NameCensus.

UK surname

Steed

An English occupational surname referring to someone who tended horses or worked in a stable.

In the 1881 census there were 1,436 people recorded with the Steed surname, ranking it #2,900 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,925, ranked #3,316, down from #2,900 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Landrake with St Erney and Great Waldingfield, Acton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kettering, Mid Suffolk and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Steed is 2,020 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.1%.

1881 census count

1,436

Ranked #2,900

Modern count

1,925

2016, ranked #3,316

Peak year

1999

2,020 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Steed had 1,436 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,900 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,925 in 2016, ranked #3,316.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,681 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Steed surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Steed surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Steed 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 928 #2,978
1861 historical 944 #2,937
1881 historical 1,436 #2,900
1891 historical 1,403 #3,103
1901 historical 1,503 #3,412
1911 historical 1,681 #2,911
1997 modern 1,892 #3,189
1998 modern 1,987 #3,173
1999 modern 2,020 #3,156
2000 modern 1,987 #3,179
2001 modern 1,912 #3,223
2002 modern 1,925 #3,275
2003 modern 1,897 #3,245
2004 modern 1,908 #3,228
2005 modern 1,879 #3,240
2006 modern 1,905 #3,227
2007 modern 1,932 #3,208
2008 modern 1,932 #3,224
2009 modern 1,988 #3,226
2010 modern 2,008 #3,263
2011 modern 1,951 #3,305
2012 modern 1,927 #3,286
2013 modern 1,968 #3,291
2014 modern 1,965 #3,310
2015 modern 1,952 #3,297
2016 modern 1,925 #3,316

Geography

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Where Steeds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Landrake with St Erney, Great Waldingfield, Acton and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kettering, Mid Suffolk, Cornwall and Harborough. 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 1
2 Landrake with St Erney Cornwall
3 London parishes London 3
4 Great Waldingfield, Acton Suffolk
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kettering 002 Kettering
2 Mid Suffolk 005 Mid Suffolk
3 Mid Suffolk 009 Mid Suffolk
4 Cornwall 012 Cornwall
5 Harborough 008 Harborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Steed

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Steed

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Steed is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Steed 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

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

Meaning and origin of Steed

The surname Steed is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "stede," which means "steed" or "horse." The name likely originated as an occupational name for someone who worked with horses, such as a stable hand or a horse breeder.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Steed can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1195, which mention a William Stede. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which list a John Stede.

The Steed name is associated with several place names in England, such as Stede Hill in Lincolnshire and Stede Field in Derbyshire. These place names likely reflect the presence of individuals with the Steed surname in those areas.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Stede, Steed, and Stede. One notable figure from this period was John Stede, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Somerset who lived in the late 1300s.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Steed surname became more widespread across England. One prominent individual was Sir Thomas Steed (1545-1624), a member of Parliament and landowner from Wiltshire.

In the 18th century, the Steed name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. Notable individuals from this time include William Steed (1721-1801), a renowned clockmaker from Bury St Edmunds, and Reverend Henry Steed (1742-1828), a clergyman and author from Norfolk.

The 19th century saw the Steed surname spread further across England and into other parts of the British Isles. One notable figure was Sir John Steed (1825-1892), a British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of railways and bridges.

Another prominent individual was Alfred Steed (1855-1923), an English cricketer who played for Kent County Cricket Club and scored over 14,000 runs in his career.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Steed families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Steed 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. Middlesex leads with 232 Steeds recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.65x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 232 1.65x
Suffolk 195 11.39x
Kent 159 3.32x
Cornwall 88 5.53x
Surrey 83 1.21x
Devon 76 2.60x
Essex 75 2.70x
Lancashire 63 0.38x
Lanarkshire 54 1.19x
Staffordshire 47 0.99x
Oxfordshire 42 4.84x
Warwickshire 41 1.16x
Hampshire 38 1.32x
Yorkshire 33 0.24x
Worcestershire 31 1.69x
Monmouthshire 23 2.26x
Norfolk 18 0.83x
Ayrshire 16 1.52x
Gloucestershire 16 0.58x
Herefordshire 14 2.43x
Somerset 14 0.62x
Cambridgeshire 11 1.24x
Hertfordshire 11 1.14x
Sussex 11 0.46x
Lincolnshire 8 0.36x
Northumberland 7 0.33x
Berkshire 5 0.47x
Glamorgan 5 0.20x
Royal Navy 5 2.98x
Shropshire 5 0.41x
Derbyshire 4 0.18x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.35x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.11x
Bedfordshire 1 0.14x
Leicestershire 1 0.06x
Midlothian 1 0.05x
Northamptonshire 1 0.08x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Waldingfield in Suffolk leads with 50 Steeds recorded in 1881 and an index of 1773.05x.

