NameCensus.

UK surname

Jamison

Derived from the Gaelic "Mac Shéamais," meaning "son of James," an anglicized form of the personal name.

In the 1881 census there were 596 people recorded with the Jamison surname, ranking it #5,868 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 648, ranked #8,200, down from #5,868 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Gateshead, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Devon, South Oxfordshire and Stockton-on-Tees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jamison is 655 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.7%.

1881 census count

596

Ranked #5,868

Modern count

648

2016, ranked #8,200

Peak year

2014

655 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jamison had 596 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,868 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 648 in 2016, ranked #8,200.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 596 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Jamison surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jamison surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jamison 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 570 #4,463
1861 historical 502 #5,207
1881 historical 596 #5,868
1891 historical 551 #6,868
1901 historical 440 #8,843
1911 historical 340 #10,490
1997 modern 504 #9,246
1998 modern 536 #9,099
1999 modern 547 #9,024
2000 modern 547 #8,990
2001 modern 545 #8,859
2002 modern 557 #8,894
2003 modern 568 #8,637
2004 modern 569 #8,653
2005 modern 563 #8,650
2006 modern 569 #8,612
2007 modern 580 #8,576
2008 modern 588 #8,548
2009 modern 618 #8,400
2010 modern 636 #8,388
2011 modern 646 #8,196
2012 modern 627 #8,308
2013 modern 652 #8,204
2014 modern 655 #8,203
2015 modern 653 #8,165
2016 modern 648 #8,200

Geography

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Where Jamisons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Gateshead, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Manchester and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Devon, South Oxfordshire, Stockton-on-Tees, Hastings and Mearns Village, Westacres and Greenfarm. 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 Gateshead Durham
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Devon 004 West Devon
2 South Oxfordshire 005 South Oxfordshire
3 Stockton-on-Tees 017 Stockton-on-Tees
4 Hastings 004 Hastings
5 Mearns Village, Westacres and Greenfarm East Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jamison

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jamison

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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, Jamison 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

Jamison 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

Jamison falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Jamison

The surname Jamison finds its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic personal name "Seumas" or "Seumas," which is a Scottish variant of the name James. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced to the counties of Lanarkshire and Ayrshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Jamison surname was John Jamison, who was recorded in the Registre de la Paroisse de Campvere, in the Netherlands, in 1591. This suggests that the name may have been present in Scotland even earlier, as Scots were known to travel and settle in the Low Countries during that period.

The Jamison surname is also found in various Scottish records from the 17th century onwards, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1691, where a John Jamison is listed as a resident of Linlithgow. Additionally, the name appears in the Register of Sasines for the county of Ayr in 1694, where a William Jamison is mentioned.

Over the centuries, the surname has been subject to various spelling variations, including Jamesone, Jameson, Jamieson, and Jamyson. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling practices in earlier times, and the name's pronunciation may have influenced its written form.

Notable individuals with the Jamison surname include:

1. George Jamison (1589-1644), a Scottish clergyman and academic who served as the Principal of the University of Glasgow. 2. William Jamison (1698-1773), a Scottish-born American politician who served as the Speaker of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. 3. John Jamison (1759-1839), a Scottish-American physician and soldier who served as a surgeon during the American Revolutionary War. 4. Robert Jamison (1802-1871), a Scottish-born Canadian farmer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada. 5. Malachi Jamison (1817-1890), an Irish-American merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the development of the city of Los Angeles, California.

While the Jamison surname is predominantly found in Scotland and areas with Scottish heritage, it has spread across the globe through migration and is now present in various parts of the world, carrying with it the rich history and legacy of its Scottish origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jamison families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jamison 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. Durham leads with 99 Jamisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.71x.

County Total Index
Durham 99 5.71x
Lancashire 81 1.17x
Middlesex 57 0.98x
Yorkshire 45 0.78x
Northumberland 41 4.73x
Lanarkshire 33 1.75x
Surrey 33 1.16x
Cumberland 25 4.99x
Midlothian 21 2.69x
Aberdeenshire 18 3.34x
Hampshire 15 1.26x
Argyllshire 14 8.64x
Angus 12 2.22x
Ayrshire 12 2.75x
Essex 12 1.04x
Perthshire 11 4.21x
Shetland 10 16.81x
Derbyshire 8 0.88x
Cheshire 6 0.47x
Devon 5 0.41x
Renfrewshire 5 1.11x
Monmouthshire 4 0.95x
Banffshire 3 2.48x
Berwickshire 3 4.25x
Suffolk 3 0.42x
Cornwall 2 0.30x
Dunbartonshire 2 1.28x
Gloucestershire 2 0.18x
Kent 2 0.10x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.25x
West Lothian 2 2.28x
Westmorland 2 1.56x
Wigtownshire 2 2.59x
Inverness-shire 1 0.58x
Leicestershire 1 0.15x
Orkney 1 1.56x
Royal Navy 1 1.44x
Rutland 1 2.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wolviston in Durham leads with 22 Jamisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1818.18x.

