NameCensus.

UK surname

Tedford

A locational surname derived from places in England meaning "Tēda's ford," referring to a river crossing.

In the 1881 census there were 26 people recorded with the Tedford surname, ranking it #29,911 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 290, ranked #15,099, up from #29,911 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stonehouse, Strathaven South and Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tedford is 290 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1015.4%.

1881 census count

26

Ranked #29,911

Modern count

290

2016, ranked #15,099

Peak year

2011

290 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tedford had 26 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,911 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 290 in 2016, ranked #15,099.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 56 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Tedford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tedford surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tedford 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 9 #31,675
1861 historical 30 #30,188
1881 historical 26 #29,911
1891 historical 56 #29,638
1901 historical 54 #28,178
1911 historical 36 #29,370
1997 modern 233 #15,975
1998 modern 238 #16,218
1999 modern 240 #16,226
2000 modern 246 #15,914
2001 modern 243 #15,791
2002 modern 256 #15,565
2003 modern 236 #16,236
2004 modern 245 #15,894
2005 modern 242 #15,987
2006 modern 261 #15,289
2007 modern 261 #15,444
2008 modern 268 #15,311
2009 modern 288 #14,838
2010 modern 289 #15,127
2011 modern 290 #14,933
2012 modern 287 #14,978
2013 modern 280 #15,530
2014 modern 280 #15,621
2015 modern 280 #15,485
2016 modern 290 #15,099

Geography

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Where Tedfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stonehouse, Strathaven South, Liverpool, Kelvinside and Jordanhill and Knightswood East. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stonehouse South Lanarkshire
2 Strathaven South South Lanarkshire
3 Liverpool 011 Liverpool
4 Kelvinside and Jordanhill Glasgow City
5 Knightswood East Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tedford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tedford

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Tedford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Tedford household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Tedford is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tedford is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Tedford

The surname Tedford has its origins in England and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "tud" meaning a protruding piece of land and "ford" meaning a shallow place where a river can be crossed. Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived near a river crossing or a protruding piece of land by a ford.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it is spelled as "Tudeford." This spelling variation suggests that the name was originally pronounced with a hard "t" sound at the beginning, rather than the softer "Ted" sound we hear today.

During the 14th century, the name appeared in various records across southern England, particularly in the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. This indicates that the name was initially concentrated in this region, likely due to the presence of suitable geographical features that gave rise to the name.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Tedford, who was recorded in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1348. This suggests that the name had begun to spread beyond its original southern English heartland by the mid-14th century.

Another historical figure with the Tedford surname was William Tedford, a land-owning farmer mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1427. This record provides evidence of the name's continued presence in the region where it is believed to have originated.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the parish records of several villages in Wiltshire, including Tedworth, which may have derived its name from a similar Old English root as the Tedford surname. This connection suggests a potential link between the name and specific place names in the area.

One of the earliest known instances of the Tedford name in North America dates back to the late 17th century, when Thomas Tedford, born in 1665, emigrated from England to Maryland. This highlights the early spread of the name across the Atlantic as part of the English colonization of the Americas.

Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the Tedford surname, including:

1. Sir John Tedford (1492-1558), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire. 2. Elizabeth Tedford (1619-1686), one of the first English settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. 3. William Tedford (1732-1804), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. 4. James Tedford (1815-1892), an Irish-born author and journalist who wrote extensively about the American Civil War. 5. Mary Tedford (1864-1941), a pioneering American educator and advocate for women's rights.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tedford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tedford 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. Lancashire leads with 9 Tedfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.99x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 9 2.99x
Lanarkshire 8 9.75x
Kent 6 6.93x
Middlesex 1 0.39x
Midlothian 1 2.94x
Renfrewshire 1 5.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 8 Tedfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.45x.

Place Total Index
Govan 8 39.45x
Liverpool 8 43.79x
Dover Castle 3 5000.00x
Greenwich 3 74.26x
Cathcart 1 94.34x
Colinton 1 263.16x
St Pancras London 1 4.90x
Warrington 1 28.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Theresa 2
Alice 1
Amy 1
Annie 1
Elizabeth 1
Frances 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1
Sarah 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 2
Alfred 1
Thomas 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Tedford households.

FAQ

Tedford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tedford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 26 people were recorded with the Tedford surname. That placed it at #29,911 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tedford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 290 in 2016. That gives Tedford a modern rank of #15,099.

What does the Tedford surname mean?

A locational surname derived from places in England meaning "Tēda's ford," referring to a river crossing.

What does the Tedford map show?

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