NameCensus.

UK surname

Sedgewick

A habitational surname derived from a location in England called Sedgewick.

In the 1881 census there were 399 people recorded with the Sedgewick surname, ranking it #7,984 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 353, ranked #13,081, down from #7,984 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Lincoln St Botolph and Middleton-in-Teesdale. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Stockton-on-Tees and Rushcliffe.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sedgewick is 399 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 11.5%.

1881 census count

399

Ranked #7,984

Modern count

353

2016, ranked #13,081

Peak year

1881

399 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sedgewick had 399 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,984 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 353 in 2016, ranked #13,081.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 399 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Sedgewick surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sedgewick surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Sedgewick 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 204 #10,250
1861 historical 244 #10,087
1881 historical 399 #7,984
1891 historical 349 #9,857
1901 historical 330 #10,899
1911 historical 255 #12,719
1997 modern 335 #12,575
1998 modern 360 #12,300
1999 modern 350 #12,609
2000 modern 356 #12,408
2001 modern 345 #12,504
2002 modern 365 #12,246
2003 modern 342 #12,627
2004 modern 364 #12,110
2005 modern 371 #11,842
2006 modern 354 #12,339
2007 modern 358 #12,383
2008 modern 352 #12,631
2009 modern 353 #12,894
2010 modern 362 #12,914
2011 modern 363 #12,738
2012 modern 353 #12,877
2013 modern 344 #13,349
2014 modern 350 #13,263
2015 modern 347 #13,252
2016 modern 353 #13,081

Geography

Back to top

Where Sedgewicks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Lincoln St Botolph, Middleton-in-Teesdale, Sheffield and Wavendon, Aspley Guise. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Stockton-on-Tees and Rushcliffe. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Lincoln St Botolph Lincolnshire
3 Middleton-in-Teesdale Durham
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Wavendon, Aspley Guise Buckinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 027 County Durham
2 Stockton-on-Tees 002 Stockton-on-Tees
3 County Durham 033 County Durham
4 County Durham 054 County Durham
5 Rushcliffe 009 Rushcliffe

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Sedgewick

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Sedgewick

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Sedgewick surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Sedgewick household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Sedgewick is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sedgewick is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Sedgewick

The surname Sedgewick is of English origin, derived from a place name referring to a location near sedge plants, a type of marsh vegetation. It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century.

The name is thought to have originated in the county of Worcestershire, where the village of Sedgewick (now known as Sedgeberrow) is located. The earliest recorded spelling of the place name is "Seggeswich" in the Domesday Book of 1086.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was William de Seggeswyk, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Worcestershire in 1221. The name has also been recorded in various other historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where it appears as "Seggeswyke."

In the 16th century, the surname was also found in other parts of England, including Shropshire and Staffordshire. A notable bearer of the name during this period was John Sedgewick (c. 1516-1557), a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake for his religious beliefs.

Another prominent figure with the surname was Robert Sedgewick (1611-1656), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Woodwardian Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Cambridge.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Sedgewick surname was also found in various parts of the United States, primarily due to immigration from England. One notable American with this name was John Sedgewick (1813-1864), a teacher, lawyer, and Union Army general who was killed during the American Civil War.

Other notable individuals with the surname Sedgewick include Robert Sedgewick (1746-1825), an English Unitarian minister and author, and Anne Douglas Sedgwick (1873-1935), an American novelist and playwright.

The name Sedgewick has continued to be present in various countries over the centuries, with variations in spelling such as Sedgwick, Sedgewicke, and Sedgewike.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Sedgewick families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sedgewick 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 106 Sedgewicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.75x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 106 2.75x
Durham 76 6.56x
Lancashire 61 1.32x
Middlesex 40 1.03x
Kent 21 1.58x
Derbyshire 19 3.12x
Buckinghamshire 14 5.95x
Cheshire 13 1.51x
Essex 12 1.56x
Surrey 5 0.26x
Warwickshire 5 0.51x
Westmorland 5 5.85x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.76x
Hampshire 3 0.38x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.81x
Lincolnshire 2 0.32x
Midlothian 2 0.38x
Staffordshire 2 0.15x
Sussex 2 0.30x
Berkshire 1 0.34x
Cumberland 1 0.30x
Devon 1 0.12x
Gloucestershire 1 0.13x
Leicestershire 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bletchley in Buckinghamshire leads with 14 Sedgewicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 2058.82x.

