NameCensus.

UK surname

Georgeson

A patronymic surname derived from the given name George, meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker".

In the 1881 census there were 597 people recorded with the Georgeson surname, ranking it #5,858 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 739, ranked #7,386, down from #5,858 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wick, Walls and Sandness and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East and West Mainland, Lerwick North and Lerwick South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Georgeson is 739 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.8%.

1881 census count

597

Ranked #5,858

Modern count

739

2016, ranked #7,386

Peak year

2014

739 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Georgeson had 597 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,858 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 739 in 2016, ranked #7,386.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 706 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Georgeson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Georgeson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Georgeson 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 389 #6,177
1861 historical 486 #5,372
1881 historical 597 #5,858
1891 historical 662 #5,873
1901 historical 706 #6,243
1911 historical 400 #9,280
1997 modern 648 #7,671
1998 modern 661 #7,806
1999 modern 672 #7,748
2000 modern 686 #7,606
2001 modern 674 #7,579
2002 modern 687 #7,625
2003 modern 657 #7,778
2004 modern 668 #7,691
2005 modern 671 #7,593
2006 modern 672 #7,607
2007 modern 684 #7,568
2008 modern 697 #7,512
2009 modern 726 #7,418
2010 modern 728 #7,556
2011 modern 713 #7,590
2012 modern 697 #7,631
2013 modern 711 #7,641
2014 modern 739 #7,469
2015 modern 733 #7,455
2016 modern 739 #7,386

Geography

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Where Georgesons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wick, Walls and Sandness, Gateshead, Sandsting and Aithsting and Nesting. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East and West Mainland, Lerwick North, Lerwick South and Gateshead. 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 Wick Caithness
2 Walls and Sandness Shetland
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Sandsting and Aithsting Shetland
5 Nesting Shetland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East and West Mainland Shetland Islands
2 Lerwick North Shetland Islands
3 Lerwick South Shetland Islands
4 Gateshead 026 Gateshead
5 Gateshead 010 Gateshead

Forenames

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First names often paired with Georgeson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Georgeson

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Georgeson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Georgeson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Georgeson is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Georgeson 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

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

Meaning and origin of Georgeson

The surname "Georgeson" is of English origin, and it can be traced back to the 13th century. It is a patronymic name, which means it was originally derived from the given name of the father or an ancestor. In this case, "Georgeson" is derived from the personal name "George," which originated from the Greek name "Georgios," meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "Georgeson" can be found in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Georgessone." This spelling variation is not uncommon, as surnames were often written phonetically before they became standardized.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname "Georgeson" was John Georgeson, who was born in Yorkshire, England, in the late 15th century. Records indicate that he was a landowner and farmer in the village of Kirkby Malzeard.

In the 16th century, the surname "Georgeson" appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of 1524, where it was recorded as "Georgeson" in the county of Lincolnshire. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of England by that time.

During the 17th century, a notable bearer of the name was William Georgeson, who was born in 1612 in Northumberland, England. He was a prominent merchant and trader, and his name can be found in various business records of the time.

Another significant figure with the surname "Georgeson" was Robert Georgeson, a Scottish writer and poet who lived in the 18th century. He was born in 1730 in Aberdeenshire and is best known for his collection of poems titled "The Seasons," published in 1789.

In the 19th century, one of the most notable individuals with the surname "Georgeson" was Charles Christian Georgeson, an American agricultural scientist and educator. He was born in 1851 in Denmark and immigrated to the United States in 1878. Georgeson made significant contributions to the field of agriculture and served as the director of several agricultural experiment stations, including the Kansas State Agricultural College and the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines.

Throughout its history, the surname "Georgeson" has been linked to various places and settlements, such as the village of Georgeson in Cumbria, England, which likely took its name from an early bearer of the surname who resided there.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Georgeson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Georgeson 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. Shetland leads with 270 Georgesons recorded in 1881 and an index of 453.17x.

