NameCensus.

UK surname

Johnson

An English patronymic surname meaning "son of John."

In the 1881 census there were 100,458 people recorded with the Johnson surname, ranking it #11 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 154,078, ranked #10, up from #11 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Mainland, Lerwick North and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Johnson is 158,030 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.4%.

1881 census count

100,458

Ranked #11

Modern count

154,078

2016, ranked #10

Peak year

2010

158,030 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Johnson had 100,458 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 154,078 in 2016, ranked #10.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 139,100 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Johnson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Johnson surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Johnson 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 65,564 #13
1861 historical 73,436 #11
1881 historical 100,458 #11
1891 historical 113,067 #11
1901 historical 127,313 #11
1911 historical 139,100 #11
1997 modern 145,731 #10
1998 modern 152,378 #10
1999 modern 153,548 #10
2000 modern 152,594 #10
2001 modern 148,607 #10
2002 modern 152,196 #10
2003 modern 148,556 #10
2004 modern 148,814 #10
2005 modern 147,079 #10
2006 modern 147,620 #10
2007 modern 149,418 #10
2008 modern 150,169 #10
2009 modern 154,075 #10
2010 modern 158,030 #10
2011 modern 155,324 #10
2012 modern 152,064 #10
2013 modern 155,162 #10
2014 modern 156,441 #10
2015 modern 154,546 #10
2016 modern 154,078 #10

Geography

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Where Johnsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Mainland, Lerwick North, Leeds, Newcastle-under-Lyme and East and West Mainland. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Mainland Shetland Islands
2 Lerwick North Shetland Islands
3 Leeds 110 Leeds
4 Newcastle-under-Lyme 005 Newcastle-under-Lyme
5 East and West Mainland Shetland Islands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Johnson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Johnson

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Johnson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Johnson 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Johnson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Johnson 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

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

Meaning and origin of Johnson

The surname Johnson has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the late 12th century as an occupational name for the son of John. It is derived from the medieval English name "John" combined with the diminutive suffix "-son", meaning "son of". The popularity of the name John, which stems from the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Graced by God", contributed to the widespread use of Johnson as a surname.

Johnson was initially found primarily in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Northumberland. Early records from the 13th century show variations in spelling, such as Jonessone and Johnessone, reflecting regional dialects and inconsistent record-keeping practices of the time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Johnson can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1199, which mention a Robert Johnson. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 also include several references to individuals with the surname Johnson, indicating its growing prevalence in medieval England.

During the 14th century, the name Johnson appeared in various historical documents, including the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327, where a William Johnson is listed. The Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379 mention several Johnson families, further solidifying the surname's presence in the region.

Notable historical figures bearing the surname Johnson include:

1. Thomas Johnson (c. 1539-1619), an English botanist and herbalist, renowned for his work "The Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes".

2. Isaac Johnson (1601-1630), an English settler in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and one of the founders of Boston.

3. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), the celebrated English writer, poet, and critic, best known for his monumental work "A Dictionary of the English Language".

4. Andrew Johnson (1808-1875), the 17th President of the United States, who assumed office after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

