NameCensus.

UK surname

Stratford

A surname referring to someone from the town of Stratford or a location near a paved road.

In the 1881 census there were 2,039 people recorded with the Stratford surname, ranking it #2,157 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,814, ranked #2,401, down from #2,157 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Swindon, Lyddington, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swindon, West Oxfordshire and Corby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stratford is 2,988 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.0%.

1881 census count

2,039

Ranked #2,157

Modern count

2,814

2016, ranked #2,401

Peak year

1999

2,988 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stratford had 2,039 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,157 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,814 in 2016, ranked #2,401.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,858 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Stratford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stratford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stratford 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 1,196 #2,378
1861 historical 1,063 #2,641
1881 historical 2,039 #2,157
1891 historical 2,193 #2,133
1901 historical 2,537 #2,165
1911 historical 2,858 #1,824
1997 modern 2,746 #2,336
1998 modern 2,971 #2,270
1999 modern 2,988 #2,269
2000 modern 2,953 #2,287
2001 modern 2,915 #2,255
2002 modern 2,959 #2,272
2003 modern 2,914 #2,252
2004 modern 2,901 #2,267
2005 modern 2,777 #2,343
2006 modern 2,774 #2,341
2007 modern 2,758 #2,375
2008 modern 2,769 #2,384
2009 modern 2,841 #2,379
2010 modern 2,906 #2,379
2011 modern 2,865 #2,373
2012 modern 2,829 #2,361
2013 modern 2,882 #2,363
2014 modern 2,891 #2,365
2015 modern 2,847 #2,377
2016 modern 2,814 #2,401

Geography

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Where Stratfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Swindon, Lyddington, London parishes, Lambeth and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swindon, West Oxfordshire and Corby. 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 Swindon, Lyddington Wiltshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swindon 025 Swindon
2 Swindon 009 Swindon
3 West Oxfordshire 011 West Oxfordshire
4 Swindon 005 Swindon
5 Corby 005 Corby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stratford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stratford

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

Stratford is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Stratford

The surname Stratford is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is a locational surname, derived from the place name Stratford, which means "ford on a Roman road". The name is derived from the Old English words "straet" meaning street or road, and "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stratford can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and their estates commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Stratford" and "Stretford", indicating the variations in spelling that were common during that time.

The name Stratford is often associated with the town of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. This town is famous for being the birthplace of the renowned playwright and poet, William Shakespeare (1564-1616), who is arguably the most famous person to bear the surname Stratford.

Another notable individual with the surname Stratford was John de Stratford (c. 1275-1348), who was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1333 to 1348. He played a significant role in the political affairs of England during the reign of King Edward III.

In the 13th century, a family with the surname Stratford held lands in the village of Stratford St. Andrew in Suffolk, England. Robert de Stratford (c. 1292-1362), who was the Bishop of Chichester from 1337 to 1362, was a member of this family.

During the 16th century, a branch of the Stratford family settled in Gloucestershire, England. One of the notable members of this branch was Edward Stratford (c. 1535-1592), who was a Member of Parliament for Gloucester in 1584.

Another historically significant individual with the surname Stratford was Thomas Stratford (1530-1569), who was a Protestant martyr during the reign of Queen Mary I of England. He was burned at the stake in 1556 for his religious beliefs.

