NameCensus.

UK surname

Red

A surname derived from the color red, possibly indicating a person with reddish hair or complexion.

In the 1881 census there were 86 people recorded with the Red surname, ranking it #21,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 169, ranked #21,884, down from #21,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Old Cumnock, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Bristol City: St Michael. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Exeter and Manchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Red is 169 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 96.5%.

1881 census count

86

Ranked #21,449

Modern count

169

2016, ranked #21,884

Peak year

2016

169 bearers

Map years

3

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Red had 86 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 169 in 2016, ranked #21,884.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 151 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Red surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Red surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Red 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 151 #12,840
1881 historical 86 #21,449
1891 historical 4 #34,098
1901 historical 126 #19,970
1997 modern 44 #33,275
1998 modern 38 #34,066
1999 modern 29 #35,031
2000 modern 25 #35,382
2001 modern 22 #35,531
2002 modern 22 #35,709
2003 modern 23 #35,650
2004 modern 20 #36,053
2005 modern 20 #36,165
2006 modern 22 #36,105
2007 modern 29 #35,725
2008 modern 35 #35,441
2009 modern 33 #35,671
2010 modern 35 #35,676
2011 modern 56 #34,450
2012 modern 80 #32,877
2013 modern 93 #31,785
2014 modern 125 #26,896
2015 modern 134 #25,607
2016 modern 169 #21,884

Geography

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Where Reds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Old Cumnock, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bristol City: St Michael, Gateshead and Exeter St Paul, Bradninch. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, Exeter, Manchester and Wirral. 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 Old Cumnock Ayr
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Bristol City: St Michael Gloucestershire
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Exeter St Paul, Bradninch Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 001 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Exeter 010 Exeter
3 Manchester 015 Manchester
4 Wirral 032 Wirral
5 Wirral 036 Wirral

Forenames

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First names often paired with Red

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Red

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Red surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Red 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Red is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Red is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Red 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 Red is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Red

The surname RED is an English habitational name derived from the Old English word 'read', meaning red. It likely originated as a descriptive for someone who lived near a prominent red-colored landmark or terrain feature.

The earliest known recorded instances of the surname RED date back to the late 12th century in various English county records. One of the earliest bearers was William le Red, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1191.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, listing a Richard le Red in 1273. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275 also recorded a William le Red.

An early holder of the surname was Sir Adam Red, a Scottish knight who fought alongside William Wallace in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late 13th century.

The name RED is found in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, with listings such as Radulfus Rufus (Ralph the Red) in Derbyshire and Godricus Russatus (Godric the Red) in Oxfordshire.

Notable bearers of the surname RED throughout history include John Red (c. 1496-1558), an English Protestant martyr burned at the stake during the Marian Persecutions; William Red (c. 1510-1568), an English Roman Catholic priest and martyr; Richard Red (c. 1620-1695), an English puritan minister and author; and George Red (1782-1848), a Scottish painter known for his landscape works.

In the 19th century, John Red (1819-1892) was a prominent English civil engineer who designed several notable bridges and railway lines across Britain.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Red families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Red 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. Somerset leads with 30 Reds recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.48x.

County Total Index
Somerset 30 22.48x
Gloucestershire 11 6.76x
Cheshire 6 3.28x
Middlesex 6 0.72x
Nottinghamshire 6 5.37x
Sussex 6 4.29x
Worcestershire 5 4.62x
Durham 3 1.22x
Hertfordshire 3 5.25x
Lancashire 3 0.30x
Northumberland 2 1.62x
Devon 1 0.58x
Essex 1 0.61x
Staffordshire 1 0.36x
Yorkshire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Porlock in Somerset leads with 14 Reds recorded in 1881 and an index of 6363.64x.

Place Total Index
Porlock 14 6363.64x
Culbone 8 80000.00x
Chester St Martin 6 2068.97x
Exmoor 6 6666.67x
Hastings St Clement 6 454.55x
Nottingham St Mary 6 20.76x
Clifton 4 48.66x
Kidderminster Borough 4 63.09x
Westbury On Trym 4 72.60x
Birkdale 3 120.48x
Bristol St Michael 3 215.83x
Monkwearmouth Shore 3 62.37x
Hemel Hempstead 2 77.82x
Islington London 2 2.49x
Benwell 1 74.07x
Bilston 1 18.45x
Chiswick 1 22.08x
Great Amwell 1 175.44x
Great Malvern 1 44.25x
Leyton Low 1 30.03x
Oare 1 5000.00x
Paddington London 1 3.28x
Sheffield 1 3.82x
Stoke Damerel 1 8.28x
Stoke Newington London 1 15.48x
Taunton St Mary 1 40.82x
Tottenham 1 7.58x
Tweedmouth 1 64.94x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Red surname: questions and answers

How common was the Red surname in 1881?

In 1881, 86 people were recorded with the Red surname. That placed it at #21,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Red surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 169 in 2016. That gives Red a modern rank of #21,884.

What does the Red surname mean?

A surname derived from the color red, possibly indicating a person with reddish hair or complexion.

What does the Red map show?

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