NameCensus.

UK surname

Pond

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a pond or small body of water.

In the 1881 census there were 1,452 people recorded with the Pond surname, ranking it #2,868 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,759, ranked #3,570, down from #2,868 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, South Somerset and Winchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pond is 2,108 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.1%.

1881 census count

1,452

Ranked #2,868

Modern count

1,759

2016, ranked #3,570

Peak year

1911

2,108 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pond had 1,452 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,868 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,759 in 2016, ranked #3,570.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,108 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pond surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pond surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pond 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 903 #3,047
1861 historical 969 #2,878
1881 historical 1,452 #2,868
1891 historical 1,522 #2,905
1901 historical 1,950 #2,710
1911 historical 2,108 #2,375
1997 modern 1,923 #3,144
1998 modern 1,967 #3,199
1999 modern 1,978 #3,206
2000 modern 1,958 #3,216
2001 modern 1,905 #3,231
2002 modern 1,946 #3,241
2003 modern 1,892 #3,252
2004 modern 1,856 #3,305
2005 modern 1,824 #3,328
2006 modern 1,830 #3,326
2007 modern 1,817 #3,373
2008 modern 1,793 #3,447
2009 modern 1,844 #3,442
2010 modern 1,869 #3,462
2011 modern 1,847 #3,453
2012 modern 1,768 #3,528
2013 modern 1,807 #3,525
2014 modern 1,803 #3,549
2015 modern 1,777 #3,556
2016 modern 1,759 #3,570

Geography

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Where Ponds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Lambeth and Walcott, Charlcome. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, South Somerset, Winchester, Purbeck and Norwich. 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 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Walcott, Charlcome Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 062 Cornwall
2 South Somerset 008 South Somerset
3 Winchester 004 Winchester
4 Purbeck 006 Purbeck
5 Norwich 001 Norwich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pond

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pond

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Pond is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Pond 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

Pond falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Pond

The surname POND originated in England in the 12th century. It is a topographic name, derived from the Old English word "pundern", meaning a small body of still water. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a pond or worked in an area with many ponds.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname POND appears in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire in 1195, with a reference to a person named John de la Punde. This early spelling suggests the name's connection to a pond or pool of water.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, contains several place names that may have contributed to the surname POND, such as Ponden in Yorkshire and Ponden Clough in Lancashire. These place names potentially stem from the same Old English root as the surname.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Ponde, Punde, and Atteponde. The prefixes "de la" and "atte" indicated a person's association with a particular location, further reinforcing the name's topographic origin.

Notable individuals with the surname POND throughout history include:

1. Samuel Pond (1600-1665), one of the founders of Windsor, Connecticut, and a prominent figure in the early settlement of New England. 2. John Pond (1767-1836), an English astronomer and mathematician who served as the sixth Astronomer Royal from 1811 to 1835. 3. Enoch Pond (1725-1807), an American clergyman and educator who served as the president of Hampton-Sidney College in Virginia from 1783 to 1787. 4. Samuel William Pond (1818-1891), an American architect known for designing several notable buildings in San Francisco, including the Old Mint and the Palace Hotel. 5. Arthur Channing Pond (1701-1758), a British-American merchant and politician who served as the Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Deputies from 1742 to 1744.

