NameCensus.

UK surname

Mapson

An anglicized form of the French surname Masson, referring to a stone mason.

In the 1881 census there were 147 people recorded with the Mapson surname, ranking it #15,674 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 149, ranked #23,844, down from #15,674 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Swindon, Lyddington and Malmesbury St Paul. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swindon, Wigan and North Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mapson is 198 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.4%.

1881 census count

147

Ranked #15,674

Modern count

149

2016, ranked #23,844

Peak year

1911

198 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mapson had 147 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,674 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 149 in 2016, ranked #23,844.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 198 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Mapson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mapson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mapson 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 73 #20,581
1861 historical 94 #21,883
1881 historical 147 #15,674
1891 historical 161 #17,473
1901 historical 175 #16,469
1911 historical 198 #15,058
1997 modern 146 #21,494
1998 modern 159 #20,916
1999 modern 158 #21,102
2000 modern 145 #22,259
2001 modern 148 #21,664
2002 modern 147 #22,197
2003 modern 157 #21,026
2004 modern 148 #22,000
2005 modern 130 #23,848
2006 modern 138 #23,156
2007 modern 139 #23,377
2008 modern 140 #23,511
2009 modern 147 #23,248
2010 modern 149 #23,598
2011 modern 149 #23,408
2012 modern 142 #24,148
2013 modern 147 #23,977
2014 modern 144 #24,504
2015 modern 145 #24,246
2016 modern 149 #23,844

Geography

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Where Mapsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Swindon, Lyddington, Malmesbury St Paul, Stratton and Kingston Bagpuize. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swindon, Wigan, North Somerset and Hastings. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Swindon, Lyddington Wiltshire
3 Malmesbury St Paul Wiltshire
4 Stratton Wiltshire
5 Kingston Bagpuize Berkshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swindon 003 Swindon
2 Swindon 001 Swindon
3 Wigan 014 Wigan
4 North Somerset 011 North Somerset
5 Hastings 010 Hastings

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mapson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mapson

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

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

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

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Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Mapson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Mapson is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mapson falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mapson 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 Mapson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mapson

The surname Mapson is of English origin and dates back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset, where it was likely derived from the Old English words "map" and "sunu," meaning "son of the map-maker." This suggests that the name's earliest bearers were involved in the production of maps or worked as cartographers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mapson can be found in the parish records of Wiltshire, where a William Mapson was mentioned in 1597. Another early reference is found in the Hearth Tax Returns of Gloucestershire from 1662, which lists a John Mapson as a resident of the county.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Mapson name appeared in various documents across southern England, particularly in the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire. In the 1676 Subsidy Rolls of Somerset, a Thomas Mapson is listed as a landowner in the village of Batcombe.

Notable individuals with the surname Mapson include Robert Mapson (1670-1734), a renowned clockmaker from Bristol who was renowned for his intricate and precise timepieces. Another notable figure was William Mapson (1792-1868), a successful merchant and philanthropist from Gloucestershire who was known for his charitable contributions to local causes.

In the 19th century, the Mapson name can be found in various census records and parish registers across England. One notable example is James Mapson (1818-1897), a prominent lawyer and magistrate from Somerset who served as the High Sheriff of the county in 1867.

Another individual of note was Emily Mapson (1844-1923), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded one of the first girls' schools in Bristol and was a prominent figure in the early suffragette movement.

Despite its relatively rare occurrence, the surname Mapson has a rich history dating back several centuries, with its roots firmly planted in the counties of southern England. The name's association with map-making and cartography has contributed to its unique and distinctive origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mapson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mapson 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. Wiltshire leads with 54 Mapsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.59x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 54 42.59x
Middlesex 15 1.05x
Berkshire 13 12.08x
Gloucestershire 11 3.91x
Nottinghamshire 9 4.66x
Staffordshire 7 1.45x
Buckinghamshire 6 6.92x
Cambridgeshire 6 6.61x
Shropshire 5 4.04x
Somerset 5 2.17x
Oxfordshire 4 4.52x
Devon 3 1.01x
Lancashire 3 0.18x
Cheshire 2 0.63x
Hampshire 2 0.68x
Durham 1 0.23x
Surrey 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Highworth in Wiltshire leads with 27 Mapsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1666.67x.

Place Total Index
Highworth 27 1666.67x
Brinkworth 20 3508.77x
Worksop 9 157.07x
Bilston 7 74.63x
Kensington London 7 8.78x
Avening 6 606.06x
Kingston Bagpuize 6 5000.00x
Wraysbury 6 1875.00x
Hadnall 5 1923.08x
Lyncombe Widcombe 5 82.78x
St Sepulchre London 4 190.48x
Chesterton 3 107.14x
Cirencester 3 78.74x
East Teignmouth 3 245.90x
Wigan 3 12.62x
Woolvercot 3 833.33x
Wootton Bassett 3 272.73x
Wytham 3 3000.00x
All Saints Cambridge 2 312.50x
Clifton 2 14.06x
Compton Bassett 2 1111.11x
Frodsham 2 162.60x
Waltham St Lawrence 2 476.19x
Warblington 2 170.94x
Willesden 2 14.79x
Brightwell 1 333.33x
Croydon 1 2.58x
Draycot Moor 1 909.09x
Little Somerford 1 526.32x
Oxford St Giles 1 23.70x
Shoreditch London 1 1.61x
St Pancras London 1 0.87x
Stranton 1 6.96x
Swindon 1 10.16x
The Holy Sepulchre 1 454.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 10
Emma 8
Mary 7
Alice 6
Emily 4
Jane 4
Annie 3
Ellen 3
Catherine 2
Cecilia 2
Eunice 2
Georgina 2
Sarah 2
Sophia 2
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Ann 1
Bess 1
Caroline 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Florance 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Marget 1
Maria 1
Purscilla 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 18
John 10
George 8
Thomas 7
Edward 3
Joseph 3
Charles 2
Henry 2
James 2
Jeremiah 2
Jno. 2
A. 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Gideon 1
Harry 1
Jessie 1
Paulin 1
Ralph 1
Shipling 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Mapson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mapson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 147 people were recorded with the Mapson surname. That placed it at #15,674 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mapson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 149 in 2016. That gives Mapson a modern rank of #23,844.

What does the Mapson surname mean?

An anglicized form of the French surname Masson, referring to a stone mason.

What does the Mapson map show?

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