NameCensus.

UK surname

Johnsey

A variant spelling of the English surname Johnson, meaning "son of John".

In the 1881 census there were 50 people recorded with the Johnsey surname, ranking it #26,587 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 141, ranked #24,753, up from #26,587 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newport, Monmouthshire and Cheltenham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Johnsey is 142 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 182.0%.

1881 census count

50

Ranked #26,587

Modern count

141

2016, ranked #24,753

Peak year

2010

142 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Johnsey had 50 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,587 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 141 in 2016, ranked #24,753.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 74 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Johnsey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Johnsey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Johnsey 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 30 #27,891
1861 historical 25 #30,804
1881 historical 50 #26,587
1891 historical 74 #27,538
1901 historical 72 #26,162
1911 historical 58 #27,001
1997 modern 112 #25,244
1998 modern 111 #25,990
1999 modern 118 #25,227
2000 modern 119 #25,072
2001 modern 115 #25,222
2002 modern 127 #24,267
2003 modern 128 #23,890
2004 modern 131 #23,756
2005 modern 131 #23,737
2006 modern 130 #24,053
2007 modern 128 #24,632
2008 modern 130 #24,695
2009 modern 140 #24,033
2010 modern 142 #24,352
2011 modern 141 #24,294
2012 modern 132 #25,289
2013 modern 139 #24,912
2014 modern 137 #25,345
2015 modern 140 #24,836
2016 modern 141 #24,753

Geography

Back to top

Where Johnseys 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 Newport, Monmouthshire and Cheltenham. 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 Newport 004 Newport
2 Monmouthshire 007 Monmouthshire
3 Cheltenham 001 Cheltenham
4 Newport 005 Newport
5 Newport 010 Newport

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Johnsey

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Johnsey

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Johnsey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Johnsey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Johnsey is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Johnsey is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Johnsey falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Johnsey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Johnsey

The surname Johnsey has its origins in England, tracing back to the late medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "hwonne" and "eg," which collectively translate to "island in a river bend." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name likely hailed from an area situated on an island or region enclosed by a winding river.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Johnsey surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire, dated 1275, where a certain Walter Jonesy is mentioned. The variations in spelling, such as Jonesy, Jonsy, and Jonesey, were common during this era due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and the lack of standardized orthography.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named John Johnesey was a prominent landowner in the county of Staffordshire. His lineage can be traced back to the village of Johnsey, which was likely named after his ancestors who had settled in the area.

The Johnsey surname also appears in the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1674, which documented households in various counties of England. One such entry records a Thomas Johnsey residing in the parish of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of the renowned playwright William Shakespeare.

During the 17th century, a notable bearer of the Johnsey name was Robert Johnsey (1633-1696), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and contributed significantly to the development of the city's infrastructure.

Another individual of note was Elizabeth Johnsey (1745-1823), a renowned embroiderer from Gloucestershire. Her intricate needlework adorned the vestments of several bishops and was highly sought after by the ecclesiastical community of her time.

In the 19th century, a family by the name of Johnsey established themselves as prominent landowners in the county of Oxfordshire. One of their descendants, William Johnsey (1841-1912), was a respected scholar and historian who authored several books on the local history and genealogy of the region.

Throughout its history, the Johnsey surname has been associated with various locations in England, particularly in the counties of Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire, where many of its bearers have left their mark on the communities they called home.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Johnsey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Johnsey 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. Gloucestershire leads with 19 Johnseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.87x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 19 19.87x
Oxfordshire 11 36.53x
Yorkshire 8 1.66x
Monmouthshire 6 17.02x
Herefordshire 3 15.01x
Middlesex 2 0.41x
Wiltshire 1 2.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. South Cerney in Gloucestershire leads with 9 Johnseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5625.00x.

Place Total Index
South Cerney 9 5625.00x
Farnley Tyas 8 8000.00x
Fulbrook 7 11666.67x
St Woollos 6 152.67x
Fifield 4 10000.00x
Leckhampton 4 677.97x
Cheltenham 3 40.65x
Westcote 3 10000.00x
Hereford St Nicholas 2 740.74x
Kensington London 1 3.69x
Leominster 1 120.48x
St George Hanover Square 1 11.64x
Swindon 1 29.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Eliza 2
Allen 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Harriett 1
Jane 1
John 1
Julia 1
Louisa 1
Sarah 1
Selina 1
Winnifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 6
Henry 3
William 3
Charles 2
Alfred 1
Beecher 1
Charlton 1
Cornelius 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Folely 1
Harry 1
Isaac 1
James 1
Job 1
John 1
Leonard 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 Johnsey households.

FAQ

Johnsey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Johnsey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 50 people were recorded with the Johnsey surname. That placed it at #26,587 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Johnsey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 141 in 2016. That gives Johnsey a modern rank of #24,753.

What does the Johnsey surname mean?

A variant spelling of the English surname Johnson, meaning "son of John".

What does the Johnsey map show?

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