NameCensus.

UK surname

Sunderland

From a place name meaning "sundered land," referring to land that is divided or separated from the mainland.

In the 1881 census there were 3,436 people recorded with the Sunderland surname, ranking it #1,330 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,740, ranked #2,451, down from #1,330 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Halifax and Bingley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Calderdale and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sunderland is 4,105 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 20.3%.

1881 census count

3,436

Ranked #1,330

Modern count

2,740

2016, ranked #2,451

Peak year

1911

4,105 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sunderland had 3,436 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,330 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,740 in 2016, ranked #2,451.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,105 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Sunderland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sunderland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sunderland 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 2,200 #1,332
1861 historical 2,485 #1,176
1881 historical 3,436 #1,330
1891 historical 3,810 #1,264
1901 historical 3,850 #1,465
1911 historical 4,105 #1,254
1997 modern 2,959 #2,190
1998 modern 3,045 #2,211
1999 modern 3,060 #2,211
2000 modern 3,036 #2,221
2001 modern 2,949 #2,235
2002 modern 3,001 #2,244
2003 modern 2,923 #2,244
2004 modern 2,940 #2,233
2005 modern 2,909 #2,225
2006 modern 2,838 #2,291
2007 modern 2,852 #2,299
2008 modern 2,849 #2,320
2009 modern 2,901 #2,330
2010 modern 2,887 #2,389
2011 modern 2,863 #2,377
2012 modern 2,758 #2,421
2013 modern 2,794 #2,432
2014 modern 2,783 #2,453
2015 modern 2,757 #2,451
2016 modern 2,740 #2,451

Geography

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Where Sunderlands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Halifax, Bingley, Bradford and Keighley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Calderdale and Bradford. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Bingley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Calderdale 007 Calderdale
2 Calderdale 004 Calderdale
3 Bradford 023 Bradford
4 Bradford 008 Bradford
5 Calderdale 006 Calderdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sunderland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sunderland

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sunderland, 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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Sunderland surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Sunderland household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Sunderland is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sunderland 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

Sunderland falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Sunderland

The surname Sunderland is of English origin, derived from the town of Sunderland in County Durham, England. The name Sunderland itself is thought to come from the Old English words "sunor" meaning "to divide" and "land", referring to the land divided or separated by the River Wear.

Sunderland is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Sunderlande", indicating the name's long history in the region. The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the 13th century, with a John de Sunderland appearing in records from 1275.

In the 14th century, a William de Sunderland was listed in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland in 1344. The surname also appears in other medieval records, such as the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where a Thomas de Sunderland is noted.

One notable bearer of the Sunderland name was Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland (1641-1702), a prominent statesman and politician during the reigns of Charles II, James II, and William III. Another was Henry Spencer, 1st Earl of Sunderland (1620-1643), who fought for the Parliamentarians during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland (1675-1722), served as Lord Privy Seal and Secretary of State for the Southern Department. His son, Robert Spencer, 4th Earl of Sunderland (1701-1781), was a noted patron of the arts and an influential figure in the Whig party.

Another prominent bearer of the Sunderland name was Samuel Sunderland (1628-1691), an English Puritan clergyman and author who served as a chaplain to Charles II and was known for his opposition to the Church of England's practices.

While the surname Sunderland originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its roots can be traced back to the town of Sunderland in County Durham, where the name has been documented for centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sunderland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sunderland 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. Yorkshire leads with 2,333 Sunderlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.02x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,333 7.02x
Lancashire 655 1.65x
Staffordshire 76 0.67x
Durham 46 0.46x
Middlesex 41 0.12x
Surrey 30 0.18x
Herefordshire 28 2.04x
Lincolnshire 25 0.47x
Cheshire 19 0.26x
Hampshire 19 0.28x
Lanarkshire 16 0.15x
Nottinghamshire 16 0.35x
Warwickshire 16 0.19x
Derbyshire 14 0.27x
Northumberland 12 0.24x
Essex 10 0.15x
Kent 9 0.08x
Bedfordshire 8 0.46x
Flintshire 8 0.89x
Shropshire 7 0.24x
Cumberland 6 0.21x
Hertfordshire 6 0.26x
Norfolk 6 0.12x
Leicestershire 5 0.13x
Dorset 4 0.18x
Perthshire 4 0.27x
Roxburghshire 3 0.49x
Suffolk 3 0.07x
Wiltshire 3 0.10x
Gloucestershire 2 0.03x
Worcestershire 2 0.05x
Berkshire 1 0.04x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.05x
Devon 1 0.01x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.11x
Royal Navy 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bingley in Yorkshire leads with 156 Sunderlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 73.73x.

