NameCensus.

UK surname

Collinson

A locational surname referring to a person from one of many places with the name Collinson.

In the 1881 census there were 3,519 people recorded with the Collinson surname, ranking it #1,292 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,940, ranked #1,370, down from #1,292 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Wyre and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Collinson is 5,143 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.4%.

1881 census count

3,519

Ranked #1,292

Modern count

4,940

2016, ranked #1,370

Peak year

2010

5,143 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Collinson had 3,519 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,292 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,940 in 2016, ranked #1,370.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,864 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Collinson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Collinson surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Collinson 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 2,164 #1,349
1861 historical 2,390 #1,228
1881 historical 3,519 #1,292
1891 historical 4,101 #1,173
1901 historical 4,610 #1,231
1911 historical 4,864 #1,070
1997 modern 4,856 #1,351
1998 modern 5,070 #1,342
1999 modern 5,138 #1,332
2000 modern 5,094 #1,335
2001 modern 4,912 #1,355
2002 modern 4,995 #1,358
2003 modern 4,876 #1,355
2004 modern 4,817 #1,371
2005 modern 4,769 #1,367
2006 modern 4,796 #1,364
2007 modern 4,862 #1,358
2008 modern 4,880 #1,360
2009 modern 5,026 #1,357
2010 modern 5,143 #1,353
2011 modern 5,022 #1,364
2012 modern 4,947 #1,356
2013 modern 5,041 #1,351
2014 modern 5,053 #1,357
2015 modern 4,981 #1,361
2016 modern 4,940 #1,370

Geography

Back to top

Where Collinsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes, Manchester, Middleton-in-Teesdale and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Wyre and Scarborough. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Middleton-in-Teesdale Durham
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 065 County Durham
2 Wyre 007 Wyre
3 County Durham 042 County Durham
4 Scarborough 004 Scarborough
5 County Durham 064 County Durham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Collinson

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Collinson

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

Collinson 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

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

Meaning and origin of Collinson

The surname Collinson is an English patronymic name derived from the personal name Colin, itself a medieval diminutive form of the name Nicholas. The name is believed to have originated in Yorkshire and Lancashire in Northern England during the late 12th century.

One of the earliest known records of the Collinson surname dates back to the Poll Tax of Yorkshire in 1379, where a William Colynson is listed as residing in the village of Arkengarthdale. The Collinson name also appears in various medieval records from the 14th and 15th centuries, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls and the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire and Yorkshire.

The Collinson surname is thought to have evolved from various spellings over time, including Colinson, Colynson, Colineson, and Collingson, reflecting the regional dialects and phonetic variations of the time. In some instances, the name may have been influenced by or derived from local place names, such as Collinghall in Yorkshire or Collingbourne in Wiltshire.

One notable bearer of the Collinson surname was Peter Collinson (1694-1768), a renowned botanist and naturalist from Huguenot descent, who played a significant role in introducing various plant species from North America to Europe. Another individual of note was James Collinson (1825-1881), a British engineer and inventor responsible for the development of the hot blast process in iron smelting.

Other historical figures bearing the Collinson surname include John Collinson (1757-1849), an English clergyman and naturalist who authored several works on the flora and fauna of Somerset; and Mary Collinson (1716-1766), an accomplished artist and naturalist renowned for her intricate botanical illustrations.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, records show the Collinson name was present in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, and Middlesex, indicating the surname's widespread distribution across the country. While the name may have originated in northern England, it eventually spread to other regions through migration and family dispersal.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Collinson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Collinson 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 1,229 Collinsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.62x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,229 3.62x
Lancashire 870 2.14x
Durham 371 3.64x
Middlesex 210 0.61x
Lincolnshire 105 1.92x
Staffordshire 87 0.75x
Nottinghamshire 76 1.64x
Surrey 72 0.43x
Cheshire 67 0.89x
Kent 63 0.54x
Northumberland 49 0.96x
Norfolk 38 0.72x
Westmorland 32 4.25x
Warwickshire 31 0.36x
Cumberland 27 0.91x
Suffolk 25 0.60x
Derbyshire 24 0.45x
Essex 22 0.33x
Oxfordshire 22 1.04x
Hampshire 17 0.24x
Berkshire 9 0.35x
Midlothian 9 0.20x
Worcestershire 8 0.18x
Huntingdonshire 7 1.03x
Lanarkshire 6 0.05x
Sussex 6 0.10x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.23x
Gloucestershire 5 0.07x
Somerset 5 0.09x
Wiltshire 4 0.13x
Dorset 3 0.13x
Renfrewshire 3 0.11x
Leicestershire 2 0.05x
Buteshire 1 0.48x
Devon 1 0.01x
Hertfordshire 1 0.04x
Isle of Man 1 0.16x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.20x
Royal Navy 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Middleton In Teesdale in Durham leads with 60 Collinsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 222.88x.

