NameCensus.

UK surname

Raeside

A Scottish surname derived from a location or a topographic name referring to a red-sided hill or slope.

In the 1881 census there were 256 people recorded with the Raeside surname, ranking it #10,885 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 478, ranked #10,329, up from #10,885 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Riccarton and Dunlop. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dairsie Ceres and Dunino, Irvine Castlepark South and South Bucks.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Raeside is 478 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 86.7%.

1881 census count

256

Ranked #10,885

Modern count

478

2016, ranked #10,329

Peak year

2016

478 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Raeside had 256 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,885 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 478 in 2016, ranked #10,329.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 377 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Raeside surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Raeside surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Raeside 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 150 #12,905
1861 historical 167 #13,956
1881 historical 256 #10,885
1891 historical 293 #11,319
1901 historical 377 #9,876
1911 historical 21 #31,179
1997 modern 445 #10,154
1998 modern 466 #10,140
1999 modern 471 #10,098
2000 modern 468 #10,125
2001 modern 461 #10,049
2002 modern 463 #10,202
2003 modern 444 #10,393
2004 modern 452 #10,270
2005 modern 450 #10,209
2006 modern 446 #10,301
2007 modern 442 #10,495
2008 modern 444 #10,535
2009 modern 457 #10,532
2010 modern 461 #10,701
2011 modern 469 #10,444
2012 modern 459 #10,513
2013 modern 471 #10,464
2014 modern 471 #10,541
2015 modern 475 #10,396
2016 modern 478 #10,329

Geography

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Where Raesides are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Riccarton, Dunlop, Glasgow and Kilmarnock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dairsie Ceres and Dunino, Irvine Castlepark South, South Bucks, Beith East and Rural and Shortlees. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Riccarton Ayr
3 Dunlop Ayr
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Kilmarnock Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dairsie Ceres and Dunino Fife
2 Irvine Castlepark South North Ayrshire
3 South Bucks 004 South Bucks
4 Beith East and Rural North Ayrshire
5 Shortlees East Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Raeside

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Raeside

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Raeside surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Raeside household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Raeside 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

Raeside is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Raeside falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Raeside

The surname Raeside is of Scottish origin, derived from a place name in the Scottish Borders region. It is believed to have originated in the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century.

The name is a combination of two Old English words, "rā" meaning a roe deer and "sīde" meaning a slope or hillside. This suggests that the name likely referred to a place where roe deer were commonly found on a hillside or slope.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "de Raysyd" in this document, indicating its early spelling variation.

In the 16th century, the name is found in the records of the Parish of Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders, where several families bearing the Raeside surname were prominent landowners and farmers.

John Raeside (1556-1622) was a notable Scottish Presbyterian minister who served as the minister of the Parish of Dalry in Ayrshire. He was known for his adherence to the principles of the Scottish Reformation and his opposition to the attempts of King James VI to impose Episcopal governance on the Church of Scotland.

Sir James Raeside (1625-1698) was a Scottish merchant and philanthropist who made his fortune in the lucrative trade with the Netherlands. He endowed several charitable institutions in Edinburgh and was known for his support of education and the arts.

Margaret Raeside (1712-1789) was a renowned Scottish herbalist and healer who practiced in the Borders region. Her knowledge of medicinal plants and traditional remedies was widely sought after, and she is credited with preserving many ancient healing practices.

Robert Raeside (1801-1877) was a Scottish artist and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits. He spent much of his career in London, where he exhibited at the Royal Academy and received commissions from prominent patrons.

Alexander Raeside (1870-1948) was a Scottish engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early aircraft and aeronautical technology. He held several patents for innovative aircraft designs and worked closely with the pioneers of aviation in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Raeside families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Raeside 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. Ayrshire leads with 80 Raesides recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.81x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 80 42.81x
Lanarkshire 80 9.91x
Renfrewshire 65 33.59x
Dunbartonshire 9 13.41x
Midlothian 7 2.09x
Stirlingshire 4 4.34x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 5.53x
Lancashire 2 0.07x
Middlesex 2 0.08x
Perthshire 2 1.78x
Argyllshire 1 1.44x
Roxburghshire 1 2.21x
West Lothian 1 2.66x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 22 Raesides recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.01x.

Place Total Index
Govan 22 11.01x
Kilmarnock 20 89.93x
Old Monkland 17 53.04x
Barony 16 7.83x
Dunlop 12 1025.64x
Paisley High Church 12 77.87x
Riccarton 11 390.07x
Abbey 10 33.86x
New Monkland 9 37.70x
Paisley Middle Church 9 79.86x
Glasgow 8 5.58x
Bothwell 7 31.96x
Middle Greenock 7 132.58x
Monkton Prestwick 6 329.67x
Newton On Ayr 6 107.14x
Paisley Low Church 6 97.88x
Sorn 6 163.49x
Symington 6 1000.00x
Ardrossan 5 77.28x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 3.72x
Lochwinnoch 5 173.61x
Mearns 5 147.49x
Renfrew 5 78.25x
Falkirk 4 18.55x
Dumbarton 3 32.12x
Kilbarchan 3 51.02x
New Kilpatrick 3 47.02x
Cardross 2 24.81x
Erskine 2 141.84x
Irvine 2 38.54x
Kilmaurs 2 62.89x
Old Cumnock 2 48.08x
St Pancras London 2 1.00x
Barrow In Furness 1 2.48x
Bathgate 1 12.25x
Beith 1 17.92x
Burnage 1 136.99x
Campbeltown 1 11.92x
Castleton 1 51.55x
Dalziel 1 11.51x
Eastwood 1 8.39x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 1 12.64x
Girthon 1 81.97x
Kirkmabreck 1 63.29x
Largs 1 22.73x
Logie 1 24.88x
Perth East Church 1 9.46x
Row 1 11.52x
West Calder 1 15.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 1
Janet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Raeside households.

FAQ

Raeside surname: questions and answers

How common was the Raeside surname in 1881?

In 1881, 256 people were recorded with the Raeside surname. That placed it at #10,885 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Raeside surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 478 in 2016. That gives Raeside a modern rank of #10,329.

What does the Raeside surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a location or a topographic name referring to a red-sided hill or slope.

What does the Raeside map show?

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