NameCensus.

UK surname

Jorgensen

Son of Jørgen, a Danish and Norwegian form of George, meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker."

In the 1881 census there were 30 people recorded with the Jorgensen surname, ranking it #29,363 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 516, ranked #9,778, up from #29,363 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Poulton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Richmond upon Thames, Swansea and North East Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jorgensen is 536 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1620.0%.

1881 census count

30

Ranked #29,363

Modern count

516

2016, ranked #9,778

Peak year

2010

536 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jorgensen had 30 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,363 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 516 in 2016, ranked #9,778.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 122 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Jorgensen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jorgensen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jorgensen 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 30 #29,363
1891 historical 48 #30,447
1901 historical 121 #20,444
1911 historical 122 #20,245
1997 modern 441 #10,231
1998 modern 476 #9,974
1999 modern 511 #9,500
2000 modern 506 #9,541
2001 modern 500 #9,464
2002 modern 529 #9,255
2003 modern 511 #9,338
2004 modern 504 #9,468
2005 modern 519 #9,200
2006 modern 523 #9,170
2007 modern 524 #9,230
2008 modern 512 #9,470
2009 modern 519 #9,578
2010 modern 536 #9,559
2011 modern 522 #9,645
2012 modern 529 #9,461
2013 modern 525 #9,675
2014 modern 524 #9,763
2015 modern 504 #9,944
2016 modern 516 #9,778

Geography

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Where Jorgensens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Poulton, Hove 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 Richmond upon Thames, Swansea, North East Lincolnshire, Westminster and Buckie Central East. 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 Poulton Lancashire
4 Hove Sussex
5 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Richmond upon Thames 005 Richmond upon Thames
2 Swansea 013 Swansea
3 North East Lincolnshire 005 North East Lincolnshire
4 Westminster 001 Westminster
5 Buckie Central East Moray

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jorgensen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jorgensen

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Jorgensen, 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 Jorgensen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Jorgensen 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Jorgensen is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Jorgensen 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

Jorgensen falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Jorgensen 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Jorgensen

The surname Jorgensen is of Danish origin, originating in the medieval period. It is a patronymic name, derived from the personal name "Jorgen", which was a common Danish form of the name George. Jorgen itself comes from the Greek name "Georgios", meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker".

The earliest recorded instances of the name Jorgensen date back to the 13th century in Denmark. It was often written as "Jørgensen" in its original Danish spelling. The name likely emerged as a way to distinguish the son of someone named Jorgen from others with the same first name.

Historical records show that the Jorgensen name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Jutland and Zealand in Denmark during the Middle Ages. It was also found in areas of modern-day Germany and Sweden that had Danish influence or settlements at the time.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Jorgensen was Jens Jorgensen, a Danish merchant who lived in the late 14th century. He was recorded in documents related to trade between Denmark and the Hanseatic League cities in northern Germany.

Another notable early bearer of the name was Niels Jorgensen, a Danish farmer and landowner who lived in the 15th century. He was mentioned in records pertaining to land ownership and taxation in the village of Svendborg on the island of Funen.

In the 16th century, the explorer Jørgen Jørgensen, also known as Jorge Jorgensen, was born in Denmark around 1510. He later settled in the Spanish colony of Peru and became one of the first Europeans to explore the Amazon River.

The Danish astronomer Jorgen Jorgensen Ibsen, born in 1701, was another prominent individual with the surname. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and is remembered for his work on the calculation of comet orbits.

Finally, Hans Christian Jorgensen, born in 1836, was a notable Danish painter and illustrator during the Romantic period. He is known for his landscapes and scenes depicting rural life in Denmark.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Jorgensen, reflecting its long-standing Danish origins and presence across various fields and walks of life.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jorgensen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jorgensen 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. Midlothian leads with 5 Jorgensens recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.76x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 5 12.76x
Northumberland 4 9.19x
Middlesex 3 1.03x
Yorkshire 3 1.04x
Kent 2 2.00x
Lancashire 2 0.58x
Renfrewshire 2 8.83x
Surrey 2 1.40x
Aberdeenshire 1 3.69x
Berkshire 1 4.56x
Cheshire 1 1.55x
Cornwall 1 3.02x
Devon 1 1.64x
Glamorgan 1 1.96x
Norfolk 1 2.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leith North in Midlothian leads with 4 Jorgensens recorded in 1881 and an index of 5000.00x.

Place Total Index
Leith North 4 5000.00x
Holy Trinity 2 28.69x
Liverpool 2 9.49x
North Shields 2 229.89x
Rotherhithe 2 55.40x
Bedlington 1 68.97x
Brenchley 1 277.78x
Cardiff St Mary 1 35.71x
Cramond 1 333.33x
Elswick 1 28.82x
Greenock Newor Middle 1 5000.00x
Hampstead London 1 21.98x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 74.07x
Milton In Gravesend 1 66.67x
New Windsor 1 135.14x
Paddington London 1 9.30x
Peterhead 1 69.93x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 21.32x
Renfrew 1 133.33x
Southcoates 1 62.11x
St Blazey 1 344.83x
St Marylebone London 1 6.41x
Wallasey 1 454.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ama 1
Julia 1
Marie 1
Melsine 1
Nauna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Hans 4
Andrew 1
Ansten 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Gabriel 1
Gor 1
Jacob 1
Johan 1
Jorger 1
Jourld 1
Ole 1
Peder 1
Thor 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 Jorgensen households.

FAQ

Jorgensen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jorgensen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 30 people were recorded with the Jorgensen surname. That placed it at #29,363 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jorgensen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 516 in 2016. That gives Jorgensen a modern rank of #9,778.

What does the Jorgensen surname mean?

Son of Jørgen, a Danish and Norwegian form of George, meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker."

What does the Jorgensen map show?

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