NameCensus.

UK surname

Johannessen

A patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin meaning "son of Johannes".

In the 1881 census there were 6 people recorded with the Johannessen surname, ranking it #32,926 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 115, ranked #28,348, up from #32,926 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Lancashire, Tweeddale West Area and Mid Suffolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Johannessen is 116 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1816.7%.

1881 census count

6

Ranked #32,926

Modern count

115

2016, ranked #28,348

Peak year

2014

116 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Johannessen had 6 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,926 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016, ranked #28,348.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 30 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Johannessen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Johannessen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Johannessen 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
1881 historical 6 #32,926
1891 historical 11 #33,268
1901 historical 30 #30,724
1911 historical 24 #30,800
1997 modern 95 #27,638
1998 modern 81 #29,849
1999 modern 87 #29,398
2000 modern 92 #28,832
2001 modern 93 #28,382
2002 modern 92 #29,040
2003 modern 101 #27,561
2004 modern 98 #28,297
2005 modern 96 #28,671
2006 modern 91 #29,725
2007 modern 99 #28,852
2008 modern 100 #29,001
2009 modern 104 #28,982
2010 modern 106 #29,305
2011 modern 102 #29,759
2012 modern 103 #29,733
2013 modern 109 #29,209
2014 modern 116 #28,253
2015 modern 114 #28,478
2016 modern 115 #28,348

Geography

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Where Johannessens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Lancashire, Tweeddale West Area, Mid Suffolk, Trafford and Kingston upon Hull. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Lancashire 010 West Lancashire
2 Tweeddale West Area Scottish Borders
3 Mid Suffolk 011 Mid Suffolk
4 Trafford 002 Trafford
5 Kingston upon Hull 020 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Johannessen

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Johannessen

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Johannessen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Johannessen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Johannessen 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

Johannessen 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

Johannessen falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Johannessen 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
Unknown

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

Meaning and origin of Johannessen

The surname Johannessen has its origins in Norway, dating back to the medieval period. It is a patronymic surname, derived from the personal name Johannes, which is the Norwegian form of the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "God is gracious." The name was commonly used in Norway during the Middle Ages, influenced by the spread of Christianity in the region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Johannessen can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian diplomatic documents. In a document dated 1368, a person named Erling Johannessen is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.

During the Viking Age, many Norwegians settled in various parts of the British Isles, including the Shetland and Orkney Islands. Some of the earliest records of the surname Johannessen can be traced to these islands, where it was spelled in various forms, such as Johannison or Joannison.

In the 16th century, the surname Johannessen appeared in the Icelandic Annals, which documented important events and genealogies in Iceland. One notable figure was Gudmundur Johannessen (1535-1590), an Icelandic clergyman and scholar who wrote extensively on Icelandic history and literature.

Another historically significant person with the surname Johannessen was Hans Johannessen (1573-1645), a Norwegian sea captain and explorer. He is known for his expeditions to Spitsbergen (now part of Svalbard) and his contributions to the early exploration of the Arctic regions.

In the 19th century, Knud Johannessen (1842-1923) was a Norwegian politician and writer who served as the Prime Minister of Norway from 1891 to 1892. He was also a prominent figure in the Norwegian language movement, advocating for the use of the Nynorsk language form.

The surname Johannessen has also been associated with several notable artists and writers. One example is Olav Johannessen (1870-1959), a Norwegian painter and illustrator known for his landscape and portrait paintings, capturing the beauty of Norwegian rural life.

Additionally, Asbjørn Johannessen (1914-1993) was a renowned Norwegian poet and novelist who explored themes of nature, identity, and the human condition in his works. His novel "Til ungdommen" (To the Youth) is considered a classic of modern Norwegian literature.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Johannessen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Johannessen 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. Lanarkshire leads with 2 Johannessens recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.58x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 2 10.58x
Middlesex 2 3.42x
Lancashire 1 1.44x
Surrey 1 3.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 2 Johannessens recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.83x.

Place Total Index
Govan 2 42.83x
St George In East London 2 363.64x
Liverpool 1 23.75x
Rotherhithe 1 138.89x

Top male names

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

Name Count
Anton 1
Jacob 1
Olaf 1
Salve 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Johannessen households.

FAQ

Johannessen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Johannessen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6 people were recorded with the Johannessen surname. That placed it at #32,926 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Johannessen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016. That gives Johannessen a modern rank of #28,348.

What does the Johannessen surname mean?

A patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin meaning "son of Johannes".

What does the Johannessen map show?

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