NameCensus.

UK surname

Pedder

An English surname derived from the Middle English word "pedder," meaning a traveling merchant or peddler.

In the 1881 census there were 1,051 people recorded with the Pedder surname, ranking it #3,750 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,301, ranked #4,603, down from #3,750 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lancaster Borough, London parishes and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lancaster, Burnley and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pedder is 1,542 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.8%.

1881 census count

1,051

Ranked #3,750

Modern count

1,301

2016, ranked #4,603

Peak year

1911

1,542 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pedder had 1,051 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,750 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,301 in 2016, ranked #4,603.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,542 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pedder surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pedder surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pedder 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 745 #3,545
1861 historical 700 #3,868
1881 historical 1,051 #3,750
1891 historical 1,147 #3,716
1901 historical 1,336 #3,746
1911 historical 1,542 #3,147
1997 modern 1,413 #4,108
1998 modern 1,480 #4,103
1999 modern 1,455 #4,179
2000 modern 1,416 #4,249
2001 modern 1,381 #4,259
2002 modern 1,416 #4,255
2003 modern 1,394 #4,238
2004 modern 1,403 #4,213
2005 modern 1,373 #4,259
2006 modern 1,356 #4,303
2007 modern 1,338 #4,385
2008 modern 1,334 #4,413
2009 modern 1,355 #4,443
2010 modern 1,360 #4,516
2011 modern 1,333 #4,537
2012 modern 1,293 #4,594
2013 modern 1,332 #4,553
2014 modern 1,336 #4,561
2015 modern 1,336 #4,520
2016 modern 1,301 #4,603

Geography

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Where Pedders are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lancaster Borough, London parishes, Preston, Bradford and Luton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lancaster, Burnley and Bradford. 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 Lancaster Borough Lancashire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Luton Bedfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lancaster 013 Lancaster
2 Burnley 010 Burnley
3 Bradford 052 Bradford
4 Lancaster 006 Lancaster
5 Lancaster 011 Lancaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pedder

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pedder

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Pedder 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

Pedder is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Pedder

The surname Pedder originated in England, likely in the 14th or 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "peddere," which referred to a peddler or traveling merchant who carried goods for sale. This occupation was common during the medieval period, and many surnames were derived from the profession or trade of the bearer.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Pedder can be found in various parish records and manorial documents from the 16th and 17th centuries in counties such as Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Cheshire. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was John Pedder, who was listed in the Wigan parish records in 1588.

The Pedder surname has also been linked to certain place names, such as Pedder's Clough in Lancashire, which may have been named after a person or family bearing this name. Additionally, variations in spelling, such as Pedder, Peder, and Peddere, can be found in historical records.

Notable individuals with the surname Pedder include:

1. John Pedder (1795-1859), an English architect and surveyor who worked on several notable buildings in Liverpool and Manchester. 2. Sir Christopher Pedder (1869-1948), a British civil servant who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Burma from 1923 to 1927. 3. Henry Candler Pedder (1866-1939), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Somerset County Cricket Club in the late 19th century. 4. William Pedder (1815-1893), an English clergyman and educator who served as the headmaster of Felsted School in Essex from 1849 to 1868. 5. John Baptist Pedder (1789-1859), an English Catholic priest and writer who published several works on theological and historical subjects.

While the Pedder surname has roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pedder families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pedder 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. Lancashire leads with 362 Pedders recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.97x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 362 2.97x
Middlesex 160 1.56x
Bedfordshire 131 24.65x
Yorkshire 73 0.72x
Hertfordshire 70 9.90x
Surrey 50 1.00x
Essex 29 1.43x
Hampshire 22 1.05x
Kent 22 0.63x
Buckinghamshire 21 3.38x
Somerset 15 0.91x
Cumberland 10 1.13x
Suffolk 9 0.72x
Norfolk 8 0.51x
Stirlingshire 8 2.11x
Banffshire 7 3.29x
Derbyshire 7 0.44x
Westmorland 7 3.10x
Gloucestershire 6 0.30x
Durham 4 0.13x
Lanarkshire 4 0.12x
Shropshire 3 0.34x
Staffordshire 3 0.09x
Sussex 3 0.17x
Anglesey 2 1.10x
Cornwall 2 0.17x
Devon 2 0.09x
Midlothian 2 0.15x
Monmouthshire 2 0.27x
Wiltshire 2 0.22x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.15x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.23x
Cheshire 1 0.04x
Oxfordshire 1 0.16x
Warwickshire 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. Luton in Bedfordshire leads with 67 Pedders recorded in 1881 and an index of 72.84x.

