NameCensus.

UK surname

Sidwell

Derived from an English place name meaning "wide spring" or "wide stream," likely referring to a nearby water source.

In the 1881 census there were 824 people recorded with the Sidwell surname, ranking it #4,559 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,110, ranked #5,294, down from #4,559 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Chilvers Coton and Foleshill. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Coventry, Hinckley and Bosworth and Nuneaton and Bedworth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sidwell is 1,189 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.7%.

1881 census count

824

Ranked #4,559

Modern count

1,110

2016, ranked #5,294

Peak year

1999

1,189 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sidwell had 824 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,559 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,110 in 2016, ranked #5,294.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,093 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sidwell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sidwell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sidwell 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 500 #5,001
1861 historical 451 #5,746
1881 historical 824 #4,559
1891 historical 877 #4,691
1901 historical 1,088 #4,439
1911 historical 1,093 #4,244
1997 modern 1,139 #4,926
1998 modern 1,158 #5,025
1999 modern 1,189 #4,972
2000 modern 1,164 #5,031
2001 modern 1,137 #5,040
2002 modern 1,129 #5,172
2003 modern 1,087 #5,232
2004 modern 1,090 #5,225
2005 modern 1,070 #5,255
2006 modern 1,079 #5,217
2007 modern 1,083 #5,244
2008 modern 1,108 #5,186
2009 modern 1,139 #5,171
2010 modern 1,178 #5,120
2011 modern 1,160 #5,138
2012 modern 1,136 #5,147
2013 modern 1,154 #5,164
2014 modern 1,162 #5,156
2015 modern 1,122 #5,264
2016 modern 1,110 #5,294

Geography

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Where Sidwells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Chilvers Coton, Foleshill, Nuneaton and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Coventry, Hinckley and Bosworth and Nuneaton and Bedworth. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Chilvers Coton Warwickshire
3 Foleshill Warwickshire
4 Nuneaton Warwickshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Coventry 004 Coventry
2 Hinckley and Bosworth 010 Hinckley and Bosworth
3 Hinckley and Bosworth 011 Hinckley and Bosworth
4 Nuneaton and Bedworth 006 Nuneaton and Bedworth
5 Nuneaton and Bedworth 014 Nuneaton and Bedworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sidwell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sidwell

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Sidwell 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

Sidwell is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sidwell falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sidwell 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
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Sidwell

The surname Sidwell is believed to have originated in England. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "sid," meaning wide or large, and "well," referring to a spring or stream. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a large well or stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Siduuelle." This entry likely refers to a place name rather than a surname, as hereditary surnames were not widely used until after the Norman Conquest.

By the 13th century, the name had evolved to its modern spelling of "Sidwell." In 1273, a William Sidwell was listed in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. This is one of the earliest known examples of the surname being used by an individual.

During the Middle Ages, the Sidwell family seemed to have been concentrated in the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire. The name appears in various records from these areas, such as the Somerset Feet of Fines from 1330, which mentions a John Sidwell.

A notable bearer of the name was Sir Ralph Sidwell, a 15th-century English knight and landowner. He was born around 1420 in Gloucestershire and served as a Member of Parliament for the county in 1472.

Another prominent figure was Henry Sidwell, a 16th-century Anglican clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Taunton from 1567 until his death in 1598. He played a role in the religious reforms of the Elizabethan era.

In the 17th century, Thomas Sidwell (1624-1679) was a prominent English Puritan minister and author. He served as the rector of St. Olave's Church in London and wrote several religious works.

The Sidwell name also spread to other parts of England, as evidenced by the birth of Richard Sidwell in Yorkshire in 1698. He later became a successful merchant and landowner in the area.

One of the more notable figures in the 19th century was William Sidwell (1815-1890), a British architect and surveyor. He was responsible for designing several public buildings and churches in London and the surrounding areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sidwell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sidwell 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. Warwickshire leads with 370 Sidwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.25x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 370 18.25x
Yorkshire 74 0.93x
Middlesex 70 0.87x
Lancashire 54 0.57x
Leicestershire 45 5.05x
Surrey 43 1.10x
Staffordshire 26 0.96x
Derbyshire 21 1.67x
Kent 17 0.62x
Hertfordshire 15 2.71x
Hampshire 12 0.73x
Worcestershire 12 1.14x
Gloucestershire 11 0.70x
Cheshire 10 0.56x
Nottinghamshire 9 0.83x
Somerset 9 0.70x
Buckinghamshire 5 1.03x
Lanarkshire 5 0.19x
Devon 4 0.24x
Sussex 4 0.30x
Oxfordshire 3 0.60x
Shropshire 3 0.43x
Norfolk 1 0.08x
Royal Navy 1 1.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Coventry Holy Trinity in Warwickshire leads with 93 Sidwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 153.64x.

