NameCensus.

UK surname

Reddie

A Scottish surname likely derived from the nickname "Reddie", meaning "red-haired" or "ruddy complexion".

In the 1881 census there were 206 people recorded with the Reddie surname, ranking it #12,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 182, ranked #20,890, down from #12,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, King's Lynn St Margaret and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dunfermline Milesmark and Wellwood, Arun and Carntyne West and Haghill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Reddie is 313 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 11.7%.

1881 census count

206

Ranked #12,596

Modern count

182

2016, ranked #20,890

Peak year

1891

313 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Reddie had 206 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 182 in 2016, ranked #20,890.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 313 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Reddie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Reddie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Reddie 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 216 #9,818
1861 historical 268 #9,274
1881 historical 206 #12,596
1891 historical 313 #10,723
1901 historical 268 #12,553
1911 historical 98 #22,959
1997 modern 187 #18,398
1998 modern 185 #18,973
1999 modern 189 #18,862
2000 modern 183 #19,239
2001 modern 179 #19,215
2002 modern 173 #20,043
2003 modern 177 #19,549
2004 modern 177 #19,662
2005 modern 169 #20,153
2006 modern 171 #20,131
2007 modern 170 #20,471
2008 modern 175 #20,311
2009 modern 182 #20,201
2010 modern 181 #20,738
2011 modern 169 #21,499
2012 modern 170 #21,379
2013 modern 170 #21,726
2014 modern 178 #21,259
2015 modern 178 #21,149
2016 modern 182 #20,890

Geography

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Where Reddies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, King's Lynn St Margaret, Edinburgh, Stirling and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dunfermline Milesmark and Wellwood, Arun, Carntyne West and Haghill, St Andrews South East and Dunfermline Bellyeoman and Townhill. 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 King's Lynn St Margaret Norfolk
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Stirling Stirling
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dunfermline Milesmark and Wellwood Fife
2 Arun 015 Arun
3 Carntyne West and Haghill Glasgow City
4 St Andrews South East Fife
5 Dunfermline Bellyeoman and Townhill Fife

Forenames

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First names often paired with Reddie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Reddie

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Reddie, 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 Reddie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Reddie 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, Reddie 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

Reddie 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

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

Meaning and origin of Reddie

The surname REDDIE originates from Scotland, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "read," meaning red, and the suffix "-ie," denoting a diminutive form. This suggests that the name was likely given to someone with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion.

One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the parish records of Caithness, Scotland, where a John Reddie was recorded in 1584. There are also references to the Reddie family in the Presbytery records of Dumfries in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various historical documents, such as the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, where a James Reddie is mentioned in 1625. The Reddie family seems to have been well-established in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the counties of Angus and Perthshire.

Notable individuals bearing the surname REDDIE include Sir James Reddie (1762-1849), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1819 to 1834. Another prominent figure was James Reddie (1773-1857), a Scottish writer and advocate who wrote extensively on legal and historical topics.

In the 19th century, the REDDIE name gained recognition through the work of James Reddie (1807-1867), a Scottish architect and civil engineer who was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Royal Scottish Academy.

Other notable individuals with the surname REDDIE include William Reddie (1859-1933), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, and Jane Reddie (1858-1937), a Scottish schoolteacher and author who wrote several books on education and child development.

While the REDDIE name has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Scottish emigration to countries like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Reddie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Reddie 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. Fife leads with 47 Reddies recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.13x.

County Total Index
Fife 47 39.13x
Lanarkshire 26 3.96x
Middlesex 17 0.84x
Lancashire 15 0.62x
Kinross-shire 13 253.41x
Midlothian 13 4.78x
Devon 8 1.89x
East Lothian 8 29.77x
Norfolk 7 2.24x
Stirlingshire 7 9.35x
Perthshire 6 6.59x
Yorkshire 6 0.30x
Angus 4 2.13x
Durham 4 0.66x
Kent 4 0.58x
Cheshire 3 0.67x
Royal Navy 3 12.41x
Surrey 3 0.30x
Caithness 2 7.20x
Dunbartonshire 2 3.67x
Renfrewshire 2 1.27x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.53x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.78x
Glamorgan 1 0.28x
Hampshire 1 0.24x
Kincardineshire 1 4.05x
Northumberland 1 0.33x
Roxburghshire 1 2.72x
Wigtownshire 1 3.71x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dunfermline in Fife leads with 24 Reddies recorded in 1881 and an index of 129.94x.

Place Total Index
Dunfermline 24 129.94x
Govan 14 8.63x
Orwell 12 851.06x
Kirkcaldy 11 184.56x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 6.40x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 7 74.71x
Glasgow 6 5.15x
Manchester 6 5.54x
St Pancras London 6 3.67x
Stirling 6 63.63x
Whitchurch 6 810.81x
Barony 5 3.01x
Bromley London 5 11.20x
Tottenham 5 15.48x
Berwick North 4 212.77x
Bishopwearmouth 4 7.72x
Dirleton 4 380.95x
Lancaster 4 27.93x
Lee 4 39.80x
Middlesbrough 4 15.28x
Longforgan 3 232.56x
Abbotshall 2 44.54x
Auchtermuchty 2 124.22x
Camberwell 2 1.54x
Claughton With Grange 2 98.04x
Dumbarton 2 26.35x
Dundee 2 2.85x
Liff Benvie 2 7.01x
Pittenweem 2 135.14x
Tavistock 2 41.58x
West Derby 2 2.84x
Wick 2 22.30x
Aberdour 1 82.64x
All Saints Cambridge 1 111.11x
Anstruther Wester 1 212.77x
Auchterarder 1 39.37x
Auchterderran 1 33.11x
Benwell 1 30.30x
Birkenhead 1 2.80x
Carnbee 1 136.99x
Cathcart 1 11.75x
Childwall 1 769.23x
Clerkenwell London 1 2.09x
Colinton 1 33.00x
Cramond 1 48.54x
Edinburgh St Andrews 1 44.64x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 18.69x
Falkirk 1 5.71x
Fetteresso 1 25.84x
Glasserton 1 119.05x
Holdenhurst 1 9.17x
Horton In Bradford 1 3.18x
Inverkeithing 1 55.25x
Jedburgh 1 27.78x
Kinross 1 56.82x
Liverpool 1 0.68x
Much Woolton 1 30.58x
Muckhart 1 238.10x
New Monkland 1 5.15x
Penarth 1 28.99x
Perth West Church 1 23.15x
Ratho 1 78.74x
Reigate Foreign 1 9.35x
Scoonie 1 38.46x
Sculcoates 1 3.14x
Skene 1 80.00x
South Leith 1 3.27x
West Greenock 1 3.54x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 4
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Ellen 2
Ada 1
Amy 1
Barbara 1
Beatrice 1
Caroline 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Kirenhappuch 1
Lilias 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Marion 1
Martha 1
Mary 1
Rosina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alexander 5
John 4
Charles 3
Edward 3
James 3
Thomas 3
George 2
Henry 2
Walter 2
William 2
Albert 1
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Ferdinand 1
Jas. 1
Josiah 1
Lovell 1
Robt. 1

FAQ

Reddie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Reddie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 206 people were recorded with the Reddie surname. That placed it at #12,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Reddie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 182 in 2016. That gives Reddie a modern rank of #20,890.

What does the Reddie surname mean?

A Scottish surname likely derived from the nickname "Reddie", meaning "red-haired" or "ruddy complexion".

What does the Reddie map show?

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