5. Amy Johnson (1903-1941), a pioneering English aviator and the first woman to fly solo from Britain to Australia.

Over time, the surname Johnson spread throughout England and later to other parts of the British Isles, as well as to the British colonies and territories around the world, carried by migrants and settlers seeking new opportunities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Johnson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Johnson 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 15,078 Johnsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.29x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 15,078 1.29x
Yorkshire 13,600 1.40x
Middlesex 9,793 1.00x
Staffordshire 6,057 1.83x
Durham 5,832 2.00x
Surrey 4,665 0.98x
Cheshire 4,153 1.92x
Lincolnshire 3,713 2.37x
Kent 3,338 1.00x
Warwickshire 3,097 1.25x
Northumberland 2,824 1.93x
Derbyshire 2,254 1.47x
Leicestershire 2,235 2.05x
Nottinghamshire 2,152 1.63x
Norfolk 2,101 1.39x
Essex 2,016 1.04x
Northamptonshire 1,646 1.78x
Worcestershire 1,308 1.02x
Sussex 1,250 0.76x
Hampshire 1,125 0.56x
Gloucestershire 1,018 0.53x
Cambridgeshire 956 1.54x
Shetland 897 8.95x
Berkshire 842 1.14x
Suffolk 809 0.68x
Devon 610 0.30x
Oxfordshire 595 0.98x
Hertfordshire 566 0.84x
Buckinghamshire 491 0.83x
Glamorgan 484 0.28x
Shropshire 451 0.53x
Bedfordshire 438 0.86x
Cumberland 435 0.51x
Wiltshire 411 0.47x
Somerset 390 0.25x
Monmouthshire 272 0.38x
Herefordshire 254 0.63x
Lanarkshire 244 0.08x
Huntingdonshire 204 1.05x
Flintshire 199 0.75x
Westmorland 183 0.85x
Dorset 164 0.25x
Midlothian 147 0.11x
Denbighshire 123 0.33x
Cornwall 113 0.10x
Royal Navy 97 0.83x
Isle of Man 92 0.50x
Rutland 90 1.25x
Caernarfonshire 81 0.20x
Inverness-shire 75 0.26x
Channel Islands 63 0.22x
Pembrokeshire 62 0.20x
Carmarthenshire 54 0.13x
Argyllshire 50 0.18x
Renfrewshire 47 0.06x
Dunbartonshire 45 0.17x
Angus 34 0.04x
Ayrshire 29 0.04x
Fife 29 0.05x
Brecknockshire 24 0.12x
Ross-shire 22 0.08x
Wigtownshire 21 0.16x
Anglesey 20 0.12x
Aberdeenshire 17 0.02x
Montgomeryshire 17 0.08x
Radnorshire 17 0.21x
Merionethshire 12 0.07x
Perthshire 12 0.03x
Dumfriesshire 11 0.05x
Stirlingshire 11 0.03x
Morayshire 10 0.07x
Kirkcudbrightshire 6 0.04x
Peeblesshire 6 0.13x
Sutherland 6 0.08x
Cardiganshire 5 0.02x
Roxburghshire 5 0.03x
Orkney 4 0.04x
West Lothian 4 0.03x
Kincardineshire 3 0.03x
Nairnshire 3 0.10x
Berwickshire 2 0.02x
Buteshire 1 0.02x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 964 Johnsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.17x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 964 1.17x
Islington London 932 0.98x
Stoke Upon Trent 920 2.62x
Aston 899 1.32x
Liverpool 816 1.15x
Leeds 796 1.45x
Lambeth 739 0.86x
Manchester 687 1.31x
Camberwell 657 1.05x
St Pancras London 636 0.81x
Hackney London 614 1.12x
Leicester St Margaret 614 2.31x
Salford 611 1.78x
Holy Trinity 597 2.55x
North Meols 575 5.04x
Bishopwearmouth 525 2.09x
Toxteth Park 507 1.29x
West Ham 475 1.11x
West Derby 465 1.36x
Bethnal Green London 462 1.08x
Newington 461 1.27x
St Marylebone London 456 0.87x
Westoe 451 2.72x
Nottingham St Mary 437 1.28x
Kensington London 419 0.77x
Mile End Old Town London 416 1.99x
Everton 412 1.11x
Shoreditch London 408 0.96x
Hulme 400 1.65x
Pendleton In Salford 393 2.83x
Rowley Regis 385 4.17x
Gateshead 373 1.71x
Sheffield 373 1.20x
Oldham 366 0.97x
Portsea 329 0.83x
Preston 323 1.04x
St George Hanover Square 321 1.86x
Bromley London 313 1.45x
Bermondsey 312 1.07x
Barton Upon Irwell 311 3.55x
Sculcoates 308 2.00x
Wolstanton 305 3.03x
Paddington London 302 0.84x
Brightside Bierlow 299 1.57x
Croydon 297 1.12x
Battersea 293 0.81x
Brighton 289 0.87x
West Bromwich 289 1.52x
Chelsea London 285 0.96x
Blackburn 280 0.90x
Chorlton On Medlock 276 1.49x
Macclesfield 270 2.80x
Darlington 268 2.38x
Southwark St George Martyr 268 1.36x
Kirkdale 260 1.33x
Audley 259 7.90x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 250 2.76x
Stockport 249 2.23x
Ecclesall Bierlow 243 1.23x
Great Yarmouth 239 1.91x
Wolverhampton 229 0.90x
Elswick 226 1.94x
Kings Norton 225 1.96x
Bradford 224 0.95x
Great Grimsby 222 2.23x
Ashton Under Lyne 220 0.86x
Hammersmith London 220 0.91x
Wigan 214 1.31x
Derby St Werburgh 213 2.40x
Middlesbrough 212 1.67x
Clerkenwell London 207 0.89x
Birkenhead 205 1.19x
Poplar London 204 1.10x
Burslem 202 2.13x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 201 1.59x
Stockton On Tees 201 1.43x
Gorton 200 1.83x
Tynemouth 195 2.49x
St George In East London 194 2.10x
Leicester St Mary 192 2.18x
Hunslet 191 1.26x
Deptford St Paul 190 0.74x
Broughton In Salford 189 1.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6,866
Elizabeth 3,989
Sarah 3,582
Ann 2,093
Jane 2,028
Eliza 1,492
Alice 1,489
Emma 1,464
Ellen 1,448
Annie 1,442
Hannah 1,250
Margaret 1,244
Emily 1,010
Martha 918
Harriet 644
Louisa 606
Maria 571
Ada 568
Charlotte 557
Fanny 518
Edith 506
Caroline 490
Florence 486
Catherine 479
Clara 434
Isabella 431
Kate 395
Frances 390
Agnes 363
Anne 353
Lucy 333
Susan 310
Harriett 300
Esther 276
Amelia 275
Rose 265
Elizth. 249
Rebecca 249
Eleanor 239
Susannah 209
Matilda 202
Minnie 198
Sophia 187
Amy 177
Gertrude 172
Lydia 170
Julia 164
Ethel 153
Selina 149
Betsy 148

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6,470
John 5,795
Thomas 3,626
George 3,297
James 2,806
Henry 2,108
Joseph 1,953
Charles 1,810
Robert 1,541
Samuel 1,074
Edward 1,047
Alfred 951
Arthur 934
Richard 826
Frederick 820
Walter 637
Harry 601
Albert 562
Herbert 424
Benjamin 420
Frank 401
Wm. 374
David 366
Ernest 341
Peter 292
Edwin 284
Francis 256
Fred 244
Thos. 223
Isaac 217
Daniel 151
Tom 148
Matthew 134
Stephen 129
Geo. 127
Andrew 120
Fredrick 112
Chas. 108
Ralph 107
Christopher 104
Fredk. 103
Mark 100
Alexander 99
Percy 96
Edmund 94
Willm. 94
Jonathan 76
Jacob 73
Robt. 70
Saml. 70

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 Johnson households.

FAQ

Johnson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Johnson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 100,458 people were recorded with the Johnson surname. That placed it at #11 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Johnson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 154,078 in 2016. That gives Johnson a modern rank of #10.

What does the Johnson surname mean?

An English patronymic surname meaning "son of John."

What does the Johnson map show?

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