NameCensus.

UK surname

Collison

Derived from a place name meaning "settlement of Cola's people," referring to an Old English personal name.

In the 1881 census there were 1,234 people recorded with the Collison surname, ranking it #3,284 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,515, ranked #4,086, down from #3,284 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Grimstone, London parishes and King's Lynn St Margaret. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Collison is 1,756 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.8%.

1881 census count

1,234

Ranked #3,284

Modern count

1,515

2016, ranked #4,086

Peak year

1911

1,756 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Collison had 1,234 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,284 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,515 in 2016, ranked #4,086.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,756 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Collison surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Collison surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Collison 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 989 #2,821
1861 historical 971 #2,866
1881 historical 1,234 #3,284
1891 historical 1,330 #3,272
1901 historical 1,391 #3,616
1911 historical 1,756 #2,797
1997 modern 1,523 #3,863
1998 modern 1,611 #3,819
1999 modern 1,571 #3,926
2000 modern 1,599 #3,862
2001 modern 1,539 #3,901
2002 modern 1,565 #3,936
2003 modern 1,500 #4,000
2004 modern 1,481 #4,049
2005 modern 1,464 #4,039
2006 modern 1,445 #4,092
2007 modern 1,465 #4,083
2008 modern 1,465 #4,102
2009 modern 1,488 #4,146
2010 modern 1,529 #4,135
2011 modern 1,499 #4,159
2012 modern 1,528 #4,012
2013 modern 1,555 #4,015
2014 modern 1,543 #4,078
2015 modern 1,520 #4,089
2016 modern 1,515 #4,086

Geography

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Where Collisons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Grimstone, London parishes, King's Lynn St Margaret and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk. 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 Grimstone Norfolk
2 London parishes London 1
3 King's Lynn St Margaret Norfolk
4 London parishes London 3
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 008 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 012 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 014 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 003 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 004 King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Collison

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Collison

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Collison surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Collison household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Collison is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Collison 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

Collison falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Collison

The surname Collison has its origins in England, tracing back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English words 'col' meaning coal and 'hierde' meaning shepherd or herdsman. This suggests that the name likely originated from a place where coal was mined and shepherds or herdsmen worked.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Collison surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1198, where a person named Willelmus Colherder is mentioned. This spelling variation supports the theory of the name's origin from 'col' and 'hierde'.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname appeared in various records across England, including the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk from 1273, which lists a Johannes Colhird, and the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, which mentions a Thomas Colherde.

In the 16th century, the Collison surname can be found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire from 1523, where a Thomas Collyson is recorded. This spelling variation further highlights the evolution of the name over time.

One notable historical figure bearing the Collison surname was Robert Collison (1569-1639), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Rector of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.

Another prominent individual was John Collison (1625-1690), an English mathematician and astronomer who was a Fellow of the Royal Society and known for his work on comets and lunar eclipses.

In the 18th century, Edward Collison (1701-1786) was an English lawyer and politician who served as the Recorder of London from 1753 to 1786.

Moving into the 19th century, William Collison (1801-1875) was a British architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St John the Evangelist in Notting Hill.

Lastly, one of the more recent historical figures with the Collison surname was Kenneth Collison (1907-1987), an American football player and coach who played for the Chicago Bears in the 1930s and later served as a coach for several college teams.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Collison families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Collison 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. Norfolk leads with 269 Collisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.61x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 269 14.61x
Middlesex 164 1.37x
Kent 152 3.72x
Yorkshire 137 1.15x
Lancashire 101 0.71x
Sussex 45 2.23x
Surrey 42 0.72x
Midlothian 37 2.31x
Angus 27 2.43x
Essex 25 1.06x
Lincolnshire 22 1.15x
Durham 19 0.53x
Nottinghamshire 17 1.05x
Derbyshire 15 0.80x
Hampshire 15 0.61x
Lanarkshire 12 0.31x
Leicestershire 12 0.90x
Northamptonshire 11 0.98x
Suffolk 11 0.75x
Berkshire 10 1.11x
Aberdeenshire 9 0.81x
Cheshire 8 0.30x
Northumberland 8 0.45x
Cambridgeshire 7 0.92x
Staffordshire 7 0.17x
Warwickshire 7 0.23x
Devon 4 0.16x
Fife 4 0.56x
Worcestershire 4 0.26x
Westmorland 3 1.14x
Bedfordshire 2 0.32x
Dorset 2 0.25x
Gloucestershire 2 0.09x
Herefordshire 2 0.41x
Hertfordshire 2 0.24x
Kincardineshire 2 1.37x
Oxfordshire 2 0.27x
Perthshire 2 0.37x
Renfrewshire 2 0.22x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.14x
Channel Islands 1 0.28x
Cumberland 1 0.10x
Roxburghshire 1 0.46x
Royal Navy 1 0.70x
Somerset 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kings Lynn St Margaret in Norfolk leads with 43 Collisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 77.77x.

