NameCensus.

UK surname

Jempson

In the 1881 census there were 159 people recorded with the Jempson surname, ranking it #14,935 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 162, ranked #22,512, down from #14,935 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedlescomb, Whatlington and Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bonnington, Kettering and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jempson is 206 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.9%.

1881 census count

159

Ranked #14,935

Modern count

162

2016, ranked #22,512

Peak year

1911

206 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jempson had 159 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,935 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 162 in 2016, ranked #22,512.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 206 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Jempson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jempson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jempson 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 96 #17,594
1861 historical 180 #13,057
1881 historical 159 #14,935
1891 historical 194 #15,277
1901 historical 200 #15,120
1911 historical 206 #14,677
1997 modern 158 #20,422
1998 modern 166 #20,329
1999 modern 172 #20,009
2000 modern 161 #20,822
2001 modern 155 #21,047
2002 modern 160 #21,011
2003 modern 161 #20,697
2004 modern 165 #20,530
2005 modern 161 #20,799
2006 modern 155 #21,477
2007 modern 157 #21,546
2008 modern 157 #21,766
2009 modern 162 #21,791
2010 modern 160 #22,487
2011 modern 163 #21,983
2012 modern 160 #22,260
2013 modern 167 #21,984
2014 modern 167 #22,180
2015 modern 165 #22,241
2016 modern 162 #22,512

Geography

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Where Jempsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedlescomb, Whatlington, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Hollington and Salehurst. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bonnington, Kettering, Scarborough, Selby and Rother. 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 Sedlescomb Sussex
2 Whatlington Sussex
3 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
4 Hollington Sussex
5 Salehurst Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bonnington City of Edinburgh
2 Kettering 011 Kettering
3 Scarborough 010 Scarborough
4 Selby 010 Selby
5 Rother 002 Rother

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jempson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jempson

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Jempson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Jempson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Jempson is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Jempson 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

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

1881 census detail

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Jempson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jempson 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. Sussex leads with 103 Jempsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.39x.

County Total Index
Sussex 103 39.39x
Kent 24 4.54x
Lancashire 10 0.54x
Yorkshire 9 0.59x
Norfolk 5 2.10x
Northamptonshire 4 2.74x
Huntingdonshire 3 9.74x
Middlesex 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whatlington in Sussex leads with 24 Jempsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 12000.00x.

Place Total Index
Whatlington 24 12000.00x
Mountfield 19 5757.58x
Rye 13 522.09x
Salehurst 10 884.96x
Orpington 9 555.56x
Battle 7 397.73x
Hastings St Mary In The 7 125.45x
Sandhurst 7 1129.03x
Hollington 6 645.16x
Hunslet 5 20.86x
Northiam 5 781.25x
Openshaw 5 58.00x
Tonbridge 5 26.19x
Catsfield 4 1052.63x
Little Harrowden 4 909.09x
Preston 4 8.12x
Conington 3 1875.00x
Hooe 3 1200.00x
Marham 3 750.00x
Normanby In 3 72.99x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 2 27.93x
Sedlescombe 2 588.24x
Barnsley 1 6.31x
Burwash 1 82.64x
Hastings St Leonards 1 26.04x
Hastings St Mary 1 15.36x
Minster In Sheppey 1 11.40x
Orlestone 1 454.55x
Sittingbourne 1 23.92x
St Marylebone London 1 1.21x
Tottington Lower End 1 11.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Sarah 7
Jane 5
Ann 4
Fanny 4
Martha 4
Ellen 3
Esther 3
Hannah 3
Harriett 3
Alice 2
Anne 2
Clara 2
Elizabeth 2
Emily 2
Harriet 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Adelaide 1
Alies 1
Catherine 1
Charlott 1
Charlotte 1
Diana 1
Edith 1
Elener 1
Elizab. 1
Elizth. 1
Ellin 1
Elmira 1
Emma 1
Florinda 1
Isabella 1
Jemima 1
Kate 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Maude 1
Minnie 1
Mira 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
George 6
Charles 5
Henry 5
William 5
Albert 4
Alfred 4
Edward 4
Richard 4
Arthur 3
David 3
Thomas 3
Harry 2
Joseph 2
Joshua 2
Aaron 1
Eli 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Harold 1
Herbert 1
Hibistor 1
James 1
Jane 1
Jeduthun 1
Leonard 1
Richd. 1
Richd.S. 1
Robert 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Jempson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jempson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 159 people were recorded with the Jempson surname. That placed it at #14,935 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jempson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 162 in 2016. That gives Jempson a modern rank of #22,512.

What does the Jempson map show?

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