The surname POND has a rich history rooted in the topographic features of England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. Over the centuries, it has been associated with various places, occupations, and notable individuals, reflecting the diverse origins and stories behind this English surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pond families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pond 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 334 Ponds recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.36x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 334 2.36x
Essex 188 6.72x
Norfolk 135 6.20x
Surrey 134 1.94x
Dorset 93 10.00x
Hampshire 68 2.34x
Kent 65 1.35x
Somerset 56 2.46x
Cambridgeshire 54 6.02x
Buckinghamshire 44 5.14x
Cornwall 39 2.43x
Yorkshire 27 0.19x
Suffolk 21 1.22x
Wiltshire 20 1.60x
Berkshire 17 1.60x
Sussex 13 0.54x
Cumberland 12 0.98x
Glamorgan 12 0.49x
Warwickshire 12 0.34x
Gloucestershire 11 0.40x
Lancashire 11 0.07x
Lincolnshire 11 0.49x
Hertfordshire 9 0.92x
Nottinghamshire 9 0.47x
Huntingdonshire 8 2.84x
Midlothian 8 0.42x
Lanarkshire 5 0.11x
Brecknockshire 4 1.41x
Derbyshire 4 0.18x
Northumberland 4 0.19x
Shropshire 4 0.33x
Channel Islands 3 0.71x
Devon 3 0.10x
Durham 2 0.05x
Monmouthshire 2 0.20x
Oxfordshire 2 0.23x
Royal Navy 2 1.18x
Bedfordshire 1 0.14x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.17x
Cheshire 1 0.03x
Northamptonshire 1 0.08x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.22x
Rutland 1 0.96x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 41 Ponds recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.99x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 41 2.99x
Lambeth 29 2.35x
Kensington London 25 3.17x
Lakenham 22 71.11x
Norwich St George Colegate 22 277.78x
St Pancras London 22 1.93x
Upton Cum Chalvey 21 61.55x
Southwark St Saviour 20 27.48x
Camberwell 19 2.10x
Clerkenwell London 18 5.38x
Falmouth 18 31.71x
Swanage 18 156.79x
Blackmore 16 577.62x
Crondall 16 102.63x
Minster In Sheppey 16 19.99x
Portsea 16 2.81x
Shepton Beauchamp 16 516.13x
Shoreditch London 16 2.61x
Bethnal Green London 15 2.44x
Heigham 15 12.83x
Tillingham 15 304.26x
Upminster 15 258.18x
Wilburton 15 585.94x
Grays Thurrock 14 53.87x
Haslingfield 14 382.51x
St George In East 14 14.53x
West Ham 14 2.27x
Lewisham 13 5.04x
Poplar London 13 4.86x
St Luke London 13 5.72x
Battersea 12 2.30x
Bromley London 12 3.85x
Farlam 12 156.25x
Hughenden 12 137.30x
Shaftesbury St James 12 247.42x
Southampton St Mary 12 6.57x
Walcot 12 9.88x
Hammersmith London 11 3.15x
Little Burstead 11 1134.02x
Mile End Old Town 11 4.92x
Chelsea London 10 2.34x
Corfe Mullen 10 296.74x
Hampreston 10 148.15x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 10 15.30x
Paddington London 10 1.92x
Canford Magna 9 167.60x
East Horndon 9 367.35x
Hornchurch 9 65.65x
Mountnessing 9 212.26x
Southwark St George Martyr 9 3.16x
St George Martyr 9 37.70x
Stamford St John 9 294.12x
Stow Maries 9 873.79x
Swinton In Rotherham 9 24.25x
Blandford Forum 8 43.62x
Cranham 8 396.04x
Exning 8 91.85x
Hackney London 8 1.01x
Langley Marish 8 76.12x
Ramsgate 8 10.14x
St George Bloomsbury 8 9.84x
Staines 8 35.67x
Wincanton 8 68.20x
Yarlington 8 784.31x
Alton 7 31.99x
Birmingham 7 0.59x
Blakeney 7 179.95x
Cowlinge 7 212.12x
Doncaster 7 6.83x
Kenwyn 7 16.69x
Motcombe 7 102.34x
Newington 7 1.34x
North Walsham 7 44.59x
Rotherhithe 7 4.00x
St Andrewthe Less 7 6.83x
St Anne Soho London 7 8.65x
Swansea Town 7 3.46x
Talland 7 185.19x
Wandsworth 7 5.13x
Wantage 7 41.30x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 96
George 61
James 52
Henry 46
John 46
Charles 41
Alfred 34
Thomas 32
Arthur 27
Edward 23
Joseph 22
Samuel 15
Harry 13
Walter 13
Frederick 12
Albert 11
Robert 9
Herbert 8
Frank 7
Francis 6
Daniel 5
Edwin 5
Richard 5
Sidney 5
Wm. 5
Benjamin 4
Ernest 4
Isaac 4
Philip 4
Chas. 3
Fredk. 3
Fredrick 3
Phillip 3
Bertie 2
Christopher 2
David 2
E. 2
Jonathan 2
Lewis 2
Ralph 2
Thos. 2
W. 2
Willie 2
Willm. 2
Wright 2
Amos 1
Christophia 1
Edmond 1
Edwd. 1
Geo. 1

FAQ

Pond surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pond surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,452 people were recorded with the Pond surname. That placed it at #2,868 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pond surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,759 in 2016. That gives Pond a modern rank of #3,570.

What does the Pond surname mean?

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a pond or small body of water.

What does the Pond map show?

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