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. John (4)
  2. William (2)
  3. Robert (2)
  4. Joseph (2)
  5. James (2)
  6. Nathaniel (1)
  7. Levi (1)
  8. George (1)
  9. Frederik (1)
  10. Francis (1)
  11. Ernest (1)
  12. Edwin (1)
  13. Edward (1)
  14. Ebenezer (1)
  15. Andrew (1)
  16. Alex (1)

Top female names

  1. Sarah (4)
  2. Mary (4)
  3. Isabella (3)
  4. Annie (2)
  5. Emily (2)
  6. Kate (1)
  7. Katherine (1)
  8. Margeret (1)
  9. Martha (1)
  10. Jessie (1)
  11. Janet (1)
  12. Jane (1)
  13. Henrietta (1)
  14. Francis (1)
  15. Flora (1)
  16. Ellen (1)
  17. Elizabeth (1)
  18. Eliza (1)
  19. Susannah (1)

Top occupations

  1. Scholar (4)
  2. General Labourer (2)
  3. General Labourer Wife (1)
  4. Governess (1)
  5. Gunner C B R A (1)
  6. Iron Turner (Manuf) (1)
  7. Mantle Maker (1)
  8. Minl Water Manfr (1)
  9. Stillroom Maid (Dom) (1)
  10. Student Preparing For Oxford (1)
  11. Tailoress (1)
  12. Tobacco Spinner (1)
  13. A B (1)
  14. Farmer Of 676 Acres Employing 17 Labourers (1)
  15. African Mernt Clerk (1)
  16. At Home (1)
  17. Butler (1)
  18. Carter (1)
  19. Clerk G P O (1)
  20. Commercial Traveller (1)
  21. Cotton Weaver (1)
  22. Dom Ser Valet (1)
  23. Domestic Servant (1)
  24. Errand Shop Boy (1)
  25. Farm Bailiff (Managing 330 Acres) (1)
  26. Writer In Press & Secy (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 116 people with the surname Milliken in the county of Lanarkshire in 1881.

The Frequency column shows the percentage of people in this county or town with this surname. For example, 0.01% of the people in Lanarkshire were called Milliken.

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 Milliken surname has an index of 14.65 in Lanarkshire, meaning that you are 14.65 times as likely to find a Milliken 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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