NameCensus.

UK surname

Rudman

A surname derived from the Middle English "rude," meaning red or ruddy complexion.

In the 1881 census there were 602 people recorded with the Rudman surname, ranking it #5,818 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 732, ranked #7,440, down from #5,818 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and St Philip and Jacob. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rochdale, Oxford and Rutland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rudman is 851 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.6%.

1881 census count

602

Ranked #5,818

Modern count

732

2016, ranked #7,440

Peak year

1911

851 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rudman had 602 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,818 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 732 in 2016, ranked #7,440.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 851 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rudman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rudman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rudman 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 482 #5,171
1861 historical 461 #5,634
1881 historical 602 #5,818
1891 historical 697 #5,622
1901 historical 780 #5,756
1911 historical 851 #5,214
1997 modern 764 #6,783
1998 modern 807 #6,709
1999 modern 798 #6,805
2000 modern 829 #6,586
2001 modern 803 #6,634
2002 modern 817 #6,652
2003 modern 791 #6,710
2004 modern 802 #6,658
2005 modern 776 #6,764
2006 modern 784 #6,733
2007 modern 789 #6,765
2008 modern 800 #6,743
2009 modern 812 #6,801
2010 modern 809 #6,958
2011 modern 786 #7,057
2012 modern 758 #7,165
2013 modern 755 #7,302
2014 modern 741 #7,454
2015 modern 737 #7,417
2016 modern 732 #7,440

Geography

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Where Rudmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, St Philip and Jacob, Pewsey and Pewsham, Chippenham, Langley Burrell, Hardenhuish, Kington, Slaughterford, Biddestone St Nicholas an. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rochdale, Oxford, Rutland and South Oxfordshire. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 St Philip and Jacob Gloucestershire
4 Pewsey Wiltshire
5 Pewsham, Chippenham, Langley Burrell, Hardenhuish, Kington, Slaughterford, Biddestone St Nicholas an Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rochdale 001 Rochdale
2 Oxford 016 Oxford
3 Rutland 005 Rutland
4 South Oxfordshire 006 South Oxfordshire
5 Rochdale 005 Rochdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rudman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rudman

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

London Fringe

Within London, Rudman is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Rudman is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Rudman

The surname Rudman is of English origin, dating back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "hrud" meaning "coarse" and "mann" meaning "man." This suggests the name was originally given to someone who lived near a rough or coarse area of land.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Rudman can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Rudeman." It is also found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, spelled as "Ruddeman."

In the 16th century, the name was commonly associated with the village of Rudbaxton in Pembrokeshire, Wales. This village's name is derived from the Old English "hrud" and the Welsh "baxton," meaning "farm." It is possible that some early bearers of the Rudman name originated from this area.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Rudman was William Rudman, who was recorded in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

Another notable figure was Thomas Rudman, a merchant and landowner who lived in Devon in the late 15th century. Records show he was involved in several property transactions between 1480 and 1492.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records across England. For example, John Rudman was baptized in St. Mary's Church, Islington, in 1642.

During the 18th century, the Rudman family was well-established in the county of Yorkshire. Richard Rudman (1705-1778) was a prominent landowner and businessman in the village of Wressle.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Rudman was Sir Samuel Rudman (1802-1878), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became an MP for Portsmouth.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rudman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rudman 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. Wiltshire leads with 155 Rudmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.85x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 155 29.85x
Lancashire 147 2.11x
Gloucestershire 76 6.60x
Middlesex 52 0.89x
Somerset 47 4.97x
Kent 19 0.95x
Monmouthshire 18 4.24x
Glamorgan 15 1.47x
Yorkshire 14 0.24x
Warwickshire 11 0.74x
Derbyshire 7 0.76x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.76x
Sussex 6 0.61x
Hampshire 5 0.42x
Surrey 4 0.14x
Essex 3 0.26x
Midlothian 3 0.38x
Oxfordshire 3 0.83x
Berkshire 2 0.45x
Cheshire 2 0.15x
Leicestershire 2 0.31x
Devon 1 0.08x
Durham 1 0.06x
Northamptonshire 1 0.18x
Royal Navy 1 1.43x
Staffordshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Spotland in Lancashire leads with 83 Rudmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 107.14x.

