UK surname
An English locative surname derived from someone who lived on or near a road.
In the 1881 census there were 55 people recorded with the Roades surname, ranking it #25,862 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 14, ranked #37,178, down from #25,862 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Acton, London parishes and Glossop. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Roades is 127 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 74.5%.
1881 census count
55
Ranked #25,862
Modern count
14
2016, ranked #37,178
Peak year
1851
127 bearers
Map years
2
1851 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Roades surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Roades surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 127 | #14,547 |
| 1861 | historical | 115 | #18,880 |
| 1881 | historical | 55 | #25,862 |
| 1891 | historical | 66 | #28,541 |
| 1901 | historical | 53 | #28,271 |
| 1911 | historical | 42 | #28,691 |
| 1997 | modern | 15 | #36,409 |
| 1998 | modern | 16 | #36,361 |
| 1999 | modern | 14 | #36,595 |
| 2000 | modern | 14 | #36,522 |
| 2001 | modern | 14 | #36,372 |
| 2002 | modern | 14 | #36,484 |
| 2003 | modern | 16 | #36,304 |
| 2004 | modern | 15 | #36,530 |
| 2005 | modern | 12 | #36,936 |
| 2006 | modern | 10 | #37,224 |
| 2007 | modern | 11 | #37,217 |
| 2008 | modern | 11 | #37,270 |
| 2009 | modern | 10 | #37,446 |
| 2010 | modern | 10 | #37,517 |
| 2011 | modern | 11 | #37,397 |
| 2012 | modern | 11 | #37,394 |
| 2013 | modern | 11 | #37,435 |
| 2014 | modern | 13 | #37,256 |
| 2015 | modern | 13 | #37,251 |
| 2016 | modern | 14 | #37,178 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Acton, London parishes, Glossop and Rickmansworth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acton | Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts) |
| 2 | London parishes | London 1 |
| 3 | Glossop | Derbyshire |
| 4 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 5 | Rickmansworth | Hertfordshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Roades surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Roades, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Roades surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Roades household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Roades is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Roades is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Roades, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname ROADES is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "rod," meaning a small clearing or thicket. Originally, ROADES referred to someone who lived near or worked in such a clearing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where a person named Roderic de la Rode is mentioned as a landholder in Somerset. This suggests that the surname was already in use during the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Rode, Rodes, and Rhoad, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. These variations continued for several centuries, with the spelling ROADES becoming more standardized in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Historically, the ROADES surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire, where many early bearers of the name were concentrated. Some notable individuals with the surname include:
1. John Roades (c. 1510-1584), an English churchman and Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake during the Marian Persecutions.
2. Thomas Rodes (c. 1550-1615), an English lawyer and judge who served as a Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of King James I.
3. Elizabeth Rodes (c. 1592-1670), an English Puritan writer and religious thinker, known for her work "The Countesse of Lincolnes Nurserie."
4. John Rodes (1626-1704), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of celestial mechanics.
5. Edward Rodes (1784-1860), a British naval officer who played a crucial role in the Battle of Trafalgar during the Napoleonic Wars.
As the ROADES surname spread across England and later to other parts of the world, it became associated with various place names and localities. For example, the village of Rhodes in Lancashire and the town of Rhodes in Yorkshire are believed to have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in those regions.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Roades surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Hampshire leads with 9 Roades' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.19x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Hampshire | 9 | 8.19x |
| Hertfordshire | 6 | 16.23x |
| Nottinghamshire | 6 | 8.30x |
| Lancashire | 5 | 0.79x |
| Kent | 4 | 2.19x |
| Middlesex | 4 | 0.75x |
| Northamptonshire | 4 | 7.93x |
| Northumberland | 4 | 5.01x |
| Buckinghamshire | 3 | 9.25x |
| Lincolnshire | 3 | 3.50x |
| Staffordshire | 2 | 1.10x |
| Surrey | 2 | 0.77x |
| Gloucestershire | 1 | 0.95x |
| Worcestershire | 1 | 1.43x |
| Yorkshire | 1 | 0.19x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire leads with 6 Roades' recorded in 1881 and an index of 359.28x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Hemel Hempstead | 6 | 359.28x |
| Hucknall Under | 6 | 1621.62x |
| Ryde | 6 | 254.24x |
| Bothal Demesne | 4 | 1052.63x |
| Stanford | 4 | 8000.00x |
| Grendon Underwood | 3 | 4285.71x |
| Kings Sutton | 3 | 1363.64x |
| Portsea | 3 | 13.92x |
| Warrington | 3 | 39.74x |
| Chobham | 2 | 434.78x |
| Islington London | 2 | 3.85x |
| Normanby By Spital | 2 | 2857.14x |
| Bramley In Bramley | 1 | 49.26x |
| Burslem | 1 | 19.27x |
| Cheetham | 1 | 21.05x |
| Chelsea London | 1 | 6.19x |
| Dalton In Furness | 1 | 40.65x |
| Dudley | 1 | 11.74x |
| Newbottle | 1 | 1111.11x |
| North Reston | 1 | 10000.00x |
| St Clement Danes | 1 | 114.94x |
| Stapleton | 1 | 50.00x |
| West Bromwich | 1 | 9.65x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Roades surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Roades surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Roades households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 10 |
| Coal Miner | 3 |
| Coalminer | 2 |
| Labourer | 2 |
| Ag Lab | 1 |
| Ag Labourer | 1 |
| Certified Teacher | 1 |
| Coalier | 1 |
| Colt Breaker (Huntsman) | 1 |
| Drainer (E D Serv (Not In Town) | 1 |
| Farm Servant | 1 |
| Formerly Laundress | 1 |
| Frame Driver (Tram) | 1 |
| Gardener | 1 |
| General Serv (Domestic) | 1 |
| Hawker | 1 |
| House Duties | 1 |
| Iron Worker | 1 |
| Iron Worker Wife | 1 |
| Marble Polisher (Mason) | 1 |
| Plate Layer | 1 |
| Seamans Wife | 1 |
| Tailor | 1 |
| Watercress Labourer | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 55 people were recorded with the Roades surname. That placed it at #25,862 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 14 in 2016. That gives Roades a modern rank of #37,178.
An English locative surname derived from someone who lived on or near a road.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Roades bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.