NameCensus.

UK surname

Polden

In the 1881 census there were 310 people recorded with the Polden surname, ranking it #9,488 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 349, ranked #13,189, down from #9,488 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ringwood, London parishes and Corfe Mullen. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stroud, Swindon and Peterborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Polden is 487 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.6%.

1881 census count

310

Ranked #9,488

Modern count

349

2016, ranked #13,189

Peak year

1911

487 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Polden had 310 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,488 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 349 in 2016, ranked #13,189.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 487 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Polden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Polden surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Polden 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 227 #9,448
1861 historical 211 #11,508
1881 historical 310 #9,488
1891 historical 379 #9,254
1901 historical 416 #9,220
1911 historical 487 #7,992
1997 modern 374 #11,574
1998 modern 387 #11,640
1999 modern 384 #11,800
2000 modern 372 #12,020
2001 modern 369 #11,928
2002 modern 378 #11,939
2003 modern 341 #12,655
2004 modern 337 #12,818
2005 modern 324 #13,108
2006 modern 314 #13,474
2007 modern 324 #13,322
2008 modern 328 #13,319
2009 modern 337 #13,318
2010 modern 344 #13,393
2011 modern 348 #13,134
2012 modern 337 #13,345
2013 modern 340 #13,449
2014 modern 345 #13,396
2015 modern 343 #13,365
2016 modern 349 #13,189

Geography

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Where Poldens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ringwood, London parishes, Corfe Mullen and Fontnell Magna. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stroud, Swindon, Peterborough, Dover and Maldon. 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 Ringwood Hampshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Corfe Mullen Dorset
4 London parishes London 3
5 Fontnell Magna Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stroud 009 Stroud
2 Swindon 023 Swindon
3 Peterborough 004 Peterborough
4 Dover 014 Dover
5 Maldon 003 Maldon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Polden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Polden

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

London Fringe

Within London, Polden is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Polden 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

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

1881 census detail

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Polden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Polden 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. Wiltshire leads with 71 Poldens recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.55x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 71 26.55x
Surrey 58 3.94x
Hampshire 54 8.71x
Dorset 51 25.70x
Middlesex 20 0.66x
Berkshire 19 8.37x
Kent 14 1.36x
Yorkshire 11 0.37x
Northamptonshire 5 1.76x
Gloucestershire 3 0.51x
Somerset 2 0.41x
Oxfordshire 1 0.54x
Suffolk 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Newington in Surrey leads with 20 Poldens recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.91x.

Place Total Index
Newington 20 17.91x
Camberwell 19 9.84x
Chitterne All Sts 17 3777.78x
Ringwood 16 403.02x
Chitterne St Mary 11 5500.00x
Winterbourne Stoke 10 3225.81x
Southampton St Mary 9 23.09x
Warminster 9 153.58x
Easthampstead 8 655.74x
Eling 8 127.39x
Fisherton Anger 8 161.62x
Hampreston 7 486.11x
Sherborne St John 7 1044.78x
Canford Magna 6 521.74x
Gravesend 6 68.65x
Holdenhurst 6 36.90x
Iwerne Courtnay 6 447.76x
Milton Abbas 6 618.56x
Owermoigne 6 1363.64x
Frimley 5 119.05x
Staverton 5 1250.00x
Bermondsey 4 4.44x
Bradford On Avon 4 46.73x
East Orchard 4 1666.67x
Kinson 4 103.09x
Portsea 4 3.29x
Sonning 4 159.36x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 6.57x
Westbury 4 64.10x
Battersea 3 2.70x
Blandford St Mary 3 789.47x
Brampton Bierlow 3 78.13x
Ecclesall Bierlow 3 4.92x
Folkestone 3 14.99x
Milton In Gravesend 3 19.39x
Norwood 3 43.42x
Wimborne 3 125.00x
Brimpton 2 454.55x
Chilmark 2 350.88x
Christchurch 2 14.88x
Hammersmith London 2 2.68x
Kensington London 2 1.19x
Lambeth 2 0.76x
Londesborough Cum 2 540.54x
Mile End Old Town 2 4.19x
Milford 2 139.86x
Rotherham 2 11.84x
Speen 2 53.91x
St George Hanover 2 5.07x
St Marylebone London 2 1.24x
St Pancras London 2 0.82x
Upton Scudamore 2 625.00x
Walcot 2 7.72x
Bensington 1 84.03x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 1 1.79x
Calne 1 18.15x
Charlton Marshall 1 149.25x
Cholsey 1 55.56x
Church Knowle 1 172.41x
Corfe Mullen 1 138.89x
Croydon 1 1.22x
Droxford 1 42.19x
Gillingham 1 4.70x
Gloucester St John Baptist 1 26.11x
Hitcham 1 107.53x
Paddington London 1 0.90x
Pangbourn 1 129.87x
Poole St James 1 13.40x
Reading St Mary 1 5.50x
Seacroft 1 70.42x
Shipton Moyne 1 227.27x
Shoreditch London 1 0.76x
St Faith Winchester 1 34.60x
Steeple Langford 1 185.19x
Sturminster Marshall 1 120.48x
Swanage 1 40.82x
Tonbridge 1 2.69x
Westminster St 1 8.97x
Westminster St James 1 3.22x
Westminster St John 1 2.72x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Polden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Polden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 310 people were recorded with the Polden surname. That placed it at #9,488 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Polden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 349 in 2016. That gives Polden a modern rank of #13,189.

What does the Polden map show?

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