NameCensus.

UK surname

Ireson

A locational surname referring to someone from an area with iron ore deposits.

In the 1881 census there were 611 people recorded with the Ireson surname, ranking it #5,748 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,061, ranked #5,505, up from #5,748 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, London parishes and Apethorpe, Yarwell, Nassington, Wood Newton, Southwick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Peterborough and Wolverhampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ireson is 1,115 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 73.6%.

1881 census count

611

Ranked #5,748

Modern count

1,061

2016, ranked #5,505

Peak year

1999

1,115 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ireson had 611 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,748 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,061 in 2016, ranked #5,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 970 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ireson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ireson surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ireson 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 365 #6,492
1861 historical 340 #7,497
1881 historical 611 #5,748
1891 historical 745 #5,342
1901 historical 919 #5,067
1911 historical 970 #4,661
1997 modern 1,060 #5,235
1998 modern 1,107 #5,230
1999 modern 1,115 #5,240
2000 modern 1,103 #5,257
2001 modern 1,066 #5,302
2002 modern 1,084 #5,339
2003 modern 1,054 #5,363
2004 modern 1,053 #5,372
2005 modern 1,051 #5,328
2006 modern 1,059 #5,296
2007 modern 1,055 #5,365
2008 modern 1,063 #5,363
2009 modern 1,086 #5,373
2010 modern 1,069 #5,563
2011 modern 1,055 #5,564
2012 modern 1,026 #5,622
2013 modern 1,050 #5,601
2014 modern 1,066 #5,561
2015 modern 1,061 #5,534
2016 modern 1,061 #5,505

Geography

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Where Iresons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, London parishes, Apethorpe, Yarwell, Nassington, Wood Newton, Southwick and Peterborough St John the Baptist. 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, Peterborough, Wolverhampton, East Northamptonshire and South Oxfordshire. 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 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Apethorpe, Yarwell, Nassington, Wood Newton, Southwick Northamptonshire
5 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 002 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 Peterborough 013 Peterborough
3 Wolverhampton 005 Wolverhampton
4 East Northamptonshire 008 East Northamptonshire
5 South Oxfordshire 014 South Oxfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ireson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ireson

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Ireson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Ireson is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ireson falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Ireson

The surname IRESON originated in England during the late medieval period, deriving from the Old English personal name Ira or Iri combined with the suffix "-son", meaning "son of". This patronymic naming convention was common practice at the time, indicating the name initially belonged to the son of someone named Ira or Iri.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where a William Ireson is listed as a taxpayer. This suggests the name was already established in the Yorkshire region by the late 13th century.

The name IRESON is believed to have originated in the East Riding of Yorkshire, particularly in the village of Ireson, which itself is derived from the Old English words "iren" meaning iron and "tun" meaning enclosure or settlement. This place name connection further reinforces the name's Yorkshire roots.

In the 14th century, a John Ireson is documented in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, dated 1317. This record provides evidence of the name's continued presence in Yorkshire during the early 1300s.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname IRESON was Richard Ireson, a 16th-century English merchant and alderman of the City of London. He was born in Northallerton, Yorkshire, in 1519 and served as an alderman from 1570 until his death in 1603.

Another individual of note was John Ireson, a 17th-century English clergyman and author. Born in Yorkshire in 1615, he became the rector of Wallington in Hertfordshire and published several religious works, including "An Apology for the Nonconformists" in 1683.

In the 18th century, William Ireson, born in 1723 in Yorkshire, gained recognition as a prominent mathematician and instrument maker. He is credited with improving the design of the quintant, a navigational instrument used to measure angles.

The 19th century saw the emergence of Robert Ireson, a British naval officer and explorer. Born in Northumberland in 1822, he participated in several Arctic expeditions and was part of the crew that discovered the fate of Sir John Franklin's ill-fated Northwest Passage expedition.

