NameCensus.

UK surname

Magson

In the 1881 census there were 474 people recorded with the Magson surname, ranking it #7,040 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 555, ranked #9,223, down from #7,040 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Halifax and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ryedale, York and Redcar and Cleveland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Magson is 677 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 17.1%.

1881 census count

474

Ranked #7,040

Modern count

555

2016, ranked #9,223

Peak year

1911

677 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Magson had 474 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,040 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 555 in 2016, ranked #9,223.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 677 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Magson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Magson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Magson 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 284 #7,977
1861 historical 337 #7,564
1881 historical 474 #7,040
1891 historical 520 #7,194
1901 historical 584 #7,219
1911 historical 677 #6,239
1997 modern 619 #7,977
1998 modern 629 #8,111
1999 modern 632 #8,139
2000 modern 625 #8,191
2001 modern 623 #8,048
2002 modern 638 #8,074
2003 modern 614 #8,178
2004 modern 596 #8,389
2005 modern 579 #8,482
2006 modern 560 #8,706
2007 modern 576 #8,619
2008 modern 581 #8,623
2009 modern 609 #8,494
2010 modern 603 #8,761
2011 modern 587 #8,837
2012 modern 581 #8,804
2013 modern 588 #8,867
2014 modern 584 #8,978
2015 modern 566 #9,096
2016 modern 555 #9,223

Geography

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Where Magsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Halifax, Bradford, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken and St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ryedale, York and Redcar and Cleveland. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire
5 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ryedale 001 Ryedale
2 Ryedale 008 Ryedale
3 Ryedale 002 Ryedale
4 York 010 York
5 Redcar and Cleveland 022 Redcar and Cleveland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Magson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Magson

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Magson is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Magson 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

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

1881 census detail

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Magson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Magson 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. Yorkshire leads with 264 Magsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.76x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 264 5.76x
Lancashire 65 1.18x
Warwickshire 38 3.26x
Middlesex 34 0.74x
Nottinghamshire 29 4.65x
Durham 23 1.67x
Essex 7 0.77x
Cheshire 6 0.59x
Sussex 4 0.51x
Devon 1 0.10x
Kent 1 0.06x
Norfolk 1 0.14x
Staffordshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Halifax in Yorkshire leads with 26 Magsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.66x.

Place Total Index
Halifax 26 38.66x
Bradford 23 20.74x
Scarborough 20 48.04x
Coventry Holy Trinity 19 54.57x
Huntington 16 1720.43x
Butterworth 15 112.19x
Huttons Ambo 15 2272.73x
Aston 13 4.05x
Mile End Old Town 12 16.44x
Nunnington 12 1875.00x
Blatchinworth 11 88.07x
Castleton 11 20.08x
Bishop Auckland 9 48.78x
Orston 9 1168.83x
Sowerby In Halifax 9 60.08x
Brandon Byshottles 8 46.43x
Denton 8 65.79x
Hovingham 8 842.11x
Mansfield Woodhouse 8 192.77x
Stainland Cum Old 8 102.04x
Barughs Ambo 7 1707.32x
Clifton In York 7 73.07x
Loughton 7 155.21x
Manningham 7 12.40x
Ormesby 7 56.86x
Ovenden 7 34.33x
Wortley In Bramley 7 19.29x
Bowling 6 13.22x
Clerkenwell London 6 5.50x
Haworth 6 55.10x
Helmsley 6 243.90x
Hulme 6 5.24x
Rochdale 6 150.00x
Sale 6 47.92x
Stranton 6 12.96x
Warley 6 45.32x
Westow 6 1132.08x
Calverley Cum Farsley 5 38.43x
Hickling 5 641.03x
Mancetter 5 149.25x
Nottingham St Mary 5 3.10x
Pendleton In Salford 5 7.65x
Elland Cum Greetland 4 19.38x
Islington London 4 0.89x
Norton In Malton 4 72.07x
Wharram Le Street 4 1818.18x
Hastings All Sts 3 40.82x
Mile End New Town 3 47.54x
Thorpe In Balne 3 1071.43x
Appleton Le Street 2 714.29x
Beeston 2 27.93x
Birdsall 2 392.16x
Kensington London 2 0.78x
Luttons Ambo 2 210.53x
Old Malton 2 69.44x
Seamer In Scarborough 2 135.14x
Shipley 2 8.41x
St Luke London 2 2.70x
Welburn In Malton 2 224.72x
York All Sts Pavement 2 377.36x
York St Saviour 2 45.77x
Bedworth 1 11.75x
Bingley 1 3.43x
Brighton 1 0.64x
Chelsea London 1 0.72x
Dalton In Furness 1 4.72x
Devonport 1 9.04x
Ealing 1 2.42x
Great Ayton 1 35.59x
Heckmondwike 1 6.78x
Huddersfield 1 1.50x
Leek Lowe 1 4.81x
Limehouse London 1 1.97x
New Malton 1 18.25x
North Meols 1 1.86x
Sinnington 1 200.00x
Southrepps 1 72.46x
St Marylebone London 1 0.41x
Staveley 1 192.31x
Woolwich 1 1.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 45
Sarah 29
Elizabeth 17
Hannah 14
Jane 11
Ann 8
Martha 8
Ada 7
Alice 7
Annie 7
Eliza 7
Emma 6
Ellen 5
Emily 5
Clara 4
Florence 4
Louisa 4
Amy 3
Fanny 3
Frances 3
Kate 3
Margaret 3
Anne 2
Caroline 2
Eleanor 2
Harriett 2
Janet 2
Julia 2
Lilly 2
Maria 2
Rebecca 2
Rhoda 2
Anna 1
Bessey 1
Betsy 1
Betty 1
Catherine 1
Celina 1
Elizth. 1
Emley 1
Emmeline 1
Ester 1
Florance 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
Lena 1
Lillian 1
Lousia 1
Lucy 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 33
William 29
James 23
Thomas 20
George 12
Henry 8
Arthur 5
Harry 5
Tom 5
Walter 5
Alfred 4
Charles 4
Joseph 4
Frank 3
Geo. 3
Richard 3
Samuel 3
Albert 2
Frederick 2
Herbert 2
Jonathan 2
Robert 2
Sam 2
Willie 2
Edmund 1
Ernest 1
Foster 1
Fras.W. 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Isaac 1
Isaiah 1
Israel 1
Jno. 1
Joe 1
Joe.S. 1
Leonard 1
Levi 1
Luther 1
Manfred 1
Mark 1
Morris 1
Oliver 1
Richd. 1
Saml. 1
Saul 1
Seymour 1
Thos. 1
Vickerman 1
Vinson 1

FAQ

Magson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Magson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 474 people were recorded with the Magson surname. That placed it at #7,040 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Magson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 555 in 2016. That gives Magson a modern rank of #9,223.

What does the Magson map show?

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