NameCensus.

UK surname

Chesman

In the 1881 census there were 109 people recorded with the Chesman surname, ranking it #18,793 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 154, ranked #23,293, down from #18,793 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Torrington, West, Sheffield and Owston (Owston), Scotton (East Ferry). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Lincolnshire and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Chesman is 185 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.3%.

1881 census count

109

Ranked #18,793

Modern count

154

2016, ranked #23,293

Peak year

1998

185 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Chesman had 109 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,793 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016, ranked #23,293.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 142 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Chesman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Chesman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Chesman 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 123 #14,886
1861 historical 130 #17,164
1881 historical 109 #18,793
1891 historical 137 #19,501
1901 historical 99 #22,999
1911 historical 142 #18,487
1997 modern 170 #19,505
1998 modern 185 #18,973
1999 modern 175 #19,798
2000 modern 169 #20,199
2001 modern 166 #20,129
2002 modern 168 #20,396
2003 modern 174 #19,760
2004 modern 180 #19,424
2005 modern 179 #19,467
2006 modern 169 #20,294
2007 modern 167 #20,719
2008 modern 167 #20,901
2009 modern 171 #21,024
2010 modern 168 #21,733
2011 modern 168 #21,563
2012 modern 168 #21,516
2013 modern 158 #22,817
2014 modern 166 #22,277
2015 modern 165 #22,241
2016 modern 154 #23,293

Geography

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Where Chesmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Torrington, West, Sheffield, Owston (Owston), Scotton (East Ferry), Rotherham and Wragby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North East Lincolnshire and Doncaster. 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 Torrington, West Lincolnshire
2 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Owston (Owston), Scotton (East Ferry) Lincolnshire
4 Rotherham Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Wragby Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North East Lincolnshire 012 North East Lincolnshire
2 North East Lincolnshire 023 North East Lincolnshire
3 Doncaster 017 Doncaster
4 North East Lincolnshire 022 North East Lincolnshire
5 North East Lincolnshire 021 North East Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Chesman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Chesman

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Chesman is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Chesman is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Chesman falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Chesman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Chesman 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. Lincolnshire leads with 40 Chesmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.53x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 40 23.53x
Yorkshire 23 2.18x
Middlesex 14 1.32x
Durham 10 3.16x
Sussex 5 2.79x
Kent 4 1.10x
Nottinghamshire 3 2.09x
Lancashire 2 0.16x
Surrey 2 0.39x
Aberdeenshire 1 1.02x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.56x
Glamorgan 1 0.54x
Monmouthshire 1 1.30x
Radnorshire 1 11.66x
Renfrewshire 1 1.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Grimsby in Lincolnshire leads with 15 Chesmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 139.02x.

Place Total Index
Great Grimsby 15 139.02x
Darlington 10 81.90x
Epworth 8 1012.66x
Kimberworth 7 119.66x
Enfield 6 85.96x
Ecclesall Bierlow 5 23.33x
West Butterwick With 5 1923.08x
Barton 4 2105.26x
Apley 3 4285.71x
Bathley 3 5000.00x
Brompton In Scarborough 3 1200.00x
Frodingham 3 491.80x
Hayes 3 1200.00x
New Shoreham 3 280.37x
Wroot 3 2307.69x
Hackney London 2 3.36x
Hammersmith London 2 7.64x
St Martin In Fields 2 31.45x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 4.86x
Camberwell 1 1.47x
Cridling Stubbs 1 1000.00x
Crowle 1 97.09x
Eastbourne 1 12.12x
Gainsborough 1 24.94x
Hatfield In Thorne 1 151.52x
Leominster 1 172.41x
Llanbister 1 333.33x
Neilston 1 24.15x
Newport 1 27.25x
Oystermouth 1 69.93x
Penge 1 14.73x
Scunthorpe 1 131.58x
Spridlington 1 909.09x
St George Hanover Square 1 5.34x
St Marylebone London 1 1.76x
Thorne 1 76.34x
Tonbridge 1 7.65x
Upper Lower 1 1250.00x
Withington 1 24.63x
Wycombe 1 20.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Ann 5
Annie 4
Jane 4
Sarah 3
Eliza 2
Elizabeth 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Julia 2
Martha 2
Alice 1
Bessy 1
Betsy 1
Eleanor 1
Elizebeth 1
Elzia 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Harriet 1
Isabella 1
Kate 1
Katie 1
Lilian 1
Lily 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
Minnie 1
Rose 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
Thomas 9
John 6
James 3
Robert 3
Edward 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Mark 2
Adam 1
Alen 1
Arthur 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Hascon 1
Henry 1
Peter 1
Samuel 1
Urry 1

FAQ

Chesman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Chesman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 109 people were recorded with the Chesman surname. That placed it at #18,793 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Chesman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016. That gives Chesman a modern rank of #23,293.

What does the Chesman map show?

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