NameCensus.

UK surname

Anson

Derived from the name of an English village, likely meaning "Anne's son" or "Hann's son."

In the 1881 census there were 1,116 people recorded with the Anson surname, ranking it #3,574 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,551, ranked #3,990, down from #3,574 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Brayton and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Carlisle and Telford and Wrekin.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Anson is 1,580 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.0%.

1881 census count

1,116

Ranked #3,574

Modern count

1,551

2016, ranked #3,990

Peak year

1999

1,580 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Anson had 1,116 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,574 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,551 in 2016, ranked #3,990.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,412 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Anson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Anson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Anson 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 848 #3,208
1861 historical 878 #3,161
1881 historical 1,116 #3,574
1891 historical 1,101 #3,842
1901 historical 1,412 #3,580
1911 historical 1,351 #3,550
1997 modern 1,506 #3,895
1998 modern 1,579 #3,879
1999 modern 1,580 #3,909
2000 modern 1,564 #3,924
2001 modern 1,534 #3,914
2002 modern 1,547 #3,972
2003 modern 1,532 #3,924
2004 modern 1,501 #3,995
2005 modern 1,481 #4,003
2006 modern 1,471 #4,032
2007 modern 1,492 #4,017
2008 modern 1,518 #3,979
2009 modern 1,546 #4,006
2010 modern 1,566 #4,036
2011 modern 1,534 #4,074
2012 modern 1,556 #3,942
2013 modern 1,577 #3,965
2014 modern 1,577 #3,989
2015 modern 1,565 #3,975
2016 modern 1,551 #3,990

Geography

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Where Ansons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Brayton, Sheffield, Selby, Hemingborough (Barlby) and Walsall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Carlisle, Telford and Wrekin, Kingston upon Hull and North Somerset. 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 Brayton Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Selby, Hemingborough (Barlby) Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Walsall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 037 Northumberland
2 Carlisle 002 Carlisle
3 Telford and Wrekin 022 Telford and Wrekin
4 Kingston upon Hull 009 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 North Somerset 021 North Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Anson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Anson

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

Anson is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Anson falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Anson

The surname Anson originated in England, deriving from the Old English words 'anse' meaning ridge or promontory and 'tun' meaning settlement or town. It likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent ridge or hill. The name can be traced back to the 12th century in various spellings such as Anneson, Annesone, and Annysoun.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Anson appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, mentioning a William Annesone. In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire listed a Richard de Annesone, suggesting the name may have originated from a place called Anson or Anneson.

The Anson surname is also connected to the village of Anston in South Yorkshire, which was known as Anneston in the Domesday Book of 1086. This place name likely influenced the spelling and derivation of the surname.

One notable figure with the Anson surname was George Anson (1697-1762), a British admiral who led a famous voyage around the world from 1740 to 1744. His exploits were chronicled in the book "A Voyage Round the World" by Richard Walter, which became a bestseller.

Another prominent individual was Sir William Anson (1772-1847), a British lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1835 to 1844.

In the literary world, Peter Frederick Anson (1796-1882) was an English poet and essayist, known for his contributions to the Quarterly Review and other publications.

The Anson name also has a connection to the peerage, with the Earls of Lichfield bearing the surname. The first Earl, Thomas Anson (1695-1773), was a prominent politician and diplomat during the reigns of George I and George II.

Lastly, George Edward Anson (1855-1927) was a British explorer and author, best known for his travels in Africa and his book "Upon the Confines of the Kingdom of Congo."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Anson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Anson 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. Yorkshire leads with 255 Ansons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.38x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 255 2.38x
Lancashire 124 0.97x
Middlesex 104 0.96x
Staffordshire 93 2.54x
Worcestershire 60 4.24x
Surrey 50 0.95x
Shropshire 40 4.28x
Durham 37 1.15x
Kent 35 0.95x
Warwickshire 34 1.25x
Hampshire 29 1.31x
Lincolnshire 29 1.68x
Cumberland 27 2.90x
Cheshire 25 1.05x
Lanarkshire 25 0.71x
Buckinghamshire 19 2.90x
Derbyshire 15 0.88x
Nottinghamshire 14 0.96x
Devon 9 0.40x
Hertfordshire 9 1.21x
Gloucestershire 8 0.38x
Angus 7 0.70x
Channel Islands 7 2.18x
Glamorgan 6 0.32x
Merionethshire 5 2.52x
Monmouthshire 4 0.51x
Northumberland 4 0.25x
Westmorland 4 1.68x
Berkshire 3 0.37x
Dorset 3 0.42x
Essex 3 0.14x
Herefordshire 3 0.68x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.20x
Brecknockshire 2 0.92x
Norfolk 2 0.12x
Northamptonshire 2 0.20x
Royal Navy 2 1.55x
Suffolk 2 0.15x
Sussex 2 0.11x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.15x
Cardiganshire 1 0.38x
Cornwall 1 0.08x
Denbighshire 1 0.24x
Midlothian 1 0.07x
Oxfordshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kings Norton in Worcestershire leads with 27 Ansons recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.30x.

