NameCensus.

UK surname

Callison

A Scottish occupational surname referring to the son of a caller or crier, derived from "Callum's son."

In the 1881 census there were 67 people recorded with the Callison surname, ranking it #24,104 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 155, ranked #23,197, up from #24,104 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hamilton, Barking and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Monikie, Barrow-in-Furness and Hillhouse.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Callison is 162 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 131.3%.

1881 census count

67

Ranked #24,104

Modern count

155

2016, ranked #23,197

Peak year

2014

162 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Callison had 67 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,104 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 155 in 2016, ranked #23,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 109 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Callison surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Callison surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Callison 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 36 #26,838
1861 historical 66 #25,487
1881 historical 67 #24,104
1891 historical 101 #23,870
1901 historical 109 #21,712
1911 historical 85 #24,322
1997 modern 144 #21,660
1998 modern 144 #22,221
1999 modern 140 #22,789
2000 modern 141 #22,648
2001 modern 140 #22,441
2002 modern 141 #22,794
2003 modern 143 #22,367
2004 modern 132 #23,625
2005 modern 127 #24,178
2006 modern 135 #23,486
2007 modern 137 #23,590
2008 modern 143 #23,160
2009 modern 143 #23,686
2010 modern 151 #23,377
2011 modern 145 #23,837
2012 modern 152 #23,069
2013 modern 157 #22,904
2014 modern 162 #22,624
2015 modern 159 #22,796
2016 modern 155 #23,197

Geography

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Where Callisons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hamilton, Barking, Manchester, Preston and Grimsby, Great. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Monikie, Barrow-in-Furness, Hillhouse, Fort William South and North East Lincolnshire. 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 Hamilton Lanark
2 Barking Essex
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Preston Lancashire
5 Grimsby, Great Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Monikie Angus
2 Barrow-in-Furness 002 Barrow-in-Furness
3 Hillhouse South Lanarkshire
4 Fort William South Highland
5 North East Lincolnshire 018 North East Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Callison

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Callison

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Callison, 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 Callison surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Callison 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Callison is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Callison is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Callison falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Callison is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Callison, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Callison

The surname CALLISON is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be a locational surname, derived from a place name such as Callison or Callinson. These place names were likely derived from the Old English words "cald" meaning "cold" and "tun" meaning "farm" or "settlement."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname CALLISON can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1170, where a person named Roger de Callistone is mentioned. This suggests that the surname was already in use by that time in that region of England.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms, such as Callyson, Callyston, and Calliston, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common during that era. The Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273 mention a John de Caluston, while the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1292 record a William Caliston.

During the 14th century, the surname CALLISON continued to be found in various records across England. The Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379 list a Thomas Callyson, and the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1380 include a John Callyson.

One notable historical figure who bore the surname CALLISON was Robert Callison (1588-1638), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. Another was William Callison (1670-1738), a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who made contributions to the study of comets and celestial mechanics.

Other individuals of note with the surname CALLISON include:

1. John Callison (1766-1842), an English painter known for his landscapes and portraits. 2. Mary Callison (1823-1897), an American educator and women's rights advocate. 3. Henry Callison (1857-1935), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London. 4. James Callison (1901-1977), an American baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Red Sox. 5. Elizabeth Callison (1909-1995), an Australian author and journalist known for her novels and short stories.

While the origins of the surname CALLISON can be traced back to medieval England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by individuals and families who have migrated over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Callison families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Callison 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. Lancashire leads with 27 Callisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.48x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 27 3.48x
Lanarkshire 13 6.15x
Kent 7 3.14x
Essex 6 4.65x
Lincolnshire 6 5.74x
Glamorgan 3 2.64x
Middlesex 3 0.46x
Sussex 2 1.82x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hamilton in Lanarkshire leads with 13 Callisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 220.71x.

Place Total Index
Hamilton 13 220.71x
Openshaw 10 275.48x
Hulme 8 49.41x
Maidstone 7 105.42x
Didsbury 6 582.52x
Great Grimsby 6 90.50x
Barking 5 132.63x
Hackney London 3 8.19x
Stretford 3 70.26x
Swansea Town 3 32.15x
Hastings St Mary In The 2 85.11x
Waltham Holy Cross 1 82.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alice 3
Emily 3
Mary 3
Sarah 2
Betty 1
Bridget 1
Edith 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Faith 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Henrietta 1
Jane 1
Louisa 1
Martha 1
Nancy 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 4
Edward 3
John 3
Thomas 2
Alexander 1
Andrew 1
Berty 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Infant 1
Isaac 1
Joseph 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Tom. 1
Walter 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Callison households.

FAQ

Callison surname: questions and answers

How common was the Callison surname in 1881?

In 1881, 67 people were recorded with the Callison surname. That placed it at #24,104 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Callison surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 155 in 2016. That gives Callison a modern rank of #23,197.

What does the Callison surname mean?

A Scottish occupational surname referring to the son of a caller or crier, derived from "Callum's son."

What does the Callison map show?

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