NameCensus.

UK surname

Ismay

In the 1881 census there were 310 people recorded with the Ismay surname, ranking it #9,488 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 316, ranked #14,227, down from #9,488 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newcastle St Andrew, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside and Wigton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale, Leeds and Braintree.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ismay is 426 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.9%.

1881 census count

310

Ranked #9,488

Modern count

316

2016, ranked #14,227

Peak year

1911

426 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ismay had 310 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,488 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 316 in 2016, ranked #14,227.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 426 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Ismay surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ismay surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ismay 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 220 #9,671
1861 historical 166 #14,039
1881 historical 310 #9,488
1891 historical 325 #10,426
1901 historical 396 #9,539
1911 historical 426 #8,856
1997 modern 349 #12,197
1998 modern 351 #12,511
1999 modern 349 #12,638
2000 modern 329 #13,090
2001 modern 323 #13,083
2002 modern 316 #13,532
2003 modern 304 #13,685
2004 modern 296 #14,005
2005 modern 300 #13,837
2006 modern 297 #14,004
2007 modern 307 #13,822
2008 modern 313 #13,746
2009 modern 318 #13,863
2010 modern 323 #14,005
2011 modern 317 #14,059
2012 modern 320 #13,868
2013 modern 324 #13,961
2014 modern 325 #14,030
2015 modern 319 #14,118
2016 modern 316 #14,227

Geography

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Where Ismays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newcastle St Andrew, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Wigton, London parishes and Newcastle St John. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale, Leeds, Braintree and County Durham. 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 Newcastle St Andrew Northumberland
2 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
3 Wigton Cumberland
4 London parishes London 3
5 Newcastle St John Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 010 Allerdale
2 Leeds 057 Leeds
3 Allerdale 001 Allerdale
4 Braintree 014 Braintree
5 County Durham 009 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ismay

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ismay

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ismay is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ismay 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

Ismay 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 Ismay is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Ismay families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ismay 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. Cumberland leads with 96 Ismays recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.76x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 96 36.76x
Northumberland 52 11.52x
Yorkshire 45 1.50x
Lancashire 34 0.94x
Durham 24 2.66x
Kent 14 1.35x
Middlesex 14 0.46x
Surrey 10 0.68x
Northamptonshire 8 2.80x
Worcestershire 4 1.01x
Derbyshire 2 0.42x
Gloucestershire 2 0.34x
Dorset 1 0.50x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.23x
Renfrewshire 1 0.43x
Roxburghshire 1 1.82x
Royal Navy 1 2.77x
Staffordshire 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. Elswick in Northumberland leads with 29 Ismays recorded in 1881 and an index of 80.51x.

Place Total Index
Elswick 29 80.51x
Hunslet 16 34.14x
Newcastle On Tyne St 12 51.28x
Oulton 12 3076.92x
Seaton 11 360.66x
Whickham 10 120.48x
Waverton 9 1800.00x
Wigton 9 229.59x
Everton 8 6.97x
Great Crosby 8 81.55x
Potterspury 8 701.75x
Camerton 7 1891.89x
Holbeck 7 35.14x
Ightham 7 538.46x
Lamesley 7 144.03x
Moresby 7 707.07x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 11.47x
Westgate 7 25.04x
Great Clifton 6 594.06x
Pannal 6 208.33x
Preston 6 6.23x
Spitalfields London 6 26.29x
Brigham 5 406.50x
Eston 5 76.34x
Hawsker Cum Stainsacre 5 500.00x
Blennerhasset Kirkland 4 784.31x
Dover St Mary Virgin 4 39.92x
Eckington 4 571.43x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 4 14.84x
Rickergate 4 72.33x
Tallentire 4 1739.13x
Wetheral 4 115.61x
Bermondsey 3 3.32x
Ealing 3 11.07x
Heworth 3 16.87x
Hornsey 3 7.82x
Layton With Warbreck 3 22.71x
Normanby In 3 37.31x
Over Darwen 3 10.43x
Papcastle 3 410.96x
Whitehaven 3 21.55x
Almondsbury 2 88.11x
Gateshead 2 2.96x
Hayfield 2 68.73x
Holy Trinity 2 2.77x
Salford 2 1.89x
St Pancras London 2 0.82x
Barrow In Furness 1 2.04x
Bonhill 1 7.64x
Bowness 1 99.01x
Bowness Drumburg 1 238.10x
Brotton 1 25.51x
Chatham 1 3.51x
Cheriton 1 23.70x
Cleator 1 9.20x
Dorchester Holy Trinity 1 62.11x
Dundraw Kelsick 1 357.14x
Flimby 1 45.25x
Ince In Makerfield 1 5.97x
Liverpool 1 0.46x
Melrose 1 21.05x
Milton In Gravesend 1 6.44x
Oughterside Allerby 1 192.31x
Royal Navy 1 3.24x
Skerton 1 33.78x
St Cuthbert W O 1 7.86x
Stockton On Tees 1 2.30x
Usworth 1 20.88x
West Greenock 1 2.37x
Wolverhampton 1 1.27x
Workington 1 6.69x

FAQ

Ismay surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ismay surname in 1881?

In 1881, 310 people were recorded with the Ismay surname. That placed it at #9,488 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ismay surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 316 in 2016. That gives Ismay a modern rank of #14,227.

What does the Ismay map show?

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