NameCensus.

UK surname

Underwood

Derived from a place name referring to someone who lived near a wood or forest.

In the 1881 census there were 8,092 people recorded with the Underwood surname, ranking it #516 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,921, ranked #649, down from #516 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Yardley Hastings and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, Leicester and Wellingborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Underwood is 10,947 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.6%.

1881 census count

8,092

Ranked #516

Modern count

9,921

2016, ranked #649

Peak year

1911

10,947 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Underwood had 8,092 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #516 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,921 in 2016, ranked #649.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 10,947 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Underwood surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Underwood surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Underwood 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 5,270 #523
1861 historical 5,666 #486
1881 historical 8,092 #516
1891 historical 9,068 #485
1901 historical 10,195 #513
1911 historical 10,947 #445
1997 modern 10,244 #601
1998 modern 10,711 #597
1999 modern 10,792 #595
2000 modern 10,677 #599
2001 modern 10,450 #599
2002 modern 10,590 #606
2003 modern 10,282 #608
2004 modern 10,253 #615
2005 modern 10,024 #618
2006 modern 10,000 #623
2007 modern 10,014 #626
2008 modern 10,028 #629
2009 modern 10,195 #636
2010 modern 10,395 #635
2011 modern 10,224 #637
2012 modern 9,985 #643
2013 modern 10,108 #647
2014 modern 10,166 #645
2015 modern 9,981 #647
2016 modern 9,921 #649

Geography

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Where Underwoods are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Yardley Hastings, Lambeth and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, Leicester, Wellingborough and Wiltshire. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Yardley Hastings Northamptonshire
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 026 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 Leicester 028 Leicester
3 Wellingborough 010 Wellingborough
4 Wiltshire 026 Wiltshire
5 Wiltshire 025 Wiltshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Underwood

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Underwood

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Underwood is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Underwood is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Underwood falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Underwood

The surname Underwood originated in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words 'under' meaning 'under' or 'beneath' and 'wudu' meaning 'wood'. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or in a woodland area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Underwood can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a Thomas de Underwude is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a Richard de Undrewoode.

The Underwood surname has its roots in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Warwickshire. The name is also associated with places like Underwood in Nottinghamshire and Underwood in Derbyshire.

In terms of historical figures, one notable bearer of the surname was John Underwood (c. 1545-1624), an English bishop who served as the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield from 1617 until his death.

Another prominent individual was Sir Thomas Underwood (c. 1609-1672), an English jurist and politician who served as a member of parliament and held the position of Recorder of Boston.

The name Underwood also has connections to the literary world. Thomas Underwood (1753-1828) was an English poet and writer, while John Underwood (1756-1835) was a playwright and author known for his satirical works.

Michael Underwood (1737-1828) was a notable English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in the city of Bath.

Thomas Redhead Underwood (1804-1835) was an English poet and journalist who contributed to various literary publications in the early 19th century.

While these are just a few examples, the surname Underwood has a rich history spanning centuries and can be traced back to its origins in medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Underwood families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Underwood 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. Middlesex leads with 943 Underwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.20x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 943 1.20x
Northamptonshire 758 10.22x
Leicestershire 650 7.44x
Surrey 624 1.62x
Yorkshire 431 0.55x
Lancashire 372 0.40x
Essex 357 2.29x
Warwickshire 353 1.78x
Gloucestershire 299 1.93x
Suffolk 298 3.10x
Staffordshire 295 1.11x
Worcestershire 243 2.36x
Hampshire 235 1.45x
Kent 195 0.72x
Nottinghamshire 184 1.73x
Bedfordshire 175 4.29x
Wiltshire 147 2.11x
Berkshire 124 2.10x
Sussex 106 0.80x
Buckinghamshire 97 2.04x
Derbyshire 97 0.79x
Durham 96 0.41x
Hertfordshire 93 1.71x
Lincolnshire 92 0.73x
Somerset 87 0.69x
Shropshire 85 1.25x
Cumberland 76 1.12x
Cambridgeshire 64 1.28x
Norfolk 64 0.53x
Cheshire 54 0.31x
Herefordshire 54 1.67x
Dumfriesshire 48 2.76x
Huntingdonshire 46 2.94x
Monmouthshire 31 0.54x
Lanarkshire 30 0.12x
Northumberland 21 0.18x
Midlothian 19 0.18x
Ayrshire 16 0.27x
Devon 16 0.10x
Glamorgan 12 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 11 0.44x
Angus 10 0.14x
Oxfordshire 9 0.18x
Renfrewshire 9 0.15x
Kirkcudbrightshire 8 0.70x
Argyllshire 7 0.32x
Ross-shire 7 0.32x
Roxburghshire 7 0.49x
Denbighshire 5 0.17x
Cornwall 4 0.04x
Dorset 4 0.08x
Flintshire 3 0.14x
Banffshire 2 0.12x
Cardiganshire 2 0.10x
Royal Navy 2 0.21x
Brecknockshire 1 0.06x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.05x
Peeblesshire 1 0.27x
Perthshire 1 0.03x
Selkirkshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Yardley Hastings in Northamptonshire leads with 171 Underwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 537.40x.