The surname Stratford has been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Stratford-upon-Avon, Stratford St. Mary in Suffolk, and Stratford-sub-Castle in Wiltshire, among others. These place names reflect the geographic origins of the surname and its connection to specific locations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stratford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stratford 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 322 Stratfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.61x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 322 1.61x
Buckinghamshire 235 19.39x
Gloucestershire 202 5.14x
Surrey 199 2.04x
Yorkshire 127 0.64x
Wiltshire 123 6.94x
Oxfordshire 103 8.32x
Kent 84 1.23x
Hertfordshire 73 5.28x
Northamptonshire 67 3.55x
Hampshire 65 1.58x
Essex 55 1.39x
Warwickshire 48 0.95x
Durham 47 0.79x
Berkshire 44 2.92x
Devon 39 0.93x
Worcestershire 28 1.07x
Bedfordshire 26 2.50x
Lancashire 24 0.10x
Suffolk 23 0.94x
Norfolk 15 0.49x
Staffordshire 14 0.21x
Shropshire 12 0.69x
Channel Islands 9 1.52x
Lanarkshire 8 0.12x
Northumberland 8 0.27x
Sussex 8 0.24x
Royal Navy 7 2.93x
Leicestershire 6 0.27x
Somerset 6 0.19x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.39x
Cheshire 5 0.11x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.19x
Lincolnshire 4 0.12x
Herefordshire 3 0.37x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.47x
Angus 1 0.05x
Derbyshire 1 0.03x
Dorset 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 71 Stratfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.06x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 71 4.06x
Hackney London 46 4.09x
Chesham 40 89.57x
Wycombe 36 39.85x
Camberwell 35 2.73x
Wroughton 31 201.82x
Cricklade St Sampson 30 363.64x
Bethnal Green London 27 3.10x
Radnage 27 921.50x
Faversham 25 38.33x
Mile End Old Town 24 7.58x
Tring 24 65.06x
Basingstoke 23 48.67x
Ecclesall Bierlow 23 5.69x
Ivinghoe 22 232.31x
Westoe 22 6.51x
Newington 21 2.84x
Northampton Priory St 21 18.56x
Islington London 20 1.03x
Luton 20 11.13x
Ashton Keynes 19 288.32x
St Pancras London 19 1.18x
Kensington London 18 1.62x
Sheffield 17 2.69x
Chinnor 16 186.70x
Highclere 16 617.76x
Stokenchurch 16 144.40x
Aston 15 1.08x
Aston Clinton 15 146.06x
Chelsea London 15 2.48x
Cirencester 15 28.18x
Aylesbury 14 26.07x
Fulham London 14 4.82x
Battersea 13 1.76x
Birmingham 13 0.77x
Bow London 13 5.09x
Chatham 13 6.91x
Nether Hallam 13 4.84x
Okehampton 13 82.64x
Hemel Hempstead 12 19.27x
Stanway 12 568.72x
Swindon 12 8.73x
Avening 11 79.19x
Hornchurch 11 56.70x
Westbury On Severn East 11 12.38x
Brightside Bierlow 10 2.57x
Heigham 10 6.04x
Isleworth 10 11.22x
Poulton 10 319.49x
Shoreditch London 10 1.15x
South Cerney 10 154.56x
Stonehouse East 10 47.24x
Tottenham 10 3.13x
West Ham 10 1.14x
West Wycombe 10 60.83x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 9 4.86x
Badby 9 241.29x
Bermondsey 9 1.51x
Bristol Temple 9 34.78x
Bromley London 9 2.04x
Croydon 9 1.66x
Dartford 9 12.87x
Princes Risborough 9 55.42x
St George Hanover 9 3.44x
Stoke Mandeville 9 263.93x
Stratton Audley 9 362.90x
Willesden 9 4.76x
Adstone 8 769.23x
Beccles 8 20.36x
Broadway 8 71.05x
Combe 8 215.63x
Cuddington 8 244.65x
Daventry 8 30.00x
Ealing 8 4.47x
Great Barrington 8 257.23x
Little Barrington 8 727.27x
St Helier 8 4.14x
St Luke London 8 2.49x
Stratton 8 168.07x
Whitby 8 11.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 115
John 99
George 81
Thomas 68
Henry 55
Charles 52
James 49
Joseph 33
Alfred 32
Frederick 29
Edward 25
Albert 20
Robert 15
Walter 15
Ernest 14
Harry 14
Frank 13
Samuel 13
Arthur 12
Herbert 12
Richard 12
Wm. 10
Benjamin 9
David 9
Stephen 8
Daniel 6
Francis 6
Fred 6
Caleb 5
Percy 5
Sidney 5
Thos. 5
Edmund 4
Eli 4
Fredrick 4
Edwin 3
Harold 3
Jesse 3
Jonathon 3
Louis 3
Mark 3
Philip 3
Sydney 3
Tom 3
Amos 2
Charley 2
Chas. 2
Horace 2
Jacob 2
Richd. 2

FAQ

Stratford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stratford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,039 people were recorded with the Stratford surname. That placed it at #2,157 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stratford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,814 in 2016. That gives Stratford a modern rank of #2,401.

What does the Stratford surname mean?

A surname referring to someone from the town of Stratford or a location near a paved road.

What does the Stratford map show?

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