NameCensus.

UK surname

Redding

Derived from a place name meaning "the people of the red valley" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 1,254 people recorded with the Redding surname, ranking it #3,242 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,757, ranked #3,573, down from #3,242 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick and Chesham (incl. Chartridge, Billington & Latimers with Waterside. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Lincolnshire, Cornwall and Hounslow.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Redding is 1,861 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.1%.

1881 census count

1,254

Ranked #3,242

Modern count

1,757

2016, ranked #3,573

Peak year

1911

1,861 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Redding had 1,254 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,242 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,757 in 2016, ranked #3,573.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,861 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Redding surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Redding surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Redding 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 771 #3,468
1861 historical 652 #4,116
1881 historical 1,254 #3,242
1891 historical 1,500 #2,937
1901 historical 1,702 #3,030
1911 historical 1,861 #2,659
1997 modern 1,819 #3,301
1998 modern 1,850 #3,376
1999 modern 1,841 #3,408
2000 modern 1,834 #3,409
2001 modern 1,776 #3,424
2002 modern 1,792 #3,473
2003 modern 1,728 #3,529
2004 modern 1,696 #3,588
2005 modern 1,673 #3,595
2006 modern 1,676 #3,590
2007 modern 1,689 #3,590
2008 modern 1,677 #3,637
2009 modern 1,760 #3,569
2010 modern 1,814 #3,541
2011 modern 1,774 #3,572
2012 modern 1,738 #3,575
2013 modern 1,760 #3,592
2014 modern 1,780 #3,572
2015 modern 1,744 #3,603
2016 modern 1,757 #3,573

Geography

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Where Reddings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick, Chesham (incl. Chartridge, Billington & Latimers with Waterside and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North East Lincolnshire, Cornwall, Hounslow, Blackburn with Darwen and North Somerset. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick Worcestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Chesham (incl. Chartridge, Billington & Latimers with Waterside Buckinghamshire
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North East Lincolnshire 001 North East Lincolnshire
2 Cornwall 005 Cornwall
3 Hounslow 015 Hounslow
4 Blackburn with Darwen 008 Blackburn with Darwen
5 North Somerset 014 North Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Redding

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Redding

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Redding is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Redding is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Redding

The surname Redding has its origins in England and Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "red" or "reade," meaning red, and the suffix "-ing," indicating a place or location. This suggests that the name originally referred to a person who lived in an area associated with red soil, vegetation, or other natural features.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1188, where a person named William de Redding is mentioned. Another early reference appears in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1273, which lists a John de Redyng.

The name Redding is also linked to various place names in England, such as Redding in Buckinghamshire and Redding in Oxfordshire. These locations likely contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname by families residing in those areas.

In Scotland, the name Redding is believed to have originated from the village of Redding, located near Falkirk. One of the earliest recorded Scottish individuals with this surname was Johannes de Redyn, who lived in the late 13th century.

Notable people throughout history who bore the surname Redding include:

1. Sir Robert Redding (c. 1460 - c. 1540), an English diplomat and courtier during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII. 2. Benjamin Redding (1737 - 1816), an American soldier and politician who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress. 3. Elizabeth Redding (1807 - 1898), an English poet and writer who published several works of poetry and fiction. 4. Thomas M. Redding (1874 - 1949), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 27th Governor of Oregon from 1927 to 1931. 5. Sir Alfred Redding (1892 - 1977), a British civil engineer and businessman who played a significant role in the construction of various infrastructure projects in India and the Middle East.