Place Total Index
Kings Lynn St Margaret 43 77.77x
Grimston 37 795.70x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 32 4.96x
Headcorn 31 506.54x
South Lynn 31 149.18x
Preston 27 7.10x
Litcham 25 757.58x
Montrose 21 31.23x
Bromley London 20 7.59x
Leeds 18 2.69x
South Creake 18 430.62x
Bethnal Green London 17 3.27x
Blackburn 17 4.50x
Radford 17 20.73x
Shouldham 16 615.38x
St Marylebone London 16 2.50x
Clenchwarton 14 510.95x
Great Bolton 13 6.91x
Mile End Old Town London 13 5.10x
Boughton Malherbe 12 659.34x
Camberwell 12 1.57x
Paddington London 12 2.72x
Staplehurst 12 178.84x
St George Hanover Square 11 5.21x
Walpole St Peter 11 235.55x
Dartford 10 23.93x
Greenwich 10 5.24x
Ipswich St Mary Stoke 10 73.86x
Islington London 10 0.86x
Sculcoates 10 5.31x
Shipley 10 218.34x
Shoreditch London 10 1.93x
Clayton 9 118.27x
Eccleshill 9 31.15x
Old Monkland 9 5.85x
Romaldkirk 9 789.47x
Brighton 8 1.96x
Edmonton 8 8.29x
Hayfield 8 69.50x
Ifield 8 95.01x
Middlesbrough 8 5.18x
Plumstead 8 5.87x
Rotherham 8 11.95x
Wokingham 8 38.99x
Ashwicken 7 1750.00x
Chelsea London 7 1.94x
East Donyland 7 122.81x
East Rudham 7 215.38x
Esh 7 26.99x
Gaywood 7 212.12x
Great Yarmouth 7 4.59x
Maidstone 7 5.75x
Newcastle On Tyne St 7 7.58x
Smarden 7 149.89x
Alverstoke 6 6.75x
Bermondsey 6 1.68x
Clerkenwell London 6 2.12x
Deptford St Paul 6 1.90x
Eye 6 111.52x
Leicester St Margaret 6 1.85x
Little Bolton 6 3.28x
Nunnington 6 363.64x
Penge 6 7.84x
Portsea 6 1.25x
St Giles In Fields London 6 10.21x
St Pancras London 6 0.62x
Stickney 6 211.27x
Stockport 6 4.41x
Syderstone 6 283.02x
Terrington St Clement 6 72.12x
Baildon 5 22.37x
Beverley St Mary 5 28.84x
Bowling 5 4.25x
Chislehurst 5 22.81x
Edgeworth 5 65.53x
Hackney London 5 0.74x
Headingley Cum Burley 5 6.54x
Liverpool 5 0.58x
Sedgley 5 3.33x
Stoke Newington London 5 5.36x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 75
John 54
James 34
George 28
Henry 28
Thomas 28
Edward 23
Charles 22
Robert 20
Frederick 19
Arthur 16
Alfred 13
Albert 11
Samuel 10
Frank 9
Joseph 9
Walter 9
Richard 8
Francis 7
Harry 5
Thos. 5
Ambrose 4
Herbert 4
Wells 4
Wm. 4
Edwin 3
Elijah 3
Ernest 3
Ezekiel 3
Fred 3
Harold 3
Josiah 3
Thompson 3
Christopher 2
Edgar 2
Edmund 2
Fredric 2
Horace 2
Joshua 2
Seth 2
Stephen 2
Willm. 2
Benjn. 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Fred. 1
Frederic 1
Howlett 1
Hubert 1
Infant 1

FAQ

Collison surname: questions and answers

How common was the Collison surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,234 people were recorded with the Collison surname. That placed it at #3,284 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Collison surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,515 in 2016. That gives Collison a modern rank of #4,086.

What does the Collison surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "settlement of Cola's people," referring to an Old English personal name.

What does the Collison map show?

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