NameCensus.

UK surname

Spreadborough

A locational surname referring to someone from Spriddenborough or Spreadborough, villages in Yorkshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 126 people recorded with the Spreadborough surname, ranking it #17,245 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 306, ranked #14,543, up from #17,245 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bentley, London parishes and Yately. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hart, Rushmoor and Coventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spreadborough is 319 in 2012. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 142.9%.

1881 census count

126

Ranked #17,245

Modern count

306

2016, ranked #14,543

Peak year

2012

319 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spreadborough had 126 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,245 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 306 in 2016, ranked #14,543.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 274 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Spreadborough surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spreadborough surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spreadborough 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 56 #23,235
1861 historical 142 #15,982
1881 historical 126 #17,245
1891 historical 195 #15,211
1901 historical 234 #13,705
1911 historical 274 #12,150
1997 modern 284 #14,006
1998 modern 304 #13,773
1999 modern 316 #13,505
2000 modern 309 #13,651
2001 modern 301 #13,700
2002 modern 315 #13,561
2003 modern 292 #14,065
2004 modern 295 #14,025
2005 modern 289 #14,166
2006 modern 286 #14,322
2007 modern 289 #14,401
2008 modern 294 #14,327
2009 modern 311 #14,069
2010 modern 310 #14,378
2011 modern 314 #14,165
2012 modern 319 #13,898
2013 modern 311 #14,368
2014 modern 310 #14,499
2015 modern 310 #14,402
2016 modern 306 #14,543

Geography

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Where Spreadboroughs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bentley, London parishes, Yately and Farnborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hart, Rushmoor, Coventry and Canterbury. 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 Bentley Hampshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Yately Surrey
4 London parishes London 3
5 Farnborough Surrey

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hart 011 Hart
2 Rushmoor 006 Rushmoor
3 Coventry 007 Coventry
4 Rushmoor 005 Rushmoor
5 Canterbury 012 Canterbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spreadborough

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spreadborough

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Spreadborough is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Spreadborough is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Spreadborough falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Spreadborough is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Spreadborough

The surname Spreadborough is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the county of Yorkshire during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "spræd" meaning "spread" or "scattered" and "burg" meaning "a fortified town or dwelling." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived in a scattered or spread-out community or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Spreadborough can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, a historical record of tax payments, from the year 1379. The name appears as "Spredburgh" in this document, which is likely an early spelling variation.

In the 15th century, the surname is mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, a collection of legal records from the Yorkshire region. These records document a William Spreadburgh who was involved in a land dispute in the year 1436.

During the 16th century, the Spreadborough family seemed to have established a presence in the village of Hipperholme, near Halifax in West Yorkshire. Parish records from this time mention several individuals with the surname, such as John Spreadborough, who was born in 1587.

Notable individuals with the surname Spreadborough include:

1. William Spreadborough (1789-1873), an English surveyor and cartographer who worked for the British East India Company and is known for his maps of India.

2. Thomas Spreadborough (1856-1924), a Canadian naturalist and explorer who conducted extensive surveys of the Canadian Arctic and contributed significantly to the study of northern wildlife.

3. Margaret Spreadborough (1873-1952), a Canadian botanist and plant collector who accompanied her husband, Thomas Spreadborough, on many of his expeditions and made significant contributions to the study of Canadian flora.

4. John Spreadborough (1615-1679), an English Puritan clergyman and theologian who served as the vicar of Longridge in Lancashire.

5. Robert Spreadborough (1811-1892), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in the city of Leeds, including the Leeds Corn Exchange.

While the surname Spreadborough may have originated from a specific location or settlement in Yorkshire, its meaning and historical references suggest a connection to the concept of a spread-out or scattered community, reflecting the settlement patterns of the region during the medieval period.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Spreadborough families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spreadborough 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. Surrey leads with 62 Spreadboroughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.35x.

County Total Index
Surrey 62 10.35x
Hampshire 20 7.94x
Middlesex 19 1.55x
Devon 7 2.74x
Sussex 7 3.38x
Warwickshire 4 1.29x
Essex 3 1.24x
Kent 3 0.72x
Renfrewshire 1 1.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Farnham in Surrey leads with 35 Spreadboroughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 751.07x.

Place Total Index
Farnham 35 751.07x
Brighton 6 14.35x
Guildford St Nicholas 6 566.04x
Islington London 6 5.04x
Kensington London 6 8.78x
Kingston On Thames 6 41.70x
Lambeth 6 5.60x
Esher 5 595.24x
Exeter St Sidwell 5 85.32x
Farnborough 5 188.68x
Wootton St Lawrence 5 1190.48x
Birmingham 3 2.90x
Cove 3 909.09x
Croydon 3 9.03x
Grays Thurrock 3 133.33x
St Mary Extra 3 147.78x
St Peters 3 154.64x
Hampton Wick London 2 222.22x
Hornsey 2 12.87x
Selborne 2 392.16x
Basingstoke 1 34.48x
Binsted 1 104.17x
Chulmleigh 1 172.41x
Edgbaston 1 10.41x
Finchley 1 21.23x
Frithelstock 1 416.67x
Greenock Oldor West 1 384.62x
Hampstead London 1 5.22x
Hastings St Mary 1 19.38x
Shoreditch London 1 1.88x
Sutton 1 23.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
James 9
John 7
Harry 5
William 5
George 4
Henry 3
Thomas 3
Walter 3
Charles 2
Edwin 2
Wm. 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Charlie 1
Daniel 1
Elfred 1
Eli 1
Elliott 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Herert 1
Johnathan 1
Leonard 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Sydney 1
Turville 1

FAQ

Spreadborough surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spreadborough surname in 1881?

In 1881, 126 people were recorded with the Spreadborough surname. That placed it at #17,245 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spreadborough surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 306 in 2016. That gives Spreadborough a modern rank of #14,543.

What does the Spreadborough surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Spriddenborough or Spreadborough, villages in Yorkshire, England.

What does the Spreadborough map show?

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