NameCensus.

UK surname

Rawdon

An English habitational surname referring to someone from Rawdon in Yorkshire.

In the 1881 census there were 158 people recorded with the Rawdon surname, ranking it #14,989 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 116, ranked #28,197, down from #14,989 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace, Normanton and Digby. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Lindsey, East Riding of Yorkshire and South Kesteven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rawdon is 158 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 26.6%.

1881 census count

158

Ranked #14,989

Modern count

116

2016, ranked #28,197

Peak year

1881

158 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rawdon had 158 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,989 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 116 in 2016, ranked #28,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 158 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Rawdon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rawdon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rawdon 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 83 #19,181
1861 historical 92 #22,112
1881 historical 158 #14,989
1891 historical 122 #21,053
1901 historical 147 #18,270
1911 historical 116 #20,850
1997 modern 111 #25,394
1998 modern 116 #25,332
1999 modern 109 #26,439
2000 modern 104 #27,150
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 109 #26,552
2003 modern 102 #27,383
2004 modern 103 #27,503
2005 modern 108 #26,736
2006 modern 103 #27,785
2007 modern 104 #28,020
2008 modern 104 #28,341
2009 modern 112 #27,685
2010 modern 110 #28,666
2011 modern 117 #27,334
2012 modern 121 #26,829
2013 modern 120 #27,406
2014 modern 124 #27,049
2015 modern 120 #27,561
2016 modern 116 #28,197

Geography

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Where Rawdons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace, Normanton, Digby, Sculcoates and St Helen on the Wall, St Cuthbert, All Saints Peasholm, St Saviour. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Lindsey, East Riding of Yorkshire and South Kesteven. 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 St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace London (West Districts)
2 Normanton Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Digby Lincolnshire
4 Sculcoates Yorkshire, East Riding
5 St Helen on the Wall, St Cuthbert, All Saints Peasholm, St Saviour Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Lindsey 011 East Lindsey
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 017 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 South Kesteven 001 South Kesteven
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 016 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 023 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rawdon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rawdon

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rawdon, 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 Rawdon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Rawdon 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, Rawdon 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

Rawdon is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Rawdon

The surname Rawdon is of English origin and derives from a place name in Yorkshire, England. It is believed to have been first recorded in the early 12th century, with early spellings including Raudone, Rawedun, and Rawedoun.

The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words 'ra' meaning roe deer and 'dun' meaning hill or down, suggesting the name referred to a hill or area frequented by roe deer. The earliest known bearer of the name was Ralph de Rawdon, who was recorded in the Yorkshire Pipe Rolls of 1166.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire, a census-like record of landowners and property holders. One notable entry was for William de Rawdon, who held lands in the village of Rawdon near Leeds.

During the medieval period, the Rawdon family were landowners and minor nobility in Yorkshire. Sir Ralph Rawdon was knighted in 1349 for his service in the wars with France. His grandson, also named Ralph Rawdon, fought alongside Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.

In the 16th century, the Rawdons were one of the leading gentry families in Yorkshire. Marmaduke Rawdon (1510-1588) was a wealthy landowner and served as High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1562. His son, Marmaduke Rawdon (1548-1617), was a Member of Parliament and justice of the peace.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir George Rawdon (1604-1684), a Royalist commander during the English Civil War. He was created a baronet in 1665 and his descendants held the Rawdon baronetcy for several generations.

Other historical figures with the surname Rawdon include John Rawdon (1720-1793), an Irish-born British Army officer who served in the American Revolutionary War, and Francis Rawdon-Hastings (1754-1826), 1st Marquess of Hastings, a British nobleman and colonial administrator who served as Governor-General of India.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rawdon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rawdon 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. Yorkshire leads with 76 Rawdons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.11x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 76 5.11x
Lincolnshire 42 17.49x
Middlesex 16 1.07x
Lancashire 6 0.34x
Nottinghamshire 4 1.98x
Cheshire 3 0.90x
Devon 3 0.96x
Norfolk 2 0.87x
Leicestershire 1 0.60x
Sussex 1 0.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 15 Rawdons recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.84x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 15 17.84x
Batley 12 84.81x
Skirbeck Quarter 11 2500.00x
St George Hanover 10 50.99x
Sculcoates 9 38.14x
Middlesbrough 8 41.28x
Great Gonerby 7 1129.03x
Dewsbury 5 32.74x
Digby 5 3125.00x
Pinchbeck 5 324.68x
York St Maurice 5 178.57x
Barkstone 4 1538.46x
Holbeach 4 149.81x
Lenton 4 83.86x
Morley 4 51.68x
Atterby 3 5000.00x
Bradford 3 8.32x
Higher Bebington 3 141.51x
Preston 3 6.29x
Bow London 2 10.46x
Clifton In York 2 64.31x
Felmingham 2 1000.00x
Holy Trinity St Mary 2 88.11x
Hunslet 2 8.62x
Liverpool 2 1.85x
Stoke Damerel 2 9.14x
Thorpe Willoughby 2 2222.22x
Armley 1 15.22x
Brighton 1 1.96x
Donington 1 116.28x
Drypool 1 43.86x
Glentworth 1 526.32x
Kensington London 1 1.20x
Loughborough 1 13.23x
North Stainley Cum 1 476.19x
Paddington London 1 1.81x
Rawdon 1 57.14x
Scarborough 1 7.39x
Sheffield 1 2.11x
St Clement Danes 1 41.15x
St George Bloomsbury 1 11.60x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 1 29.59x
Tormoham 1 7.56x
West Derby 1 1.92x
York St Cuthbert 1 73.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 7
Ann 5
Eliza 5
Jane 4
Mary 4
Annie 3
Charlotte 3
Hannah 3
Alice 2
Edith 2
Elizabeth 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Francis 2
Minnie 2
Susanna 2
A. 1
Ada 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Demaris 1
Domarion 1
Everilda 1
Frances 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Happy 1
Harriet 1
Isabella 1
Jeannette 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Nora 1
Polly 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 14
John 8
George 6
Charles 4
Edward 4
James 4
Thomas 4
Benjamin 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Arnold 1
Arthur 1
Bertram 1
Christr. 1
De 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Herbert 1
J. 1
Jerbet 1
Joshua 1
Moody 1
Sam 1
Thos.Arthur 1
Tom 1
W.F. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Rawdon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rawdon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 158 people were recorded with the Rawdon surname. That placed it at #14,989 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rawdon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 116 in 2016. That gives Rawdon a modern rank of #28,197.

What does the Rawdon surname mean?

An English habitational surname referring to someone from Rawdon in Yorkshire.

What does the Rawdon map show?

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