NameCensus.

UK surname

Isaacson

Son of Isaac, a patronymic surname derived from the given name Isaac, which is of Hebrew origin.

In the 1881 census there were 344 people recorded with the Isaacson surname, ranking it #8,864 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 417, ranked #11,504, down from #8,864 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Soham and Wood Ditton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Cambridgeshire, Dover and Forest Heath.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Isaacson is 494 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.2%.

1881 census count

344

Ranked #8,864

Modern count

417

2016, ranked #11,504

Peak year

1911

494 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Isaacson had 344 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,864 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 417 in 2016, ranked #11,504.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 494 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Isaacson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Isaacson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Isaacson 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 235 #9,206
1861 historical 254 #9,741
1881 historical 344 #8,864
1891 historical 402 #8,842
1901 historical 477 #8,343
1911 historical 494 #7,886
1997 modern 393 #11,144
1998 modern 388 #11,612
1999 modern 405 #11,344
2000 modern 370 #12,078
2001 modern 354 #12,274
2002 modern 353 #12,512
2003 modern 355 #12,285
2004 modern 355 #12,326
2005 modern 339 #12,668
2006 modern 336 #12,842
2007 modern 341 #12,840
2008 modern 340 #12,989
2009 modern 363 #12,602
2010 modern 366 #12,800
2011 modern 364 #12,713
2012 modern 378 #12,216
2013 modern 400 #11,915
2014 modern 405 #11,880
2015 modern 403 #11,835
2016 modern 417 #11,504

Geography

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Where Isaacsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Soham, Wood Ditton and Swaffham Bulbeck. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Cambridgeshire, Dover and Forest Heath. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Soham Cambridgeshire
4 Wood Ditton Cambridgeshire
5 Swaffham Bulbeck Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Cambridgeshire 006 East Cambridgeshire
2 East Cambridgeshire 001 East Cambridgeshire
3 Dover 009 Dover
4 Forest Heath 003 Forest Heath
5 East Cambridgeshire 002 East Cambridgeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Isaacson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Isaacson

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Isaacson is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Isaacson is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Isaacson

The surname Isaacson originated in England and is a patronymic name derived from the personal name Isaac, which itself is derived from the Hebrew name Yitzchaq meaning "he will laugh". The name Isaacson essentially means "son of Isaac".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Isaacson can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a Robert Isacson is mentioned as residing in Cambridgeshire. The surname also appears in various tax rolls and parish records from the 14th century onwards, with spellings such as Isackson, Isacson, and Ysaacson.

In the 16th century, the Isaacson surname is recorded in the parish records of Lincolnshire, where a Thomas Isaacson was born in 1550 in the village of Horncastle. He later became a renowned English chronicler and teacher, publishing works on the history of Lincolnshire.

Another notable figure with the Isaacson surname was Henry Isaacson (1581-1654), an English churchman and biographer who served as the rector of Rendlesham in Suffolk. He is best known for his biography of William Laud, the Archbishop of Canterbury during the reign of King Charles I.

In the 18th century, the Isaacson surname can be found in the records of the East India Company, with John Isaacson (1720-1799) serving as a captain in the company's maritime service. He was involved in several battles against the French during the Anglo-French Wars.

The 19th century saw the Isaacson surname spread to other parts of the world, including the United States. One notable American with the name was Charles D. Isaacson (1819-1900), a lawyer and politician from New York who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.

Another individual of note was Walter Isaacson (1952-present), an American writer and biographer who has written acclaimed biographies of figures such as Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and Steve Jobs. He also served as the CEO of the Aspen Institute and the editor of Time magazine.

Throughout its history, the Isaacson surname has been associated with various professions, including clergymen, writers, politicians, and military personnel. While the name originated in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with notable individuals bearing the surname in countries like the United States and India.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Isaacson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Isaacson 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. Cambridgeshire leads with 131 Isaacsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 61.46x.

County Total Index
Cambridgeshire 131 61.46x
Middlesex 73 2.17x
Surrey 32 1.95x
Suffolk 22 5.37x
Yorkshire 18 0.54x
Lancashire 16 0.40x
Hampshire 11 1.59x
Kent 9 0.78x
Lincolnshire 6 1.12x
Durham 5 0.50x
Norfolk 5 0.97x
Sussex 5 0.88x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.88x
Glamorgan 2 0.34x
Hertfordshire 2 0.86x
Berkshire 1 0.40x
Channel Islands 1 1.00x
Derbyshire 1 0.19x
Warwickshire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Swaffham Bulbeck in Cambridgeshire leads with 23 Isaacsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2674.42x.

Place Total Index
Swaffham Bulbeck 23 2674.42x
March 20 280.11x
Soham 20 435.73x
Kirtling 18 1894.74x
Hampstead London 13 24.80x
Kensington London 13 6.95x
Brightside Bierlow 12 18.35x
Southwark St George Martyr 12 17.72x
Wood Ditton 11 617.98x
Mildenhall 9 206.42x
Whittlesey St Mary St 9 120.81x
Poplar London 8 12.59x
Battersea 7 5.65x
Bottisham 7 384.62x
Boston 6 36.74x
Camberwell 6 2.79x
Church Fenton 6 1000.00x
Depden 6 2307.69x
Islington London 6 1.84x
Paddington London 6 4.85x
Freshwater 5 158.73x
Kirkdale 5 7.44x
Liverpool 5 2.06x
Swaffham Prior 5 531.91x
Westoe 5 8.81x
Brighton 4 3.49x
Greasley 4 39.10x
Hardingham 4 666.67x
Lambeth 4 1.36x
Newmarket All Sts 4 254.78x
St Marylebone London 4 2.23x
Bromley London 3 4.05x
Cheetham 3 10.07x
Hampton London 3 54.25x
Holdenhurst 3 16.58x
Redgrave 3 468.75x
Spitalfields London 3 11.85x
Chelsea London 2 1.97x
Deptford St Paul 2 2.26x
Exning 2 96.62x
Hackney London 2 1.06x
Lewisham 2 3.27x
Margate St John Baptist 2 9.51x
Oakington 2 317.46x
St Botolph Cambridge 2 363.64x
St Edward Cambridge 2 294.12x
St Marythe Less 2 153.85x
Swansea Town 2 4.16x
Willesden 2 6.31x
Alverstoke 1 4.00x
Ardwick 1 2.78x
Aston 1 0.43x
Bethnal Green London 1 0.68x
Burwell 1 39.22x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.26x
Downham 1 44.25x
Everton 1 0.79x
Great Yarmouth 1 2.33x
Harpenden 1 28.25x
Havant 1 28.65x
Hundon 1 98.04x
Leominster 1 54.64x
Longeaton 1 454.55x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.40x
Newington 1 0.80x
North Hayling 1 322.58x
Penge 1 4.65x
Poslingford 1 243.90x
Quy 1 250.00x
Sevenoaks 1 10.74x
Shoreditch London 1 0.69x
St Clement 1 65.79x
St Clement Danes London 1 14.37x
St George Bloomsbury 1 5.18x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.69x
Stanton St Michaels 1 1111.11x
Toxteth Park 1 0.74x
Wandsworth 1 3.09x
Wisbech St Peter 1 9.35x
Woolwich 1 2.36x

FAQ

Isaacson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Isaacson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 344 people were recorded with the Isaacson surname. That placed it at #8,864 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Isaacson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 417 in 2016. That gives Isaacson a modern rank of #11,504.

What does the Isaacson surname mean?

Son of Isaac, a patronymic surname derived from the given name Isaac, which is of Hebrew origin.

What does the Isaacson map show?

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