Place Total Index
Middleton In Teesdale 60 222.88x
Bradford 59 7.17x
Chorley 56 24.53x
Holy Trinity 55 6.73x
Leeds 51 2.66x
Preston 49 4.50x
Cleckheaton 47 37.55x
Failsworth 47 50.49x
Hulme 47 5.53x
Nottingham St Mary 45 3.76x
Blackburn 42 3.88x
Newton 42 13.39x
Thornton In Fylde 38 42.69x
Heckmondwike 36 32.94x
Halifax 35 7.02x
Sculcoates 33 6.13x
Bowling 32 9.51x
Burslem 32 9.65x
Manchester 32 1.75x
Wolsingham 32 34.42x
Great Grimsby 31 8.91x
West Derby 30 2.52x
Chadderton 28 14.08x
Lambeth 28 0.94x
Liversedge 26 17.19x
Scarborough 26 8.42x
Toxteth Park 26 1.89x
Bishopwearmouth 25 2.86x
Islington London 25 0.75x
Salford 24 2.01x
Southcoates 23 12.19x
Lunedale 22 486.73x
Newbiggin 22 304.29x
Stanhope 22 20.89x
Batley 21 6.50x
Hyde 21 9.40x
Liverpool 21 0.85x
St Pancras London 21 0.76x
Bethnal Green London 20 1.34x
Lytham 20 32.20x
Wolstanton 20 5.69x
Fylingdales 19 112.16x
Manningham 19 4.54x
Great Bolton 18 3.34x
Kippax 18 60.24x
Openshaw 18 9.45x
Wakefield 18 6.90x
Harrow 16 30.53x
Lancaster 16 6.61x
Rothwell 16 23.31x
Westoe 15 2.59x
Beverley St Nicholas 14 50.25x
Birmingham 14 0.49x
Bradford 14 7.35x
Calverley Cum Farsley 14 14.51x
Hackney London 14 0.73x
Kensington London 14 0.73x
Mellor 14 108.70x
Rillington 14 135.79x
Wolstanton Oldcott 14 33.40x
Ardwick 13 3.54x
Preesall With 13 130.65x
Pudsey 13 7.16x
Cockfield 12 84.33x
Hunslet 12 2.26x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 12 7.58x
Morley 12 6.79x
Newington 12 12.82x
Stoke Upon Trent 12 0.98x
Camberwell 11 0.50x
Chatham 11 3.42x
Ecclesall Bierlow 11 1.59x
Forest Frith 11 123.46x
Middleham 11 114.46x
Nateby 11 238.61x
Oldham 11 0.84x
Radford 11 4.69x
Sedbergh 11 87.86x
Stranton 11 3.20x
Gomersal 10 6.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 262
Elizabeth 161
Sarah 130
Jane 68
Ann 63
Hannah 54
Margaret 53
Martha 46
Alice 45
Annie 43
Eliza 42
Emma 42
Ellen 40
Emily 23
Harriet 20
Florence 19
Agnes 18
Isabella 18
Fanny 16
Lucy 16
Maria 16
Ada 15
Catherine 15
Edith 15
Anne 14
Louisa 14
Clara 13
Elizth. 12
Frances 12
Caroline 11
Grace 11
Sophia 11
Charlotte 10
Ruth 10
Susannah 10
Kate 9
Susan 9
Amelia 8
Eleanor 8
Esther 8
Gertrude 8
Julia 8
Matilda 8
Amy 6
Betsy 6
Nancy 6
Rachel 6
Rose 6
Harriett 5
Lilly 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 246
William 191
Thomas 136
James 108
George 95
Joseph 84
Henry 59
Robert 56
Charles 40
Richard 36
Arthur 34
Alfred 26
Walter 23
Samuel 22
Edward 21
Herbert 20
Wm. 20
Frank 19
Albert 18
Benjamin 18
Frederick 18
Edwin 16
Ernest 14
Harry 14
Fred 13
David 11
Thos. 11
Tom 10
Isaac 9
Francis 8
Matthew 8
Percy 7
Chas. 6
Christopher 6
Ephraim 6
Fredrick 6
Geo. 6
Gibson 6
Leonard 6
Mark 6
Peter 6
Stephen 6
Andrew 5
Joshua 5
Robt. 5
Richd. 4
Timothy 4
Willie 4
Jeremiah 3
Sam 3

FAQ

Collinson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Collinson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,519 people were recorded with the Collinson surname. That placed it at #1,292 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Collinson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,940 in 2016. That gives Collinson a modern rank of #1,370.

What does the Collinson surname mean?

A locational surname referring to a person from one of many places with the name Collinson.

What does the Collinson map show?

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