NameCensus.

UK surname

Sawdon

A locational name referring to someone from the village of Sawdon in North Yorkshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 316 people recorded with the Sawdon surname, ranking it #9,375 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 509, ranked #9,860, down from #9,375 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Whitby, Hull Holy Trinity and Weaverthorpe. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redcar and Cleveland and Ryedale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sawdon is 606 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 61.1%.

1881 census count

316

Ranked #9,375

Modern count

509

2016, ranked #9,860

Peak year

2002

606 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sawdon had 316 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,375 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 509 in 2016, ranked #9,860.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 514 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sawdon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sawdon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sawdon 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 144 #13,277
1861 historical 232 #10,535
1881 historical 316 #9,375
1891 historical 412 #8,653
1901 historical 451 #8,686
1911 historical 514 #7,669
1997 modern 555 #8,600
1998 modern 588 #8,510
1999 modern 583 #8,605
2000 modern 592 #8,497
2001 modern 595 #8,348
2002 modern 606 #8,401
2003 modern 579 #8,530
2004 modern 583 #8,521
2005 modern 551 #8,767
2006 modern 535 #9,007
2007 modern 574 #8,640
2008 modern 580 #8,629
2009 modern 583 #8,773
2010 modern 577 #9,028
2011 modern 547 #9,312
2012 modern 535 #9,375
2013 modern 539 #9,497
2014 modern 537 #9,565
2015 modern 525 #9,669
2016 modern 509 #9,860

Geography

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Where Sawdons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Whitby, Hull Holy Trinity, Weaverthorpe, Driffield and Scarborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redcar and Cleveland and Ryedale. 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 Whitby Yorkshire, North Riding
2 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
3 Weaverthorpe Yorkshire, East Riding
4 Driffield Yorkshire, East Riding
5 Scarborough Yorkshire, North Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redcar and Cleveland 010 Redcar and Cleveland
2 Ryedale 008 Ryedale
3 Redcar and Cleveland 013 Redcar and Cleveland
4 Ryedale 002 Ryedale
5 Ryedale 004 Ryedale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sawdon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sawdon

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

Sawdon 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

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

Meaning and origin of Sawdon

The surname Sawdon is believed to have originated in the Yorkshire area of England, likely in the late medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from the place name Sawdon, a village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire. The name Sawdon itself is believed to come from the Old English words "sceald" and "dun," meaning "shallow hill" or "flat-topped hill."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Sawdon can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a William de Sawdon is listed. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the Sawdon family appears to have been prominent landowners in the Yorkshire area. Records from this time show a John Sawdon holding lands in the parish of Muston in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

The Sawdon name also appears in various historical records and manuscripts from the 17th and 18th centuries, including parish registers and wills. One notable figure was Robert Sawdon, a merchant and landowner from Scarborough, who lived from around 1630 to 1690.

Another noteworthy individual with the Sawdon surname was Sir Ralph Sawdon, a Yorkshire baronet who lived from 1684 to 1757. He served as a member of parliament for the borough of Hedon in the early 18th century.

In the 19th century, the name appears to have spread more widely across England. One example is Thomas Sawdon, a Methodist minister and author who was born in Yorkshire in 1823 and died in 1898.

Other notable individuals with the Sawdon surname include William Sawdon (born 1856), a British lawyer and Conservative politician who served as a member of parliament for Wigan, and John Sawdon (1828-1907), a British architect and surveyor who worked on various projects in Yorkshire and Lancashire.

While the Sawdon name has its roots in the Yorkshire region, it can now be found throughout the English-speaking world, though it remains relatively uncommon.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sawdon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sawdon 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. Yorkshire leads with 280 Sawdons recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.17x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 280 9.17x
Lancashire 17 0.46x
Lincolnshire 6 1.22x
Middlesex 5 0.16x
Devon 4 0.62x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.51x
Durham 1 0.11x
Hampshire 1 0.16x
Hertfordshire 1 0.47x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holy Trinity in Yorkshire leads with 25 Sawdons recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.03x.

