NameCensus.

UK surname

Clarkson

Derived from Clark's son, indicating the descendant of someone named Clark, an English surname meaning "cleric" or "scribe."

In the 1881 census there were 7,937 people recorded with the Clarkson surname, ranking it #524 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,965, ranked #645, down from #524 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, London parishes and Kildwick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Scarborough, County Durham and Richmondshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clarkson is 10,499 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.6%.

1881 census count

7,937

Ranked #524

Modern count

9,965

2016, ranked #645

Peak year

1999

10,499 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clarkson had 7,937 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #524 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,965 in 2016, ranked #645.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 10,087 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Clarkson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Clarkson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clarkson 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 5,157 #536
1861 historical 5,286 #530
1881 historical 7,937 #524
1891 historical 8,745 #504
1901 historical 10,087 #517
1911 historical 10,054 #488
1997 modern 10,012 #621
1998 modern 10,390 #618
1999 modern 10,499 #614
2000 modern 10,371 #620
2001 modern 10,120 #620
2002 modern 10,219 #633
2003 modern 9,999 #632
2004 modern 9,958 #634
2005 modern 9,802 #637
2006 modern 9,851 #635
2007 modern 9,898 #635
2008 modern 9,963 #637
2009 modern 10,082 #644
2010 modern 10,246 #643
2011 modern 10,116 #645
2012 modern 9,896 #647
2013 modern 10,136 #644
2014 modern 10,167 #644
2015 modern 10,029 #644
2016 modern 9,965 #645

Geography

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Where Clarksons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, London parishes, Kildwick, Preston and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Scarborough, County Durham and Richmondshire. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Kildwick Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Preston Lancashire
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Scarborough 001 Scarborough
2 County Durham 059 County Durham
3 Richmondshire 006 Richmondshire
4 Scarborough 003 Scarborough
5 Richmondshire 005 Richmondshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clarkson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clarkson

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Clarkson 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

Clarkson is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Clarkson

The surname Clarkson is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is a locational surname, derived from the place name 'Clarkson' in the county of Norfolk, England. This place name is believed to have been derived from the Old English words 'clarc' meaning 'clerk' or 'scholar' and 'tun' meaning 'settlement' or 'village'.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Clarkson can be found in the Rotuli Hundredorum, a census-like record from the late 13th century. This document mentions a John de Clerkeston from Norfolk in 1273. The surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1275, which lists a William de Clerkeston from the same county.

In medieval times, the surname was often spelled in various ways, such as Clerkson, Clerksone, and Clerkeston, reflecting the local dialects and scribal variations of the time. The name is also found in early parish records and tax rolls from different parts of England, indicating its widespread use.

One notable bearer of the surname was Andrew Clarkson (c. 1662-1737), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1723 to 1724. Another was Thomas Clarkson (1760-1846), a prominent English abolitionist and a leading campaigner against the slave trade in the British Empire.

In the 19th century, the surname Clarkson gained further prominence with the birth of Thomas Clarkson (1809-1893), an English missionary and explorer who was the first European to reach the Great Lakes region of Africa. His accounts of his travels and encounters with local tribes were instrumental in expanding knowledge about Central Africa.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir John Clarkson (1854-1924), a British businessman and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London from 1918 to 1919. He was also a Member of Parliament for the City of London from 1900 to 1918.

The surname Clarkson has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Clarkson's Green in Hertfordshire and Clarkson's Hill in Gloucestershire, further reflecting its locational origins and historical presence in various parts of the country.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clarkson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clarkson 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 2,683 Clarksons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.50x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,683 3.50x
Lancashire 2,342 2.55x
Lanarkshire 417 1.66x
Middlesex 377 0.49x
Durham 375 1.63x
Surrey 224 0.59x
Staffordshire 154 0.59x
Cheshire 152 0.89x
Lincolnshire 138 1.11x
Midlothian 124 1.20x
Worcestershire 77 0.76x
Northumberland 74 0.64x
Warwickshire 69 0.35x
Stirlingshire 68 2.38x
Kent 64 0.24x
Nottinghamshire 63 0.60x
Derbyshire 52 0.43x
Leicestershire 44 0.51x
West Lothian 40 3.43x
Sussex 39 0.30x
Essex 33 0.22x
Westmorland 32 1.88x
Hampshire 28 0.18x
Ayrshire 24 0.41x
Cumberland 24 0.36x
Suffolk 24 0.25x
Berkshire 21 0.36x
Somerset 17 0.14x
Renfrewshire 16 0.27x
Devon 15 0.09x
Aberdeenshire 13 0.18x
Herefordshire 12 0.38x
Huntingdonshire 12 0.78x
Dunbartonshire 9 0.43x
Wiltshire 9 0.13x
Northamptonshire 8 0.11x
Dorset 6 0.12x
Norfolk 6 0.05x
Dumfriesshire 5 0.29x
Royal Navy 5 0.54x
Shropshire 5 0.07x
Clackmannanshire 4 0.63x
Glamorgan 4 0.03x
Hertfordshire 4 0.07x
Roxburghshire 4 0.29x
East Lothian 3 0.29x
Fife 3 0.07x
Gloucestershire 3 0.02x
Perthshire 3 0.09x
Selkirkshire 3 0.43x
Argyllshire 2 0.09x
Angus 1 0.01x
Bedfordshire 1 0.02x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.02x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.03x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.02x
Monmouthshire 1 0.02x
Oxfordshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 305 Clarksons recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.40x.

