NameCensus.

UK surname

Saad

An Arabic occupational surname referring to a jeweler, goldsmith, or someone who brings happiness and joy.

In the 1881 census there were 3 people recorded with the Saad surname, ranking it #33,498 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 639, ranked #8,280, up from #33,498 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Westminster, Liverpool and Hammersmith and Fulham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Saad is 639 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21200.0%.

1881 census count

3

Ranked #33,498

Modern count

639

2016, ranked #8,280

Peak year

2016

639 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Saad had 3 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,498 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 639 in 2016, ranked #8,280.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 11 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Saad surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Saad surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Saad 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
1861 historical 11 #32,452
1881 historical 3 #33,498
1997 modern 169 #19,578
1998 modern 188 #18,796
1999 modern 195 #18,517
2000 modern 213 #17,503
2001 modern 210 #17,425
2002 modern 231 #16,677
2003 modern 254 #15,454
2004 modern 282 #14,451
2005 modern 329 #12,966
2006 modern 372 #11,878
2007 modern 411 #11,144
2008 modern 431 #10,814
2009 modern 490 #10,019
2010 modern 551 #9,354
2011 modern 537 #9,460
2012 modern 564 #9,014
2013 modern 597 #8,782
2014 modern 619 #8,588
2015 modern 635 #8,350
2016 modern 639 #8,280

Geography

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Where Saads are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Westminster, Liverpool, Hammersmith and Fulham and Brent. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Westminster 003 Westminster
2 Westminster 017 Westminster
3 Liverpool 027 Liverpool
4 Hammersmith and Fulham 023 Hammersmith and Fulham
5 Brent 008 Brent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Saad

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Saad

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Saad, 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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Saad surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Saad 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Saad is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

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

Saad is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Saad falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Saad is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

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

Meaning and origin of Saad

The surname SAAD has its origins in the Arabic language, with roots traced back to the Middle East and North Africa regions. Historically, it is believed to have originated in the Arabian Peninsula during the early Islamic period, possibly deriving from the Arabic word 'sa'ada,' which means happiness or good fortune.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the SAAD surname can be found in medieval Arabic manuscripts and genealogical records, dating back to the 7th or 8th century CE. These ancient texts often documented the lineages and tribal affiliations of prominent Arab families and individuals.

During the Islamic Golden Age, which spanned from the 8th to the 13th century, the SAAD surname gained prominence among scholars, poets, and religious figures. Notable historical figures with this surname include Abu Abdallah Muhammad ibn Saad (784-845 CE), a renowned Islamic scholar and author of the biographical work "Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir," which documented the lives of early Muslim figures.

As the Arabic civilization expanded across various regions, the SAAD surname spread to other parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and the Iberian Peninsula. In Spain, during the Muslim rule of Al-Andalus (711-1492 CE), the SAAD surname was found among the Arab and Moorish populations. One prominent individual bearing this name was Abu al-Qasim ibn Saad (1058-1142 CE), a renowned Andalusian poet and literary figure.

In the 12th century, the SAAD surname appeared in historical records related to the Crusades, as some individuals with this name were mentioned in accounts of battles and diplomatic interactions between European and Muslim forces in the Holy Land.

Over time, the SAAD surname also gained a foothold in other parts of the world, including regions of Central and South Asia, as a result of trade, migration, and cultural exchanges. One notable figure with this surname was Mir Saad Ullah Khan (1611-1671 CE), a Mughal nobleman and military commander who served under the Emperor Shah Jahan in India.

In more recent centuries, the SAAD surname has been carried by various scholars, writers, and public figures from the Arab world and beyond. Examples include the Egyptian writer and feminist Nawal El Saadawi (1931-2021 CE), the Lebanese-American artist and writer Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931 CE), and the Palestinian-American literary theorist and academic Edward Said (1935-2003 CE).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Saad families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Saad 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 2 Saads recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.15x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 2 5.15x
Lancashire 1 2.17x
Royal Navy 1 217.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Anne Soho London in Middlesex leads with 2 Saads recorded in 1881 and an index of 909.09x.

Place Total Index
St Anne Soho London 2 909.09x
Manchester 1 48.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 1
John 1

Top occupations

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 Saad households.

FAQ

Saad surname: questions and answers

How common was the Saad surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3 people were recorded with the Saad surname. That placed it at #33,498 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Saad surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 639 in 2016. That gives Saad a modern rank of #8,280.

What does the Saad surname mean?

An Arabic occupational surname referring to a jeweler, goldsmith, or someone who brings happiness and joy.

What does the Saad map show?

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