NameCensus.

UK surname

Ivison

A surname derived from the male given name Ivo, derived from the Latinized form of the Frankish Ivo.

In the 1881 census there were 405 people recorded with the Ivison surname, ranking it #7,903 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 619, ranked #8,506, down from #7,903 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stanwix, Crosby-on-Eden, Carlisle St Cuthbert and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale, Copeland and Carlisle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ivison is 658 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 52.8%.

1881 census count

405

Ranked #7,903

Modern count

619

2016, ranked #8,506

Peak year

2000

658 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ivison had 405 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,903 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 619 in 2016, ranked #8,506.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 591 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Ivison surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ivison surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ivison 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 248 #8,840
1861 historical 200 #12,005
1881 historical 405 #7,903
1891 historical 457 #7,988
1901 historical 501 #8,045
1911 historical 591 #6,921
1997 modern 651 #7,650
1998 modern 650 #7,904
1999 modern 647 #7,979
2000 modern 658 #7,865
2001 modern 627 #8,005
2002 modern 653 #7,915
2003 modern 604 #8,283
2004 modern 606 #8,286
2005 modern 613 #8,142
2006 modern 623 #8,061
2007 modern 629 #8,061
2008 modern 632 #8,085
2009 modern 647 #8,107
2010 modern 648 #8,260
2011 modern 643 #8,226
2012 modern 618 #8,395
2013 modern 638 #8,329
2014 modern 641 #8,356
2015 modern 623 #8,473
2016 modern 619 #8,506

Geography

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Where Ivisons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stanwix, Crosby-on-Eden, Carlisle St Cuthbert, Gateshead, Workington (Workington), Clossocks and Penrith. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale, Copeland and Carlisle. 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 Stanwix, Crosby-on-Eden Cumberland
2 Carlisle St Cuthbert Cumberland
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Workington (Workington), Clossocks Cumberland
5 Penrith Cumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 004 Allerdale
2 Copeland 008 Copeland
3 Allerdale 005 Allerdale
4 Carlisle 010 Carlisle
5 Allerdale 009 Allerdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ivison

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ivison

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ivison, 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 Ivison surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Ivison 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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Ivison is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Ivison is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Ivison

The surname Ivison has its origins in northern England, likely deriving from the Old English words "ifa" meaning ivy and "ton" meaning town, potentially referring to a town or settlement where ivy was abundant. It may have also been influenced by the Norse word "ifa" meaning yew tree. The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be Yvysun in the 13th century, with variations such as Yveson and Iveson appearing in the 14th and 15th centuries.

The first known bearer of the name was William Yvysun, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1246. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, where it is recorded as Yveson. In the 16th century, the name was primarily concentrated in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, with records showing families with the name living in areas such as Ripon, Wakefield, and Bolton.

One notable bearer of the name was John Ivison, a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in Chichester, Sussex in 1556 during the reign of Queen Mary I. Another was William Ivison, a prominent merchant and landowner in Yorkshire in the late 16th century, who was involved in the wool trade and owned several properties in the region.

In the 17th century, the name spread to other parts of England, including London and the Midlands. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name in London is that of Thomas Ivison, a baker who was mentioned in the parish records of St. Giles Cripplegate in 1637.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, several individuals with the surname Ivison achieved notable positions. Benjamin Ivison (1770-1835) was a successful merchant and shipowner in Hull, while John Ivison (1789-1854) was a prominent Methodist minister and author of religious works. Another notable figure was Samuel Ivison (1828-1901), a teacher and author of educational textbooks who founded the Ivison, Blakeman & Co. publishing company in New York City.

The name has also been found in other parts of the world, likely due to migration from England. For example, there are records of individuals with the surname Ivison living in Australia and New Zealand from the 19th century onwards, likely descendants of English settlers in those countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ivison families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ivison 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 215 Ivisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 63.06x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 215 63.06x
Durham 56 4.75x
Lancashire 51 1.09x
Yorkshire 30 0.76x
Surrey 17 0.88x
Middlesex 13 0.33x
Kent 7 0.52x
Northumberland 7 1.19x
Lanarkshire 5 0.39x
Leicestershire 2 0.46x
Westmorland 2 2.30x
Dumfriesshire 1 1.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Penrith in Cumberland leads with 29 Ivisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 230.16x.

Place Total Index
Penrith 29 230.16x
St Cuthbert W O 27 162.45x
Caldewgate 24 128.48x
Winlaton 23 203.54x
Wetheral 18 398.23x
Great Little Marsden 14 65.03x
Stanwix 13 471.01x
Aldbrough In Richmond 11 2037.04x
Dearham 10 222.22x
Hesket In Forest 9 338.35x
Great Clifton 8 606.06x
Scaleby 8 1269.84x
Lazonby 7 795.45x
Manchester 7 3.31x
Preston 7 5.57x
St Marylebone London 7 3.31x
Arlecdon 6 66.15x
Coundon Grange 6 231.66x
Greysouthen 6 638.30x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 11.76x
Kirklinton Middle 6 1090.91x
Lambeth 6 1.74x
Lee 6 30.58x
Newton 6 16.57x
Penshaw 6 169.49x
Baildon 5 67.66x
Camberwell 5 1.98x
Castle Sowerby 5 657.89x
Cummersdale 5 431.03x
Gateshead 5 5.67x
Newington 5 3.42x
Barony 4 1.23x
Dalston 4 151.52x
Holy Trinity 4 4.24x
King Moor 4 615.38x
Stainton 4 350.88x
Bethnal Green London 3 1.74x
Brigham 3 186.34x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 4.02x
Elswick 3 6.38x
Gorton 3 6.79x
Kelloe 3 236.22x
Killinghall 3 326.09x
Pemberton 3 16.01x
Preston Quarter 3 31.41x
West Rainton 3 82.19x
Westgate 3 8.22x
Burgh By Sands 2 181.82x
Crosscanonby 2 17.73x
Great Bolton 2 3.21x
Harrington 2 48.54x
Leicester St Margaret 2 1.87x
Old Hutton Holmescales 2 384.62x
Paddington London 2 1.37x
Rickergate 2 27.74x
Stranton 2 5.04x
Whitehaven 2 11.01x
Bainbridge 1 107.53x
Castleton 1 2.13x
Chiswick 1 4.62x
Croydon 1 0.93x
Dalton 1 128.21x
Dent 1 60.98x
Durham St Nicholas 1 34.60x
Eccleshill 1 10.47x
Govan 1 0.32x
Irthington 1 123.46x
Leeds 1 0.45x
Lewisham 1 1.39x
Liverpool 1 0.35x
Moss Side 1 4.04x
Mungrisdale 1 416.67x
Newton In Makerfield 1 6.95x
Rockcliff 1 94.34x
Skeffling 1 434.78x
Tallentire 1 344.83x
Ulverston 1 7.30x
Whitburn 1 36.36x
Wigton 1 19.57x
Windle 1 3.78x

FAQ

Ivison surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ivison surname in 1881?

In 1881, 405 people were recorded with the Ivison surname. That placed it at #7,903 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ivison surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 619 in 2016. That gives Ivison a modern rank of #8,506.

What does the Ivison surname mean?

A surname derived from the male given name Ivo, derived from the Latinized form of the Frankish Ivo.

What does the Ivison map show?

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