NameCensus.

UK surname

Kesson

A locational surname likely referring to someone from a place called Kesson.

In the 1881 census there were 132 people recorded with the Kesson surname, ranking it #16,744 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 207, ranked #19,118, down from #16,744 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Toryglen and Oatlands, Inverness Smithton and Mearns Village, Westacres and Greenfarm.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kesson is 220 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 56.8%.

1881 census count

132

Ranked #16,744

Modern count

207

2016, ranked #19,118

Peak year

2010

220 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kesson had 132 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,744 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 207 in 2016, ranked #19,118.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 160 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Kesson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kesson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kesson 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 128 #14,474
1861 historical 125 #17,678
1881 historical 132 #16,744
1891 historical 160 #17,555
1901 historical 159 #17,442
1911 historical 18 #31,542
1997 modern 194 #17,978
1998 modern 206 #17,796
1999 modern 208 #17,808
2000 modern 203 #18,043
2001 modern 201 #17,885
2002 modern 206 #17,966
2003 modern 187 #18,856
2004 modern 183 #19,251
2005 modern 177 #19,598
2006 modern 187 #19,079
2007 modern 191 #19,031
2008 modern 200 #18,640
2009 modern 206 #18,657
2010 modern 220 #18,265
2011 modern 215 #18,379
2012 modern 200 #19,207
2013 modern 199 #19,584
2014 modern 199 #19,775
2015 modern 199 #19,640
2016 modern 207 #19,118

Geography

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Where Kessons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Towie and Paisley Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Toryglen and Oatlands, Inverness Smithton, Mearns Village, Westacres and Greenfarm, North East Lincolnshire and Dunecht, Durris and Drumoak. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Towie Aberdeen
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Toryglen and Oatlands Glasgow City
2 Inverness Smithton Highland
3 Mearns Village, Westacres and Greenfarm East Renfrewshire
4 North East Lincolnshire 016 North East Lincolnshire
5 Dunecht, Durris and Drumoak Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kesson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kesson

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Kesson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Kesson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Kesson 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

Kesson is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Kesson

The surname Kesson originated in Scotland in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name Cisionach, which means "the victor" or "triumphant one". The name first appeared in records from the county of Fife, where it was particularly prevalent in the area around St. Andrews.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Kesson can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, which mention a William Keson who was a landowner in Fife. The name also appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish nobles who swore fealty to King Edward I of England.

In the 15th century, the Kessons were prominent in the Scottish clan system, and were closely associated with the powerful Clan MacDuff. Several members of the Kesson family were noted warriors and took part in the Wars of Scottish Independence against the English.

One of the most famous Kessons was Sir John Kesson, who was born in 1475 and served as a knight and ambassador for King James IV of Scotland. He was sent on diplomatic missions to France and Spain, and played a key role in negotiating the Treaty of Perpetual Peace with England in 1502.

Another notable figure was William Kesson, born in 1620, who was a prominent Presbyterian minister and one of the leading figures in the Scottish Covenanter movement. He was imprisoned and exiled for his opposition to the religious policies of King Charles II.

In the 18th century, the Kesson name was well-established in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the counties of Fife, Perthshire, and Angus. One member of the family, Robert Kesson (1734-1805), was a successful merchant and shipowner based in the town of Dundee.

The Kessons also played a role in the Scottish diaspora, with many members of the family emigrating to North America, Australia, and other parts of the British Empire in the 19th and early 20th centuries. One such figure was James Kesson (1828-1910), who was born in Fife and became a prominent farmer and community leader after settling in Ontario, Canada.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kesson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kesson 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 56 Kessons recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.69x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 56 47.69x
Lanarkshire 27 6.58x
Midlothian 11 6.48x
Durham 8 2.12x
Perthshire 7 12.30x
Renfrewshire 5 5.09x
Angus 3 2.55x
Ayrshire 3 3.16x
Fife 2 2.66x
Kent 2 0.46x
Kincardineshire 2 12.95x
Middlesex 2 0.16x
Yorkshire 2 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. Aberdeen St Nicholas in Aberdeenshire leads with 27 Kessons recorded in 1881 and an index of 122.89x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen St Nicholas 27 122.89x
Govan 17 16.76x
Aberdeen Old Machar 15 61.17x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 11 16.10x
Barony 7 6.75x
Glenbucket 6 2727.27x
Lecropt 5 1851.85x
Monkwearmouth Shore 4 54.35x
Tarland 4 784.31x
Whitburn 4 454.55x
Dundee 3 6.84x
Largs 3 133.93x
Neilston 3 60.85x
Abbey 2 13.34x
Dunfermline 2 17.33x
Fordoun 2 232.56x
Inverurie 2 150.38x
New Monkland 2 16.50x
Woolwich 2 12.52x
Blairgowrie 1 44.44x
Drumoak 1 250.00x
Glasgow 1 1.37x
Glengairn 1 1666.67x
Kincardine 1 169.49x
Paddington London 1 2.15x
Scarborough 1 8.76x
Sculcoates 1 5.02x
St Marylebone London 1 1.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Maria 2
Elizabeth 1
Jane 1
Lizzie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Edward 2
Albert 1
Andrew 1
Bruce 1
E.J. 1
Henry 1
W. 1
William 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 Kesson households.

FAQ

Kesson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kesson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 132 people were recorded with the Kesson surname. That placed it at #16,744 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kesson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 207 in 2016. That gives Kesson a modern rank of #19,118.

What does the Kesson surname mean?

A locational surname likely referring to someone from a place called Kesson.

What does the Kesson map show?

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