Place Total Index
Preston 305 12.40x
Leeds 249 5.75x
Blackburn 115 4.70x
Kildwick 88 125.91x
Everton 68 2.32x
Holy Trinity 65 3.52x
Chorley 62 12.02x
Liverpool 58 1.04x
Oldham 58 1.96x
Silsden 56 247.35x
Lancaster 52 9.51x
Pilling 52 120.54x
Sculcoates 52 4.27x
Glasgow 49 1.10x
Little Bolton 47 3.98x
Manchester 44 1.06x
Govan 43 0.69x
Islington London 42 0.56x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 41 0.98x
Hunslet 41 3.43x
Larbert 41 24.01x
Pendleton In Salford 41 3.74x
Great Bolton 39 3.20x
Salford 39 1.44x
Thornton In Fylde 39 19.40x
Great Little Marsden 38 9.03x
Lambeth 36 0.53x
Thornhill 36 16.08x
Toxteth Park 36 1.16x
Kirkham 35 28.80x
Dukinfield 34 4.30x
Horton In Bradford 34 2.84x
St Marylebone London 34 0.82x
Barony 33 0.52x
Camberwell 33 0.67x
West Calder 33 16.14x
Ashton Under Lyne 31 1.54x
Bishopwearmouth 31 1.57x
Carnwath 31 20.01x
New Monkland 31 4.19x
Wigan 31 2.41x
Bethnal Green London 30 0.89x
Scarborough 30 4.30x
St Pancras London 30 0.48x
Armley 29 8.57x
Barrow In Furness 29 2.32x
Great Grimsby 29 3.69x
Ilkley 29 23.12x
Shoreditch London 29 0.86x
Darlington 28 3.15x
Stockton On Tees 28 2.52x
Wakefield 28 4.75x
Kirkdale 27 1.75x
Middleham 27 124.37x
Brightside Bierlow 26 1.73x
Old Monkland 26 2.62x
Birmingham 25 0.38x
Kings Norton 25 2.76x
Mirfield 25 5.93x
Shitlington 25 31.48x
Batley 24 3.29x
Dewsbury 24 3.05x
Holbeck 24 4.72x
Hoyland Swaine 24 120.72x
Huddersfield 24 2.15x
Newchurch 24 3.19x
Pudsey 24 5.85x
Rotherhithe 24 2.51x
Battersea 23 0.81x
Chorlton On Medlock 23 1.58x
Crigglestone 23 31.11x
Keighley 23 2.81x
Manningham 23 2.43x
Muker 23 103.65x
Sedgley 23 2.37x
West Derby 23 0.86x
Ecclesall Bierlow 22 1.41x
Honley 22 16.38x
Nottingham St Mary 22 0.81x
Whitburn 22 13.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 548
Elizabeth 291
Sarah 257
Ann 205
Jane 181
Alice 126
Margaret 125
Annie 109
Hannah 109
Ellen 95
Emma 75
Eliza 68
Martha 61
Emily 53
Louisa 47
Edith 42
Ada 41
Lucy 37
Catherine 35
Florence 35
Isabella 35
Frances 34
Agnes 32
Maria 32
Fanny 28
Charlotte 26
Harriet 26
Eleanor 24
Kate 22
Caroline 21
Clara 21
Esther 21
Grace 20
Betsy 19
Susannah 19
Amelia 18
Anne 18
Elizth. 18
Harriett 17
Ruth 16
Minnie 15
Matilda 14
Lydia 13
Sophia 13
Betty 11
Ethel 11
Gertrude 11
Laura 11
Margret 11
Nancy 11

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 509
William 426
Thomas 317
James 242
George 210
Joseph 160
Robert 118
Henry 111
Charles 105
Richard 89
Edward 84
Arthur 49
Walter 47
Samuel 43
Albert 42
Alfred 41
Frederick 37
Herbert 33
Benjamin 31
Harry 29
Tom 27
Fred 26
Wm. 25
Frank 24
Francis 22
Edwin 21
David 20
Ernest 17
Matthew 16
Thos. 15
Leonard 12
Peter 12
Anthony 11
Harold 11
Andrew 9
Isaac 9
Jas. 9
Joshua 9
Ralph 9
Abraham 8
Christopher 8
Edmund 8
Joe 8
Jonathan 8
Amos 7
Edgar 7
Jno. 7
Mark 7
Robt. 7
Wilfred 7

FAQ

Clarkson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clarkson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7,937 people were recorded with the Clarkson surname. That placed it at #524 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clarkson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,965 in 2016. That gives Clarkson a modern rank of #645.

What does the Clarkson surname mean?

Derived from Clark's son, indicating the descendant of someone named Clark, an English surname meaning "cleric" or "scribe."

What does the Clarkson map show?

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