NameCensus.

UK surname

Todd

An occupational surname referring to a fox hunter or someone who lives near a fox den.

In the 1881 census there were 15,284 people recorded with the Todd surname, ranking it #259 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 21,935, ranked #270, down from #259 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Allerdale and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Todd is 22,544 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.5%.

1881 census count

15,284

Ranked #259

Modern count

21,935

2016, ranked #270

Peak year

1999

22,544 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Todd had 15,284 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #259 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 21,935 in 2016, ranked #270.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 18,988 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Todd surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Todd surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Todd 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 9,931 #258
1861 historical 10,556 #240
1881 historical 15,284 #259
1891 historical 16,255 #257
1901 historical 18,988 #260
1911 historical 16,193 #300
1997 modern 21,695 #263
1998 modern 22,271 #265
1999 modern 22,544 #268
2000 modern 22,187 #268
2001 modern 21,708 #268
2002 modern 22,103 #268
2003 modern 21,457 #270
2004 modern 21,450 #272
2005 modern 21,230 #271
2006 modern 21,222 #272
2007 modern 21,361 #272
2008 modern 21,513 #270
2009 modern 21,963 #272
2010 modern 22,453 #272
2011 modern 22,083 #273
2012 modern 21,703 #271
2013 modern 22,134 #272
2014 modern 22,228 #271
2015 modern 21,998 #272
2016 modern 21,935 #270

Geography

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Where Todds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Gateshead and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Allerdale, Bradford and Doncaster. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Gateshead Durham
4 London parishes London 3
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 064 County Durham
2 Allerdale 004 Allerdale
3 County Durham 052 County Durham
4 Bradford 058 Bradford
5 Doncaster 003 Doncaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Todd

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Todd

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Todd, 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 Todd surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Todd 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Todd 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

Todd 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

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

Meaning and origin of Todd

The surname Todd has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "todde," which referred to a person who dealt with the preparation and sale of a coarse woollen cloth called "tod."

The name first appeared in records in the 13th century, with early variations including Todde, Toddes, and Toddy. One of the earliest documented references is found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a person named William Todde.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several place names that may have contributed to the development of the surname, such as Toddenham (Suffolk) and Toddeworth (Gloucestershire). These place names likely originated from Old English words meaning "the homestead or enclosure of a person called Todda."

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Sir Brian Todd, a prominent English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War during the 14th century. Another notable figure was Thomas Todd (c. 1555-1615), an English translator and clergyman who published a revised edition of the Bible known as the "Thomistic Version."

In the 16th century, the name Todd was associated with the wool trade in the West Riding of Yorkshire. John Todd (c. 1500-1573), a wealthy wool merchant from Bradford, was instrumental in the establishment of the town's textile industry.

During the 17th century, the Todd family established themselves as influential landowners in Northumberland. Sir William Todd (1622-1686) was a notable member of this branch, serving as a Member of Parliament and High Sheriff of Northumberland.

Other notable individuals with the surname Todd include Hugh Todd (1658-1728), an Irish-born merchant and landowner in Pennsylvania; Alpheus Todd (1821-1884), an American jurist and legal scholar; and Mary Todd Lincoln (1818-1882), the wife of President Abraham Lincoln.

The surname Todd has also been prominent in Scotland, particularly in the Borders region. Families with this surname have played significant roles in the history of Scottish clans and have contributed to various fields, including literature, politics, and the arts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Todd families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Todd 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 2,408 Todds recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.63x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,408 1.63x
Durham 1,764 3.99x
Lancashire 1,355 0.77x
Lanarkshire 994 2.07x
Middlesex 952 0.64x
Northumberland 911 4.12x
Lincolnshire 548 2.31x
Cumberland 440 3.44x
Suffolk 383 2.12x
Surrey 379 0.52x
Norfolk 356 1.56x
Fife 352 4.00x
Kent 307 0.61x
Midlothian 295 1.48x
Angus 273 1.98x
Renfrewshire 262 2.27x
Buckinghamshire 173 1.92x
Warwickshire 161 0.43x
Ayrshire 156 1.40x
Perthshire 146 2.19x
Westmorland 143 4.38x
Cambridgeshire 141 1.50x
Northamptonshire 141 1.01x
Dumfriesshire 133 4.05x
Essex 125 0.43x
Stirlingshire 119 2.17x
Hampshire 112 0.37x
Cheshire 109 0.33x
Nottinghamshire 104 0.52x
Aberdeenshire 88 0.64x
Derbyshire 87 0.37x
Peeblesshire 87 12.44x
Glamorgan 79 0.31x
Wigtownshire 76 3.85x
Staffordshire 73 0.15x
Hertfordshire 59 0.58x
Leicestershire 57 0.35x
Isle of Man 55 1.99x
Gloucestershire 54 0.19x
Devon 53 0.17x
Worcestershire 49 0.25x
Argyllshire 46 1.11x
Berkshire 41 0.37x
Berwickshire 41 2.28x
Dunbartonshire 40 1.00x
Kirkcudbrightshire 40 1.86x
Kincardineshire 39 2.15x
Clackmannanshire 37 3.01x
Roxburghshire 36 1.34x
Somerset 34 0.14x
Sussex 33 0.13x
Shropshire 24 0.19x
Bedfordshire 23 0.30x
Huntingdonshire 23 0.78x
Oxfordshire 22 0.24x
East Lothian 21 1.07x
Dorset 18 0.18x
Inverness-shire 17 0.38x
Kinross-shire 16 4.26x
West Lothian 16 0.71x
Wiltshire 15 0.11x
Monmouthshire 14 0.13x
Selkirkshire 14 1.04x
Rutland 9 0.82x
Buteshire 8 0.89x
Banffshire 7 0.23x
Caithness 7 0.34x
Herefordshire 7 0.11x
Cornwall 6 0.04x
Flintshire 5 0.13x
Brecknockshire 4 0.13x
Royal Navy 4 0.23x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.09x
Morayshire 3 0.13x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.03x
Denbighshire 2 0.04x
Cardiganshire 1 0.03x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.02x
Nairnshire 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. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 281 Todds recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.31x.

