NameCensus.

UK surname

Merrison

In the 1881 census there were 155 people recorded with the Merrison surname, ranking it #15,174 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 379, ranked #12,371, up from #15,174 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Swanscombe, Dereham, West and Downham Market, Stow Bardolph, Wimbotsham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland, Conwy and Horsham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Merrison is 427 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 144.5%.

1881 census count

155

Ranked #15,174

Modern count

379

2016, ranked #12,371

Peak year

1999

427 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Merrison had 155 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,174 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 379 in 2016, ranked #12,371.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 288 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Merrison surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Merrison surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Merrison 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 122 #14,966
1861 historical 139 #16,263
1881 historical 155 #15,174
1891 historical 241 #13,089
1901 historical 249 #13,172
1911 historical 288 #11,757
1997 modern 392 #11,178
1998 modern 424 #10,880
1999 modern 427 #10,919
2000 modern 408 #11,232
2001 modern 408 #11,056
2002 modern 424 #10,950
2003 modern 401 #11,242
2004 modern 378 #11,757
2005 modern 379 #11,662
2006 modern 364 #12,106
2007 modern 358 #12,383
2008 modern 363 #12,359
2009 modern 374 #12,343
2010 modern 393 #12,157
2011 modern 379 #12,343
2012 modern 358 #12,724
2013 modern 373 #12,550
2014 modern 378 #12,512
2015 modern 370 #12,596
2016 modern 379 #12,371

Geography

Back to top

Where Merrisons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Swanscombe, Dereham, West, Downham Market, Stow Bardolph, Wimbotsham, Holme (next Runcton) and Elmham, North. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Holland, Conwy and Horsham. 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 Swanscombe Kent
2 Dereham, West Norfolk
3 Downham Market, Stow Bardolph, Wimbotsham Norfolk
4 Holme (next Runcton) Norfolk
5 Elmham, North Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Holland 002 South Holland
2 South Holland 008 South Holland
3 Conwy 010 Conwy
4 Horsham 005 Horsham
5 South Holland 010 South Holland

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Merrison

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Merrison

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Merrison surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Merrison household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Merrison 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

Merrison 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

Merrison falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Merrison is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Merrison families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Merrison 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. Norfolk leads with 119 Merrisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 51.19x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 119 51.19x
Middlesex 24 1.59x
Lancashire 4 0.22x
Surrey 3 0.41x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.04x
Derbyshire 1 0.42x
Essex 1 0.34x
Huntingdonshire 1 3.33x
Yorkshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Yarmouth in Norfolk leads with 21 Merrisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 109.03x.

Place Total Index
Great Yarmouth 21 109.03x
West Dereham 19 6551.72x
Downham Market 13 812.50x
North Elmham 13 2321.43x
Brandon 8 640.00x
Finchley 6 103.45x
Norwich St Benedict 6 576.92x
Hackney London 5 5.90x
Tottenham 5 20.76x
Docking 4 547.95x
Emneth 4 769.23x
Harrow On The Hill 4 132.45x
Hulme 4 10.68x
South Creake 4 754.72x
Bexwell 3 7500.00x
Holme 3 2142.86x
Kingston On Thames 3 16.95x
Leziate 3 2727.27x
Clerkenwell London 2 5.60x
East Dereham 2 68.03x
Guestwick 2 2222.22x
Lingwood 2 952.38x
Strumpshaw 2 952.38x
Abbots Ripton 1 500.00x
Baconsthorpe 1 666.67x
Denver 1 232.56x
Derby St Peter 1 13.26x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 3.28x
Egmere 1 2000.00x
Fakenham 1 87.72x
Hampstead London 1 4.25x
Heigham 1 8.01x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 14.33x
Lynford 1 1666.67x
Manea 1 166.67x
Mundford 1 666.67x
Southacre 1 2500.00x
St Marylebone London 1 1.24x
Weasenham St Peter 1 714.29x
West Ham 1 1.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 11
Mary 9
Anna 4
Jane 4
Louisa 4
Sarah 3
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Florence 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Leah 2
Martha 2
Susan 2
Alice 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Caroline 1
E.A. 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Esther 1
F.E. 1
Harriett 1
Harriott 1
Henrietta 1
J.S. 1
Kate 1
Lucy 1
M.M. 1
Margaret 1
Margrett 1
Maria 1
N.H. 1
Ruth 1
S. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Henry 9
William 9
John 7
Robert 7
James 6
Joseph 4
Edward 3
Frederick 3
Richard 3
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Fredk. 2
George 2
Herbert 2
Samuel 2
A.E. 1
Benjamin 1
E.E. 1
Ernest 1
F.A. 1
Frand 1
Frank 1
H. 1
Isaac 1
Matthew 1
Peter 1
R. 1
R.R. 1
Thomas 1
Willm. 1
Willm.A. 1

FAQ

Merrison surname: questions and answers

How common was the Merrison surname in 1881?

In 1881, 155 people were recorded with the Merrison surname. That placed it at #15,174 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Merrison surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 379 in 2016. That gives Merrison a modern rank of #12,371.

What does the Merrison map show?

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