Place Total Index
Spotland 83 107.14x
Bradford On Avon 33 198.44x
Pewsey 26 680.63x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 19 17.52x
Chippenham 16 146.92x
Manchester 15 4.79x
Bethnal Green London 13 5.10x
Bedwellty 12 16.01x
Lyncombe Widcombe 12 48.48x
Birmingham 11 2.23x
Corsham 11 145.12x
Bristol St James St Paul 10 26.04x
Bristol St Augustine 9 48.41x
Clerkenwell London 9 6.49x
Lewisham 8 7.49x
Swindon 8 19.86x
Clifton 7 12.02x
Gloucester St John Baptist 7 94.09x
Wellington 7 54.60x
Bridgewater 6 23.38x
Bury 6 7.54x
Cardiff St John 6 17.96x
Charlton 6 394.74x
Cheltenham 6 6.75x
Gelligaer 6 25.70x
Lenton 6 32.19x
Marlborough St Peter St 6 224.72x
Radcliffe 6 17.86x
Salford 6 2.93x
St Mary Le Strand 6 320.86x
Tonbridge 6 8.30x
Trowbridge 6 26.13x
Westbury On Trym 6 15.38x
Bedminster 5 5.63x
Bristol St James In 5 29.52x
Bromham 5 213.68x
Calne 5 46.77x
Clayton Le Moors 5 36.98x
Farleigh Hungerford 5 1351.35x
Islington London 5 0.88x
Litchurch 5 13.51x
Plumstead 5 7.49x
Sowerby In Halifax 5 26.27x
Trevethin 5 12.47x
Walcot 5 9.93x
Bromley London 4 3.10x
Layton With Warbreck 4 15.64x
Monkton Farleigh 4 476.19x
Newton 4 7.45x
Otley 4 28.31x
Rochdale 4 78.74x
Taunton St Mary 4 23.05x
Devizes St James 3 43.48x
Fulham London 3 3.52x
Hampstead London 3 3.28x
Hulme 3 2.06x
Kington St Michael 3 322.58x
Leyton Low 3 12.73x
Little Bolton 3 3.35x
Liverpool 3 0.71x
Monken Hadley 3 127.66x
Rotherfield Greys 3 78.13x
Stapleton 3 13.73x
Swansea Town 3 3.58x
Woodborough 3 375.00x
Aldbourn 2 66.23x
Andover 2 17.59x
Edinburgh St Andrews 2 30.77x
Elton 2 8.31x
Hale 2 44.74x
Killamarsh 2 34.97x
Manningford Bohun 2 425.53x
Melksham 2 22.17x
Portsea 2 0.85x
Scarborough 2 3.78x
South Bersted 2 23.75x
Stretford 2 5.22x
Warley 2 11.89x
Whitley 2 285.71x
Wroughton 2 44.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 30
Mary 29
Sarah 23
Ann 14
Ellen 14
Jane 12
Eliza 10
Emma 8
Alice 7
Emily 7
Hannah 7
Ada 6
Annie 6
Clara 6
Margaret 6
Louisa 5
Martha 4
Caroline 3
Charlotte 3
Florence 3
Leah 3
Maria 3
Matilda 3
Amy 2
Betsy 2
Edith 2
Elizth. 2
Harriett 2
Jessie 2
Lydia 2
Rose 2
Susan 2
Susanna 2
Susannah 2
Angelina 1
Bertha 1
Betty 1
Bridget 1
Dinah 1
Eliz. 1
Ellin 1
F.M. 1
Fanny 1
Ida 1
Kate 1
Lilian 1
Lily 1
Louise 1
Lucy 1
Zillah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 39
William 26
James 24
George 20
Henry 17
Thomas 14
Robert 13
Joseph 12
Albert 10
Arthur 10
Charles 9
Edward 8
Frank 8
Samuel 8
Frederick 6
Richard 6
Walter 6
Ernest 4
Alfred 3
Benjamin 3
Daniel 3
Fred 3
Geo. 3
Herbert 3
Jonathan 3
Thos. 3
Aaron 2
Clement 2
Edwd. 2
Edwin 2
Fredk. 2
Hubert 2
Jas. 2
Robt. 2
Wm. 2
Archibald 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Francis 1
Fredk 1
G.A. 1
G.R. 1
Gilbert 1
Jeremiah 1
Jno.H. 1
Josh. 1
Larind 1
Maria 1
Marshall 1
Young 1

FAQ

Rudman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rudman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 602 people were recorded with the Rudman surname. That placed it at #5,818 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rudman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 732 in 2016. That gives Rudman a modern rank of #7,440.

What does the Rudman surname mean?

A surname derived from the Middle English "rude," meaning red or ruddy complexion.

What does the Rudman map show?

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