Place Total Index
Yardley Hastings 171 537.40x
Leicester St Margaret 135 6.33x
Aston 121 2.21x
Lambeth 115 1.67x
Islington London 114 1.49x
Wellingborough 89 23.87x
Birmingham 84 1.27x
Nottingham St Mary 84 3.06x
Finedon 78 120.07x
Stoke Upon Trent 74 2.62x
Mile End Old Town 73 5.87x
St Pancras London 72 1.13x
Chertsey 67 26.99x
Eastington 64 125.02x
Luton 56 7.92x
Shoreditch London 56 1.64x
Battersea 54 1.86x
Hackney London 50 1.13x
Newington 48 1.65x
Deptford St Paul 46 2.22x
Kidderminster Borough 46 7.63x
Potterne 46 147.20x
Wolstanton Chesterton 45 33.09x
St Marylebone London 43 1.02x
West Ham 43 1.25x
Birdbrook 42 267.86x
Dawley 42 16.95x
Hulme 42 2.15x
Bethnal Green London 41 1.20x
Wigan 41 3.14x
Chelsea London 38 1.60x
Hugglescote 38 29.55x
Leicester St Mary 38 5.38x
Froxfield 37 198.39x
Leighton Buzzard 37 21.07x
Rushden 37 37.30x
Street 37 53.90x
Wolverhampton 37 1.81x
Asfordby 34 233.68x
Liverpool 34 0.60x
Rugby 34 12.64x
St George Hanover 32 3.11x
Olney 31 47.04x
Bromley London 30 1.73x
Hampstead London 30 2.44x
Portsea 30 0.95x
Barking 28 6.15x
Kensington London 28 0.64x
Tottenham 28 2.23x
Adstone 27 661.76x
Holy Trinity 27 1.44x
Leicester All Sts 27 15.73x
Northampton Priory St 27 6.07x
East Bergholt 26 81.02x
Kettering 26 8.67x
Everton 25 0.84x
Glaphorn 24 242.42x
Greenwich 24 1.91x
Leeds 24 0.54x
Melton Mowbray 24 15.27x
Paddington London 24 0.83x
Sunninghill 24 29.24x
Melbourne 23 27.26x
Westminster St John 23 2.40x
Bermondsey 22 0.94x
Braybrooke 22 226.34x
Droxford 21 34.05x
Ombersley 21 36.62x
Prittlewell 21 9.74x
Rowde 21 65.28x
Stourbridge 21 7.93x
Croydon 20 0.94x
Earls Barton 20 31.62x
East Grinstead 20 10.63x
Leigh 20 16.00x
Litchurch 20 4.03x
Steeple Bumpstead 20 70.18x
Thrussington 20 121.65x
Trowbridge 20 6.49x
Hornsey 19 1.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 477
Elizabeth 317
Sarah 271
Emma 159
Ann 158
Eliza 137
Alice 125
Jane 118
Annie 110
Emily 104
Ellen 103
Hannah 79
Kate 65
Fanny 64
Edith 63
Louisa 60
Harriet 57
Martha 57
Charlotte 56
Margaret 56
Florence 54
Ada 52
Caroline 44
Clara 40
Susan 40
Maria 33
Catherine 32
Harriett 32
Lucy 31
Anne 29
Rose 29
Agnes 25
Frances 23
Amelia 22
Amy 21
Rebecca 21
Isabella 19
Sophia 19
Esther 18
Ruth 18
Susannah 18
Rosa 17
Eleanor 16
Gertrude 15
Julia 15
Lizzie 15
Matilda 15
Beatrice 13
Laura 13
Selina 13

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 507
John 417
George 313
James 234
Thomas 229
Charles 174
Henry 174
Joseph 137
Alfred 113
Arthur 101
Walter 82
Edward 81
Frederick 76
Albert 72
Robert 61
Samuel 61
Harry 53
Richard 53
Frank 46
David 36
Ernest 35
Herbert 34
Francis 30
Thos. 27
Edwin 26
Daniel 24
Isaac 23
Benjamin 20
Tom 19
Wm. 18
Chas. 16
Stephen 16
Fred 14
Edmund 12
Adam 11
Jesse 11
Amos 10
Josiah 10
Andrew 9
Philip 9
Eli 8
Jonathan 8
Leonard 8
Abraham 7
Geo. 7
Jabez 7
Mark 7
Sidney 7
Willm. 7
Fredk. 6

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 Underwood households.

FAQ

Underwood surname: questions and answers

How common was the Underwood surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8,092 people were recorded with the Underwood surname. That placed it at #516 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Underwood surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,921 in 2016. That gives Underwood a modern rank of #649.

What does the Underwood surname mean?

Derived from a place name referring to someone who lived near a wood or forest.

What does the Underwood map show?

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