Place Total Index
Coventry Holy Trinity 93 153.64x
Foleshill 47 220.35x
Nuneaton 46 195.91x
Birmingham 43 6.37x
Chilvers Coton 29 347.72x
Aston 23 4.12x
Coventry St Michael 21 32.25x
Leicester St Margaret 16 7.36x
Stanwell 16 268.91x
Leicester St Mary 14 19.44x
Stoke 13 325.81x
Camberwell 11 2.14x
Castleford 11 37.92x
St Mary Kalendar 11 320.70x
Great Little Marsden 10 22.89x
Ilkeston 10 28.34x
Kings Norton 10 10.62x
Rickmansworth 10 65.57x
Warwick St Mary 10 56.82x
Bethnal Green London 9 2.58x
Ledstone 9 1475.41x
Rotherhithe 9 9.06x
Styrrup 9 559.01x
Leamington Priors 8 16.04x
Chelsea London 7 2.89x
Dutton 7 564.52x
Garston 7 24.87x
Little Packington 7 2121.21x
Prestwich 7 29.42x
Shoreditch London 7 2.01x
Solihull 7 48.04x
St Marylebone London 7 1.63x
Burton Upon Trent 6 9.45x
Handsworth 6 8.97x
Herne 6 49.42x
St Pancras London 6 0.93x
Toxteth Park 6 1.86x
Appleby 5 239.23x
Barony 5 0.76x
Birchington 5 130.21x
Bovingdon 5 172.41x
Broughton In Salford 5 5.73x
Cheltenham 5 4.11x
Cottingham 5 29.12x
Knottingley 5 35.71x
Linton 5 151.06x
Manchester 5 1.17x
Manningham 5 5.10x
Reigate Foreign 5 11.79x
Sutton Coldfield 5 23.46x
Bedworth 4 27.05x
Bootle Cum Linacre 4 5.28x
Bow London 4 3.91x
Chesham 4 22.33x
Clifton Campville 4 187.79x
Clifton In York 4 24.01x
Dartford 4 14.27x
Doncaster 4 6.87x
Hathersage 4 113.31x
Kenilworth 4 35.00x
Lambeth 4 0.57x
Marshfield 4 95.01x
Sheffield 4 1.58x
St George Hanover 4 3.81x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 4 10.81x
Blackley 3 17.94x
Chipping Norton 3 26.13x
Colaton Raleigh 3 144.93x
Croydon 3 1.38x
Farndale East Side 3 294.12x
Hailsham 3 36.59x
Harmondsworth 3 60.12x
Kingswinford 3 3.05x
Madeley 3 11.78x
Nailstone 3 147.78x
Over 3 16.64x
Southwark St John 3 12.21x
Sowe 3 82.19x
Tickhill 3 59.06x
Wednesfield 3 7.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 47
John 45
Thomas 42
George 35
Joseph 19
Henry 18
Charles 17
James 15
Frederick 13
Arthur 12
Samuel 11
Robert 10
David 7
Ernest 7
Walter 7
Edward 5
Job 5
Frank 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Edmund 3
Edwin 3
Eli 3
Harry 3
Richard 3
Benjamin 2
Howard 2
Isaac 2
Jacob 2
Jno. 2
Percy 2
Reuben 2
Abel 1
Bertie 1
Bertrand 1
C. 1
Daniel 1
F... 1
Francis 1
Fredric 1
Fredrick 1
G. 1
G.A. 1
Geo. 1
J. 1
Jessey 1
Kent 1
Leon 1
Lewis 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Sidwell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sidwell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 824 people were recorded with the Sidwell surname. That placed it at #4,559 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sidwell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,110 in 2016. That gives Sidwell a modern rank of #5,294.

What does the Sidwell surname mean?

Derived from an English place name meaning "wide spring" or "wide stream," likely referring to a nearby water source.

What does the Sidwell map show?

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