Place Total Index
Great Waldingfield 50 1773.05x
Landrake 45 1271.19x
Islington London 40 2.94x
Stoke Damerel 40 19.53x
St Pancras London 30 2.65x
Long Melford 29 182.28x
Glasgow 25 3.10x
St George Martyr 24 101.31x
Govan 23 2.05x
Halstead 22 67.96x
Shoreditch London 22 3.61x
Hackney London 21 2.66x
St Lawrence 21 63.69x
Lambeth 19 1.55x
Bermondsey 16 3.82x
Paddington London 16 3.10x
Birmingham 15 1.27x
Idbury 15 1648.35x
Newchurch 15 10.99x
Walsall Foreign 15 6.12x
Chislet 14 258.30x
Portsea 14 2.48x
Taunton St Mary 14 33.71x
Aldham 13 1130.43x
Acton 12 430.11x
Camberwell 12 1.34x
Great Malvern 12 31.33x
St Woollos 12 10.58x
Tettenhall 12 41.37x
Sennen 11 312.50x
Chelmsford 10 21.00x
Exeter St Thomas The 10 33.52x
Folkestone 10 10.75x
Ipswich St Peter 10 43.38x
Ramsgate 10 12.77x
St Marylebone London 10 1.33x
Tonbridge 10 5.78x
Barnes 9 31.07x
Chipping Norton 9 44.84x
Great Crosby 9 19.79x
Hampton Wick London 9 87.38x
Margate St John Baptist 9 10.25x
Helion Bumpstead 8 213.90x
Hipperholme Cum 8 13.07x
Kings Norton 8 4.86x
Lee 8 11.49x
Leeds 8 1.02x
Litherland 8 22.94x
Pemberton 8 12.03x
Southwark St George Martyr 8 2.83x
Swaffham Bulbeck 8 223.46x
Tonge With Haulgh 8 24.64x
Tormoham 8 6.46x
Bow London 7 3.91x
Bures St Mary 7 167.46x
Girvan 7 26.51x
Hartest 7 236.49x
Hints 7 679.61x
Isleworth 7 11.20x
Millbrook 7 9.65x
Penge 7 7.80x
Southampton St Mary 7 3.86x
Willenhall 7 7.88x
Baldock 6 65.86x
Barony 6 0.52x
Bromyard 6 79.05x
Chilton 6 437.96x
Clare 6 73.17x
Cramlington 6 21.71x
East Rudham 6 157.07x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 6 9.25x
Kirkmichael 6 62.57x
Lanteglos By Fowey 6 92.59x
Layham 6 232.56x
Marden 6 148.15x
Shipton Under Wychwood 6 107.33x
Stowmarket 6 30.32x
Willingale Doe 6 294.12x
Lewisham 5 1.96x
Seasalter 5 82.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 87
John 69
George 42
Thomas 39
James 30
Charles 29
Henry 27
Robert 26
Alfred 24
Frederick 22
Walter 20
Harry 19
Arthur 15
Edward 14
Albert 13
Ernest 13
Richard 13
Samuel 12
Joseph 11
Herbert 7
Daniel 6
Francis 6
Edwin 5
David 4
Frank 4
Joshua 4
Thos. 4
Abraham 3
Augustus 3
Edgar 3
Michael 3
Amos 2
Fred 2
Horace 2
Jesse 2
Jocelyn 2
Josiah 2
Lucius 2
Oliver 2
Oscar 2
Percy 2
Philip 2
Sidney 2
Stephen 2
Cecil 1
Elisha 1
Erle 1
Ezra 1
Ivo 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Steed surname: questions and answers

How common was the Steed surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,436 people were recorded with the Steed surname. That placed it at #2,900 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Steed surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,925 in 2016. That gives Steed a modern rank of #3,316.

What does the Steed surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to someone who tended horses or worked in a stable.

What does the Steed map show?

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