Throughout history, variations in the spelling of the surname Redding have included Reddinge, Reddyng, Reding, and Redyn, among others. However, the core meaning and origins of the name remain rooted in its association with red or reddish locations or geographical features.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Redding families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Redding 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. Middlesex leads with 246 Reddings recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.00x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 246 2.00x
Worcestershire 122 7.59x
Warwickshire 105 3.38x
Buckinghamshire 95 12.77x
Surrey 92 1.53x
Hertfordshire 85 10.03x
Yorkshire 56 0.46x
Lancashire 49 0.34x
Hampshire 48 1.90x
Devon 41 1.60x
Gloucestershire 38 1.58x
Kent 37 0.88x
Cambridgeshire 32 4.11x
Somerset 32 1.62x
Herefordshire 24 4.76x
Bedfordshire 17 2.67x
Cornwall 16 1.15x
Monmouthshire 14 1.57x
Cheshire 12 0.44x
Norfolk 11 0.58x
Northamptonshire 10 0.86x
Anglesey 7 3.21x
Lincolnshire 7 0.36x
Dorset 6 0.74x
Midlothian 6 0.36x
Essex 5 0.21x
Wiltshire 5 0.46x
Derbyshire 4 0.21x
Durham 4 0.11x
Glamorgan 4 0.19x
Northumberland 4 0.22x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.24x
Staffordshire 4 0.10x
Channel Islands 3 0.82x
Royal Navy 3 2.05x
Sussex 3 0.14x
Angus 2 0.18x
Oxfordshire 2 0.26x
Rutland 2 2.21x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.19x
Cumberland 1 0.09x
Leicestershire 1 0.07x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 45 Reddings recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.35x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 45 4.35x
Islington London 37 3.10x
Berkhampstead 30 157.40x
Chesham 30 109.45x
Bermondsey 28 7.65x
Kensington London 28 4.09x
Hammersmith London 24 7.92x
St Pancras London 24 2.42x
Northchurch 23 254.14x
Aston 22 2.58x
Stoke Damerel 20 11.16x
Worcester All Sts 20 214.82x
Redbourn 17 183.59x
Kings Norton 15 10.41x
Southwark St George Martyr 15 6.06x
Bromsgrove 14 25.90x
Coleshill 14 663.51x
Hackney London 14 2.03x
Mile End Old Town 13 6.70x
St Marylebone London 13 1.98x
Kidderminster Borough 12 12.76x
Lambeth 12 1.12x
Weare 12 436.36x
Portsea 11 2.23x
Plumstead 10 7.15x
Wells Next Sea 10 90.66x
Benwick 9 262.39x
Birlingham 9 608.11x
Camberwell 9 1.15x
Ealing 9 8.19x
East Stonehouse 9 17.84x
Great Alne 9 491.80x
Leeds 9 1.31x
Linthorpe 9 12.37x
North Stoneham 9 157.07x
Severn Stoke 9 308.22x
Slimbridge 9 250.70x
Worcester St Peter 9 29.61x
Doncaster 8 8.98x
Edgbaston 8 8.32x
Hamble Le Rice 8 457.14x
Keighley 8 6.16x
Little Missenden 8 170.58x
Selby 8 31.41x
St Luke London 8 4.05x
Thornton In Fylde 8 25.05x
Weston Under Penyard 8 225.99x
Wisbech St Mary 8 89.49x
Alcester 7 68.43x
Antony 7 52.04x
Colton 7 91.98x
Dudley 7 3.58x
Everton 7 1.50x
Newchurch 7 5.86x
Wavendon 7 169.90x
Woolwich 7 4.51x
Wycombe 7 12.63x
Beaumaris 6 74.72x
Bootle Cum Linacre 6 5.18x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 0.91x
Lewisham 6 2.68x
Mark 6 129.87x
Mile End New Town 6 35.71x
Ruardean 6 110.09x
Shaftesbury St James 6 142.52x
South Stoneham 6 10.97x
St Andrewthe Less 6 6.74x
Tranmere 6 6.01x
Walton On Thames 6 21.80x
Worcester Blockhouse 6 68.03x
Battersea 5 1.10x
Bradford On Avon 5 14.36x
Hampstead London 5 2.61x
Hereford St Peter 5 37.12x
Otley 5 16.89x
St Anne Soho London 5 7.12x
Stockbridge 5 135.87x
Trevethin 5 5.95x
Upton Cum Chalvey 5 16.87x
Westminster St John 5 3.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 72
Elizabeth 45
Sarah 43
Ann 31
Ellen 25
Jane 24
Eliza 22
Emily 21
Alice 20
Emma 20
Caroline 18
Annie 14
Susan 14
Florence 12
Martha 12
Louisa 10
Margaret 10
Anne 9
Charlotte 9
Edith 8
Hannah 7
Kate 7
Lucy 7
Ada 6
Amy 6
Catherine 6
Elizth. 6
Fanny 6
Julia 6
Beatrice 5
Esther 5
Grace 5
Maria 5
Matilda 5
Rosa 5
Harriet 4
Helena 4
Jessie 4
Lily 4
Lizzie 4
Lydia 4
Rose 4
Amelia 3
Clara 3
Elizebeth 3
Rosina 3
Allice 2
Eleanor 2
Marion 2
Winifred 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 64
John 60
George 58
James 39
Thomas 37
Henry 31
Joseph 30
Charles 24
Walter 15
Alfred 14
Arthur 14
Frederick 14
Robert 14
Edward 13
Albert 10
Richard 9
Ernest 8
Harry 8
Herbert 7
Edwin 6
Frank 6
Francis 5
Thos. 5
Daniel 4
Fredk. 4
Geo. 4
Jesse 4
Chas. 3
David 3
Fred 3
Leonard 3
Michael 3
Benjamin 2
Edgar 2
Geo.Wm. 2
Jabez 2
Matthew 2
Saml. 2
Samuel 2
Aubrey 1
Benjm. 1
Charley 1
Charlie 1
Donnett 1
Edmund 1
Eugene 1
Ezra 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Wm.T. 1

FAQ

Redding surname: questions and answers

How common was the Redding surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,254 people were recorded with the Redding surname. That placed it at #3,242 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Redding surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,757 in 2016. That gives Redding a modern rank of #3,573.

What does the Redding surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "the people of the red valley" in Old English.

What does the Redding map show?

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