NameCensus.

UK surname

Radway

A surname possibly derived from a place name referring to a location near a road or pathway.

In the 1881 census there were 131 people recorded with the Radway surname, ranking it #16,824 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 134, ranked #25,636, down from #16,824 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Latton, Swindon, Lyddington and Ampney Crucis. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cotswold, Bath and North East Somerset and Birmingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Radway is 181 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.3%.

1881 census count

131

Ranked #16,824

Modern count

134

2016, ranked #25,636

Peak year

1911

181 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Radway had 131 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,824 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016, ranked #25,636.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 181 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Radway surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Radway surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Radway 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 127 #14,547
1861 historical 157 #14,732
1881 historical 131 #16,824
1891 historical 159 #17,636
1901 historical 175 #16,469
1911 historical 181 #15,911
1997 modern 167 #19,722
1998 modern 156 #21,144
1999 modern 158 #21,102
2000 modern 140 #22,752
2001 modern 138 #22,647
2002 modern 134 #23,492
2003 modern 130 #23,672
2004 modern 131 #23,756
2005 modern 126 #24,287
2006 modern 120 #25,269
2007 modern 125 #24,987
2008 modern 126 #25,131
2009 modern 136 #24,485
2010 modern 135 #25,127
2011 modern 138 #24,615
2012 modern 137 #24,731
2013 modern 141 #24,670
2014 modern 140 #24,977
2015 modern 140 #24,836
2016 modern 134 #25,636

Geography

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Where Radways are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Latton, Swindon, Lyddington, Ampney Crucis, Stratton and Cheltenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cotswold, Bath and North East Somerset, Birmingham and Swindon. 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 Latton Wiltshire
2 Swindon, Lyddington Wiltshire
3 Ampney Crucis Gloucestershire
4 Stratton Wiltshire
5 Cheltenham Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cotswold 010 Cotswold
2 Bath and North East Somerset 016 Bath and North East Somerset
3 Cotswold 005 Cotswold
4 Birmingham 042 Birmingham
5 Swindon 024 Swindon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Radway

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Radway

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Radway 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

Radway 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

Radway falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Radway is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Radway, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Radway

The surname Radway has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the place name "Radway," which is a village located in Warwickshire. The name itself is thought to have evolved from the Old English words "rad" meaning "road" and "weg" meaning "way," indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a particular road or pathway.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Radway can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Radewei," reflecting the older spelling and pronunciation of the time.

During the 13th century, the surname Radway began to appear more frequently in various historical records and documents. One notable mention is in the Rotuli Hundredorum, a record of landowners compiled in 1273, which lists a Robert de Radeweye from Warwickshire.

In the 14th century, a variant spelling of the name, "Radwey," can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. This document recorded individuals who were subject to a tax levied by the government at the time.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Radway was Sir John Radway, who lived in the late 15th century and served as a Member of Parliament for Warwickshire in 1472. Another notable figure was William Radway, a merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, who was born in 1562 and died in 1638.

Other historical figures bearing the Radway surname include Sir Thomas Radway, a wealthy landowner and magistrate from Warwickshire, who lived from 1612 to 1687. In the 18th century, Reverend John Radway, born in 1712 and died in 1789, was a prominent Church of England clergyman and author.

During the 19th century, the Radway surname continued to be associated with various individuals of note. For example, John Radway, born in 1810 and died in 1879, was a successful businessman and philanthropist who founded the Radway Charity Trust in London.

Throughout its history, the Radway surname has been linked to various locations and place names, particularly in the counties of Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Yorkshire, where the name has its earliest recorded roots.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Radway families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Radway 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 48 Radways recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.47x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 48 42.47x
Gloucestershire 38 15.16x
Middlesex 18 1.41x
Kent 6 1.38x
Somerset 4 1.94x
Sussex 4 1.86x
Buckinghamshire 3 3.88x
Berkshire 2 2.09x
Herefordshire 2 3.82x
Hertfordshire 2 2.27x
Monmouthshire 1 1.08x
Northamptonshire 1 0.83x
Oxfordshire 1 1.27x
Surrey 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Somerford Keynes in Wiltshire leads with 20 Radways recorded in 1881 and an index of 14285.71x.

Place Total Index
Somerford Keynes 20 14285.71x
Ampney Crucis 11 4583.33x
Latton 8 6666.67x
Tottenham 8 39.31x
Stratton St Margaret 7 404.62x
Colesbourne 6 4615.38x
Cheltenham 5 25.87x
Swindon 5 57.01x
Bath St Peter St Paul 4 439.56x
Cirencester 4 117.99x
Islington London 4 3.23x
Brighton 3 6.90x
Oaksey 3 1578.95x
Shenley Brook End 3 3000.00x
St Pancras London 3 2.92x
Withington 3 1111.11x
Coln St Aldwins 2 1052.63x
Deptford St Paul 2 5.95x
Hannington 2 1428.57x
Lewisham 2 8.60x
Lugwardine 2 606.06x
Minety 2 645.16x
Paddington London 2 4.26x
South Cerney 2 487.80x
St Albans St Peter 2 67.34x
Stratton 2 666.67x
Abingdon St Helen 1 35.71x
Bampton 1 163.93x
Broadwater 1 20.24x
Buscot 1 625.00x
Canterbury St Mary 1 34.13x
Duddington 1 625.00x
Kemble 1 476.19x
Lambeth 1 0.90x
North Cerney 1 370.37x
Siddington 1 476.19x
Tetbury 1 70.42x
Tonbridge 1 6.36x
Upper Llanvrechva 1 69.44x
Westminster St James 1 7.61x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 10
Mary 9
Eliza 5
Sarah 5
Annie 4
Jane 4
Ann 3
Charlotte 3
Emily 3
Selina 3
Edith 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Louisa 2
Ada 1
Adelaide 1
Aggnes 1
Emona 1
Evelyne 1
Gertrude 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Hester 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Phillis 1
Phoebe 1
Rachel 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
Charles 8
William 8
James 5
Edward 4
George 3
Albert 2
David 2
Richard 2
Thomas 2
Auby 1
Chas.John 1
Cornelius 1
F.A. 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
J.C. 1
Jethro 1
Joseph 1

FAQ

Radway surname: questions and answers

How common was the Radway surname in 1881?

In 1881, 131 people were recorded with the Radway surname. That placed it at #16,824 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Radway surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016. That gives Radway a modern rank of #25,636.

What does the Radway surname mean?

A surname possibly derived from a place name referring to a location near a road or pathway.

What does the Radway map show?

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