NameCensus.

UK surname

Atcheson

A variant spelling of the locational surname originating from a place called Atchison in Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 84 people recorded with the Atcheson surname, ranking it #21,690 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 111, ranked #29,049, down from #21,690 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Whitworth, Monkwearmouth and Sutton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Hams, Invergordon and Sunderland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Atcheson is 119 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.1%.

1881 census count

84

Ranked #21,690

Modern count

111

2016, ranked #29,049

Peak year

2013

119 bearers

Map years

2

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Atcheson had 84 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,690 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 111 in 2016, ranked #29,049.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 100 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Atcheson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Atcheson surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Atcheson 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 70 #21,020
1861 historical 86 #22,810
1881 historical 84 #21,690
1891 historical 100 #24,045
1901 historical 78 #25,500
1911 historical 76 #25,221
1997 modern 86 #28,876
1998 modern 93 #28,563
1999 modern 92 #28,833
2000 modern 102 #27,425
2001 modern 97 #27,823
2002 modern 94 #28,797
2003 modern 92 #28,974
2004 modern 96 #28,605
2005 modern 97 #28,485
2006 modern 92 #29,576
2007 modern 92 #29,929
2008 modern 103 #28,519
2009 modern 105 #28,815
2010 modern 105 #29,453
2011 modern 109 #28,653
2012 modern 111 #28,332
2013 modern 119 #27,541
2014 modern 116 #28,253
2015 modern 112 #28,809
2016 modern 111 #29,049

Geography

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Where Atchesons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Whitworth, Monkwearmouth, Sutton, Manchester and Stranton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Hams, Invergordon, Sunderland, Hammersmith and Fulham and Tower Hamlets. 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 Whitworth Durham
2 Monkwearmouth Durham
3 Sutton Cambridgeshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Stranton Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Hams 006 South Hams
2 Invergordon Highland
3 Sunderland 025 Sunderland
4 Hammersmith and Fulham 024 Hammersmith and Fulham
5 Tower Hamlets 023 Tower Hamlets

Forenames

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First names often paired with Atcheson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Atcheson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Atcheson, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Atcheson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Atcheson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Challenged Inner London Communities

Within London, Atcheson is most associated with areas classed as Challenged Inner London Communities, 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

Resident in some of Inner London’s most over-crowded communities, many families have children and marriage/civil partnership rates are above the Supergroup average. Other adults such as students live in communal establishments. Few residents have Level 4 educational qualifications, levels of unemployment are above the Supergroup average, and employment is concentrated in service occupations such as distribution, hotels and restaurants. Relative to the Supergroup average, fewer residents identify as being of mixed/multiple ethnicities, Black or Other Asian.

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

Atcheson 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

Atcheson falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Atcheson

The surname Atcheson is believed to have originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "ac" meaning oak, and "tun" meaning a settlement or enclosure, thus suggesting that the name referred to a settlement near an oak tree or oak grove.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be Achesoune, found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1455. Other early variants include Achesoun, Acheson, and Atcheson, reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations in spelling.

In medieval times, the Atcheson family is believed to have been prominent landowners in the Scottish Borders region, particularly around Roxburghshire and Berwickshire. The name is associated with the lands of Aitchison's Haven near Coldingham, which were granted to the family in the 13th century.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Atcheson, a Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Galloway from 1366 to 1378. He played a significant role in the ecclesiastical affairs of Scotland during the reign of King David II.

Sir Archibald Atcheson (c. 1570-1638) was a Scottish soldier and diplomat who served as Secretary of State for Scotland under King James VI and I. He was also involved in the colonization of Ireland during the Plantation of Ulster in the early 17th century.

In the 18th century, the Atcheson family produced several prominent figures, including Captain Robert Atcheson (1706-1776), a British naval officer who served in the Seven Years' War, and Sir Samuel Atcheson (1717-1804), a Scottish judge and Lord of Session.

Another notable bearer of the name was Alexander Atcheson (1804-1868), a Scottish-born American who became a prominent businessman and landowner in Texas. He played a significant role in the development of the cattle industry in the region.

The Atcheson surname has also been recorded in various historical documents, including the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded individuals who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England, and the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland from the 14th century onwards.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Atcheson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Atcheson 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. Northumberland leads with 25 Atchesons recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.93x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 25 18.93x
Cambridgeshire 16 28.46x
Durham 9 3.41x
Lancashire 8 0.76x
Isle of Man 7 42.48x
Renfrewshire 7 10.18x
Surrey 5 1.16x
Kent 3 0.99x
Middlesex 3 0.34x
Midlothian 3 2.52x
Lanarkshire 2 0.70x
Lincolnshire 2 1.41x
Leicestershire 1 1.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Elm in Cambridgeshire leads with 14 Atchesons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2545.45x.

Place Total Index
Elm 14 2545.45x
Ancroft 8 1739.13x
West Greenock 7 56.68x
Bedlington 5 113.38x
Benfieldside 5 287.36x
Cramlington 4 228.57x
Elswick 4 37.95x
Embleton 4 1428.57x
German Peel 4 421.05x
Maughold 3 236.22x
Moss Side 3 54.15x
Newton 3 750.00x
Streatham 3 45.59x
West Derby 3 9.74x
Bishopwearmouth 2 8.83x
East Molesey 2 200.00x
Edlington 2 3333.33x
Gillingham 2 32.05x
Govan 2 2.82x
North Meols 2 19.40x
Sutton 2 425.53x
Westminster St Margaret 2 46.73x
Gateshead 1 5.06x
Kibworth Beauchamp 1 294.12x
Maidstone 1 11.09x
Mile End Old Town London 1 5.29x
Monkwearmouth 1 39.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Ann 4
Joan 4
Alice 3
Ellen 3
Annie 2
Elizabeth 2
Jane 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Augusta 1
Barbara 1
Bertha 1
Cathrine 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Jessie 1
Lavena 1
Maggie 1
Marion 1
Martha 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Atcheson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Atcheson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 84 people were recorded with the Atcheson surname. That placed it at #21,690 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Atcheson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 111 in 2016. That gives Atcheson a modern rank of #29,049.

What does the Atcheson surname mean?

A variant spelling of the locational surname originating from a place called Atchison in Scotland.

What does the Atcheson map show?

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