Place Total Index
Holy Trinity 25 34.03x
Sculcoates 17 35.10x
Pickering 13 337.66x
Weaverthorpe 13 1911.76x
Bridlington 12 171.67x
Luttons Ambo 12 1875.00x
Hunslet 11 23.09x
Amotherby 10 3333.33x
Langtoft 10 1538.46x
Hawsker Cum Stainsacre 9 882.35x
Lythe 9 737.70x
Willerby In Scarborough 9 2045.45x
Great Driffield 8 127.59x
Ruswarp Hawsker Cum 8 1052.63x
Sewerby Cum Marton 8 1379.31x
Wykeham 8 1333.33x
Baildon 7 121.74x
Kirkby Moorside 7 360.82x
West Ayton 7 1458.33x
Wold Newton 7 2121.21x
Garton On Wolds 6 1090.91x
Ruswarp 6 176.47x
Armley 5 37.12x
Brawby 5 2777.78x
Helmsley 5 304.88x
Hulme 5 6.55x
Marton In Pickering 5 2380.95x
Salford 5 4.65x
Exeter St Sidwell 4 27.23x
Glaisdale 4 344.83x
Paddington London 4 3.53x
Scarborough 4 14.41x
Ludford Magna 3 714.29x
Ludford Parva 3 833.33x
Sheffield 3 3.09x
Stretford 3 14.91x
Thwing 3 652.17x
Ardwick 2 6.06x
Falsgrave 2 44.44x
Londesborough Cum 2 526.32x
Newton In Pickering 2 769.23x
Seamer In Scarborough 2 202.02x
York St Maurice 2 34.78x
Burton Agnes 1 270.27x
Duggleby 1 400.00x
Gateshead 1 1.46x
Grindall 1 526.32x
Habergham Eaves 1 2.99x
Hertford St John 1 31.55x
Hutton Bushell 1 188.68x
Kirby Under Dale 1 312.50x
Manchester 1 0.61x
Nafferton 1 76.92x
North Burton 1 175.44x
Portsea 1 0.81x
Sherburn 1 39.84x
Slingsby 1 158.73x
St Andrewthe Less 1 4.48x
Westminster St 1 8.80x
Whitby 1 9.72x
Wintringham 1 294.12x
Wortley In Bramley 1 4.13x
York All Sts North 1 66.23x
York St Peter The 1 294.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 25
Ann 13
Elizabeth 11
Annie 8
Hannah 8
Sarah 8
Jane 7
Edith 5
Alice 4
Charlotte 3
Clara 3
Martha 3
A. 2
Ada 2
Anne 2
Eleanor 2
Harriet 2
Kate 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Anna 1
Betsy 1
Christiana 1
Clemmy 1
Elizbth. 1
Elizth 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Florance 1
Florence 1
G. 1
Gertrude 1
H. 1
Harriott 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Infant 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Lillian 1
Lillie 1
Lilly 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
M. 1
Margeret 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 21
Thomas 20
William 14
George 13
Robert 11
Arthur 7
James 5
Richard 5
Henry 4
Samuel 4
Edward 3
Francis 3
Walter 3
Wm. 3
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Tom 2
Aaron 1
Albt.E. 1
Aleck 1
Andrew 1
Christopher 1
E. 1
Edwd.E. 1
Flintof 1
Frank 1
Geo 1
Geo.W. 1
Gilder 1
Harry 1
Irwin 1
Jordon 1
Josiah 1
Lawson 1
Mark 1
Marmaduke 1
Paul 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Raywood 1
Robt. 1
Sidney 1
Thompson 1

FAQ

Sawdon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sawdon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 316 people were recorded with the Sawdon surname. That placed it at #9,375 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sawdon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 509 in 2016. That gives Sawdon a modern rank of #9,860.

What does the Sawdon surname mean?

A locational name referring to someone from the village of Sawdon in North Yorkshire, England.

What does the Sawdon map show?

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