NameCensus.

UK surname

Stedman

An occupational surname for a person who managed or worked at a farmstead or estate.

In the 1881 census there were 1,857 people recorded with the Stedman surname, ranking it #2,348 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,812, ranked #3,495, down from #2,348 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Godalming, London parishes and Brighton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Elmbridge, Shropshire and Newport.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stedman is 2,290 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.4%.

1881 census count

1,857

Ranked #2,348

Modern count

1,812

2016, ranked #3,495

Peak year

1911

2,290 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stedman had 1,857 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,348 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,812 in 2016, ranked #3,495.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,290 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Stedman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stedman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stedman 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 1,446 #1,991
1861 historical 1,097 #2,559
1881 historical 1,857 #2,348
1891 historical 1,898 #2,423
1901 historical 2,025 #2,643
1911 historical 2,290 #2,213
1997 modern 1,985 #3,074
1998 modern 2,074 #3,070
1999 modern 2,081 #3,084
2000 modern 2,034 #3,124
2001 modern 1,985 #3,130
2002 modern 2,013 #3,156
2003 modern 1,949 #3,183
2004 modern 1,933 #3,199
2005 modern 1,845 #3,291
2006 modern 1,853 #3,295
2007 modern 1,872 #3,293
2008 modern 1,884 #3,296
2009 modern 1,888 #3,362
2010 modern 1,949 #3,344
2011 modern 1,903 #3,372
2012 modern 1,854 #3,401
2013 modern 1,879 #3,406
2014 modern 1,863 #3,455
2015 modern 1,835 #3,476
2016 modern 1,812 #3,495

Geography

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Where Stedmans are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Elmbridge, Shropshire, Newport, Dacorum and Gravesham. 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 Godalming Surrey
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Brighton Sussex
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Elmbridge 017 Elmbridge
2 Shropshire 007 Shropshire
3 Newport 001 Newport
4 Dacorum 018 Dacorum
5 Gravesham 005 Gravesham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stedman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stedman

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

Stedman 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

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

Meaning and origin of Stedman

The surname STEDMAN is of English origin, arising in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "stede" meaning place or farm, and "man" referring to an inhabitant. The name initially referred to someone who lived on or worked at a farm or estate.

In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared as Stedeman and Steddeman in 13th century records from counties like Norfolk and Suffolk in eastern England. Variations like Stidman and Studman also emerged over time. Similar place names that may have contributed to the surname include Stede in Suffolk and Stidham in Oxfordshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Stedeman, recorded in the Hundredorum Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1279. The Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297 mention a John Stedeman as a taxpayer.

By the 14th century, examples of the surname can be found across England. The Poll Tax records of 1381 list a Thomas Stedeman in Bedfordshire and a Robert Stedeman in Buckinghamshire. A John Stedman is recorded in the Register of the Freemen of York in 1399.

Notable historical figures with this surname include Edmund Stedman (c.1494-1558), a Protestant reformer and Bishop of Peterborough during the English Reformation. John Gabriel Stedman (1744-1797) was a British-Dutch soldier and author who wrote a famous narrative about his experiences in Suriname.

Other prominent individuals bearing this name were Thomas Stedman (1618-1668), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons, and John Stedman (1744-1825), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. Charles Stedman (1753-1812) was an English engraver and author known for his works on architecture and geography.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stedman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stedman 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 426 Stedmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.82x.

