NameCensus.

UK surname

Johnsen

A patronymic surname meaning "son of John."

In the 1881 census there were 44 people recorded with the Johnsen surname, ranking it #27,447 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 246, ranked #16,993, up from #27,447 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Walthamstow, Low Leyton, London parishes and Newcastle All Saints. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Tyneside, North Lincolnshire and Allerdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Johnsen is 246 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 459.1%.

1881 census count

44

Ranked #27,447

Modern count

246

2016, ranked #16,993

Peak year

2016

246 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Johnsen had 44 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,447 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 246 in 2016, ranked #16,993.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 103 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Johnsen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Johnsen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Johnsen 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 14 #30,790
1861 historical 52 #27,369
1881 historical 44 #27,447
1891 historical 44 #30,838
1901 historical 103 #22,444
1911 historical 98 #22,959
1997 modern 183 #18,642
1998 modern 188 #18,796
1999 modern 178 #19,592
2000 modern 177 #19,634
2001 modern 176 #19,415
2002 modern 182 #19,411
2003 modern 195 #18,411
2004 modern 191 #18,723
2005 modern 197 #18,339
2006 modern 191 #18,825
2007 modern 197 #18,669
2008 modern 194 #19,011
2009 modern 205 #18,722
2010 modern 224 #18,047
2011 modern 234 #17,383
2012 modern 236 #17,187
2013 modern 234 #17,556
2014 modern 239 #17,429
2015 modern 235 #17,530
2016 modern 246 #16,993

Geography

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Where Johnsens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Walthamstow, Low Leyton, London parishes, Newcastle All Saints, Gateshead and Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Tyneside, North Lincolnshire and Allerdale. 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 Walthamstow, Low Leyton Essex
2 London parishes London 3
3 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Tyneside 020 North Tyneside
2 North Lincolnshire 011 North Lincolnshire
3 North Lincolnshire 001 North Lincolnshire
4 Allerdale 011 Allerdale
5 North Tyneside 023 North Tyneside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Johnsen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Johnsen

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Johnsen, 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 Johnsen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Johnsen 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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Johnsen 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

Johnsen 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

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

Meaning and origin of Johnsen

The surname Johnsen is of Scandinavian origin, primarily from Norway and Denmark. It is a patronymic name, derived from the given name John, which itself is an English form of the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious."

The earliest recorded instances of the name Johnsen can be traced back to the 13th century in Norway. It was a common practice in Scandinavia at the time to form surnames by adding the suffix "-sen" or "-son" to the father's given name, creating patronymic surnames like Johnsen, which literally means "son of John."

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Johnsen was Erling Johnsen, a Norwegian nobleman who lived in the late 13th century. He was mentioned in several historical records from that period, including the Icelandic Sagas.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname Johnsen was Hans Johnsen, a Danish explorer and navigator who participated in several expeditions to Greenland and the Arctic regions. He was born in Copenhagen in 1530 and died around 1595.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Jens Johnsen, a Norwegian composer and organist who lived from 1724 to 1785. He is known for his contributions to the development of Norwegian church music during the 18th century.

In the 19th century, one of the most influential figures with the surname Johnsen was Henrik Ibsen, the renowned Norwegian playwright and poet. Although his surname was originally spelled Ibsen, it is believed to have derived from the patronymic Johnsen. Ibsen was born in 1828 and died in 1906, leaving a lasting impact on modern drama with his works such as "A Doll's House" and "Peer Gynt."

Another notable individual with the surname Johnsen was Eivind Johnsen, a Norwegian painter and artist who lived from 1841 to 1923. He is considered one of the pioneers of Norwegian landscape painting and is renowned for his depictions of Norwegian nature and rural life.

The surname Johnsen has also been found in historical records and documents from other Scandinavian countries, such as Sweden and Iceland, indicating its widespread use throughout the region. It is a name deeply rooted in Scandinavian history and culture, reflecting the region's rich heritage and tradition of patronymic naming practices.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Johnsen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Johnsen 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 14 Johnsens recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.75x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 14 2.75x
Northumberland 6 9.40x
Monmouthshire 5 16.12x
Midlothian 4 6.96x
Kent 3 2.05x
Middlesex 3 0.70x
Durham 2 1.57x
Nottinghamshire 2 3.46x
Fife 1 3.94x
Gloucestershire 1 1.19x
Lanarkshire 1 0.72x
Lincolnshire 1 1.46x
Shetland 1 22.83x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 13 Johnsens recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.03x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 13 42.03x
Llangattock Vibon Avel 5 7142.86x
Tynemouth 4 116.96x
Leith North 3 2727.27x
Hucknall Torkard 2 136.05x
Lewisham 2 25.61x
Anderston 1 2500.00x
Barrow In Furness 1 14.43x
Barton St Mary St Peter 1 769.23x
Ealing 1 26.04x
Elswick 1 19.61x
Gloucester 1 3333.33x
Inveresk 1 64.10x
Lerwick 1 3333.33x
Milton In Gravesend 1 45.45x
Newbottle 1 142.86x
North Shields 1 78.74x
Poplar London 1 12.35x
South Shields 1 87.72x
St George In East London 1 24.75x
Wemyss 1 93.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Anna 2
Ann 1
Charlotte 1
Christiane 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Ida 1
Johanna 1
Johannes 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Bent 1
Bothilda 1
Carl 1
Cliffent 1
Edward 1
Fredk. 1
Gresham 1
Hans 1
Harry 1
Herman 1
Johan 1
John 1
Micaline 1
Nikolai 1
Nils 1
Ole 1
Olief 1
Thomas 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 Johnsen households.

FAQ

Johnsen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Johnsen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 44 people were recorded with the Johnsen surname. That placed it at #27,447 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Johnsen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 246 in 2016. That gives Johnsen a modern rank of #16,993.

What does the Johnsen surname mean?

A patronymic surname meaning "son of John."

What does the Johnsen map show?

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