Place Total Index
Kings Norton 27 21.30x
Hambleton 26 1319.80x
Wolverhampton 18 6.41x
Hackney London 17 2.80x
Sheffield 17 4.98x
Birmingham 16 1.76x
Nether Hallam 16 11.02x
West Derby 15 3.99x
Aston 14 1.86x
Stranton 14 12.91x
Walsall Foreign 14 7.42x
Barony 13 1.47x
Ellerton Priory 13 1238.10x
Leeds 12 1.98x
Bethnal Green London 11 2.34x
Brantingham 11 1078.43x
Great Grimsby 11 10.01x
Selby 11 49.06x
Accrington 10 8.56x
Broseley 10 60.17x
Camberwell 10 1.45x
Hambleden 10 178.57x
Hammersmith London 10 3.75x
Hampstead London 10 5.93x
Hulme 10 3.73x
Lye 10 42.50x
Manchester 10 1.73x
Sculcoates 10 5.88x
Sharlston 10 142.05x
Croydon 9 3.07x
Hartlepool 9 19.66x
Kidderminster Borough 9 10.87x
Preston 9 2.62x
Aspull 8 26.47x
Banstead 8 55.94x
Clayton Le Moors 8 32.09x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 7 7.00x
Cammeringham 7 1206.90x
East Stonehouse 7 15.77x
Fulham London 7 4.46x
Lanark 7 24.84x
Liscard 7 16.26x
Liverpool 7 0.90x
Poplar London 7 3.43x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 3.21x
St Pancras London 7 0.80x
Sunderland 7 12.30x
Walsall Borough 7 24.67x
Whitwood 7 45.93x
Acton Round 6 869.57x
Amport 6 238.10x
Balkholme 6 2222.22x
Bermondsey 6 1.86x
Brightside Bierlow 6 2.85x
Burton Upon Trent 6 7.02x
Everton 6 1.47x
Greenwich 6 3.48x
Lewisham 6 3.05x
Little Chester 6 281.69x
Marske In Guisbrough 6 31.50x
Niton 6 202.02x
Oldbury 6 8.62x
Rushall 6 27.89x
St Cuthbert W O 6 13.20x
St Vigeans 6 11.08x
Stockton 6 301.51x
Tettenhall 6 26.85x
Christchurch 5 10.39x
Farlam 5 85.18x
Fulshaw 5 113.64x
Kingswinford 5 3.77x
Leek Lowe 5 10.28x
Oldham 5 1.21x
Paddington London 5 1.26x
Pelsall 5 46.00x
Sedgley 5 3.68x
St Helier 5 4.79x
Storwood 5 1612.90x
Tottington Lower End 5 8.19x
Worksop 5 11.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 71
Sarah 34
Ann 30
Jane 23
Annie 19
Alice 18
Elizabeth 16
Ellen 16
Emily 15
Eliza 13
Emma 13
Hannah 13
Maria 13
Ada 11
Clara 10
Margaret 10
Catherine 7
Edith 7
Harriet 7
Louisa 7
Martha 7
Agnes 6
Esther 6
Fanny 6
Florence 6
Charlotte 5
Lucy 5
Anne 4
Frances 4
Kate 4
Matilda 4
Adelaide 3
Ethel 3
Isabella 3
Lydia 3
Marie 3
Rebecca 3
Augusta 2
Beatrice 2
Bertha 2
Caroline 2
Constance 2
Dora 2
Elizth. 2
Evelyn 2
Hilda 2
Janet 2
Julia 2
Lizzie 2
Margate 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 70
John 64
George 43
Thomas 37
James 28
Joseph 27
Charles 23
Henry 18
Edward 17
Robert 17
Arthur 14
Frederick 12
Richard 11
Albert 10
Samuel 10
Alfred 9
Edwin 7
Harry 7
Benjamin 6
Francis 6
Ernest 5
Fred 5
Herbert 5
Thos. 5
Andrew 3
Edmund 3
Frederic 3
Isaac 3
Ralph 3
Wm. 3
Bernard 2
Frank 2
Harold 2
Hugh 2
Jno. 2
Job 2
Peter 2
Walter 2
Willm. 2
Anthony 1
Bain 1
Chas. 1
Edgar 1
Edwd. 1
Emanuel 1
Enseh 1
Geo.R. 1
Harcourt 1
Harris 1
Hon.W. 1

FAQ

Anson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Anson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,116 people were recorded with the Anson surname. That placed it at #3,574 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Anson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,551 in 2016. That gives Anson a modern rank of #3,990.

What does the Anson surname mean?

Derived from the name of an English village, likely meaning "Anne's son" or "Hann's son."

What does the Anson map show?

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