NameCensus.

UK surname

Sladen

An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "valley clearing" or "valley pasture".

In the 1881 census there were 513 people recorded with the Sladen surname, ranking it #6,647 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 415, ranked #11,550, down from #6,647 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Malborough and Guiseley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, Gedling and Basingstoke and Deane.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sladen is 632 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 19.1%.

1881 census count

513

Ranked #6,647

Modern count

415

2016, ranked #11,550

Peak year

1901

632 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sladen had 513 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,647 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 415 in 2016, ranked #11,550.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 632 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Sladen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sladen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sladen 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 272 #8,240
1861 historical 246 #10,010
1881 historical 513 #6,647
1891 historical 510 #7,307
1901 historical 632 #6,787
1911 historical 548 #7,311
1997 modern 418 #10,648
1998 modern 422 #10,928
1999 modern 421 #11,020
2000 modern 396 #11,486
2001 modern 401 #11,214
2002 modern 404 #11,353
2003 modern 406 #11,150
2004 modern 386 #11,579
2005 modern 374 #11,778
2006 modern 372 #11,878
2007 modern 373 #12,005
2008 modern 371 #12,155
2009 modern 376 #12,290
2010 modern 391 #12,207
2011 modern 401 #11,843
2012 modern 423 #11,195
2013 modern 450 #10,831
2014 modern 449 #10,926
2015 modern 417 #11,532
2016 modern 415 #11,550

Geography

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Where Sladens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Malborough, Guiseley and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, Gedling, Basingstoke and Deane and Derby. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Malborough Devon
3 Guiseley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
2 Gedling 012 Gedling
3 Forest of Dean 009 Forest of Dean
4 Basingstoke and Deane 004 Basingstoke and Deane
5 Derby 009 Derby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sladen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sladen

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Sladen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Sladen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Sladen is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sladen 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

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

Meaning and origin of Sladen

The surname Sladen is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words 'slæd', meaning 'valley', and 'denu', meaning 'valley'. This suggests that the name may have initially been a locational name, referring to someone who resided in a particular valley or dell.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1204, where it is recorded as 'de Sladeburn'. This spelling variation, which combines the elements 'slæd' and 'burna' (stream), reinforces the connection to a geographical location.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several entries for places with similar names, such as Sladeburne in Worcestershire and Sledborne in Lincolnshire, which could have been the original homesteads of those bearing the surname Sladen.

One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was John Sladen, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327. Another early record is that of William Sladen, born around 1430 in Gloucestershire, whose descendants later settled in the neighboring county of Oxfordshire.

A notable figure in history was Sir John Sladen (1566-1647), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Reading in the early 17th century. He was also appointed as a Justice of the Peace for Berkshire.

During the English Civil War, Captain Edward Sladen (1601-1670) was a Royalist officer who fought for King Charles I and was later imprisoned for his loyalty to the crown.

In the 18th century, Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753), an English physician and naturalist, is considered one of the most prominent individuals with the surname Sladen. He was a renowned collector of natural curiosities, and his collection formed the foundation of the British Museum.

The surname Sladen has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Sladengreen in Buckinghamshire, Sladefield in Yorkshire, and Sladehouse in Lancashire. These locations may have been named after individuals bearing the surname or vice versa.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sladen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sladen 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 243 Sladens recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.06x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 243 4.06x
Yorkshire 53 1.06x
Gloucestershire 26 2.63x
Middlesex 26 0.52x
Derbyshire 25 3.17x
Nottinghamshire 25 3.68x
Glamorgan 16 1.82x
Hertfordshire 14 4.03x
Devon 12 1.14x
Kent 12 0.70x
Leicestershire 8 1.43x
Lincolnshire 8 0.99x
Hampshire 7 0.68x
Cheshire 6 0.54x
Brecknockshire 4 3.97x
Buckinghamshire 4 1.31x
Durham 4 0.27x
Radnorshire 4 9.83x
Surrey 4 0.16x
Warwickshire 4 0.31x
Channel Islands 2 1.34x
Lanarkshire 2 0.12x
Berkshire 1 0.26x
Norfolk 1 0.13x
Northamptonshire 1 0.21x
Northumberland 1 0.13x
Renfrewshire 1 0.26x
Shropshire 1 0.23x
Suffolk 1 0.16x
Sussex 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wardleworth in Lancashire leads with 51 Sladens recorded in 1881 and an index of 149.12x.

