NameCensus.

UK surname

Cheeseman

An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of cheese.

In the 1881 census there were 2,355 people recorded with the Cheeseman surname, ranking it #1,888 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,102, ranked #2,175, down from #1,888 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolsover, West Dorset and Medway.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cheeseman is 3,400 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.7%.

1881 census count

2,355

Ranked #1,888

Modern count

3,102

2016, ranked #2,175

Peak year

1999

3,400 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cheeseman had 2,355 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,888 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,102 in 2016, ranked #2,175.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,061 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cheeseman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cheeseman surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cheeseman 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 1,008 #2,769
1861 historical 943 #2,942
1881 historical 2,355 #1,888
1891 historical 2,333 #2,014
1901 historical 2,839 #1,960
1911 historical 3,061 #1,701
1997 modern 3,274 #1,967
1998 modern 3,385 #1,977
1999 modern 3,400 #1,991
2000 modern 3,364 #2,007
2001 modern 3,292 #2,002
2002 modern 3,383 #2,006
2003 modern 3,299 #2,005
2004 modern 3,250 #2,030
2005 modern 3,140 #2,064
2006 modern 3,143 #2,068
2007 modern 3,142 #2,084
2008 modern 3,162 #2,087
2009 modern 3,266 #2,080
2010 modern 3,310 #2,097
2011 modern 3,261 #2,099
2012 modern 3,127 #2,144
2013 modern 3,194 #2,144
2014 modern 3,183 #2,160
2015 modern 3,125 #2,171
2016 modern 3,102 #2,175

Geography

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Where Cheesemans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough, Lambeth and Yalding, Aylesford, Burham, Mereworth, Wateringbury, Nettlestead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolsover, West Dorset, Medway and Swale. 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 1
2 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Yalding, Aylesford, Burham, Mereworth, Wateringbury, Nettlestead Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolsover 006 Bolsover
2 West Dorset 004 West Dorset
3 Medway 022 Medway
4 Bolsover 007 Bolsover
5 Swale 007 Swale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cheeseman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cheeseman

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Cheeseman is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Cheeseman is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cheeseman 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 Cheeseman 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 Cheeseman, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cheeseman

The surname Cheeseman has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is an occupational surname derived from the Old English words "cyse" (cheese) and "man" (person), referring to an individual who was involved in the production or selling of cheese.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cheeseman can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like record from 1273, which mentions a John le Chyseman. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

In the 14th century, the Cheeseman surname appeared in various records, such as the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, which listed a William Cheseman. The name was also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1334, where a Thomas Cheseman was recorded.

The Cheeseman surname may have been influenced by place names like Cheeseburn in Northumberland or Cheeseworth in Wiltshire, suggesting a possible connection between the name and specific locations where cheese production or trade was prevalent.

One notable figure bearing the Cheeseman surname was Sir Nicholas Cheeseman (c. 1515-1587), a English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1573-1574. He was involved in the cloth trade and was a member of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors.

Another individual of historical significance was Thomas Cheeseman (1594-1659), an English churchman and academic who served as the Master of Christ's College, Cambridge, from 1645 until his death.

In the 17th century, the Cheeseman surname was found in various records, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1673, which listed a William Cheeseman.

During the same period, John Cheeseman (1594-1670) was a prominent English Puritan minister and author, known for his work "The Scriptural Doctrine of Divine Predestination."

In the 18th century, the Cheeseman surname appeared in various parish records across England, including the baptismal record of William Cheeseman in 1733 in St. Mary's Church, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.

Throughout history, the Cheeseman surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, reflecting its origins as an occupational name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cheeseman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cheeseman 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. Kent leads with 873 Cheesemans recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.12x.

