CANTON

Origin and etymology In historic texts In the 1881 census Distribution map

In the 1881 Census

Search for your CANTON ancestors in historic British census records at The Genealogist

Top Locations

See the bottom of the page for an explanation of the numeric columns.

Counties

Census Districts

Demographics

Numbers in brackets are the total recorded in the census. Note that for less common surnames, some of these may well be typos or transcription errors. See below for some more information on occupational titles.

Top male names

  1. William (17)
  2. John (9)
  3. George (7)
  4. Charles (7)
  5. Thomas (5)
  6. Walter (4)
  7. James (4)
  8. Frank (3)
  9. Henry (3)
  10. Frederick (3)
  11. Arthur (2)
  12. Alfred (2)
  13. Edwin (2)
  14. Oliver (1)
  15. Mark (1)
  16. Michael (1)
  17. Patrick (1)
  18. Owen (1)
  19. W.J. (1)
  20. Vernon (1)
  21. Timothy (1)
  22. Abel (1)
  23. Stephen (1)
  24. Sidney (1)
  25. Robert (1)
  26. Loftus (1)
  27. Lewis (1)
  28. Joseph (1)
  29. Benjamin (1)
  30. Claude (1)
  31. Crucifia (1)
  32. David (1)
  33. Edgar (1)
  34. Edmund (1)
  35. Edward (1)
  36. Elie (1)
  37. Ernest (1)
  38. Francis (1)
  39. Harry (1)
  40. Herbert (1)
  41. Isaac (1)
  42. Anderson (1)

Top female names

  1. Mary (16)
  2. Elizabeth (9)
  3. Emma (5)
  4. Annie (4)
  5. Susan (4)
  6. Martha (4)
  7. Ann (3)
  8. Sarah (3)
  9. Harriet (3)
  10. Fanny (2)
  11. Ethel (2)
  12. Florence (2)
  13. Ellen (2)
  14. Jane (2)
  15. Maria (2)
  16. Agnes (2)
  17. Catherine (2)
  18. Anne (2)
  19. Alice (2)
  20. Julia (1)
  21. Jeannie (1)
  22. Jemima (1)
  23. Jharboth (1)
  24. Kate (1)
  25. Zoe (1)
  26. Violet (1)
  27. Ruth (1)
  28. M. (1)
  29. Pelissa (1)
  30. Margaret (1)
  31. Hildie (1)
  32. Hester (1)
  33. Ada (1)
  34. Bridget (1)
  35. Catheline (1)
  36. Clara (1)
  37. Clementine (1)
  38. Deciena (1)
  39. Edith (1)
  40. Eleanor (1)
  41. Elen (1)
  42. Elizth. (1)
  43. George (1)
  44. Georgianna (1)
  45. Georgina (1)
  46. H. (1)
  47. Helen (1)
  48. Amelia (1)

Top occupations

  1. Scholar (32)
  2. Dentist (6)
  3. Domestic Servant (4)
  4. Labourer (3)
  5. Farm Servant (Indoor) (3)
  6. Agricultural Labourer (3)
  7. Surgeon Dentist (2)
  8. Dressmaker (2)
  9. Mechanical Dentist (2)
  10. Housemaid (2)
  11. General Labourer (2)
  12. Coal Miner (2)
  13. Housekeeper (2)
  14. Tailoress (2)
  15. Dental Surgeon (1)
  16. Wine Merchant (1)
  17. Farmer Son (1)
  18. Farmer Wife (1)
  19. Fireman At Sea (1)
  20. Footman (1)
  21. Gen Lab (1)
  22. General Servant (1)
  23. Hawker (1)
  24. General Dealer (1)
  25. Groom & Cochman (1)
  26. General Labs Widow (1)
  27. General Serv (1)
  28. Governess (1)
  29. General Serv Dom (1)
  30. Generall Labourer (1)
  31. House & Land Agent (1)
  32. Farm Serv Unemployed (1)
  33. Cook (Domestic) (1)
  34. Cleryman Chaplain Wife (1)
  35. Cleryman Chaplain Isle Of Man (1)
  36. Brick And Tile Maker (1)
  37. Bootmaker (1)
  38. Book Keeper Clk (1)
  39. Baker Employing 1 Man 1 Boy (1)
  40. Apprentice Wheelwright (1)
  41. Cotton Weaver (1)
  42. Debenture & Shareholder (1)
  43. Farm Lab Wife (1)
  44. Farm Lab (1)
  45. Bakers Son (1)
  46. Dockyard Labourer Serv (1)
  47. Dock Labourer (1)
  48. Die Sinker (1)
  49. Dental Surgeon (Dentist) (1)
  50. Dental Assistant (1)

Explanation of numeric columns in the county and district tables

The Total column shows the total number of people in that county or town with this surname. For example, there were 67 people with the surname Canton in the county of Pembrokeshire / Sir Benfro in 1881.

The Frequency column shows the percentage of people in this county or town with this surname. For example, 0.07% of the people in Pembrokeshire / Sir Benfro were called Canton.

The Index column shows how more or less common a surname is in a particular location compared to the population as a whole. If the index is higher than 1, then you more likely to find a person with this name here than you would in the country as a whole. And if it's less than 1, you are less likely to find someone with this surname here. For example, the Canton surname has an index of 108.63 in Pembrokeshire / Sir Benfro, meaning that you are 108.63 times as likely to find a Canton here than you would in the population as a whole.

The Total value is an absolute figure which takes no account of the size of the county or town, so it tends to be biased towards larger towns and counties. The Frequency and Index values are relative to the local population, so they give a better idea of where a surname is most concentrated.

A note on occupational titles

Occupational titles are presented exactly as recorded on the census and later transcribed, with no attempt made to unify names that are the same. So, for example, 'Ag Lab' and 'Agricultural Labourer' will apear as separate entries, and so will any misspellings of them.

'Scholar' was the census term for any child in education. Given that families tended to be large, this means that school children, or scholars, are almost always the largest recorded occupational group for any surname. A better idea of what the family breadwinners did for a living will be found in the other job titles.

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