NameCensus.

UK surname

Justice

An occupational surname referring to a judge, magistrate, or other judicial official.

In the 1881 census there were 758 people recorded with the Justice surname, ranking it #4,871 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,362, ranked #4,426, up from #4,871 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Worthing, Cardenden and Hammersmith and Fulham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Justice is 1,394 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 79.7%.

1881 census count

758

Ranked #4,871

Modern count

1,362

2016, ranked #4,426

Peak year

2014

1,394 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Justice had 758 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,871 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,362 in 2016, ranked #4,426.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 963 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Justice surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Justice surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Justice 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 505 #4,949
1861 historical 475 #5,480
1881 historical 758 #4,871
1891 historical 842 #4,845
1901 historical 963 #4,878
1911 historical 802 #5,467
1997 modern 1,216 #4,660
1998 modern 1,294 #4,590
1999 modern 1,305 #4,586
2000 modern 1,304 #4,565
2001 modern 1,287 #4,522
2002 modern 1,278 #4,647
2003 modern 1,259 #4,616
2004 modern 1,287 #4,523
2005 modern 1,276 #4,507
2006 modern 1,252 #4,603
2007 modern 1,288 #4,525
2008 modern 1,297 #4,521
2009 modern 1,333 #4,509
2010 modern 1,359 #4,518
2011 modern 1,367 #4,439
2012 modern 1,332 #4,475
2013 modern 1,355 #4,484
2014 modern 1,394 #4,408
2015 modern 1,371 #4,421
2016 modern 1,362 #4,426

Geography

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Where Justices are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Govan Combination and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Worthing, Cardenden, Hammersmith and Fulham, Thanet and Warwick. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 London parishes London 3
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Worthing 001 Worthing
2 Cardenden Fife
3 Hammersmith and Fulham 012 Hammersmith and Fulham
4 Thanet 008 Thanet
5 Warwick 014 Warwick

Forenames

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First names often paired with Justice

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Justice

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Justice, 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 Justice surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Justice 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Justice is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Justice is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Justice 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 Justice is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Justice

The surname Justice originated in England and France during the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old French word "justise," which means "justice" or "judge." The name was likely given to someone who worked in the legal system or held a position of authority, such as a judge or a magistrate.

In England, the name Justice can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentions a Roger le Justise. This document was a survey of landholdings and tenants in England, conducted during the reign of King Edward I.

The name Justice also appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book records several individuals with the surname Justicia or Justiciarius, which are variants of the name Justice.

During the Middle Ages, the name Justice was particularly prevalent in the counties of Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire in England. It was also found in various parts of France, where it was often spelled as "Justis" or "Juste."

One notable individual with the surname Justice was Sir William Justice (c. 1539-1614), an English judge and legal scholar who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another prominent figure was Roger Justice (c. 1600-1670), an English politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament and was appointed as a judge during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, there was John Justice (1701-1763), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Radcliffe Camera at the University of Oxford.