County Total Index
Surrey 426 4.82x
Kent 330 5.33x
Sussex 260 8.50x
Middlesex 222 1.22x
Radnorshire 66 45.11x
Herefordshire 62 8.34x
Shropshire 57 3.64x
Hampshire 54 1.45x
Suffolk 47 2.13x
Staffordshire 44 0.72x
Essex 42 1.17x
Lancashire 32 0.15x
Warwickshire 22 0.48x
Yorkshire 16 0.09x
Glamorgan 15 0.48x
Worcestershire 13 0.55x
Lanarkshire 12 0.20x
Norfolk 11 0.39x
Berkshire 10 0.73x
Roxburghshire 9 2.74x
Gloucestershire 8 0.22x
Leicestershire 8 0.40x
Channel Islands 7 1.30x
Hertfordshire 7 0.56x
Midlothian 7 0.29x
Northamptonshire 7 0.41x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.29x
Derbyshire 6 0.21x
Cardiganshire 5 1.13x
Durham 5 0.09x
Monmouthshire 5 0.38x
Somerset 5 0.17x
Angus 4 0.24x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.35x
Lincolnshire 4 0.14x
Cheshire 3 0.07x
Cornwall 3 0.15x
Northumberland 3 0.11x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.18x
Dorset 2 0.17x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.06x
Bedfordshire 1 0.11x
Cumberland 1 0.06x
Devon 1 0.03x
Oxfordshire 1 0.09x
Royal Navy 1 0.46x
Wiltshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 49 Stedmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.94x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 49 7.94x
Godalming 38 68.32x
Cranleigh 30 232.02x
Mile End Old Town 30 10.48x
Northfleet 29 53.20x
Camberwell 27 2.33x
Lenham 26 210.53x
Tenterden 26 119.16x
Battersea 25 3.75x
Knighton 25 211.33x
Petworth 22 120.48x
Arundel 21 122.66x
Hackney London 21 2.07x
Islington London 21 1.19x
Dorking 20 33.71x
Bethnal Green London 19 2.41x
Bucknell 19 428.89x
Greenwich 19 6.58x
Horsham 19 31.99x
Capel 18 216.35x
Kensington London 18 1.79x
Cobham 17 117.24x
Stoke 17 40.77x
Tonbridge 17 7.62x
Croydon 16 3.26x
Hove 16 11.93x
Portsea 16 2.20x
Stowe 16 1012.66x
Ash Normandy 15 124.90x
Birmingham 15 0.98x
Chiswick 15 15.14x
Great Bookham 15 220.91x
Shere 15 140.45x
Bodiam 14 696.52x
Hawkhurst 14 72.80x
Shoreditch London 14 1.78x
Lambeth 13 0.82x
Marden 13 248.57x
Stoke Upon Trent 13 2.00x
Bishopstoke 12 125.79x
Milton In Gravesend 12 12.93x
Shrewsbury St Chad 12 21.82x
West Bromwich 12 3.42x
Newhaven 11 44.28x
St George In East 11 8.92x
Woolwich 11 4.81x
Bodenham 10 182.82x
Southwark St George Martyr 10 2.74x
Ashford 9 14.94x
Barony 9 0.61x
Beddington 9 26.34x
Lyonshall 9 166.98x
Wavertree 9 13.07x
Amberley 8 176.21x
Cliffe 8 57.31x
Gillingham 8 6.27x
Grange Gillingham 8 291.97x
Hartfield 8 82.73x
Holton 8 281.69x
Jedburgh 8 24.85x
Lee 8 8.91x
Leicester St Margaret 8 1.63x
Lewes St John Southover 8 38.97x
Merthyr Tydfil 8 2.64x
Midhurst 8 79.84x
Newcastle Under Lyme 8 7.39x
Paddington London 8 1.20x
Pendleton In Salford 8 3.12x
Presteigne 8 86.11x
Stapleton 8 672.27x
Wandsworth 8 4.58x
Weybridge 8 42.19x
Aston 7 0.56x
Bermondsey 7 1.30x
Clapham 7 3.09x
Crowfield 7 316.74x
Horsted Keynes 7 98.18x
Reading St Giles 7 5.24x
Reigate Foreign 7 7.32x
St Peter Port 7 7.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 108
John 93
George 72
James 64
Thomas 50
Henry 47
Charles 44
Edward 30
Arthur 21
Alfred 19
Edwin 17
Richard 17
Albert 15
Joseph 14
Frank 13
Frederick 13
Walter 12
Harry 11
Herbert 9
Samuel 9
Benjamin 8
David 8
Robert 8
Stephen 7
Ernest 5
Page 5
Thos. 5
Christopher 4
Fred 4
Percy 4
Sydney 4
Alexander 3
Augustus 3
Clifford 3
Mark 3
Peter 3
Reginald 3
Wm. 3
Abraham 2
Allan 2
Andrew 2
Chas. 2
Esau 2
Francis 2
Fredk. 2
Isaac 2
Jeremiah 2
Jonathan 2
Matthew 2
Richd. 2

FAQ

Stedman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stedman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,857 people were recorded with the Stedman surname. That placed it at #2,348 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stedman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,812 in 2016. That gives Stedman a modern rank of #3,495.

What does the Stedman surname mean?

An occupational surname for a person who managed or worked at a farmstead or estate.

What does the Stedman map show?

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