NameCensus.

UK surname

Barson

A topographic surname suggesting someone who lived near a hill or high ground.

In the 1881 census there were 561 people recorded with the Barson surname, ranking it #6,174 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 705, ranked #7,661, down from #6,174 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Oxford City: St Thomas, London parishes and Loughborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolsover, Mansfield and Newark and Sherwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Barson is 1,140 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.7%.

1881 census count

561

Ranked #6,174

Modern count

705

2016, ranked #7,661

Peak year

1861

1,140 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Barson had 561 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,174 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 705 in 2016, ranked #7,661.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,140 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Barson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Barson surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Barson 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 427 #5,726
1861 historical 1,140 #2,465
1881 historical 561 #6,174
1891 historical 1,031 #4,045
1901 historical 738 #6,008
1911 historical 756 #5,711
1997 modern 754 #6,859
1998 modern 792 #6,807
1999 modern 802 #6,775
2000 modern 798 #6,787
2001 modern 765 #6,884
2002 modern 786 #6,875
2003 modern 779 #6,805
2004 modern 756 #6,980
2005 modern 738 #7,050
2006 modern 734 #7,105
2007 modern 750 #7,061
2008 modern 758 #7,050
2009 modern 770 #7,099
2010 modern 751 #7,372
2011 modern 734 #7,440
2012 modern 717 #7,477
2013 modern 729 #7,497
2014 modern 729 #7,543
2015 modern 710 #7,636
2016 modern 705 #7,661

Geography

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Where Barsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Oxford City: St Thomas, London parishes, Loughborough, Foleshill and Cumnor. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolsover, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood and Sheffield. 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 Oxford City: St Thomas Oxfordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Loughborough Leicestershire
4 Foleshill Warwickshire
5 Cumnor Berkshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolsover 008 Bolsover
2 Mansfield 007 Mansfield
3 Mansfield 013 Mansfield
4 Newark and Sherwood 006 Newark and Sherwood
5 Sheffield 048 Sheffield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Barson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Barson

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Barson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Barson 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Barson 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

Barson 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

Barson falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Barson

The surname Barson has its origins in England, and it is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is likely derived from a combination of the Old English words "bær," meaning "bear," and "sunu," meaning "son." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who possessed bear-like qualities or characteristics.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Barson can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a person named Roger Barson is mentioned as a resident of Nottinghamshire. This suggests that the name was well-established in parts of central England by the latter half of the 13th century.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various historical records, including the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642, which lists several individuals with the surname Barson residing in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. This indicates that the name had spread to different regions of England by that time.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Barson. One such person was John Barson (c. 1570-1635), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Aylesford in Kent. Another notable figure was Thomas Barson (1713-1786), a British mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.

In the 19th century, the name Barson gained recognition with the birth of William Barson (1842-1920), a British actor and playwright who was active in the London theatre scene. His contemporary, John Barson (1841-1913), was a prominent engineer and inventor who patented several innovations related to steam engines and railway equipment.

Another individual of note was Emily Barson (1879-1961), a British suffragette and activist who played a crucial role in the Women's Social and Political Union, campaigning for women's right to vote in the early 20th century.

While the surname Barson has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly due to immigration and migration patterns. However, the earliest known instances and significant historical figures associated with this surname can be traced back to England, where it originated and evolved over several centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Barson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Barson 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 69 Barsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.27x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 69 1.27x
Leicestershire 57 9.41x
Oxfordshire 55 16.30x
Nottinghamshire 52 7.06x
Warwickshire 45 3.27x
Derbyshire 44 5.14x
Berkshire 40 9.76x
Middlesex 38 0.70x
Lancashire 26 0.40x
Cardiganshire 17 12.76x
Northamptonshire 16 3.11x
Staffordshire 15 0.81x
Ayrshire 10 2.45x
Kent 10 0.54x
Fife 8 2.47x
Surrey 8 0.30x
Glamorgan 7 0.74x
Hertfordshire 7 1.86x
Norfolk 6 0.71x
Cambridgeshire 5 1.45x
Devon 5 0.44x
Durham 4 0.25x
Lanarkshire 4 0.23x
Pembrokeshire 4 2.30x
Essex 3 0.28x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.45x
Cumberland 1 0.21x
Dorset 1 0.28x
Hampshire 1 0.09x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.80x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Loughborough in Leicestershire leads with 30 Barsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 109.17x.

