NameCensus.

UK surname

Reddish

A surname describing someone with reddish or reddish-brown hair color.

In the 1881 census there were 575 people recorded with the Reddish surname, ranking it #6,056 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 621, ranked #8,487, down from #6,056 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Lowdham and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolsover, Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Reddish is 807 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.0%.

1881 census count

575

Ranked #6,056

Modern count

621

2016, ranked #8,487

Peak year

1911

807 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Reddish had 575 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,056 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 621 in 2016, ranked #8,487.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 807 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Reddish surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Reddish surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Reddish 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 404 #5,991
1861 historical 402 #6,383
1881 historical 575 #6,056
1891 historical 625 #6,193
1901 historical 673 #6,475
1911 historical 807 #5,445
1997 modern 636 #7,798
1998 modern 663 #7,791
1999 modern 665 #7,807
2000 modern 645 #7,982
2001 modern 630 #7,972
2002 modern 636 #8,107
2003 modern 629 #8,020
2004 modern 626 #8,077
2005 modern 618 #8,081
2006 modern 617 #8,111
2007 modern 621 #8,140
2008 modern 607 #8,330
2009 modern 622 #8,359
2010 modern 629 #8,475
2011 modern 635 #8,309
2012 modern 656 #8,011
2013 modern 649 #8,230
2014 modern 650 #8,255
2015 modern 634 #8,360
2016 modern 621 #8,487

Geography

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Where Reddishs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Lowdham, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Nottingham St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolsover, Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Lowdham Nottinghamshire
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolsover 007 Bolsover
2 Chesterfield 006 Chesterfield
3 Bolsover 005 Bolsover
4 Bolsover 004 Bolsover
5 North East Derbyshire 007 North East Derbyshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Reddish

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Reddish

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Reddish 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

Reddish is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Reddish falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Reddish is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Reddish

The surname Reddish is of English origin, derived from a place name referring to the reddish hue of the soil in certain areas. It likely originated in the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Reddish can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1379, which mention a Richard de Redish. This suggests the name was already well-established by that time.

The Reddish surname is believed to be derived from the Old English words "read" (red) and "isc" (meadow or land), indicating a connection to areas with reddish-colored soil or vegetation. It may also be related to the place name Reddish, a suburb of Stockport in Greater Manchester, England.

In the late 16th century, records show a John Reddishe residing in Withington, Lancashire, in 1592. Another early bearer of the name was William Reddish, who was born in Crich, Derbyshire, in 1618.

Notable individuals with the surname Reddish include Thomas Reddish (1628-1677), an English politician who served as Mayor of Derby in 1669. A more recent example is Joseph Reddish (1908-1985), a British Labour Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Halifax from 1945 to 1970.

Other historical figures bearing the Reddish surname include George Reddish (1801-1857), an English surveyor and civil engineer who worked on several railway projects, and Edward Reddish (1784-1868), a British Army officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars.

The name Reddish has also been associated with various place names, such as Reddish Vale and Reddish Green, both located in the Stockport area of Greater Manchester, England, further reinforcing its connection to the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Reddish families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Reddish 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. Nottinghamshire leads with 158 Reddishs recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.94x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 158 20.94x
Derbyshire 104 11.86x
Lancashire 91 1.37x
Cheshire 60 4.85x
Yorkshire 40 0.72x
Lincolnshire 27 3.02x
Surrey 25 0.92x
Middlesex 18 0.32x
Kent 10 0.52x
Rutland 10 24.33x
Suffolk 8 1.17x
Shropshire 4 0.83x
Staffordshire 4 0.21x
Warwickshire 3 0.21x
Cumberland 2 0.41x
Norfolk 2 0.23x
Oxfordshire 2 0.58x
Renfrewshire 2 0.46x
Denbighshire 1 0.47x
Essex 1 0.09x
Leicestershire 1 0.16x
Wiltshire 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nottingham St Mary in Nottinghamshire leads with 37 Reddishs recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.95x.

