NameCensus.

UK surname

Seed

An English surname likely derived from a place name or occupation related to growing crops.

In the 1881 census there were 2,163 people recorded with the Seed surname, ranking it #2,052 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,002, ranked #3,224, down from #2,052 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Ribchester and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ribble Valley, Redcar and Cleveland and Berwickshire Central.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Seed is 2,743 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 7.4%.

1881 census count

2,163

Ranked #2,052

Modern count

2,002

2016, ranked #3,224

Peak year

1911

2,743 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Seed had 2,163 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,052 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,002 in 2016, ranked #3,224.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,743 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Seed surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Seed surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Seed 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 1,269 #2,250
1861 historical 1,274 #2,239
1881 historical 2,163 #2,052
1891 historical 1,990 #2,316
1901 historical 2,590 #2,123
1911 historical 2,743 #1,887
1997 modern 2,065 #2,977
1998 modern 2,137 #2,994
1999 modern 2,190 #2,953
2000 modern 2,154 #2,976
2001 modern 2,098 #2,985
2002 modern 2,096 #3,055
2003 modern 2,040 #3,066
2004 modern 2,039 #3,068
2005 modern 2,049 #3,012
2006 modern 1,986 #3,115
2007 modern 2,018 #3,101
2008 modern 2,030 #3,103
2009 modern 2,059 #3,137
2010 modern 2,107 #3,140
2011 modern 2,087 #3,123
2012 modern 2,025 #3,160
2013 modern 2,036 #3,192
2014 modern 2,064 #3,177
2015 modern 2,046 #3,164
2016 modern 2,002 #3,224

Geography

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Where Seeds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Ribchester, Preston, Bradford and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ribble Valley, Redcar and Cleveland and Berwickshire Central. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Ribchester Lancashire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ribble Valley 004 Ribble Valley
2 Ribble Valley 006 Ribble Valley
3 Ribble Valley 003 Ribble Valley
4 Redcar and Cleveland 022 Redcar and Cleveland
5 Berwickshire Central Scottish Borders

Forenames

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First names often paired with Seed

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Seed

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

Seed is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Seed falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Seed 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 Seed, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Seed

The surname SEED has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "saed," which means "seed" or "descendant." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person who worked with seeds or was involved in agriculture.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SEED can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mentions a Robert le Seed. The prefix "le" was commonly used in medieval times to indicate occupation or location.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various records with slightly different spellings, such as "Sed" and "Seede." These variations likely stem from the way the name was pronounced and transcribed by scribes at the time.

The SEED surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was John Seed, a prominent merchant and alderman in London during the 16th century. He served as the Sheriff of London in 1558 and played a role in the city's governance.

Another notable figure was Jeremiah Seed, born in 1628, who was a renowned Puritan minister and author in Massachusetts. He published several religious works and served as the pastor of the First Church in Cambridge.

In the 18th century, Ebenezer Seed, born in 1707, was a prominent English Quaker and writer. He authored several works on religious and philosophical topics and was known for his philanthropic efforts.

Samuel Seed, born in 1817, was a notable English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the Victorian era. Some of his notable works include St. Mary's Church in Stockport and the Town Hall in Oldham.

Finally, Albert Seed, born in 1888, was a British boxer and Olympic medalist. He won a silver medal in the lightweight division at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.

The SEED surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Seedfield, Seedhill, and Seedley, which may have influenced the development and distribution of the name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Seed families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Seed 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. Lancashire leads with 1,365 Seeds recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.45x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,365 5.45x
Yorkshire 462 2.21x
Durham 69 1.10x
Middlesex 57 0.27x
Surrey 31 0.30x
Kent 21 0.29x
Westmorland 21 4.53x
Lincolnshire 20 0.59x
Cheshire 17 0.37x
Hampshire 16 0.37x
Essex 14 0.34x
Lanarkshire 12 0.18x
Northumberland 11 0.35x
Sussex 8 0.22x
Devon 5 0.11x
Norfolk 5 0.15x
Northamptonshire 5 0.25x
Cumberland 3 0.17x
Herefordshire 3 0.35x
Staffordshire 3 0.04x
Glamorgan 2 0.05x
Royal Navy 2 0.80x
Warwickshire 2 0.04x
Anglesey 1 0.27x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.07x
Flintshire 1 0.18x
Hertfordshire 1 0.07x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.24x
Isle of Man 1 0.26x
Perthshire 1 0.11x
Suffolk 1 0.04x
Worcestershire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 290 Seeds recorded in 1881 and an index of 43.29x.