Place Total Index
Loughborough 30 109.17x
Oxford St Thomas 26 165.18x
Normanton 18 249.31x
Cumnor 17 899.47x
Foleshill 17 117.32x
Snenton 16 55.31x
Brightside Bierlow 15 14.13x
Burton Upon Trent 14 32.45x
Leicester St Margaret 14 9.48x
Pendleton In Salford 11 14.24x
St Pancras London 11 2.50x
Hackney London 10 3.27x
New Cumnock 10 141.04x
Sowe 10 403.23x
Radford 9 24.06x
Yspytty Ystwyth 9 514.29x
Aberystwith 8 69.75x
Bedworth 8 79.60x
Childrey 8 833.33x
Coventry Holy Trinity 8 19.45x
Cuxham 8 3076.92x
Forgan 8 129.24x
Nottingham St Mary 8 4.20x
Castor 7 319.63x
Chipping Barnet 7 106.22x
Gate Fulford 7 55.38x
Islington London 7 1.32x
Melbourne 7 119.66x
Stapleford 7 117.06x
Woolvercot 7 510.95x
Ystradyfodwg 7 8.39x
Appleton 6 560.75x
Bramley In Bramley 6 28.96x
North Hincksey 6 1333.33x
Oxford St Ebbe 6 60.42x
Rastrick 6 39.89x
Southery 6 270.27x
Sutton Bonnington 6 319.15x
Whittington 6 50.72x
Aston Cum Aughton 5 112.87x
Butterworth 5 31.67x
Cowley 5 47.48x
Quorndon 5 147.06x
St Andrewthe Less 5 12.65x
Canterbury Holy Cross 4 222.22x
Cockington 4 597.01x
Gorbals 4 38.13x
Halifax 4 5.03x
Manerdivy 4 281.69x
Nether Hallam 4 5.46x
North Cowton 4 754.72x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 3.64x
Chelsea London 3 1.82x
Cottingham 3 25.71x
Daventry 3 41.27x
Fairfield 3 52.45x
Haisthorpe 3 1304.35x
Leeds 3 0.98x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 3 21.98x
Lingfield 3 57.80x
Litchurch 3 8.72x
Melton Mowbray 3 27.55x
Newbottle 3 33.82x
Northampton St Giles 3 15.33x
Shoreditch London 3 1.27x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 2 3.97x
Chilton 2 384.62x
Deptford St Paul 2 1.39x
Everton 2 0.97x
Horton Kirby 2 69.44x
Kegworth 2 49.63x
Manchester 2 0.69x
Normanton 2 12.29x
Nottingham St Nicholas 2 19.94x
Queniborough 2 194.17x
Rowsley Great 2 377.36x
Staveley 2 13.18x
Cleatlam 1 434.78x
Tregynon 1 75.19x
Workington 1 3.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 34
William 33
George 26
Thomas 19
James 13
Joseph 10
Charles 7
Frederick 7
Henry 7
Albert 6
Arthur 6
Harry 4
Samuel 4
Alfred 3
Richard 3
Walter 3
Willm. 3
Chas. 2
David 2
Edward 2
Emanuel 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Herbert 2
J.H. 2
Jas. 2
Jesse 2
Jonathan 2
Oliver 2
Robert 2
Bertrum 1
Easton 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
H. 1
Hiram 1
Infant 1
Leonard 1
Mathew 1
Phillip 1
Richd. 1
Sherley 1
Sidney 1
Stanley 1
Tom 1
Travers 1
W. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Barson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Barson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 561 people were recorded with the Barson surname. That placed it at #6,174 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Barson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 705 in 2016. That gives Barson a modern rank of #7,661.

What does the Barson surname mean?

A topographic surname suggesting someone who lived near a hill or high ground.

What does the Barson map show?

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