bedfordshire 151 3.82x
Leicestershire 145 1.71x
Somerset 129 1.05x
Shropshire 118 1.79x
Norfolk 116 0.99x
Herefordshire 95 3.04x
Glamorgan 80 0.60x
Buckinghamshire 77 1.67x
Oxfordshire 68 1.44x
Durham 62 0.27x
Lincolnshire 61 0.50x
Hertfordshire 59 1.12x
Hampshire 58 0.37x
Derbyshire 55 0.46x
Sussex 52 0.40x
Cheshire 44 0.26x
Monmouthshire 43 0.78x
Cambridgeshire 34 0.70x
Cornwall 30 0.35x
Dorset 29 0.58x
Wiltshire 25 0.37x
Nottinghamshire 19 0.18x
Rutland 17 3.03x
Huntingdonshire 14 0.92x
Isle of Man 11 0.78x
Ayrshire 10 0.18x
Channel Islands 10 0.44x
Royal Navy 10 1.10x
Radnorshire 9 1.46x
Westmorland 9 0.54x
Northumberland 8 0.07x
Montgomeryshire 5 0.29x
Renfrewshire 5 0.08x
Brecknockshire 4 0.26x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.10x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.12x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.06x
Lanarkshire 2 0.01x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.01x
Stirlingshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Bromwich in Staffordshire leads with 216 Partridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.65x.

Place Total Index
West Bromwich 216 14.65x
Birmingham 208 3.24x
Aston 158 2.98x
Islington London 148 2.00x
Lambeth 112 1.68x
Wednesbury 101 15.69x
St Pancras London 94 1.53x
Darlaston 88 24.72x
Rowley Regis 88 12.26x
Camberwell 76 1.56x
Bozeat 59 189.47x
Kings Norton 58 6.49x
Tipton 57 7.23x
Bow London 56 5.76x
Bethnal Green London 54 1.63x
St Marylebone London 53 1.30x
Kingsteignton 51 115.44x
Bedminster 49 4.24x
Kensington London 49 1.15x
Hammersmith London 48 2.55x
Battersea 46 1.64x
Irthlingborough 44 62.52x
Walsall Foreign 44 3.31x
Painswick 43 40.62x
Hackney London 38 0.89x
Kingswinford 38 4.06x
Edgbaston 37 6.20x
Leigh 37 70.64x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 36 2.55x
Paddington London 36 1.28x
Leicester St Margaret 35 1.70x
Bromley London 34 2.02x
Halesowen 34 38.86x
Olney 33 51.72x
Westminster St John 33 3.55x
Eaton Socon 32 51.60x
Shoreditch London 32 0.97x
Plymouth Charles The 30 4.29x
Newington 29 1.03x
Walthamstow 29 5.35x
Wollaston 29 73.45x
Chelsea London 28 1.22x
Hasbury 28 42.96x
Manchester 28 0.69x
Northfield 28 14.81x
Plymouth St Andrew 28 2.29x
Roath 28 4.64x
Sedgley 28 2.93x
Cheltenham 27 2.34x
Clerkenwell London 27 1.50x
Hardington Mandeville 27 163.24x
Culham 26 184.27x
Liverpool 26 0.47x
Witheridge 26 97.09x
Bletsoe 25 285.71x
Bromsgrove 25 7.45x
Riseley 25 99.88x
St George Hanover 25 2.51x
St Luke London 25 2.04x
Great Yarmouth 24 2.47x
Harborne 24 2.91x
Monks Eleigh 24 158.94x
Penge 24 4.92x
West Ham 24 0.72x
Bury St Edmunds St James 23 9.26x
Handsworth 23 3.62x
Malborough 23 36.42x
Morchard Bishop 23 69.38x
Rushden 23 23.95x
Brightside Bierlow 22 1.48x
Hornsey 22 2.28x
Leicester St Mary 22 3.22x
Stroud 22 7.55x
West Derby 22 0.83x
Ashbury 21 117.52x
Brixham 21 11.41x
Loughborough 21 5.47x
Mile End Old Town 21 1.74x
South Hamlet 21 22.68x
Leigh 20 16.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 491
Elizabeth 287
Sarah 277
Eliza 149
Emma 144
Ann 143
Jane 137
Annie 115
Ellen 113
Emily 98
Alice 91
Hannah 74
Louisa 67
Harriet 65
Martha 63
Charlotte 60
Florence 56
Edith 51
Maria 51
Caroline 47
Fanny 46
Susan 45
Kate 44
Clara 42
Lucy 42
Ada 39
Catherine 39
Margaret 35
Anne 34
Agnes 32
Frances 32
Harriett 31
Sophia 28
Matilda 27
Rose 27
Amelia 26
Elizth. 24
Eleanor 23
Esther 21
Rebecca 21
Jessie 19
Susannah 19
Amy 18
Julia 17
Laura 17
Maud 17
Bessie 15
Lizzie 15
Selina 15
Gertrude 14

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 457
John 409
Thomas 259
James 238
George 221
Henry 166
Charles 162
Joseph 128
Arthur 99
Samuel 99
Edward 86
Alfred 85
Walter 76
Frederick 71
Robert 68
Albert 66
Richard 54
Harry 50
Edwin 44
Frank 42
Ernest 34
Benjamin 25
Herbert 25
Wm. 22
David 21
Thos. 20
Daniel 18
Francis 18
Fred 16
Stephen 16
Philip 11
Abraham 10
Isaac 10
Enoch 9
Horace 9
Matthew 9
Peter 9
Willm. 9
Jesse 8
Joshua 8
Mark 8
Chas. 7
Geo. 7
Roger 7
Sidney 7
Tom 7
Leonard 6
Percy 6
Reuben 6
Simeon 6

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Partridge households.

FAQ

Partridge surname: questions and answers

How common was the Partridge surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7,795 people were recorded with the Partridge surname. That placed it at #541 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Partridge surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,253 in 2016. That gives Partridge a modern rank of #703.

What does the Partridge surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a hunter or seller of partridges, a type of game bird.

What does the Partridge map show?

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