Place Total Index
Preston 290 43.29x
Blackburn 126 18.91x
Chipping 98 1374.47x
North Bierley 66 58.46x
Wyke In Bradford 39 104.31x
Halifax 38 12.38x
Walton Le Dale 33 49.05x
Thornley Cum Wheatley 29 1146.25x
Bowling 27 13.04x
Little Bolton 24 7.46x
Alston 21 180.10x
Benfieldside 21 50.87x
Livesey 21 47.79x
Newington 21 2.69x
Halliwell 20 21.95x
Warrington 20 6.74x
Haslingden 19 18.33x
Bury 18 6.29x
Dilworth 18 117.34x
Aighton Bailey 17 140.96x
St Pancras London 17 1.00x
Grindleton 16 355.56x
Northowram 16 10.91x
West Derby 16 2.18x
Goosnargh 15 185.19x
Kirkham 15 45.32x
Lytham 14 36.63x
St Lawrence Newland 14 915.03x
Billington 13 127.20x
Bowland Forest Low 13 590.91x
Clitheroe 13 17.64x
Hoghton 13 205.70x
Keighley 13 5.83x
Layton With Warbreck 13 14.15x
Mile End Old Town 13 3.90x
Sowerby In Halifax 13 19.01x
Accrington 12 5.27x
Broughton In Preston 12 279.07x
Tong 12 29.71x
Bolton By Bowland 11 216.96x
Crossgate 11 40.07x
Esh 11 24.08x
Everton 11 1.38x
Great Bolton 11 3.32x
Manchester 11 0.98x
Rawdon 11 44.68x
Warton With Lindeth 11 104.76x
Widnes 11 6.09x
Bootle Cum Linacre 10 5.03x
Bradford 10 1.98x
Cheetham 10 5.35x
Crompton 10 14.03x
Heaton Norris 10 7.02x
Horton In Bradford 10 3.06x
Ince In Makerfield 10 8.58x
Pendlebury 10 18.92x
Ribchester 10 105.71x
Shevington 10 87.34x
Skipton 10 15.20x
Sutton 10 11.91x
Dutton 9 481.28x
Ecclesall Bierlow 9 2.12x
Farington 9 61.73x
Greenwich 9 2.68x
Horsforth 9 19.63x
Moss Side 9 6.83x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 9 21.80x
North Meols 9 3.67x
Poulton Le Fylde 9 101.35x
Radcliffe 9 7.46x
Salford 9 1.22x
Bowland Forest High 8 479.04x
Castleton 8 3.20x
Clayton 8 15.63x
Islington London 8 0.39x
Lancaster 8 5.37x
Liverpool 8 0.53x
Orrell 8 25.70x
Rishton 8 27.24x
Seaford 8 66.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 181
Elizabeth 113
Margaret 65
Sarah 65
Ellen 61
Jane 59
Ann 51
Alice 43
Hannah 35
Martha 28
Emma 27
Annie 26
Agnes 16
Isabella 16
Catherine 15
Eliza 13
Clara 11
Emily 11
Betsy 10
Edith 10
Florence 10
Kate 9
Frances 8
Grace 8
Amelia 7
Anne 7
Bertha 7
Elizth. 7
Louisa 7
Margt. 7
Nancy 7
Ada 6
Betty 6
Eleanor 6
Charlotte 5
Harriet 5
Lucy 4
Caroline 3
Elizebeth 3
Eva 3
Harriett 3
Lilly 3
Maria 3
Matilda 3
Minnie 3
Ruth 3
Susannah 3
Dorothy 2
Laura 2
Lettice 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 161
William 138
Thomas 134
James 91
Richard 48
Henry 38
Robert 38
Joseph 30
George 28
Edward 24
Charles 16
Samuel 14
Alfred 12
Arthur 11
Jonas 10
Walter 10
Benjamin 9
Frederick 9
Thos. 8
Albert 7
Alexander 6
Fred 6
Hugh 6
Wm. 6
David 5
Jonathan 5
Ralph 5
Edwin 4
Francis 4
Mark 4
Peter 4
Robt. 4
Tom 4
Willm. 4
Christopher 3
Daniel 3
Isaac 3
Joshua 3
Josiah 3
Leonard 3
Abraham 2
Ernest 2
Jimmey 2
Jonathon 2
Lawrence 2
Levi 2
Percy 2
Richd. 2
Sam 2
Stanley 2

FAQ

Seed surname: questions and answers

How common was the Seed surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,163 people were recorded with the Seed surname. That placed it at #2,052 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Seed surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,002 in 2016. That gives Seed a modern rank of #3,224.

What does the Seed surname mean?

An English surname likely derived from a place name or occupation related to growing crops.

What does the Seed map show?

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