County Total Index
Shetland 270 453.17x
Lancashire 129 1.86x
Caithness 57 71.37x
Durham 41 2.36x
Northumberland 24 2.77x
Aberdeenshire 18 3.33x
Lanarkshire 15 0.80x
Orkney 7 10.91x
Hampshire 6 0.50x
Kincardineshire 6 8.45x
Midlothian 6 0.77x
Yorkshire 6 0.10x
Ayrshire 3 0.69x
Dumfriesshire 2 1.55x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.27x
Flintshire 1 0.64x
Inverness-shire 1 0.57x
Lincolnshire 1 0.11x
Middlesex 1 0.02x
Perthshire 1 0.38x
Royal Navy 1 1.44x
Warwickshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nesting Lunnas Whalsay in Shetland leads with 54 Georgesons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1028.57x.

Place Total Index
Nesting Lunnas Whalsay 54 1028.57x
Sandsting Aitsting 48 888.89x
Walls Sandness 48 4173.91x
Walls 37 1280.28x
Wick 36 139.53x
Skelmersdale 33 285.96x
Lerwick Gulberwick 19 206.07x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 18 17.81x
Gateshead 18 13.85x
Tingwall 18 604.03x
Walls Sandness Papa 15 2941.18x
Liverpool 13 3.09x
Chirton 12 61.10x
Manchester 12 3.85x
Ford 11 211.54x
Scarisbrick 11 136.82x
West Derby 11 5.43x
Whiteness Weisdale 9 500.00x
Latheron 8 59.88x
North Shields 8 46.19x
Unst 8 183.49x
Blackrod 7 81.40x
Darlington 7 10.45x
Fetlar North Yell 7 813.95x
Lady 7 368.42x
Lathom 7 83.73x
Banchory Ternan 6 97.72x
Govan 6 1.29x
Halkirk 6 111.11x
Hipperholme Cum 6 23.62x
Kirkdale 6 5.15x
Portsea 6 2.56x
Toxteth Park 6 2.56x
Birtley 5 70.62x
Glasgow 5 1.49x
Northmavine 5 110.13x
Walton Le Dale 5 26.88x
Barony 4 0.84x
Everton 4 1.81x
Olrig 4 100.25x
Tynemouth 4 8.61x
Ayr 3 14.56x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 0.95x
Maghull 3 104.53x
Walton On Hill 3 8.00x
Wigan 3 3.10x
Cummertrees 2 91.74x
Delting 2 59.70x
Watten 2 71.17x
Ardersier 1 23.92x
Aughton 1 14.58x
Birmingham 1 0.20x
Broughton In Salford 1 1.58x
Canisbay 1 19.08x
Chelsea London 1 0.57x
Dunning 1 30.58x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 6.58x
Holywell 1 5.08x
Liberton 1 8.29x
Much Woolton 1 10.65x
Ormskirk 1 7.55x
Royal Navy 1 1.68x
Sefton 1 129.87x
South Leith 1 1.14x
Tydd St Mary 1 53.76x
Wisbech St Peter 1 5.40x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 21
Elizabeth 9
Ann 7
Jane 7
Alice 4
Ellen 4
Isabella 4
Margaret 4
Catherine 3
Emma 3
Sarah 3
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Martha 2
Sophia 2
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Barbara 1
Dorothy 1
Edith 1
Emily 1
Ester 1
Grace 1
Kattie 1
Laura 1
Lillie 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Nancy 1
Phillis 1
Rosette 1
Ruth 1
Teresa 1
Tyler 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 16
James 13
John 13
Thomas 12
Robert 9
George 8
Peter 6
Henry 5
Richard 5
Joseph 4
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Lawrance 2
Ralph 2
Robt. 2
Alexander 1
Arthur 1
Benjami 1
David 1
Donald 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Hy. 1
Isaac 1
Jane 1
Michael 1
Patrick 1
Paul 1
Silvester 1

FAQ

Georgeson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Georgeson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 597 people were recorded with the Georgeson surname. That placed it at #5,858 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Georgeson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 739 in 2016. That gives Georgeson a modern rank of #7,386.

What does the Georgeson surname mean?

A patronymic surname derived from the given name George, meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker".

What does the Georgeson map show?

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