NameCensus.

UK surname

Rood

An English toponymic surname derived from a place where a cross or crucifix once stood.

In the 1881 census there were 282 people recorded with the Rood surname, ranking it #10,148 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 396, ranked #11,967, down from #10,148 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Glastonbury St Benedict and St John, Street, South Stoneham and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rhondda Cynon Taf, Knowsley and Sedgemoor.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rood is 464 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.4%.

1881 census count

282

Ranked #10,148

Modern count

396

2016, ranked #11,967

Peak year

1998

464 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rood had 282 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,148 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 396 in 2016, ranked #11,967.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 426 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rood surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rood surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rood 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 267 #8,342
1861 historical 361 #7,076
1881 historical 282 #10,148
1891 historical 391 #9,044
1901 historical 388 #9,685
1911 historical 426 #8,856
1997 modern 451 #10,049
1998 modern 464 #10,169
1999 modern 446 #10,513
2000 modern 426 #10,878
2001 modern 414 #10,942
2002 modern 423 #10,975
2003 modern 413 #11,006
2004 modern 422 #10,838
2005 modern 416 #10,855
2006 modern 410 #11,015
2007 modern 425 #10,837
2008 modern 438 #10,668
2009 modern 440 #10,888
2010 modern 439 #11,121
2011 modern 438 #11,017
2012 modern 421 #11,245
2013 modern 428 #11,304
2014 modern 421 #11,544
2015 modern 415 #11,583
2016 modern 396 #11,967

Geography

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Where Roods are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Glastonbury St Benedict and St John, Street, South Stoneham, London parishes, Gateshead and Meare. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rhondda Cynon Taf, Knowsley, Sedgemoor, Solihull and Tewkesbury. 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 Glastonbury St Benedict and St John, Street Somerset
2 South Stoneham Hampshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Meare Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rhondda Cynon Taf 005 Rhondda Cynon Taf
2 Knowsley 002 Knowsley
3 Sedgemoor 007 Sedgemoor
4 Solihull 028 Solihull
5 Tewkesbury 008 Tewkesbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rood

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rood

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Challenged Inner London Communities

Within London, Rood is most associated with areas classed as Challenged Inner London Communities, 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

Resident in some of Inner London’s most over-crowded communities, many families have children and marriage/civil partnership rates are above the Supergroup average. Other adults such as students live in communal establishments. Few residents have Level 4 educational qualifications, levels of unemployment are above the Supergroup average, and employment is concentrated in service occupations such as distribution, hotels and restaurants. Relative to the Supergroup average, fewer residents identify as being of mixed/multiple ethnicities, Black or Other Asian.

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

Rood 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

Rood 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 Rood is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Rood

The surname Rood originated in the Netherlands and Belgium during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Dutch and Flemish word 'rood,' meaning red, which may have referred to a person's hair color or complexion. Alternatively, it could have indicated a location near a red-colored building or landmark.

One of the earliest recorded references to the Rood surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as 'Rode,' which was likely a variant spelling or an anglicized version of the original Dutch or Flemish name.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Willem Rood was mentioned in the city records of Ghent, Belgium. He was a prominent merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the city's economic affairs during that time.

Another early example is Jan Rood, a Dutch painter born in 1615 in Haarlem, Netherlands. He was known for his portraiture and genre scenes, and his works are exhibited in various museums across Europe.

During the 17th century, a family named Rood settled in the Dutch colony of New Netherland, which later became part of New York State. One of their descendants, Jacob Rood, was a prominent farmer and landowner in the Hudson Valley region, born in 1712.

In the 18th century, Johann Rood, a German composer and organist, was born in 1746 in Hanover. He is known for his contributions to church music and his compositions for organ and other instruments.

Another notable bearer of the Rood surname was Sir John Rood, a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1778 and gained recognition for his bravery and leadership during the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

These examples illustrate the historical presence of the Rood surname across various regions and cultures, highlighting its Dutch and Flemish origins and its subsequent spread throughout Europe and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rood families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rood 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 75 Roods recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.00x.