Place Total Index
Wolviston 22 1818.18x
Bethnal Green London 13 5.14x
Preston In Tynemouth 13 381.23x
Sculcoates 13 14.21x
Kingston On Thames 12 17.61x
Berwick Upon Tweed 11 59.91x
Kilfinan 11 254.04x
Manchester 11 3.54x
South Leith 11 12.53x
St Pancras London 11 2.35x
Toxteth Park 11 4.70x
Dearham 10 151.29x
Norton 10 156.99x
Portsea 10 4.27x
Tulliallan 10 225.73x
Barony 9 1.89x
Crimond 9 542.17x
Everton 9 4.09x
West Ham 9 3.55x
Wolsingham 9 57.00x
Ardwick 8 12.83x
Heckmondwike 8 43.10x
Whiteness Weisdale 8 444.44x
Caldewgate 7 25.48x
Cornforth 7 137.25x
Dundee 7 3.48x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 2.23x
Elton 7 29.33x
Hampstead London 7 7.72x
Rosedale East Side 7 897.44x
Broughton In Salford 6 9.50x
Habergham Eaves 6 9.50x
Hammersmith London 6 4.18x
Holy Trinity 6 4.32x
Lambeth 6 1.18x
Longbenton 6 16.35x
Shotts 6 26.62x
Bishopwearmouth 5 3.36x
Boldon 5 80.91x
Dalserf 5 26.61x
Gateshead 5 3.85x
Grindon 5 724.64x
Hamilton 5 9.52x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 5 9.66x
Ryton 5 82.10x
Stainton 5 297.62x
West Derby 5 2.47x
Westoe 5 5.09x
Alverstoke 4 9.26x
Camberwell 4 1.08x
Chapel En Le Frith 4 48.08x
East Greenock 4 9.39x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 4 5.33x
New Deer 4 40.98x
Runcorn 4 13.50x
St Luke London 4 4.28x
St Marylebone London 4 1.29x
Stranton 4 6.86x
Stretford 4 10.52x
Trevethin 4 10.06x
Wandsworth 4 7.14x
Wormhill 4 209.42x
Blackburn 3 1.63x
Boyndie 3 75.00x
Edrom 3 99.34x
Gorleston 3 16.65x
Hartlepool 3 12.19x
Harton 3 43.80x
Kensington London 3 0.93x
Kilmarnock 3 5.78x
Liff Benvie 3 3.66x
South Weald 3 30.46x
Bothwell 2 3.92x
Dundonald 2 12.45x
Egremont 2 16.74x
Elswick 2 2.89x
Linthorpe 2 5.81x
Richmond 2 5.03x
Shadforth 2 59.52x
Sunderland 2 6.54x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 30
Elizabeth 26
Sarah 16
Margaret 13
Jane 11
Ann 10
Annie 10
Alice 6
Ellen 6
Emma 6
Caroline 5
Catherine 5
Eliza 4
Martha 4
Edith 3
Ethel 3
Hannah 3
Isabella 3
Maria 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Anne 2
Charlotte 2
Delia 2
Eleanor 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2
Laura 2
Lillie 2
Lousia 2
Lydia 2
Margret 2
Susannah 2
Adelaide 1
Amelia 1
Blanche 1
Camilla 1
Cathe. 1
Clara 1
Clementina 1
Dinah 1
Eliz. 1
Elizebeth 1
Helena 1
Isabel 1
Isabell 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 27
William 23
James 16
Thomas 15
George 14
Henry 14
Robert 13
David 8
Joseph 6
Arthur 5
Charles 4
Frederick 4
Alfred 3
Andrew 3
Fred 3
Samuel 3
Thos. 3
Albert 2
Earnest 2
Fredk. 2
Hugh 2
Michael 2
Percy 2
Walter 2
Abraham 1
Alexander 1
Ben 1
Cecil 1
Christopher 1
Dainal 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Gilbert 1
Hamilton 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Mark 1
Matthew 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Scott 1
Septimus 1
Sidy. 1
Simeon 1
Tom 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Jamison surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jamison surname in 1881?

In 1881, 596 people were recorded with the Jamison surname. That placed it at #5,868 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jamison surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 648 in 2016. That gives Jamison a modern rank of #8,200.

What does the Jamison surname mean?

Derived from the Gaelic "Mac Shéamais," meaning "son of James," an anglicized form of the personal name.

What does the Jamison map show?

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