NameCensus.

UK surname

Trodden

A surname derived from the past participle of "tread", potentially referring to someone who lived near a path or trail.

In the 1881 census there were 127 people recorded with the Trodden surname, ranking it #17,166 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 360, ranked #12,867, up from #17,166 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Gateshead and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Middlesbrough, Copeland and North East Derbyshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Trodden is 397 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 183.5%.

1881 census count

127

Ranked #17,166

Modern count

360

2016, ranked #12,867

Peak year

2009

397 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Trodden had 127 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,166 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 360 in 2016, ranked #12,867.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 196 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Trodden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Trodden surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Trodden 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 37 #26,673
1861 historical 46 #28,170
1881 historical 127 #17,166
1891 historical 163 #17,300
1901 historical 196 #15,329
1911 historical 121 #20,336
1997 modern 362 #11,866
1998 modern 355 #12,418
1999 modern 356 #12,456
2000 modern 372 #12,020
2001 modern 378 #11,705
2002 modern 393 #11,587
2003 modern 393 #11,401
2004 modern 369 #11,967
2005 modern 362 #12,066
2006 modern 374 #11,822
2007 modern 375 #11,955
2008 modern 393 #11,641
2009 modern 397 #11,793
2010 modern 394 #12,131
2011 modern 385 #12,195
2012 modern 370 #12,417
2013 modern 372 #12,570
2014 modern 370 #12,712
2015 modern 357 #12,979
2016 modern 360 #12,867

Geography

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Where Troddens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Gateshead, Manchester, Old Monkland and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Middlesbrough, Copeland, North East Derbyshire and Bolton. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Old Monkland Lanark
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Middlesbrough 019 Middlesbrough
2 Copeland 006 Copeland
3 North East Derbyshire 009 North East Derbyshire
4 Bolton 017 Bolton
5 Middlesbrough 007 Middlesbrough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Trodden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Trodden

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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, Trodden 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

Trodden 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

Trodden 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 Trodden is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Trodden, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Trodden

The surname Trodden is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "trodden," which means "to walk heavily or tread firmly." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who walked with a heavy or distinctive step.

Trodden is primarily found in counties such as Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Staffordshire, indicating that the name likely has its roots in northern and central England. Some early spellings of the name include Trodden, Troddon, and Troddan.

While there are no known historical references to the name Trodden in prominent manuscripts like the Domesday Book, some of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in parish records and tax rolls from the 16th and 17th centuries.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Trodden, born in 1612 in Yorkshire. He was a prosperous landowner and farmer during the English Civil War period.

Another early record is of Thomas Trodden, born in 1689 in Lancashire. He was a merchant and trader who established a successful business exporting goods to the American colonies.

In the 18th century, there was a Richard Trodden, born in 1734 in Staffordshire, who was a renowned clockmaker and inventor. His innovative designs for timepieces were highly sought after by the wealthy and aristocratic classes of the time.

Moving into the 19th century, a notable figure was Elizabeth Trodden, born in 1812 in Yorkshire. She was a pioneering educator and philanthropist who established several schools for underprivileged children in her local community.

Finally, in the early 20th century, there was William Trodden, born in 1901 in Lancashire. He was a decorated soldier who served with distinction in both World War I and World War II, earning several military honors for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Trodden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Trodden 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 24 Troddens recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.63x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 24 1.63x
Lanarkshire 23 5.74x
Ayrshire 18 19.42x
Yorkshire 18 1.47x
Durham 16 4.34x
Angus 8 6.97x
Dumfriesshire 6 21.93x
Cheshire 5 1.83x
Kent 4 0.95x
Midlothian 4 2.41x
Cumberland 1 0.94x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 18 Troddens recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.97x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 18 25.97x
Bury 9 53.60x
Dundee 8 18.67x
Govan 8 8.07x
Glasgow 7 9.84x
Kilmarnock 7 63.46x
Ardrossan 6 186.92x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 37.59x
Annan 5 212.77x
Chester St Oswald 5 101.01x
Everton 5 10.67x
Gateshead 5 18.12x
Riccarton Hurlford 5 306.75x
Salford 5 11.57x
Chatham 4 34.39x
Edinburgh St Andrews 4 291.97x
Barony 3 2.96x
Cambusnethan 3 33.71x
Edmondsley 3 769.23x
Great Bolton 3 15.41x
Bothwell 2 18.42x
Liverpool 2 2.24x
Billingham 1 158.73x
Moffat 1 80.00x
Seaton 1 80.65x
Stockton On Tees 1 5.63x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Fanny 4
Annie 3
Agnes 2
Elizabeth 2
Jannet 2
Julia 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Catherine 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Esther 1
Hannah 1
Isabella 1
Jeannie 1
Margaret 1
Margt. 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
James 4
Thomas 4
Peter 3
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Patrick 2
Wm. 2
Edward 1
Hugh 1
Michael 1
William 1

FAQ

Trodden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Trodden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 127 people were recorded with the Trodden surname. That placed it at #17,166 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Trodden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 360 in 2016. That gives Trodden a modern rank of #12,867.

What does the Trodden surname mean?

A surname derived from the past participle of "tread", potentially referring to someone who lived near a path or trail.

What does the Trodden map show?

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