NameCensus.

UK surname

Arbon

A locational surname originating from a place called Arbon in Switzerland.

In the 1881 census there were 308 people recorded with the Arbon surname, ranking it #9,542 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 624, ranked #8,450, up from #9,542 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St James, Chevington and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Suffolk Coastal, St Edmundsbury and Redcar and Cleveland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Arbon is 693 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 102.6%.

1881 census count

308

Ranked #9,542

Modern count

624

2016, ranked #8,450

Peak year

1998

693 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Arbon had 308 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,542 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 624 in 2016, ranked #8,450.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 591 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Arbon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Arbon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Arbon 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 137 #13,812
1861 historical 181 #12,997
1881 historical 308 #9,542
1891 historical 374 #9,343
1901 historical 517 #7,852
1911 historical 591 #6,921
1997 modern 671 #7,487
1998 modern 693 #7,538
1999 modern 681 #7,677
2000 modern 670 #7,749
2001 modern 654 #7,763
2002 modern 673 #7,753
2003 modern 674 #7,621
2004 modern 685 #7,526
2005 modern 654 #7,734
2006 modern 650 #7,795
2007 modern 642 #7,940
2008 modern 644 #7,967
2009 modern 670 #7,900
2010 modern 684 #7,920
2011 modern 669 #7,975
2012 modern 642 #8,142
2013 modern 649 #8,230
2014 modern 639 #8,371
2015 modern 636 #8,338
2016 modern 624 #8,450

Geography

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Where Arbons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St James, Chevington, London parishes and Great Yarmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Suffolk Coastal, St Edmundsbury, Redcar and Cleveland and Babergh. 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 St James Suffolk
2 Chevington Suffolk
3 London parishes London 3
4 London parishes London 2
5 Great Yarmouth Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Suffolk Coastal 002 Suffolk Coastal
2 St Edmundsbury 008 St Edmundsbury
3 St Edmundsbury 005 St Edmundsbury
4 Redcar and Cleveland 002 Redcar and Cleveland
5 Babergh 007 Babergh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Arbon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Arbon

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Arbon is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Arbon is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Arbon falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Arbon

The surname Arbon has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the region of Catalonia in northeastern Spain. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century. The name Arbon is derived from the Latin word "arbor," meaning "tree." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived in or near wooded areas or were involved in occupations related to forestry or woodworking.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Arbon can be found in the 14th-century manuscript "Llibre de Fets" (Book of Deeds), which chronicles the life and conquests of King James I of Aragon. The manuscript mentions a knight named Ramon Arbon, who served in the king's army during the conquest of Valencia in the 13th century.

The name Arbon also appears in various municipal records and property deeds from the 15th and 16th centuries in towns and villages across Catalonia. For example, in the village of Sant Feliu de Llobregat, near Barcelona, there are records of an Andreu Arbon who owned land and vineyards in the area around 1480.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the name Arbon was Francesc Arbon, a Catalan painter and engraver who lived from 1610 to 1688. His works, primarily religious paintings and engravings, can be found in various churches and museums throughout Catalonia.

As the Arbon name spread beyond its Catalan origins, it underwent slight variations in spelling and pronunciation. In parts of France, particularly in the Languedoc region bordering Catalonia, the name was sometimes written as "Arboune" or "Arbonne." There are also records of individuals with the surname Arbon in the Italian regions of Lombardy and Piedmont, where the name may have been influenced by the Italian word "albero," meaning "tree."

Another notable figure from history with the surname Arbon was Juan Arbon, a Spanish military officer and explorer who participated in the colonization of the Americas in the late 16th century. Arbon served as a captain under the command of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés and played a role in the establishment of Spanish settlements in Florida and the Caribbean.

