NameCensus.

UK surname

Mendelson

Son of Mendel, a Yiddish diminutive form of the Hebrew personal name Menahem, meaning "comforter" or "consoler."

In the 1881 census there were 19 people recorded with the Mendelson surname, ranking it #30,872 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 89, ranked #32,297, down from #30,872 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bury, Camden and Viewlands, Craigie and Wellshill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mendelson is 118 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 368.4%.

1881 census count

19

Ranked #30,872

Modern count

89

2016, ranked #32,297

Peak year

1999

118 bearers

Map years

3

1901 to 1998

Key insights

  • Mendelson had 19 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,872 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 89 in 2016, ranked #32,297.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 101 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Mendelson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mendelson surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mendelson 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 3 #32,890
1861 historical 15 #31,942
1881 historical 19 #30,872
1891 historical 37 #31,398
1901 historical 101 #22,726
1911 historical 100 #22,717
1997 modern 97 #27,342
1998 modern 113 #25,731
1999 modern 118 #25,227
2000 modern 110 #26,248
2001 modern 99 #27,534
2002 modern 94 #28,797
2003 modern 87 #29,615
2004 modern 85 #30,132
2005 modern 83 #30,486
2006 modern 83 #30,808
2007 modern 84 #31,067
2008 modern 86 #31,114
2009 modern 86 #31,612
2010 modern 84 #32,289
2011 modern 80 #32,652
2012 modern 91 #31,659
2013 modern 96 #31,381
2014 modern 94 #31,909
2015 modern 91 #32,153
2016 modern 89 #32,297

Geography

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Where Mendelsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Gateshead, Manchester and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bury, Camden, Viewlands, Craigie and Wellshill and Glenfarg, Dunning and Rhynd. 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 1
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bury 019 Bury
2 Camden 004 Camden
3 Bury 025 Bury
4 Viewlands, Craigie and Wellshill Perth and Kinross
5 Glenfarg, Dunning and Rhynd Perth and Kinross

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mendelson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mendelson

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Mendelson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Mendelson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Mendelson is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mendelson is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mendelson falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mendelson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Mendelson

The surname Mendelson is of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, tracing its roots back to the German language. It is a patronymic name, derived from the personal name Mendel, which itself comes from the biblical name Manasseh. Mendelson literally means "son of Mendel."

The earliest recorded instances of the name Mendelson can be found in historical documents from the 16th and 17th centuries in various parts of Central and Eastern Europe, where Ashkenazi Jewish communities thrived. The name is believed to have emerged as a way to identify individuals within these communities.

One of the earliest known references to the name Mendelson can be found in the records of the Jewish community in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, dating back to the late 16th century. These records mention a Jacob Mendelson, who was a prominent member of the community.

Another notable individual with the surname Mendelson was Moses Mendelson, a renowned scholar and philosopher who lived in the late 18th century. He was born in Dessau, Germany, in 1729 and is best known for his contributions to the Haskalah, the Jewish Enlightenment movement.

In the 19th century, the name Mendelson gained wider recognition with the rise of the composer Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), whose grandfather's surname was originally Mendelson. Felix Mendelssohn is considered one of the most influential composers of the Romantic era and is known for his instrumental works, such as the Violin Concerto in E minor and the Overture to "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Other notable individuals with the surname Mendelson include Walter Mendelson (1915-2004), an American lawyer and civil rights activist who played a crucial role in the desegregation of public schools in the United States. He worked closely with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and was involved in several landmark cases, including Brown v. Board of Education.

Lastly, Joseph Mendelson (1890-1967) was a prominent American labor leader and lawyer. He served as the president of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) from 1937 to 1967 and played a significant role in improving working conditions and wages for garment workers in the United States.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mendelson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mendelson 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 14 Mendelsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.56x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 14 7.56x
Yorkshire 3 1.63x
Northumberland 2 7.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Botolph Aldgate in Middlesex leads with 5 Mendelsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2000.00x.

Place Total Index
St Botolph Aldgate 5 2000.00x
St Luke London 4 134.68x
St Pancras London 4 26.83x
Holy Trinity 3 68.03x
Westgate 2 116.96x
Acton 1 91.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 3
Betsy 1
Blanche 1
Ellen 1
Jane 1
Jennie 1
Lena 1
Paulina 1
Teena 1
Thersea 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 1
Frederick 1
Harris 1
Israel 1
Jaques 1
Morris 1
Solomon 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 Mendelson households.

FAQ

Mendelson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mendelson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 19 people were recorded with the Mendelson surname. That placed it at #30,872 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mendelson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 89 in 2016. That gives Mendelson a modern rank of #32,297.

What does the Mendelson surname mean?

Son of Mendel, a Yiddish diminutive form of the Hebrew personal name Menahem, meaning "comforter" or "consoler."

What does the Mendelson map show?

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