Place Total Index
Bletchley 14 2058.82x
Haswell 11 132.53x
Leeds 11 5.05x
Huddersfield 10 17.80x
Litchurch 10 40.78x
Stockton On Tees 10 17.91x
Staines 9 146.10x
York St Maurice 9 123.97x
Bradford 8 8.57x
Chatham 8 21.90x
Oldham 8 5.37x
Upper Lower 8 2758.62x
Gomersal 7 38.89x
Headingley Cum Burley 7 28.19x
Islington London 7 1.86x
Chester St Oswald 6 38.56x
Elvet 6 71.77x
Gilling 6 517.24x
Oxton 6 123.46x
Southwick 6 54.69x
St Marylebone London 6 2.89x
Wigan 6 9.30x
Brancepeth 5 238.10x
Chesterfield 5 21.89x
Cornforth 5 146.63x
Deptford St Paul 5 4.88x
Manningham 5 10.52x
Middlesbrough 5 9.95x
Paddington London 5 3.49x
Sheffield 5 4.07x
Tatham 5 704.23x
West Ham 5 2.95x
Aston 4 1.48x
Boxley 4 196.08x
Crompton 4 30.42x
Redcar 4 130.72x
Toxteth Park 4 2.56x
Walthamstow 4 14.47x
Wingate 4 50.38x
Wolsingham 4 37.91x
Barden In Skipton 3 576.92x
Barrow In Furness 3 4.78x
Birdbrook 3 389.61x
Bradfield 3 20.17x
Burnley 3 7.71x
Houghton Le Spring 3 37.50x
North Meols 3 6.64x
Nottingham St Mary 3 2.21x
Over Darwen 3 8.13x
Poplar London 3 4.08x
Poulton Barre 3 57.14x
Sedgefield 3 72.64x
Strickland Kettle 3 365.85x
Throston 3 135.14x
Tottington Lower End 3 13.67x
Westhoughton 3 24.33x
Witton Le Wear 3 91.46x
Bootle Cum Linacre 2 5.45x
Coxhoe 2 60.79x
East Molesey 2 45.45x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 2.55x
Edinburgh Greenside 2 29.03x
Giggleswick 2 153.85x
Helmington Row 2 37.11x
Kensington London 2 0.92x
Leyburn 2 153.85x
Little Chester 2 263.16x
Martin In Sleaford 2 183.49x
Middleton In Teesdale 2 65.36x
Morley 2 9.98x
Ormesby 2 19.29x
Portsea 2 1.28x
Preston Richard 2 253.16x
Putney 2 11.27x
St Giles Cambridge 2 62.89x
St Pancras London 2 0.64x
Thruscross 2 476.19x
Wilton In Guisbrough 2 115.61x
Chester Le Street 1 11.25x
Scarborough 1 2.85x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 25
John 22
William 17
James 13
George 11
Charles 9
Henry 9
Alfred 7
Robert 6
Arthur 5
Joseph 5
Edward 3
Frederick 3
Leonard 3
Ralph 3
Walter 3
Wm. 3
Benjamin 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Mathew 2
Matthew 2
Samuel 2
Alice 1
David 1
Edwd. 1
Fawcett 1
Frances 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Noah 1
Richard 1
Richd.Hy. 1
Shadrach 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Sedgewick surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sedgewick surname in 1881?

In 1881, 399 people were recorded with the Sedgewick surname. That placed it at #7,984 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sedgewick surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 353 in 2016. That gives Sedgewick a modern rank of #13,081.

What does the Sedgewick surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a location in England called Sedgewick.

What does the Sedgewick map show?

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