Place Total Index
Wardleworth 51 149.12x
Butterworth 29 198.90x
Castleton 28 46.85x
Wuerdle Wardle 23 126.58x
Blatchinworth 16 117.39x
Spotland 15 22.55x
West Derby 14 8.00x
Malborough 12 287.77x
Nottingham St Mary 12 6.83x
Guiseley 11 171.88x
Ainsworth 10 431.03x
Derby All Sts 10 151.75x
Oswaldtwistle 10 47.30x
Swansea Town 10 13.89x
Westbury On Severn East 10 44.72x
Heap 8 25.20x
Leicester St Margaret 8 5.87x
Southowram 8 52.46x
St Marylebone London 8 2.97x
Radcliffe 7 24.26x
Radford 7 20.27x
Royton 7 38.23x
Watford 7 25.97x
Westbury On Trym 7 20.89x
Derby St Alkmund 6 25.36x
Derby St Werburgh 6 13.16x
Ealing 6 13.31x
Islington London 6 1.23x
Leeds 6 2.13x
Snenton 6 22.46x
Woolwich 6 9.44x
Bushey 5 60.39x
Clifton Cum Salwick 5 694.44x
Crompton 5 29.34x
Manningham 5 8.12x
Pendleton In Salford 5 7.01x
Amersham 4 92.59x
Aston 4 1.14x
Bury 4 5.85x
Cardiff St Mary 4 8.27x
Cwmdauddwr 4 303.03x
Ilkley 4 48.96x
Llangattock 4 48.72x
Northowram 4 11.42x
Oldham 4 2.07x
Stockton On Tees 4 5.53x
Theddlethorpe All Sts 4 701.75x
Toynton All Sts 4 689.66x
Bollington In 3 30.27x
Church Coppenhall 3 60.24x
Dorking 3 18.18x
Holdenhurst 3 11.07x
Newnham 3 118.11x
St George Hanover 3 4.56x
Warley 3 20.78x
Wirksworth 3 41.78x
Bishop Stortford 2 17.23x
Bradford 2 1.65x
Bristol St Augustine 2 12.53x
Bristol St Michael 2 23.58x
Cardiff St John 2 6.97x
Dover St James 2 26.53x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 2 11.20x
Plumstead 2 3.49x
Portsea 2 0.99x
Speldhurst 2 22.83x
St Peter Port 2 7.24x
Ackworth 1 26.04x
Alverstoke 1 2.67x
Darcy Lever 1 28.99x
Drypool 1 13.07x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 0.98x
Hampstead London 1 1.27x
Henbury 1 20.70x
Kensington London 1 0.36x
Kimberworth 1 3.60x
Mirfield 1 3.64x
Portsmouth 1 4.20x
Shipley 1 3.86x
Wakefield 1 2.61x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 29
James 20
Thomas 16
Robert 15
William 15
Charles 12
Joseph 10
Samuel 9
Herbert 7
Richard 7
Alfred 6
Henry 6
Walter 6
Arthur 5
Albert 4
Edward 4
Ernest 4
Fred 4
George 4
Harry 4
David 3
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Lewis 3
Edwin 2
Francis 2
Isaac 2
Tyson 2
Ashton 1
Charlie 1
Crippin 1
Crispin 1
Emanuel 1
Ethelred 1
Fielden 1
Fredrick 1
Gabriel 1
Gordon 1
H. 1
Harold 1
Howard 1
Infant 1
J. 1
J.Henry 1
Jacob 1
Jesse 1
Job 1
Jos.Thos. 1
Lawrence 1
Leonard 1

FAQ

Sladen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sladen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 513 people were recorded with the Sladen surname. That placed it at #6,647 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sladen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 415 in 2016. That gives Sladen a modern rank of #11,550.

What does the Sladen surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "valley clearing" or "valley pasture".

What does the Sladen map show?

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