In the realm of literature, there is a 19th-century French writer and playwright named Louis Arbon, who was born in 1831 and died in 1888. Although not widely renowned, Arbon wrote several plays and novels that were popular in their time and reflected the cultural and social milieu of 19th-century France.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Arbon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Arbon 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. Suffolk leads with 169 Arbons recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.03x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 169 46.03x
Norfolk 38 8.20x
Middlesex 29 0.96x
Yorkshire 21 0.70x
Northamptonshire 15 5.29x
Surrey 11 0.75x
Bedfordshire 9 5.77x
Dorset 6 3.03x
Berkshire 2 0.88x
Channel Islands 1 1.12x
Derbyshire 1 0.21x
Essex 1 0.17x
Hertfordshire 1 0.48x
Huntingdonshire 1 1.67x
Kent 1 0.10x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.25x
Royal Navy 1 2.78x
Staffordshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Yarmouth in Norfolk leads with 29 Arbons recorded in 1881 and an index of 75.54x.

Place Total Index
Great Yarmouth 29 75.54x
Chevington 18 3157.89x
Kenton 16 6153.85x
Bury St Edmunds St James 15 152.91x
Stanton 14 1609.20x
Chedburgh 13 5000.00x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 12 174.17x
Somerton 10 8333.33x
Bardwell 8 1025.64x
Glinton 8 1951.22x
Lambeth 8 3.04x
Occold 8 1481.48x
Cottingham 7 108.70x
Thetford St Cuthbert 7 416.67x
Elvenden 6 1875.00x
Swanage 6 245.90x
Culford 5 1612.90x
Gildersome 5 139.28x
Great Saxham 5 2000.00x
Horringer 5 735.29x
Mendlesham 5 431.03x
St Dunstan In East London 5 2173.91x
Bedford St Paul 4 37.38x
Boxford 4 588.24x
Burgate 4 1333.33x
Fornham All Sts 4 909.09x
Great Barford 4 493.83x
Islington London 4 1.37x
Mile End New Town London 4 67.11x
Paston 4 330.58x
Shoreditch London 4 3.06x
Wortley In Wortley 4 341.88x
Gorleston 3 32.15x
Holy Trinity 3 4.18x
Ingham 3 1034.48x
Peterborough 3 14.61x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 4.95x
Westminster St Margaret 3 20.63x
Chelsea London 2 2.20x
Clewer 2 21.58x
Fornham St Martin 2 625.00x
Hargrave 2 465.12x
Sculcoates 2 4.22x
Tottenham 2 4.17x
Twickenham 2 15.48x
West Stow 2 1052.63x
Wordwell 2 4000.00x
Burton Upon Trent 1 4.20x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.26x
Great Barton 1 117.65x
Haddiscoe 1 243.90x
Heigham 1 4.02x
Hemel Hempstead 1 10.68x
Little Oakley 1 303.03x
Paddington London 1 0.90x
Royal Navy 1 3.26x
St Helier 1 3.44x
St Marylebone London 1 0.62x
St Neots 1 30.77x
Stoke Ash 1 312.50x
Thurston 1 138.89x
Tilbrook 1 250.00x
West Leake 1 588.24x
Westminster St John 1 2.72x
Wilne 1 92.59x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 22
William 21
Charles 13
Frederick 11
Henry 10
John 9
Arthur 7
James 7
Edward 6
Robert 5
Abraham 4
Harry 4
Alfred 3
David 3
Thomas 3
Albert 2
Daniel 2
Joseph 2
Percy 2
Walter 2
Agnes 1
Amos 1
Benjamine 1
Cecil 1
Chas. 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Eliza 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Herbert 1
Jack 1
Jeffery 1
Noah 1
Philip 1
R. 1
Reuben 1
Samuel 1
Sham 1
Sidney 1
Thos.Bryant 1

FAQ

Arbon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Arbon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 308 people were recorded with the Arbon surname. That placed it at #9,542 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Arbon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 624 in 2016. That gives Arbon a modern rank of #8,450.

What does the Arbon surname mean?

A locational surname originating from a place called Arbon in Switzerland.

What does the Arbon map show?

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