County Total Index
Somerset 75 17.00x
Middlesex 55 2.01x
Hampshire 38 6.76x
Lancashire 23 0.71x
Kent 21 2.25x
Surrey 18 1.35x
Glamorgan 12 2.51x
Sussex 10 2.16x
Durham 7 0.86x
Yorkshire 5 0.18x
Derbyshire 3 0.70x
Devon 3 0.53x
Wiltshire 3 1.24x
Cheshire 2 0.33x
Dorset 2 1.11x
Gloucestershire 2 0.37x
Monmouthshire 1 0.50x
Northumberland 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Meare in Somerset leads with 21 Roods recorded in 1881 and an index of 1590.91x.

Place Total Index
Meare 21 1590.91x
Southampton St Mary 17 48.12x
South Stoneham 16 131.26x
Pointington 13 11818.18x
Shoreditch London 10 8.42x
Brighton 9 9.65x
Greenwich 8 18.33x
Toxteth Park 8 7.26x
Roath 7 32.29x
Street 7 292.89x
Cheetham 6 24.73x
Kirkdale 6 10.96x
Spitalfields London 6 29.10x
Westoe 6 12.98x
Bedminster 5 12.06x
Clapham 5 14.59x
Islington London 5 1.88x
Lambeth 5 2.09x
Llanfabon 5 200.00x
St Botolph Aldgate 5 133.69x
St Bride London 5 314.47x
St Lawrence 5 77.76x
Whitechapel London 5 18.50x
Cannington 4 305.34x
Wembdon 4 305.34x
Woolwich 4 11.58x
Bethnal Green London 3 2.52x
Bridgewater 3 25.04x
Easton 3 1500.00x
Glastonbury 3 83.33x
Hasland 3 68.65x
High Ham 3 285.71x
Mile End Old Town 3 6.93x
Rodney Stoke 3 1000.00x
Sheffield 3 3.47x
South Petherton 3 131.58x
Southwark Christchurch 3 23.36x
St George In East 3 16.09x
St Marylebone London 3 2.05x
Swindon 3 15.96x
Barnstaple 2 22.32x
Bristol St Stephen 2 142.86x
Ealing 2 8.16x
Milton In Gravesend 2 14.27x
Newton In Ashton Under 2 33.50x
Southampton All Sts 2 20.75x
St Giles In Fields 2 21.16x
St Pancras London 2 0.91x
Wandsworth 2 7.58x
Aberystruth 1 5.72x
Alverstoke 1 4.92x
Armley 1 8.35x
Auckland St Andrew 1 46.51x
Camberwell 1 0.57x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.39x
Edmonton 1 4.53x
Epsom 1 15.36x
Everton 1 0.96x
Herne 1 24.15x
Liverpool 1 0.51x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 4.11x
Newington 1 0.99x
Pendleton In Salford 1 2.58x
Preston 1 12.39x
Roborough 1 263.16x
St Mary Extra 1 22.12x
Stalbridge 1 58.48x
Staplegrove 1 185.19x
Sturminster 1 57.47x
Thornton Le Street 1 769.23x
Walton 1 200.00x
Weeke 1 58.82x
Weston Super Mare 1 8.98x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Elizabeth 12
Sarah 8
Emily 6
Frances 6
Alice 5
Ann 5
Ellen 5
Ada 4
Annie 4
Eliza 4
Emma 4
Florence 4
Jane 4
Kate 4
Martha 4
Amelia 2
Avice 2
Betsy 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Esther 2
Fanny 2
Georgina 2
Maryann 2
Matilda 2
Maud 2
Mercy 2
Rebecca 2
Alace 1
Betsey 1
Caroline 1
Carrolin 1
Catherine 1
Cathrine 1
Ethel 1
Flora 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Hester 1
Janet 1
Jemmia 1
Jessie 1
Lilian 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Mildred 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Rood surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rood surname in 1881?

In 1881, 282 people were recorded with the Rood surname. That placed it at #10,148 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rood surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 396 in 2016. That gives Rood a modern rank of #11,967.

What does the Rood surname mean?

An English toponymic surname derived from a place where a cross or crucifix once stood.

What does the Rood map show?

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