NameCensus.

UK surname

Poad

A surname of Anglo-Saxon origin possibly derived from a pet form of Walter.

In the 1881 census there were 225 people recorded with the Poad surname, ranking it #11,931 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 159, ranked #22,798, down from #11,931 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Callington, Long Benton and St Austell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Hartlepool and Trafford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Poad is 225 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 29.3%.

1881 census count

225

Ranked #11,931

Modern count

159

2016, ranked #22,798

Peak year

1881

225 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Poad had 225 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,931 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 159 in 2016, ranked #22,798.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 225 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Poad surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Poad surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Poad 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 120 #15,144
1861 historical 126 #17,569
1881 historical 225 #11,931
1891 historical 218 #14,023
1901 historical 208 #14,760
1911 historical 213 #14,379
1997 modern 187 #18,398
1998 modern 183 #19,106
1999 modern 186 #19,073
2000 modern 187 #18,990
2001 modern 187 #18,708
2002 modern 189 #18,950
2003 modern 182 #19,215
2004 modern 179 #19,523
2005 modern 175 #19,727
2006 modern 176 #19,787
2007 modern 177 #19,965
2008 modern 180 #19,946
2009 modern 190 #19,656
2010 modern 185 #20,453
2011 modern 177 #20,874
2012 modern 160 #22,260
2013 modern 159 #22,706
2014 modern 162 #22,624
2015 modern 161 #22,599
2016 modern 159 #22,798

Geography

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Where Poads are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Callington, Long Benton, St Austell, St Dominick and St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Hartlepool and Trafford. 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 Callington Cornwall
2 Long Benton Northumberland
3 St Austell Cornwall
4 St Dominick Cornwall
5 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 023 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 036 Cornwall
3 Hartlepool 002 Hartlepool
4 Cornwall 013 Cornwall
5 Trafford 019 Trafford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Poad

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Poad

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Poad surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Poad household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Poad 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

Poad is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Poad falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Poad 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 Poad, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Poad

The surname POAD is of English origin, originating in the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "pæd," meaning "path" or "road." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with someone who resided near a well-traveled path or roadway.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the POAD surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, dating back to 1176. These rolls were administrative records maintained by the English government during the reign of King Henry II. The name is listed as "Willelmus de Pade," which may be an early spelling variation of POAD.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a record of landholders in England, the name appears as "Robert de Pade" in the county of Oxfordshire. This indicates that the POAD surname had spread to different regions of the country by the 13th century.

During the 14th century, the POAD name appeared in various forms, including "Pode," "Poad," and "Poade." One notable individual from this time was John Poad, a merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol, recorded in the city's archives in 1390.

In the 16th century, the POAD surname was found in several parish records across England. For example, in 1562, the baptism of Margery Poad was recorded in the parish of St. Mary's in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. Another notable figure was William Poad, a clergyman who served as the Rector of Welton in Northamptonshire from 1588 until his death in 1621.

The 17th century saw the POAD name spread to different parts of the world through English exploration and colonization. One such individual was John Poad, a merchant and ship's captain who sailed to the American colonies in the 1630s. Records indicate that he settled in Virginia and played a role in the establishment of the Jamestown colony.

In the 18th century, the POAD surname was associated with several notable individuals. Thomas Poad (1701-1785) was a successful businessman and landowner in Gloucestershire, while Samuel Poad (1728-1798) was a prominent lawyer and judge in London.

As the centuries progressed, the POAD name continued to appear in various historical records, with individuals bearing this surname making contributions in various fields, including academia, politics, and the arts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Poad families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Poad 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. Cornwall leads with 90 Poads recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.22x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 90 36.22x
Yorkshire 36 1.66x
Devon 23 5.03x
Durham 18 2.76x
Northumberland 18 5.51x
Staffordshire 12 1.62x
Surrey 9 0.84x
Somerset 7 1.98x
Middlesex 4 0.18x
Essex 2 0.46x
Gloucestershire 2 0.46x
Hampshire 2 0.44x
Hertfordshire 1 0.66x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Austell in Cornwall leads with 29 Poads recorded in 1881 and an index of 341.58x.

Place Total Index
St Austell 29 341.58x
Callington 24 1655.17x
Stoke Damerel 12 37.52x
Wolverhampton 12 21.06x
Hetton Le Hole 11 133.01x
St Dennis 10 1075.27x
Longbenton 9 65.08x
Gate Fulford 8 157.48x
Bedminster 7 21.08x
St Ive 7 440.25x
Wykeham 7 1627.91x
Acaster Malbis 6 3000.00x
Holy Trinity 6 625.00x
Lambeth 6 3.14x
St Gluvias Penryn 6 301.51x
Wallsend 6 57.92x
East Looe 5 495.05x
Fylingdales 5 462.96x
Gateshead 5 10.23x
Brompton In Scarborough 4 769.23x
North Hill 4 500.00x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 11.37x
St Marylebone London 4 3.41x
Bodmin 2 48.66x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 2 4.93x
Camberwell 2 1.43x
Earsdon 2 75.19x
East Ayton 2 666.67x
Pickering 2 72.99x
Portsea 2 2.27x
Scarborough 2 10.12x
West Ham 2 2.09x
Westoe 2 5.40x
Chertsey 1 14.47x
Cheshunt 1 18.90x
Ladock 1 142.86x
Linkinhorne 1 57.80x
Seghill 1 62.50x
St Stephen In Brannel 1 44.05x
West Teignmouth 1 28.57x
Worksop 1 11.40x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Elizabeth 8
Jane 7
Eliza 6
Ellen 5
Emily 5
Ann 4
Annie 4
Florence 3
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Amelia 2
Bessie 2
Dorothy 2
Emma 2
Ethel 2
Frances 2
Grace 2
Isabella 2
Mabel 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Ada 1
Ametea 1
Amy 1
Anna 1
Catherine 1
Daisy 1
Everilda 1
Fanny 1
G. 1
Georgina 1
Hannah 1
Hettie 1
Hilda 1
Lillie 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
M. 1
Matilda 1
Maud 1
Rose 1
Selena 1
Selina 1
Sofiah 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 20
William 18
George 9
Joseph 7
Henry 6
Samuel 4
Charles 3
Edward 3
Edwin 3
Isaac 3
Michael 3
Robert 3
Thomas 3
Andrew 2
Benjamin 2
Daniel 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Philip 2
Abraham 1
Abram 1
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
David 1
Dick 1
Elizabeth 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Hassell 1
Horace 1
Saml. 1
Stanley 1
Taylor 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Willm.W. 1

FAQ

Poad surname: questions and answers

How common was the Poad surname in 1881?

In 1881, 225 people were recorded with the Poad surname. That placed it at #11,931 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Poad surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 159 in 2016. That gives Poad a modern rank of #22,798.

What does the Poad surname mean?

A surname of Anglo-Saxon origin possibly derived from a pet form of Walter.

What does the Poad map show?

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