NameCensus.

UK surname

Unstead

In the 1881 census there were 105 people recorded with the Unstead surname, ranking it #19,183 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 84, ranked #32,726, down from #19,183 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Waldron and West Firle. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Isle of Wight, Broadland and Adur.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Unstead is 156 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 20.0%.

1881 census count

105

Ranked #19,183

Modern count

84

2016, ranked #32,726

Peak year

1901

156 bearers

Map years

5

1881 to 1998

Key insights

  • Unstead had 105 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,183 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 84 in 2016, ranked #32,726.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 156 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Unstead surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Unstead surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Unstead 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 44 #25,328
1861 historical 63 #25,901
1881 historical 105 #19,183
1891 historical 110 #22,557
1901 historical 156 #17,638
1911 historical 144 #18,325
1997 modern 114 #24,967
1998 modern 118 #25,041
1999 modern 114 #25,766
2000 modern 111 #26,111
2001 modern 105 #26,620
2002 modern 105 #27,123
2003 modern 106 #26,775
2004 modern 95 #28,746
2005 modern 93 #29,133
2006 modern 98 #28,621
2007 modern 91 #30,061
2008 modern 93 #30,123
2009 modern 93 #30,682
2010 modern 96 #30,854
2011 modern 87 #31,905
2012 modern 93 #31,409
2013 modern 87 #32,472
2014 modern 94 #31,909
2015 modern 82 #32,911
2016 modern 84 #32,726

Geography

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Where Unsteads are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Waldron, West Firle, Reigate and Rotherham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Isle of Wight, Broadland, Adur, Northampton and Gwynedd. 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 3
2 Waldron Sussex
3 West Firle Sussex
4 Reigate Surrey
5 Rotherham Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Isle of Wight 018 Isle of Wight
2 Broadland 016 Broadland
3 Adur 006 Adur
4 Northampton 030 Northampton
5 Gwynedd 001 Gwynedd

Forenames

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First names often paired with Unstead

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Unstead

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Unstead, 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 Unstead surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Unstead 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Unstead 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

Unstead is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Unstead falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Unstead families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Unstead 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. Sussex leads with 47 Unsteads recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.96x.

County Total Index
Sussex 47 26.96x
Middlesex 33 3.19x
Surrey 17 3.37x
Kent 4 1.13x
Lancashire 2 0.16x
Norfolk 2 1.26x
Royal Navy 1 8.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Firle in Sussex leads with 11 Unsteads recorded in 1881 and an index of 5500.00x.

Place Total Index
West Firle 11 5500.00x
Islington London 8 7.98x
Croydon 7 25.04x
Bethnal Green London 6 13.36x
Mayfield 6 582.52x
Reigate Borough 6 517.24x
St Luke London 6 36.19x
Framfield 5 925.93x
Hackney London 5 8.63x
Hastings St Leonards 5 195.31x
Preston 5 164.47x
Waldron 5 1063.83x
Bromley 4 74.35x
Ashburnham 3 1111.11x
Newington 3 7.86x
Shoreditch London 3 6.69x
Bow London 2 15.20x
Brighton 2 5.69x
Edmonton 2 24.01x
Glynde 2 2000.00x
Heigham 2 23.45x
Liverpool 2 2.68x
Broadwater 1 25.00x
Hammersmith London 1 3.93x
Lambeth 1 1.11x
Portslade 1 93.46x
Royal Navy 1 9.50x
Seaford 1 169.49x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 5
Alice 4
Eliza 4
Ellen 3
Martha 3
Annie 2
Emily 2
Hannah 2
Margaret 2
Mary 2
Rhoda 2
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Ansley 1
Bertha 1
Clara 1
Constance 1
Cordelia 1
Edith 1
Elizath. 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Helena 1
Isabel 1
Jessie 1
Julie 1
Kate 1
Lilian 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Matilda 1
Mildred 1
Olive 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
Edward 7
John 5
Thomas 3
Charles 2
George 2
Arthur 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
James 1
Luke 1
Mark 1
Nicholas 1
Owen 1
Reuben 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Thos.W. 1
Toni 1

FAQ

Unstead surname: questions and answers

How common was the Unstead surname in 1881?

In 1881, 105 people were recorded with the Unstead surname. That placed it at #19,183 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Unstead surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 84 in 2016. That gives Unstead a modern rank of #32,726.

What does the Unstead map show?

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