County Total Index
Kent 873 11.12x
Surrey 393 3.50x
Middlesex 292 1.27x
Sussex 182 4.69x
Lincolnshire 87 2.36x
Berkshire 71 4.11x
Hampshire 65 1.38x
Yorkshire 58 0.25x
Dorset 51 3.38x
Northumberland 47 1.37x
Durham 45 0.66x
Somerset 23 0.62x
Buckinghamshire 16 1.15x
Essex 16 0.35x
Wiltshire 15 0.74x
Devon 14 0.29x
Norfolk 13 0.37x
Lancashire 12 0.04x
Nottinghamshire 12 0.39x
Westmorland 12 2.37x
Caernarfonshire 9 0.97x
Monmouthshire 8 0.48x
Warwickshire 7 0.12x
Hertfordshire 6 0.38x
Oxfordshire 4 0.28x
Staffordshire 4 0.05x
Suffolk 4 0.14x
Aberdeenshire 3 0.14x
Cheshire 3 0.06x
Royal Navy 3 1.09x
Glamorgan 2 0.05x
Worcestershire 2 0.07x
Anglesey 1 0.25x
Bedfordshire 1 0.08x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.10x
Derbyshire 1 0.03x
Gloucestershire 1 0.02x
Leicestershire 1 0.04x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 81 Cheesemans recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.35x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 81 10.35x
Lambeth 60 2.99x
Maidstone 50 21.38x
Tonbridge 50 17.66x
Yalding 50 252.14x
Greenwich 37 10.10x
Shoreham 35 313.06x
Kensington London 33 2.58x
Battersea 27 3.19x
Minster In Sheppey 26 19.99x
Portsea 26 2.81x
Bermondsey 24 3.50x
Bisley 24 467.84x
Chertsey 24 33.13x
Folkestone 24 15.76x
St Marylebone London 23 1.87x
St Pancras London 23 1.24x
Brenchley 21 74.73x
Capel 20 189.39x
Chelsea London 20 2.88x
Milton In Milton 20 59.93x
Wouldham 17 170.17x
Gillingham 16 9.88x
Hackney London 16 1.24x
Lewisham 16 3.82x
Plumstead 16 6.11x
Prudhoe 16 67.17x
Deptford St Paul 15 2.48x
Isleworth 15 14.66x
Shoreditch London 15 1.50x
Wokingham 15 38.05x
Bearsted 14 295.98x
Chatham 14 6.48x
Newington 14 1.65x
Sherborne 14 31.47x
Fulham London 13 3.90x
Milton In Gravesend 13 11.04x
St Lawrence 13 24.08x
Egham 12 17.43x
Great Bedwin 12 83.05x
Islington London 12 0.54x
Thames Ditton 12 51.52x
Allington 11 948.28x
Birchington 11 100.09x
Croydon 11 1.77x
East Malling 11 58.64x
Linton 11 159.88x
Southwark St George Martyr 11 2.38x
Willesden 11 5.07x
Ash Next Sandwich 10 57.57x
Camberwell 10 0.68x
Chiswick 10 7.95x
Clee With Weelsby 10 12.41x
Eltham 10 21.73x
Faversham 10 13.36x
Frindsbury 10 33.80x
Gateshead 10 1.95x
New Windsor 10 17.22x
Reigate Foreign 10 8.24x
Aldershot 9 5.70x
Alverstoke 9 5.27x
Ashford 9 11.77x
Borden 9 90.45x
Epworth 9 52.45x
Hadlow 9 46.23x
Hornsey 9 3.09x
Llandudno 9 27.13x
Marske In Guisbrough 9 22.22x
Paddington London 9 1.06x
Poplar London 9 2.07x
Queen Camel 9 207.37x
Sittingbourne 9 14.52x
St Botolph Lincoln 9 34.03x
Stoke 9 200.45x
Throckley 9 95.34x
Bethnal Green London 8 0.80x
Humberstone 8 384.62x
Pirbright 8 140.35x
Stella 8 136.29x
Tudhoe 8 13.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 115
Elizabeth 89
Sarah 67
Alice 53
Jane 53
Emily 44
Emma 43
Ann 42
Ellen 42
Eliza 40
Annie 36
Fanny 25
Louisa 24
Charlotte 19
Ada 18
Harriet 17
Frances 16
Harriett 15
Martha 15
Maria 14
Edith 13
Clara 12
Esther 12
Florence 12
Kate 12
Lucy 11
Margaret 9
Matilda 9
Julia 8
Minnie 8
Rebecca 8
Anne 7
Bessie 7
Caroline 7
Eleanor 7
Hannah 7
Rose 7
Selina 7
Agnes 6
Amy 6
Elizth. 6
Sophia 6
Beatrice 5
Catherine 5
Jemima 5
Lily 5
Anna 4
Gertrude 4
Grace 4
Lydia 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 149
John 117
George 99
Thomas 67
Henry 63
James 61
Charles 49
Alfred 38
Albert 31
Frederick 30
Robert 27
Arthur 26
Walter 24
Edward 21
Frank 20
Wm. 18
Richard 16
Joseph 15
Harry 13
Samuel 12
Edwin 10
Ernest 10
Horace 10
Daniel 9
Herbert 9
Philip 8
Chas. 6
David 6
Geo. 6
Stephen 6
Abraham 5
Benjamin 5
Francis 5
Fred 5
Fredk. 5
Jonathan 5
Thos. 5
Jas. 4
Jesse 4
Sidney 4
Tom 4
Edwd. 3
Matthew 3
Nicholas 3
Percy 3
Cornelius 2
Edmund 2
Louis 2
Mark 2
Matt. 2

FAQ

Cheeseman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cheeseman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,355 people were recorded with the Cheeseman surname. That placed it at #1,888 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cheeseman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,102 in 2016. That gives Cheeseman a modern rank of #2,175.

What does the Cheeseman surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of cheese.

What does the Cheeseman map show?

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