NameCensus.

UK surname

Meston

A locational surname derived from a place name in Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 230 people recorded with the Meston surname, ranking it #11,748 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 280, ranked #15,491, down from #11,748 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kincardine O'Neil, Peterculter and Banchory-Devenick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fetteresso, Netherley and Catter, South Tyneside and East Cairngorms.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Meston is 351 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.7%.

1881 census count

230

Ranked #11,748

Modern count

280

2016, ranked #15,491

Peak year

1891

351 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Meston had 230 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,748 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 280 in 2016, ranked #15,491.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 351 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Meston surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Meston surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Meston 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 185 #11,077
1861 historical 275 #9,082
1881 historical 230 #11,748
1891 historical 351 #9,809
1901 historical 262 #12,740
1911 historical 137 #18,880
1997 modern 274 #14,374
1998 modern 289 #14,208
1999 modern 295 #14,108
2000 modern 286 #14,385
2001 modern 273 #14,614
2002 modern 286 #14,442
2003 modern 257 #15,341
2004 modern 261 #15,274
2005 modern 251 #15,590
2006 modern 249 #15,784
2007 modern 260 #15,476
2008 modern 266 #15,384
2009 modern 275 #15,349
2010 modern 273 #15,764
2011 modern 275 #15,517
2012 modern 268 #15,745
2013 modern 272 #15,836
2014 modern 278 #15,692
2015 modern 276 #15,673
2016 modern 280 #15,491

Geography

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Where Mestons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kincardine O'Neil, Peterculter, Banchory-Devenick, Echt and Berwick-on-Tweed. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fetteresso, Netherley and Catter, South Tyneside, East Cairngorms, Brechin West and Hammersmith and Fulham. 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 Kincardine O'Neil Aberdeen
2 Peterculter Aberdeen
3 Banchory-Devenick Kincardine
4 Echt Aberdeen
5 Berwick-on-Tweed Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fetteresso, Netherley and Catter Aberdeenshire
2 South Tyneside 001 South Tyneside
3 East Cairngorms Aberdeenshire
4 Brechin West Angus
5 Hammersmith and Fulham 024 Hammersmith and Fulham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Meston

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Meston

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Meston, 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 Meston surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Meston 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Meston is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Meston is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Meston falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Meston

The surname Meston originated in Scotland, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "mest" or "maest," meaning "most" or "greatest," and the suffix "-ton," indicating a town or settlement. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name, possibly referring to a prominent or significant town.

One of the earliest known references to the Meston name can be found in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls of 1546, which mention a "John Mestoun." This indicates that the name was well-established in Scotland by that time. The spelling variations "Mestoun" and "Meston" were commonly used interchangeably in historical records.

The Meston family is thought to have originated in the county of Aberdeenshire, located in the northeastern part of Scotland. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the parish of Fyvie in Aberdeenshire, where a branch of the Meston family had settled.

One notable historical figure bearing the Meston name was Sir John Meston (1588-1654), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Privy Seal of Scotland from 1634 to 1637. He played a significant role in the turbulent political events of the time, including the Scottish Reformation and the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

Another prominent individual was William Meston (1688-1745), a Scottish poet and satirist. He was the author of several works, including "The Knight of the Kirk" and "Mother Grim's Tales," which satirized contemporary society and politics. Meston was known for his witty and humorous writing style.

In the 18th century, James Meston (1709-1773) was a Scottish minister and author who wrote a book titled "The Beauties of Poetry," which was a compilation of poetic works from various authors. He also served as a minister in the Church of Scotland.

Gilbert Meston (1778-1859) was a Scottish writer and educator who authored several works on grammar and rhetoric. He served as the rector of the Grammar School in Elgin, Scotland, and was known for his contributions to education.

John Meston (1856-1935) was a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Aberdeen, including the Aberdeen Art Gallery and the Aberdeen Grammar School. His architectural works were influential in shaping the cityscape of Aberdeen during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Meston families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Meston 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 100 Mestons recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.71x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 100 47.71x
Kincardineshire 26 94.34x
East Lothian 13 43.38x
Middlesex 12 0.53x
Yorkshire 12 0.54x
Hertfordshire 9 5.77x
Northumberland 9 2.67x
Lancashire 8 0.30x
Midlothian 8 2.64x
Hampshire 7 1.51x
Banffshire 6 12.78x
Essex 6 1.34x
Lanarkshire 5 0.68x
Durham 3 0.45x
Ayrshire 2 1.18x
Northamptonshire 2 0.94x
Renfrewshire 2 1.14x
Angus 1 0.48x
Gloucestershire 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberdeen Old Machar in Aberdeenshire leads with 30 Mestons recorded in 1881 and an index of 68.56x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen Old Machar 30 68.56x
Peterculter 15 1013.51x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 13 33.15x
Aberlady 11 1410.26x
Banchory Devenick 9 350.19x
Hampstead London 9 25.54x
Kincardine O Neil 9 600.00x
Berwick Upon Tweed 8 112.20x
Fetteresso 8 185.19x
Knaresborough 8 227.27x
Portsea 7 7.70x
Abbots Langley 6 258.62x
Durris 6 759.49x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 4.92x
Lambourne 6 909.09x
Echt 5 495.05x
Ellon 4 138.89x
Forglen 4 689.66x
Govan 4 2.21x
Lumphanan 4 454.55x
Tarves 4 202.02x
Toxteth Park 4 4.40x
Wigan 4 10.66x
Banchory Ternan 3 126.05x
St Albans 3 93.75x
Beith 2 39.60x
Belhelvie 2 139.86x
Dunbar 2 47.62x
Hackney London 2 1.58x
Northowram 2 12.72x
Oyne 2 266.67x
Port Glasgow 2 23.58x
Southwick 2 31.35x
Tarland 2 219.78x
Aboyne 1 90.09x
Barony 1 0.54x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.73x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 6.76x
Clatt 1 285.71x
Dalkeith 1 16.72x
Drumoak 1 138.89x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 16.75x
Fordyce 1 29.59x
Forgue 1 53.19x
Glenmuick Tullich 1 66.23x
Hexham 1 19.19x
Inverurie 1 42.19x
Kensington London 1 0.79x
Kinellar 1 222.22x
Leeds 1 0.79x
Marnoch 1 39.68x
Northampton St Giles 1 12.33x
Northampton St Sepulchre 1 9.23x
Peterhead 1 9.03x
Scarborough 1 4.91x
Skene 1 71.94x
Slains 1 102.04x
St Vigeans 1 8.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Elizabeth 2
Ellen 2
Margaret 2
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Catherine 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.S. 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Evelyn 1
Grace 1
Hester 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Maria 1
Sebina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
William 5
George 4
Alexander 3
Charles 3
David 2
Matthew 2
Robert 2
Albion 1
Claude 1
Daniel 1
Denis 1
Duarte 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
James 1
Jos. 1
Jos.F. 1
Wm.N. 1

FAQ

Meston surname: questions and answers

How common was the Meston surname in 1881?

In 1881, 230 people were recorded with the Meston surname. That placed it at #11,748 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Meston surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 280 in 2016. That gives Meston a modern rank of #15,491.

What does the Meston surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in Scotland.

What does the Meston map show?

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