Another notable individual was Sir Philip Justice (1786-1856), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Justice was John Justice (c. 1670-1725), an English Quaker who emigrated to Pennsylvania in the late 17th century and became a prominent landowner and businessman in the colony.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Justice families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Justice 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. Middlesex leads with 102 Justices recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.38x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 102 1.38x
Oxfordshire 68 14.85x
Nottinghamshire 64 6.40x
Lanarkshire 51 2.13x
Buckinghamshire 46 10.26x
Gloucestershire 45 3.09x
Yorkshire 44 0.60x
Angus 31 4.51x
Kent 31 1.23x
Lancashire 31 0.35x
Surrey 26 0.72x
Fife 22 5.01x
Perthshire 21 6.31x
Berkshire 19 3.41x
Hampshire 19 1.25x
Warwickshire 15 0.80x
Bedfordshire 13 3.39x
Derbyshire 11 0.95x
Renfrewshire 11 1.91x
Staffordshire 11 0.44x
Midlothian 8 0.81x
Essex 7 0.48x
Monmouthshire 7 1.31x
Somerset 7 0.59x
Denbighshire 6 2.14x
Devon 6 0.39x
Glamorgan 6 0.46x
Kincardineshire 6 6.65x
Northumberland 6 0.54x
Lincolnshire 5 0.42x
Cheshire 4 0.24x
Ayrshire 2 0.36x
Leicestershire 2 0.24x
Sussex 2 0.16x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.15x
Argyllshire 1 0.48x
Hertfordshire 1 0.20x
Royal Navy 1 1.13x
Shropshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 30 Justices recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.70x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 30 11.70x
Barony 23 3.79x
Edgcott 20 4166.67x
Poplar London 19 13.58x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 14 20.46x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 14 10.23x
Clifton 14 19.05x
Glasgow 14 3.29x
Govan 14 2.36x
Clarborough 13 174.03x
St Pancras London 13 2.18x
Carlton In Lindrick 12 452.83x
High Halstow 12 1263.16x
Lower Heyford 12 902.26x
Marsh Gibbon 12 634.92x
Sutton 12 45.91x
Scone 11 186.13x
Dunfermline 10 14.82x
Islington London 10 1.39x
Worksop 10 33.74x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 6.44x
Iver 9 155.71x
Kensington London 9 2.18x
Perth Middle Church 9 71.94x
Portsea 9 3.02x
Tadmarton 9 989.01x
Oxford St Clement 8 69.26x
Doncaster 7 13.04x
Everton 7 2.50x
Heanor 7 40.32x
Malpas 7 864.20x
Old Stratford 7 66.16x
South Leith 7 6.26x
St Giles Cripplegate 7 71.14x
Sturton 7 522.39x
West Greenock 7 6.79x
Westoning 7 419.16x
Banchory Devenick 6 71.17x
Bow London 6 6.36x
Bristol Temple 6 62.70x
Bromley London 6 3.68x
Ealing 6 9.06x
Enstone 6 214.29x
Hammersmith London 6 3.29x
Littlebourne 6 312.50x
Llangollen Bache 6 188.09x
Scoonie 6 63.16x
Sheffield 6 2.57x
Southam 6 132.16x
Blymhill 5 390.63x
Ecclesfield 5 9.28x
Greenwich 5 4.24x
Handborough 5 203.25x
Leckhampstead 5 632.91x
Salford 5 1.93x
Wolverhampton 5 2.60x
Ardwick 4 5.04x
Babworth 4 215.05x
Basingstoke 4 22.88x
Battersea 4 1.47x
Church Hulme 4 238.10x
Dunstable 4 33.90x
East Retford 4 46.14x
Edlesborough 4 98.04x
Finchampstead 4 236.69x
Holton 4 666.67x
Litchurch 4 8.56x
Margaretting 4 300.75x
Middleton Stoney 4 540.54x
Nottingham St Mary 4 1.55x
Shipton Under Wychwood 4 135.59x
Stapleton 4 14.50x
Steeple Aston 4 231.21x
Topsham 4 54.95x
Westminster St James 4 5.25x
Gainsborough 3 10.73x
North Leverton 3 394.74x
Shipley 3 7.87x
St George Bloomsbury 3 7.05x
Wokingham 3 23.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 37
Eliza 18
Elizabeth 18
Sarah 18
Ann 15
Annie 13
Ellen 12
Alice 11
Emily 8
Emma 8
Hannah 8
Charlotte 7
Clara 7
Jane 7
Caroline 6
Margaret 6
Ada 5
Edith 5
Fanny 5
Helen 5
Louisa 5
Agnes 4
Catherine 3
Christina 3
Eva 3
Harriet 3
Jessie 3
Lavinia 3
Maria 3
Susan 3
Anne 2
Elizth. 2
Florence 2
Janet 2
Kate 2
Lilian 2
Lizzie 2
Martha 2
May 2
Selina 2
Sophia 2
Bessie 1
Catharine 1
Elizbth. 1
Elizth.Selby 1
Ellinda 1
Hilda 1
Infant 1
Isabella 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 37
John 31
Thomas 28
George 21
Henry 20
James 19
Joseph 15
Charles 14
Frederick 9
Robert 7
Walter 7
Albert 6
Alfred 4
Arthur 4
David 4
Edward 4
Harry 4
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Philip 3
Benjamin 2
Charley 2
Elisha 2
Fredrick 2
Matthew 2
Michael 2
Thos. 2
Aaron 1
Alfd. 1
Archibold 1
C.W. 1
Colin 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Fredk 1
Geo. 1
Howard 1
Ira 1
Jesse 1
Jno. 1
Job 1
Judd 1
Kedwell 1
Leonard 1
Norval 1
Phillip 1
Richard 1
Willey 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Justice surname: questions and answers

How common was the Justice surname in 1881?

In 1881, 758 people were recorded with the Justice surname. That placed it at #4,871 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Justice surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,362 in 2016. That gives Justice a modern rank of #4,426.

What does the Justice surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a judge, magistrate, or other judicial official.

What does the Justice map show?

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