Place Total Index
Nottingham St Mary 37 18.95x
Macclesfield 27 49.14x
Lenton 19 106.86x
Chesterfield 18 54.78x
Manchester 15 5.02x
Snenton 15 50.59x
Lowdham 13 915.49x
Lambeth 12 2.46x
Bolsover 11 250.57x
Norton 11 152.35x
Brampton 10 81.63x
Haslingden 10 36.35x
Spittlegate 10 80.78x
Nottingham St Peter 9 107.02x
Staveley 9 57.84x
Bradford 8 5.96x
Brightside Bierlow 8 7.35x
Carlton In Lindrick 8 400.00x
Clowne 8 229.89x
Ecclesall Bierlow 8 7.09x
Metheringham 8 223.46x
Stowmarket 8 101.52x
Kirkby In Ashfield 7 86.74x
Warrington 7 8.89x
Warsop 7 350.00x
Westhoughton 7 39.48x
Annesley 6 211.27x
Barton Upon Irwell 6 12.00x
Bromley London 6 4.87x
Claylane 6 49.22x
Horton In Bradford 6 6.92x
Lambley 6 389.61x
Matley 6 1538.46x
Newton 6 11.72x
Pennington In Leigh 6 47.06x
Sculcoates 6 6.82x
Congleton 5 23.42x
Didsbury 5 56.69x
Newark Upon Trent 5 18.43x
Oakham Lordshold 5 116.28x
Ryhall 5 364.96x
Salford 5 2.56x
Stockport 5 7.86x
Tansley 5 384.62x
Tupton 5 189.39x
Westminster St John 5 7.33x
Basford 4 11.50x
Beckenham 4 16.02x
Camberwell 4 1.12x
Hucknall Torkard 4 20.90x
Matlock 4 33.98x
Mottram 4 71.43x
Sale 4 26.39x
Tonge With Haulgh 4 30.94x
Wandsworth 4 7.42x
Wilpshire 4 754.72x
Alfreton 3 11.27x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 3 14.89x
Bowdon 3 61.22x
Carlton 3 34.84x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 2.84x
Mansfield 3 11.49x
Mansfield Woodhouse 3 59.76x
Shoreditch London 3 1.24x
Toft Lound Manthorpe 3 588.24x
Toxteth Park 3 1.33x
Warwick St Mary 3 24.47x
Whatton 3 555.56x
Brimington 2 30.03x
Charlton Next Woolwich 2 10.04x
Dartford 2 10.24x
Derby St Werburgh 2 3.95x
Great Grimsby 2 3.52x
Great Yarmouth 2 2.80x
Houston Killallan 2 47.62x
Oxford St Thomas 2 12.39x
Scarcliff 2 169.49x
Shirland 2 30.49x
St Cuthbert W O 2 8.51x
Tranmere 2 4.40x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 36
William 35
James 29
Thomas 16
George 15
Arthur 14
Charles 13
Joseph 13
Samuel 11
Henry 10
Walter 7
Albert 6
Edward 5
Frederick 4
Harry 4
Herbert 4
Richard 4
Alfred 3
Edwin 3
Reuben 3
Stephen 3
Wm. 3
Edmund 2
Matthew 2
Peter 2
Robert 2
Earnest 1
Edgar 1
Ellen 1
Enock 1
Ernest 1
Evelyn 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fredd 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Gersham 1
Henery 1
Jno.Hy. 1
Job 1
Jonathan 1
Keirn 1
Leasing 1
Martin 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Raymond 1
Samual 1
Spencer 1

FAQ

Reddish surname: questions and answers

How common was the Reddish surname in 1881?

In 1881, 575 people were recorded with the Reddish surname. That placed it at #6,056 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Reddish surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 621 in 2016. That gives Reddish a modern rank of #8,487.

What does the Reddish surname mean?

A surname describing someone with reddish or reddish-brown hair color.

What does the Reddish map show?

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