NameCensus.

UK surname

Smallridge

A locational surname derived from residences near small ridges or hills.

In the 1881 census there were 174 people recorded with the Smallridge surname, ranking it #14,042 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 304, ranked #14,606, down from #14,042 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tawstock, Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston and Landkey. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Devon, Torridge and Teignbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Smallridge is 363 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 74.7%.

1881 census count

174

Ranked #14,042

Modern count

304

2016, ranked #14,606

Peak year

2000

363 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Smallridge had 174 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,042 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 304 in 2016, ranked #14,606.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 289 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Smallridge surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Smallridge surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Smallridge 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 128 #14,474
1861 historical 104 #20,477
1881 historical 174 #14,042
1891 historical 205 #14,649
1901 historical 289 #11,944
1911 historical 271 #12,237
1997 modern 350 #12,172
1998 modern 355 #12,418
1999 modern 348 #12,670
2000 modern 363 #12,237
2001 modern 350 #12,375
2002 modern 351 #12,583
2003 modern 348 #12,452
2004 modern 349 #12,473
2005 modern 314 #13,403
2006 modern 312 #13,554
2007 modern 310 #13,730
2008 modern 303 #14,038
2009 modern 305 #14,257
2010 modern 309 #14,420
2011 modern 311 #14,260
2012 modern 314 #14,063
2013 modern 316 #14,223
2014 modern 314 #14,371
2015 modern 308 #14,463
2016 modern 304 #14,606

Geography

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Where Smallridges are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tawstock, Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston, Landkey, Dunsford and Combmartin. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Devon, Torridge and Teignbridge. 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 Tawstock Devon
2 Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston Devon
3 Landkey Devon
4 Dunsford Devon
5 Combmartin Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Devon 002 North Devon
2 North Devon 012 North Devon
3 Torridge 005 Torridge
4 North Devon 013 North Devon
5 Teignbridge 003 Teignbridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Smallridge

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Smallridge

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

Smallridge is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Smallridge falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Smallridge

The surname Smallridge is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "smæl" meaning small or little, and "hrycg" meaning ridge or hill. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked on a small ridge or hill.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 12th century, where it appears as "Smalrigg" and "Smalrigge". These records suggest that the name was initially centered in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire.

During the 14th century, the name appears in various forms such as "Smalrygge", "Smalerigge", and "Smalryge" in various tax rolls and legal documents throughout England. One notable early bearer of the name was John Smallridge, a landowner in the village of Wigan, Lancashire, born around 1320.

In the 16th century, the spelling of the name seems to have stabilized closer to its modern form, with variations like "Smallridge" and "Smaldridge" appearing in parish records across England. A prominent figure from this era was William Smallridge, a merchant from Bristol, born in 1542.

The 17th century saw the name spread further afield, with bearers appearing in colonial records from the Americas and the Caribbean. One such individual was Thomas Smallridge, born in 1625 in Lincolnshire, England, who later settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

In the 18th century, the Smallridge name continued to be found across England, with notable bearers including Edward Smallridge, a prominent landowner in Shropshire born in 1721, and Samuel Smallridge, a renowned clockmaker from London born in 1748.

As the centuries progressed, the Smallridge family contributed individuals to various fields, including academia, medicine, and the military. One such example is Sir Benjamin Smallridge, a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and was born in 1776.

Throughout its history, the Smallridge surname has maintained its connection to its English roots and the geographic origins implied by its etymology. While the name has spread globally, its origins can be traced back to the small ridges and hills of northern England in the Middle Ages.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Smallridge families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Smallridge 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. Devon leads with 140 Smallridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.40x.

County Total Index
Devon 140 39.40x
Yorkshire 9 0.53x
Glamorgan 7 2.36x
Middlesex 7 0.41x
Lancashire 4 0.20x
Berkshire 2 1.56x
Somerset 2 0.73x
Surrey 2 0.24x
Gloucestershire 1 0.30x
Royal Navy 1 4.92x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Plymouth Charles The in Devon leads with 17 Smallridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 108.63x.

Place Total Index
Plymouth Charles The 17 108.63x
Northam 12 463.32x
Tawstock 11 1746.03x
Plymouth St Andrew 10 36.54x
Buckfastleigh 9 548.78x
Highweek 9 708.66x
Kentisbury 9 4500.00x
Bratton Fleming 8 2580.65x
Dunsford 8 1777.78x
Ecclesfield 8 64.52x
Chittlehampton 5 568.18x
Ermington 5 387.60x
Barnstaple 4 71.68x
Combmartin 4 519.48x
Dalton In Furness 4 51.15x
East Stonehouse 4 57.14x
Fremington 4 555.56x
Cardiff St John 3 30.90x
Goodleigh 3 2000.00x
Kensington London 3 3.16x
Paddington London 3 4.78x
Roath 3 22.22x
Sidmouth 3 147.78x
Ugborough 3 348.84x
Abingdon St Helen 2 53.33x
Batcombe 2 555.56x
West Teignmouth 2 73.53x
Abbotsham 1 357.14x
Cardiff St Mary 1 6.11x
Clifton 1 5.91x
Croydon 1 2.17x
Exeter Heavitree 1 37.74x
Exeter St Mary Major 1 46.73x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 12.29x
Exeter St Thomas The 1 27.62x
Hoyland Nether 1 24.10x
Kingston 1 357.14x
Littleham 1 38.46x
Newington 1 1.59x
Paignton 1 37.04x
Royal Navy 1 5.75x
St George Hanover 1 4.49x
Stoke Canon 1 400.00x
Swimbridge 1 138.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 15
John 14
George 12
Samuel 8
Richard 5
Robert 5
Thomas 4
Frederick 3
James 3
Charles 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Harry 1
Infant 1
Sydney 1
Walter 1
Wilfred 1
Willm. 1
Willm.Henry 1

FAQ

Smallridge surname: questions and answers

How common was the Smallridge surname in 1881?

In 1881, 174 people were recorded with the Smallridge surname. That placed it at #14,042 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Smallridge surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 304 in 2016. That gives Smallridge a modern rank of #14,606.

What does the Smallridge surname mean?

A locational surname derived from residences near small ridges or hills.

What does the Smallridge map show?

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