NameCensus.

UK surname

Johansen

Scandinavian patronymic surname meaning "son of Johan" (a variant of John).

In the 1881 census there were 70 people recorded with the Johansen surname, ranking it #23,670 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 655, ranked #8,123, up from #23,670 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Muir of Ord, Tewkesbury and Westminster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Johansen is 667 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 835.7%.

1881 census count

70

Ranked #23,670

Modern count

655

2016, ranked #8,123

Peak year

2014

667 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Johansen had 70 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,670 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 655 in 2016, ranked #8,123.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 198 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Johansen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Johansen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Johansen 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
1861 historical 4 #33,628
1881 historical 70 #23,670
1891 historical 50 #30,253
1901 historical 198 #15,213
1911 historical 177 #16,129
1997 modern 486 #9,500
1998 modern 511 #9,431
1999 modern 533 #9,197
2000 modern 531 #9,194
2001 modern 530 #9,055
2002 modern 534 #9,190
2003 modern 520 #9,233
2004 modern 512 #9,352
2005 modern 528 #9,081
2006 modern 552 #8,786
2007 modern 551 #8,894
2008 modern 559 #8,844
2009 modern 570 #8,920
2010 modern 645 #8,294
2011 modern 629 #8,370
2012 modern 623 #8,342
2013 modern 643 #8,285
2014 modern 667 #8,088
2015 modern 661 #8,092
2016 modern 655 #8,123

Geography

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Where Johansens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon), Liverpool and Cardiff St John and St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Muir of Ord, Tewkesbury, Westminster and Sefton. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Muir of Ord Highland
2 Tewkesbury 002 Tewkesbury
3 Westminster 020 Westminster
4 Sefton 030 Sefton
5 Tewkesbury 001 Tewkesbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Johansen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Johansen

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Johansen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Johansen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Johansen is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Johansen 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

Johansen 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 Johansen is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Johansen

The surname Johansen is of Scandinavian origin, primarily found in Denmark and Norway. It is a patronymic surname, meaning it is derived from a given name and the suffix "-sen" which denotes "son of." The name can be traced back to the 11th century when it was formed from the medieval Danish name Johan, itself derived from the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious."

In its earliest known form, the surname was spelled "Johanssøn" in Danish and "Johannsson" in Norwegian. These spellings reflect the Nordic languages' use of double consonants and the letter "ø" (a vowel sound similar to the English "u" in "burn"). The spelling "Johansen" emerged later as the name spread and was influenced by German orthographic conventions.

The name is found in several medieval records, including the Danish Census Book of 1645, which lists several individuals with the surname Johansen living in various parts of Denmark. One notable early bearer of the name was Nils Johansen, a Norwegian explorer who is believed to have been the first European to set foot in Antarctica in the early 17th century.

In the 18th century, the Johansen name gained prominence with the birth of the Norwegian mathematician and cartographer Søren Johansen (1730-1804), who was instrumental in mapping the coastlines of Norway and parts of Greenland. Another notable figure was the Danish politician and writer Jens Johansen (1795-1875), who served as a member of the Danish parliament and published several works on political theory.

The 19th century saw the rise of several prominent Johansens, including the Norwegian painter Christian Johansen (1832-1917), whose landscapes and seascapes captured the rugged beauty of Norway's fjords and mountains. Another notable figure was the Danish explorer Frits Johansen (1882-1933), who led several expeditions to Greenland and was among the first to explore the interior of the island.

In the 20th century, the Johansen name gained international recognition with the accomplishments of the Norwegian explorer Hjalmar Johansen (1867-1913), who accompanied Fridtjof Nansen on his famous expedition to the North Pole in 1893-1896. Another notable figure was the Danish film director Bille Johansen (1915-2007), whose movies explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Johansen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Johansen 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. Lancashire leads with 15 Johansens recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.85x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 15 1.85x
Northumberland 11 10.83x
Middlesex 7 1.03x
Surrey 7 2.10x
Cheshire 5 3.32x
Durham 4 1.97x
Yorkshire 4 0.59x
Glamorgan 3 2.52x
Kent 3 1.29x
Midlothian 3 3.28x
Aberdeenshire 2 3.16x
Lincolnshire 2 1.83x
Ayrshire 1 1.96x
Dorset 1 2.23x
Essex 1 0.74x
Fife 1 2.47x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. North Shields in Northumberland leads with 8 Johansens recorded in 1881 and an index of 394.09x.

Place Total Index
North Shields 8 394.09x
Rotherhithe 7 82.94x
Bootle Cum Linacre 5 77.76x
South Shields 4 220.99x
Toxteth Park 4 14.58x
Cardiff St Mary 3 45.80x
Chatton 3 967.74x
Goole 3 265.49x
Kirkdale 3 22.01x
Liverpool 3 6.10x
Milton In Gravesend 3 85.96x
Paddington London 3 11.95x
Great Grimsby 2 28.86x
Leith South 2 1538.46x
St George In East London 2 31.15x
St Nicholas 2 5000.00x
Tranmere 2 36.10x
Wallasey 2 392.16x
Ayr 1 41.49x
Birkenhead 1 8.33x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 185.19x
Leigh 1 212.77x
Leith North 1 555.56x
Poole St James 1 59.52x
Poplar London 1 7.76x
Scoonie 1 113.64x
Whitechapel London 1 14.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Ida 1
Louise 1
Maria 1
Marion 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Carl 4
Johan 4
August 3
Hans 3
John 3
Andreas 2
Emil 2
Ole 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Alvyunder 1
Anders 1
Augustus 1
Axel 1
Bendey 1
Berent 1
Charles 1
Edvard 1
Fredrick 1
Gabriel 1
Hendrik 1
Hugh 1
I. 1
Joakin 1
Johannes 1
Jorgen 1
Julias 1
Lara 1
Lars 1
Ludvig 1
Magnus 1
Markus 1
Martin 1
Nils 1
Oskar 1
P. 1
Pears 1
Peter 1
Thedar 1
Vaidemare 1

FAQ

Johansen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Johansen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 70 people were recorded with the Johansen surname. That placed it at #23,670 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Johansen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 655 in 2016. That gives Johansen a modern rank of #8,123.

What does the Johansen surname mean?

Scandinavian patronymic surname meaning "son of Johan" (a variant of John).

What does the Johansen map show?

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