Place Total Index
Luton 67 72.84x
Islington London 29 2.92x
Preston 29 8.90x
Bradford 27 10.97x
Liverpool 27 3.65x
Barrow In Furness 23 13.89x
Lancaster 20 27.61x
Toxteth Park 19 4.61x
West Derby 19 5.33x
St Marylebone London 18 3.29x
Greenwich 17 10.41x
Blackburn 16 4.94x
Claughton In Garstang 16 833.33x
Nether Wyresdale 16 751.17x
St Pancras London 16 1.94x
Aylesbury 14 50.93x
Chipping Barnet 14 113.18x
West Ham 14 3.13x
Farington 13 183.36x
Newington 13 3.43x
Walthamstow 13 17.83x
Flitwick 12 416.67x
Kensington London 12 2.10x
Welwyn 12 195.76x
Flitton 11 456.43x
Garstang 11 400.00x
Pudsey 11 20.24x
Cheshunt 10 40.44x
Edmonton 10 12.09x
Kirkland 10 892.86x
Nateby 10 724.64x
Parton 10 191.94x
Maulden 9 195.23x
Streatham 9 11.82x
Ventnor 9 45.00x
Widnes 9 10.25x
Catterall 8 372.09x
Hitchin 8 25.05x
Lambeth 8 0.89x
Monken Hadley 8 195.12x
Putney 8 17.11x
Stirling 8 16.76x
Holkham 7 370.37x
Leyland 7 33.03x
Lower Darwen 7 43.80x
Ordiquhill 7 277.78x
South Mimms 7 49.75x
Ambleside 6 85.84x
Dunstable 6 36.74x
Habergham Eaves 6 5.39x
Hackney London 6 1.04x
Houghton Regis 6 70.84x
Kirkdale 6 2.93x
Mile End Old Town 6 3.70x
Newton 6 6.39x
Oswaldtwistle 6 13.95x
Portsea 6 1.46x
Ravensden 6 359.28x
Salford 6 1.68x
Shoreditch London 6 1.35x
St Giles In Fields 6 16.95x
Ulverston 6 16.92x
Walcot 6 6.82x
Warley 6 20.42x
Alfreton 5 10.24x
Holy Trinity 5 2.04x
Holy Trinity St Mary 5 32.30x
Rainford 5 37.97x
Silsoe 5 209.21x
St George Hanover 5 3.73x
Warton With Lindeth 5 97.85x
Wetherden 5 285.71x
Bishopwearmouth 4 1.53x
Govan 4 0.49x
Hampstead London 4 2.50x
Hemel Hempstead 4 12.55x
Horton In Bradford 4 2.52x
Layton With Warbreck 4 8.95x
Skerton 4 40.00x
Southcoates 4 7.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 71
William 55
Thomas 40
George 35
James 31
Henry 27
Joseph 19
Richard 18
Alfred 14
Charles 14
Robert 14
Frederick 9
Arthur 8
Albert 7
Edward 7
Walter 7
Harry 6
Ernest 4
Jonathan 4
Alexander 3
Chas. 3
Peter 3
Samuel 3
Tom 3
Wm. 3
Abel 2
Andrew 2
Frank 2
Geo.A. 2
Lawrence 2
Mark 2
Matthew 2
Percy 2
Reuben 2
Adam 1
Benjamin 1
Carles 1
Charlie 1
Earnest 1
Edmund 1
Edwerd 1
Ephream 1
Ezra 1
Federick 1
Francis 1
Jane 1
Jas. 1
Jonathon 1
Josiah 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Pedder surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pedder surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,051 people were recorded with the Pedder surname. That placed it at #3,750 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pedder surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,301 in 2016. That gives Pedder a modern rank of #4,603.

What does the Pedder surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Middle English word "pedder," meaning a traveling merchant or peddler.

What does the Pedder map show?

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