Place Total Index
Bingley 156 73.73x
Keighley 143 40.38x
Haworth 137 173.48x
Halifax 116 23.78x
Leeds 116 6.18x
Stansfield 99 80.98x
Horton In Bradford 96 18.50x
Bradford 92 11.44x
Spotland 80 18.09x
Ovenden 78 52.75x
Northowram 54 23.18x
Heptonstall 52 111.54x
Oldham 51 3.97x
Wadsworth 48 88.76x
Pudsey 47 26.47x
Thornton In Bradford 47 42.50x
Newchurch 45 13.83x
Manningham 43 10.51x
Huddersfield 41 8.47x
Hipperholme Cum 39 26.72x
Sowerby In Halifax 39 35.90x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 37 30.67x
Todmorden Walsden 33 30.96x
Bowling 31 9.42x
Handsworth 26 9.32x
Headingley Cum Burley 25 11.69x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 25 29.83x
Shipley 25 14.50x
Southowram 25 24.65x
Wilsden 25 73.27x
Little Lever 23 45.20x
Midgley 23 64.95x
Wakefield 23 9.02x
Morley 22 12.74x
Idle 21 13.63x
Accrington 20 5.53x
Manchester 20 1.12x
Crompton 19 16.77x
Great Little Marsden 19 10.43x
Habergham Eaves 19 5.22x
Langfield 19 32.69x
Armley 18 12.28x
Broughton In Salford 18 4.95x
Cheetham 18 6.07x
Kirkheaton 18 33.41x
Castleton 17 4.28x
Hunslet 17 3.28x
Skircoat 17 12.98x
Yeadon 17 22.66x
Openshaw 16 8.59x
Clayton 15 18.45x
Woolley 15 217.71x
Holbeck 14 6.36x
Hulme 14 1.69x
Stoke Upon Trent 14 1.17x
Wolverhampton 14 1.61x
Wortley In Bramley 14 5.32x
Barnsley 13 3.79x
Butterworth 13 13.41x
Little Bolton 13 2.54x
Warley 13 13.54x
Emley 12 80.81x
Erringden 12 55.92x
High Hoyland 12 451.13x
Horbury 12 20.65x
Lamesley 12 22.35x
Ashton Under Lyne 11 1.27x
Brightside Bierlow 11 1.69x
Chorlton On Medlock 11 1.74x
Dalton In Huddersfield 11 14.78x
Shepley 11 60.04x
Thornton In Craven 11 41.26x
Widnes 11 3.83x
Everton 10 0.79x
Goole 10 17.96x
Knottingley 10 17.13x
Soothill 10 8.33x
St Luke London 10 1.86x
Wednesbury 10 3.54x
York St George 10 38.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 262
Sarah 199
Elizabeth 98
Hannah 73
Ann 72
Emma 57
Martha 56
Jane 54
Annie 49
Ellen 43
Alice 39
Eliza 38
Emily 37
Margaret 34
Ada 30
Betty 24
Harriet 22
Maria 22
Fanny 20
Susannah 20
Clara 17
Susan 17
Grace 15
Edith 14
Rebecca 13
Rose 12
Anne 11
Florence 11
Louisa 11
Catherine 10
Frances 10
Lucy 10
Charlotte 9
Rachel 9
Agnes 8
Matilda 8
Nancy 8
Amy 7
Betsy 7
Elizth. 7
Esther 7
Harriett 7
Kate 7
Ruth 7
Sally 7
Eleanor 6
Ethel 6
Isabella 6
Caroline 5
Lilly 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 235
William 155
James 122
Joseph 91
Thomas 90
George 62
Henry 57
Harry 37
Robert 32
Samuel 32
Arthur 29
Charles 24
Fred 24
Richard 20
Abraham 19
Walter 19
Albert 18
Alfred 17
Wm. 15
Edwin 13
Herbert 13
Edward 12
Ernest 11
Frank 11
Jonas 11
Willie 11
Isaac 10
Tom 10
David 9
Sam 9
Frederick 8
Jno. 8
Thos. 8
Benjamin 7
Rufus 7
Smith 7
Greenwood 6
Joe 6
Lewis 6
Percy 6
Francis 5
Geo. 5
Joshua 5
Seth 5
Amos 4
Benjn. 4
Fred. 4
Jacob 4
Luther 4
Young 4

FAQ

Sunderland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sunderland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,436 people were recorded with the Sunderland surname. That placed it at #1,330 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sunderland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,740 in 2016. That gives Sunderland a modern rank of #2,451.

What does the Sunderland surname mean?

From a place name meaning "sundered land," referring to land that is divided or separated from the mainland.

What does the Sunderland map show?

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