Lastly, a more recent figure of note is Edward Ireson, a 20th-century English artist and sculptor. Born in Yorkshire in 1900, he is renowned for his public sculptures and monuments, including the "St. George and the Dragon" statue at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ireson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ireson 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. Northamptonshire leads with 135 Iresons recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.16x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 135 24.16x
Middlesex 71 1.20x
Berkshire 54 12.11x
Norfolk 50 5.47x
Surrey 46 1.59x
Huntingdonshire 29 24.58x
Leicestershire 26 3.95x
Yorkshire 26 0.44x
Lincolnshire 23 2.42x
Nottinghamshire 22 2.75x
Warwickshire 20 1.33x
Staffordshire 17 0.85x
Essex 13 1.11x
Derbyshire 12 1.29x
Gloucestershire 10 0.86x
Cheshire 8 0.61x
Kent 7 0.35x
Lancashire 7 0.10x
Oxfordshire 7 1.91x
Worcestershire 7 0.90x
Durham 6 0.34x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.84x
Dorset 2 0.51x
Hampshire 2 0.16x
Rutland 2 4.59x
Wiltshire 2 0.38x
Hertfordshire 1 0.24x
Sussex 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Grove in Berkshire leads with 27 Iresons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2389.38x.

Place Total Index
Grove 27 2389.38x
Yarwell 27 3461.54x
Market Deeping 18 731.71x
Heigham 17 34.67x
St Pancras London 17 3.56x
Oundle 16 256.00x
Farnham 15 66.64x
Costessey 14 714.29x
Islington London 14 2.43x
Wellingborough 14 49.84x
Nottingham St Mary 13 6.28x
Nassington 12 821.92x
Wolverhampton 12 7.78x
Birmingham 11 2.20x
Sheffield 11 5.87x
Orton Waterville 10 1587.30x
Rainham 10 392.16x
Kettering 9 39.82x
Stanhoe 9 1000.00x
Yaxley 9 326.09x
Melton Mowbray 8 67.57x
Studley 8 124.81x
Whittington 8 62.16x
Brigstock 7 330.19x
Bulwick 7 1060.61x
Egham 7 39.39x
Leicester St Margaret 7 4.36x
Oxford St Ebbe 7 64.81x
Speen 7 95.89x
Theddingworth 7 1400.00x
Webheath 7 507.25x
Bethnal Green London 6 2.33x
Birkenhead 6 5.74x
Bishopwearmouth 6 3.96x
Chipping Campden 6 158.31x
Hammersmith London 6 4.10x
Hampstead Norris 6 214.29x
St George Hanover Square 6 5.73x
Stilton 6 454.55x
Basford 5 13.55x
Batley 5 8.94x
Battersea 5 2.29x
Burntwood Edial 5 39.03x
Leeds 5 1.50x
Lower Booths 5 39.59x
Sibbertoft 5 847.46x
Thrapston 5 177.94x
Bugbrooke 4 218.58x
Camberwell 4 1.05x
Chelsea London 4 2.23x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 4 18.76x
Great Yarmouth 4 5.29x
Hurst 4 68.49x
Lambeth 4 0.77x
Northampton All Sts 4 21.10x
Northampton St Giles 4 18.80x
Northampton St Sepulchre 4 14.07x
Peterborough 4 9.89x
Rufford 4 588.24x
Tansor 4 784.31x
Woolwich 4 5.34x
Earley 3 40.38x
Ilkeston 3 11.50x
Lavendon 3 186.34x
Lyng 3 291.26x
Northampton Priory St 3 8.95x
Ramsey 3 31.78x
Tottenham 3 3.17x
West Ham 3 1.16x
Westminster St Margaret 3 10.47x
Bourn 2 26.08x
Bridport 2 24.91x
Croydon 2 1.24x
Monks Coppenhall 2 4.04x
Polebrook 2 217.39x
Purton 2 42.74x
West Ilsley 2 259.74x
West Malling 2 43.86x
Windlesham 2 36.76x
Winterbourne 2 289.86x

FAQ

Ireson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ireson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 611 people were recorded with the Ireson surname. That placed it at #5,748 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ireson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,061 in 2016. That gives Ireson a modern rank of #5,505.

What does the Ireson surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from an area with iron ore deposits.

What does the Ireson map show?

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