2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Middleditch
A locational surname referring to someone who lived in the middle ditch or middle of a marshy area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Middleditch. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Middleditch surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Middleditch with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Middleditch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Middleditch, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Middleditch
The surname Middleditch is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Old English words "middel" and "dīc," which collectively mean "middle ditch" or "middle stream." This suggests that the name may have originated from a geographical feature or a location where the first bearers resided near a central watercourse or ditch.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable mention is in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1279, where a William de Middeldich is listed. This demonstrates the name's evolution from its original Old English form to a more Anglicized spelling.
In the 14th century, the Middleditch surname appears in various records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1332, where a John de Middeldich is documented. The name's spelling variations during this period include Myddeldych, Mydelditche, and Middeldiche, reflecting the inconsistencies in medieval record-keeping.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Middleditch surname was William Middelditch, who was born in Berkshire, England, in the late 15th century. Records indicate that he served as a clerk and scribe in the court of King Henry VII, demonstrating the family's standing during the Tudor era.
Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Middleditch, born in Gloucestershire in 1612. He was a renowned military commander who fought in the English Civil War and was knighted for his service to the Royalist cause by King Charles I in 1643.
In the 18th century, the Middleditch surname gained prominence with the birth of John Middleditch (1719-1795), a renowned clockmaker and inventor from Derbyshire. His innovative designs and contributions to the field of horology earned him recognition as one of the leading horologists of his time.
The 19th century saw the emergence of Edward Middleditch (1823-1901), a prominent banker and philanthropist from London. He played a crucial role in the establishment of several charitable organizations and institutions, leaving a lasting legacy in the field of philanthropy.
Lastly, one cannot overlook the literary contributions of the Middleditch family. Emily Middleditch (1867-1944), a renowned poet and author from Yorkshire, gained critical acclaim for her poetic works and writings that captured the essence of rural life in England during the late Victorian era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Middleditch
Among Census respondents with the surname Middleditch, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Middleditch bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Middleditch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Middleditch
Middleditch appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-8 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 7,119 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Middleditch surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #145,220 | #152,339 | -4.9% |
| Count | 114 | 106 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Middleditch bearers went from 114 to 106 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 7,119 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #152,339.
FAQ
Middleditch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Middleditch?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Middleditch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Middleditch?
Middleditch ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Middleditch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Middleditch.
Has Middleditch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Middleditch went from 114 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Middleditch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Middleditch, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Middleditch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Middleditch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (3.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Middleditch (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Middleditch mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived in the middle ditch or middle of a marshy area. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Middleditch (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Middleditch?
Find out how many people have the last name Middleditch on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.