NameCensus.

UK surname

Third

A surname indicating the third-born child or the family's third generation.

In the 1881 census there were 227 people recorded with the Third surname, ranking it #11,858 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 388, ranked #12,133, down from #11,858 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rathen, New Deer and Old Deer. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fraserburgh Smiddyhill, Fraserburgh Central-Academy and Tendring.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Third is 397 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 70.9%.

1881 census count

227

Ranked #11,858

Modern count

388

2016, ranked #12,133

Peak year

2009

397 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Third had 227 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,858 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 388 in 2016, ranked #12,133.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 309 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Third surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Third surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Third 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 152 #12,786
1861 historical 172 #13,619
1881 historical 227 #11,858
1891 historical 293 #11,319
1901 historical 309 #11,418
1911 historical 18 #31,542
1997 modern 386 #11,295
1998 modern 387 #11,640
1999 modern 375 #12,004
2000 modern 384 #11,759
2001 modern 369 #11,928
2002 modern 386 #11,740
2003 modern 382 #11,642
2004 modern 369 #11,967
2005 modern 384 #11,538
2006 modern 383 #11,600
2007 modern 369 #12,098
2008 modern 384 #11,851
2009 modern 397 #11,793
2010 modern 392 #12,186
2011 modern 384 #12,218
2012 modern 368 #12,468
2013 modern 379 #12,399
2014 modern 384 #12,362
2015 modern 381 #12,345
2016 modern 388 #12,133

Geography

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Where Thirds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rathen, New Deer, Old Deer, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Strichen. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fraserburgh Smiddyhill, Fraserburgh Central-Academy, Tendring, Hilltown and Ardler and St Marys. 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 Rathen Aberdeen
2 New Deer Aberdeen
3 Old Deer Aberdeen
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Strichen Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fraserburgh Smiddyhill Aberdeenshire
2 Fraserburgh Central-Academy Aberdeenshire
3 Tendring 011 Tendring
4 Hilltown Dundee City
5 Ardler and St Marys Dundee City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Third

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Third

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Third surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Third household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Third is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Third is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Third falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Third

The surname THIRD is an English occupational surname that originated in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It likely derived from the Middle English word "thridde," meaning "third," and was initially used to refer to the third son in a family or the third person to hold a particular occupation or position.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname THIRD can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, where a William le Thridde is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 13th century, initially as a descriptive byname before becoming a hereditary surname.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the THIRD surname appeared in various historical records across England, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a John le Thryd is listed, and the Poll Tax returns of Yorkshire from 1379, which mentions a Robert Thryd.

One notable figure bearing the THIRD surname was John Third, a 16th-century English clergyman and academic who served as the Provost of King's College, Cambridge, from 1553 to 1556. He was born in Berkshire in the early 1500s and played a role in the religious reforms during the reign of Edward VI.

Another individual with the THIRD surname was William Third, a 17th-century English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Southwark in the 1620s. He was born around 1590 and was involved in the political tensions leading up to the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the THIRD surname was John Third, a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He was born in 1736 and commanded several ships, including the HMS Terrible, during his naval career.

The THIRD surname also has variants and spelling variations, such as Thirde, Thyrde, and Thredde, which can be found in historical records from various regions of England.

It is worth noting that while the THIRD surname is relatively uncommon, it has been carried by individuals from different walks of life throughout history, including clergymen, politicians, and military personnel, reflecting the diverse origins and occupations associated with this occupational surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Third families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Third 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 168 Thirds recorded in 1881 and an index of 81.56x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 168 81.56x
Angus 31 15.05x
Lanarkshire 7 0.97x
Morayshire 7 20.25x
Essex 5 1.14x
Kincardineshire 2 7.39x
Perthshire 2 2.00x
Stirlingshire 2 2.44x
Banffshire 1 2.17x
Lancashire 1 0.04x
Royal Navy 1 3.77x
Sutherland 1 5.85x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rathen in Aberdeenshire leads with 28 Thirds recorded in 1881 and an index of 1296.30x.

Place Total Index
Rathen 28 1296.30x
Dundee 23 29.90x
Old Deer 20 512.82x
New Deer 18 482.57x
Peterhead 17 156.11x
Aberdeen Old Machar 11 25.58x
Fraserburgh 11 189.66x
Strichen 10 558.66x
Logie Buchan 9 1525.42x
Belhelvie 8 567.38x
Liff Benvie 8 25.58x
Tarves 7 358.97x
Urquhart 7 429.45x
Glasgow 6 4.70x
Longside 6 243.90x
West Ham 5 5.16x
Culsalmond 4 634.92x
Aberdour 3 185.19x
Ellon 3 106.01x
Lonmay 3 160.43x
Banchory Ternan 2 85.47x
Cruden 2 75.47x
Falkirk 2 10.42x
Monquhitter 2 93.90x
Blackford 1 81.97x
Crimond 1 158.73x
Cullen 1 58.48x
Durness 1 133.33x
Dyce 1 112.36x
Govan 1 0.56x
King Edward 1 42.19x
Newhills 1 23.70x
Redgorton 1 90.09x
Skene 1 72.99x
Toxteth Park 1 1.12x
Tyrie 1 38.61x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Christiana 1
Christinna 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
David 1
Henry 1
James 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 Third households.

FAQ

Third surname: questions and answers

How common was the Third surname in 1881?

In 1881, 227 people were recorded with the Third surname. That placed it at #11,858 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Third surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 388 in 2016. That gives Third a modern rank of #12,133.

What does the Third surname mean?

A surname indicating the third-born child or the family's third generation.

What does the Third map show?

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