NameCensus.

UK surname

Erickson

Son of Eric, derived from the Scandinavian personal name Erik, meaning "eternal ruler" or "ever powerful."

In the 1881 census there were 56 people recorded with the Erickson surname, ranking it #25,733 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 263, ranked #16,210, up from #25,733 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Hull Holy Trinity and Paddington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torfaen, Wiltshire and Knowsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Erickson is 275 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 369.6%.

1881 census count

56

Ranked #25,733

Modern count

263

2016, ranked #16,210

Peak year

2014

275 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Erickson had 56 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,733 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 263 in 2016, ranked #16,210.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 157 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Erickson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Erickson surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Erickson 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 7 #32,070
1861 historical 32 #29,944
1881 historical 56 #25,733
1891 historical 98 #24,313
1901 historical 156 #17,638
1911 historical 157 #17,348
1997 modern 233 #15,975
1998 modern 245 #15,903
1999 modern 251 #15,751
2000 modern 242 #16,101
2001 modern 235 #16,147
2002 modern 223 #17,099
2003 modern 214 #17,343
2004 modern 216 #17,331
2005 modern 218 #17,170
2006 modern 230 #16,690
2007 modern 234 #16,706
2008 modern 223 #17,395
2009 modern 233 #17,241
2010 modern 274 #15,705
2011 modern 258 #16,284
2012 modern 261 #16,041
2013 modern 268 #16,005
2014 modern 275 #15,831
2015 modern 273 #15,789
2016 modern 263 #16,210

Geography

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Where Ericksons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Hull Holy Trinity, Paddington, Gateshead and Toxteth Park. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torfaen, Wiltshire, Knowsley and North Tyneside. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
3 Paddington London (West Districts)
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Toxteth Park Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torfaen 010 Torfaen
2 Wiltshire 020 Wiltshire
3 Torfaen 009 Torfaen
4 Knowsley 019 Knowsley
5 North Tyneside 028 North Tyneside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Erickson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Erickson

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Erickson is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Erickson is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Erickson falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Erickson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Erickson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Erickson

The surname Erickson is of Scandinavian origin, derived from the personal name Erik combined with the patronymic suffix "-son", meaning "son of Erik". The name Erik itself is derived from the Old Norse name Eiríkr, which is thought to be a compound of the elements "ei" meaning "ever" or "always" and "rik" meaning "ruler" or "prince".

The name Erickson can be traced back to the Viking era in Scandinavia, particularly in the regions of modern-day Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. It is believed that the name first emerged as a patronymic, identifying individuals as the sons of someone named Erik. Early examples of the name can be found in Old Norse sagas and medieval records from the region.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Erickson is found in the Icelandic Landnámabók (Book of Settlements), which records the names of the Norse settlers who arrived in Iceland during the 9th and 10th centuries. In this text, several individuals are mentioned bearing the name Eiríksson, the Old Norse form of Erickson.

As the Scandinavian influence spread across Europe and beyond, the name Erickson began to appear in various spellings and regional variations. In England, for instance, it was sometimes rendered as Ericson or Erikson, while in other parts of Europe, it took on forms such as Eriksson or Eriksen.

One notable figure bearing the surname Erickson was the Swedish explorer and colonizer Johan Eriksson Lejonhufvud (1540-1617), who founded the colony of New Sweden along the Delaware River in present-day Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Another famous Erickson was the Swedish botanist and zoologist Johan Eriksson (1756-1837), who made significant contributions to the study of fungi and lichens.

Other notable individuals with the surname Erickson include the American writer and academic John R. Erickson (born 1941), best known for his Hank the Cowdog children's book series, and the American basketball player and coach Dick Erickson (1921-2007), who coached at several universities and in the NBA.

In modern times, the surname Erickson remains prevalent in Scandinavia and among individuals of Scandinavian descent worldwide, serving as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage and history associated with this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Erickson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Erickson 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. Lancashire leads with 20 Ericksons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.09x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 20 3.09x
Middlesex 15 2.75x
Cheshire 4 3.32x
Durham 4 2.46x
Lanarkshire 3 1.70x
Lincolnshire 3 3.44x
Yorkshire 3 0.55x
Devon 1 0.88x
Glamorgan 1 1.05x
Northumberland 1 1.23x
Surrey 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 20 Ericksons recorded in 1881 and an index of 50.83x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 20 50.83x
Mile End Old Town London 7 60.24x
Paddington London 5 24.90x
Great Grimsby 3 54.15x
South Shields 3 206.90x
Chester St John Baptist 2 92.17x
Glasgow 2 6.38x
Holy Trinity 2 15.37x
St George Hanover Square 2 20.79x
Birkenhead 1 10.41x
Cardiff St Mary 1 19.08x
Dartmouth Townstall 1 217.39x
Govan 1 2.29x
Harton 1 156.25x
Knapton 1 1428.57x
Macclesfield 1 18.66x
North Shields 1 61.73x
Rotherhithe 1 14.81x
St Marylebone London 1 3.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ellen 3
Jane 2
Mary 2
Agnes 1
Agnet 1
Ann 1
Bertha 1
Catherine 1
Cecilia 1
Charlotte 1
Christina 1
E.Margret 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Frances 1
Hilda 1
Honor 1
Marie 1
R.Maud 1
Susannah 1
Victoria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
Johan 2
Aleck 1
Alfred 1
Ascil 1
August 1
Axel 1
Carl 1
Chas. 1
E. 1
Edward 1
Eric 1
Erick 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
H. 1
Hy. 1
Olof 1
Peter 1
Storius 1
Tillhed 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Erickson households.

FAQ

Erickson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Erickson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 56 people were recorded with the Erickson surname. That placed it at #25,733 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Erickson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 263 in 2016. That gives Erickson a modern rank of #16,210.

What does the Erickson surname mean?

Son of Eric, derived from the Scandinavian personal name Erik, meaning "eternal ruler" or "ever powerful."

What does the Erickson map show?

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