Place Total Index
Barony 281 2.31x
Govan 211 1.77x
Leeds 171 2.06x
Bishopwearmouth 152 4.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 144 1.80x
Gateshead 138 4.17x
Westoe 131 5.23x
Darlington 122 7.14x
North Meols 98 5.68x
Glasgow 97 1.14x
Dundee 89 1.73x
Holy Trinity 78 2.20x
Lambeth 76 0.59x
St Pancras London 76 0.64x
Bedlington 74 10.02x
Preston 73 1.55x
Liverpool 69 0.64x
Elswick 68 3.85x
Camberwell 67 0.71x
Tynemouth 60 5.07x
Barrow In Furness 57 2.38x
Hackney London 56 0.67x
Everton 54 0.96x
Aston 53 0.51x
Stranton 53 3.56x
Carnwath 51 17.16x
Kensington London 51 0.62x
Sheffield 51 1.09x
St Marylebone London 51 0.64x
Stockton On Tees 50 2.35x
Dunfermline 49 3.62x
Great Yarmouth 49 2.59x
South Crosland 49 31.59x
Toxteth Park 49 0.82x
Dysart 48 8.10x
Glencairn 48 54.37x
Islington London 48 0.33x
Shoreditch London 48 0.74x
Westgate 48 3.50x
Bardney 46 64.90x
Gorleston 45 9.78x
Hunslet 45 1.96x
Mile End Old Town 45 1.92x
Portsea 45 0.75x
Sculcoates 45 1.93x
Middlesbrough 44 2.29x
Hulme 40 1.09x
Monkwearmouth Shore 40 4.63x
Old Monkland 40 2.10x
Blackburn 39 0.83x
Byker 38 3.48x
Onchan 38 4.78x
Worsthorne Cum 38 67.76x
Chilton 37 26.80x
Lewisham 37 1.37x
Paddington London 37 0.68x
Bradford 36 1.01x
Cathcart 36 5.78x
Cramlington 36 12.32x
Abbey 35 1.99x
Huddersfield 35 1.63x
Manningham 35 1.93x
Oldham 35 0.61x
Idle 34 4.98x
Newcastle On Tyne St 34 2.97x
Birkenhead 33 1.26x
Holbeck 33 3.38x
Maryhill 33 3.51x
Theberton 33 107.74x
Wallsend 33 4.70x
Bothwell 32 2.45x
Clerkenwell London 32 0.91x
Greenwich 32 1.35x
Headingley Cum Burley 32 3.37x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 32 1.67x
Aberdeen Old Machar 31 1.08x
Birmingham 31 0.25x
Heigham 31 2.53x
Renfrew 31 8.15x
West Greenock 31 1.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 915
Elizabeth 499
Sarah 390
Jane 367
Margaret 257
Ann 253
Annie 180
Hannah 169
Emma 152
Alice 144
Eliza 132
Ellen 129
Isabella 113
Emily 101
Martha 85
Agnes 74
Louisa 73
Catherine 64
Harriet 62
Maria 60
Edith 58
Caroline 57
Charlotte 52
Florence 48
Ada 45
Fanny 45
Rebecca 44
Eleanor 42
Frances 41
Clara 40
Lucy 37
Anne 33
Kate 32
Susannah 28
Jessie 27
Sophia 27
Elizth. 25
Ruth 25
Esther 23
Grace 23
Laura 23
Matilda 23
Harriett 22
Margt. 21
Susan 21
Dorothy 20
Rose 19
Barbara 18
Betsy 18
Eliz. 17

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 803
William 753
George 417
James 414
Thomas 369
Joseph 237
Charles 218
Henry 218
Robert 212
Richard 128
Edward 113
Arthur 104
Alfred 89
Samuel 83
David 75
Frederick 73
Walter 61
Wm. 50
Albert 44
Herbert 43
Francis 39
Ernest 37
Thos. 36
Frank 35
Harry 34
Isaac 30
Edwin 27
Matthew 27
Benjamin 22
Christopher 21
Anthony 20
Robt. 20
Andrew 19
Stephen 19
Alexander 18
Fred 18
Mark 17
Geo. 15
Ralph 15
Peter 14
Daniel 13
Harold 12
Jacob 10
Jno. 10
Luke 10
Chas. 9
Edgar 9
Edmund 9
Elijah 9
Fredk. 9

FAQ

Todd surname: questions and answers

How common was the Todd surname in 1881?

In 1881, 15,284 people were recorded with the Todd surname. That placed it at #259 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Todd surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 21,935 in 2016. That gives Todd a modern rank of #270.

What does the Todd surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a fox hunter or someone who lives near a fox den.

What does the Todd map show?

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