NameCensus.

UK surname

Metson

In the 1881 census there were 299 people recorded with the Metson surname, ranking it #9,740 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 409, ranked #11,694, down from #9,740 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hedingham, Sible, Weathersfield and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Braintree, Uttlesford and Chelmsford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Metson is 485 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.8%.

1881 census count

299

Ranked #9,740

Modern count

409

2016, ranked #11,694

Peak year

1911

485 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Metson had 299 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,740 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 409 in 2016, ranked #11,694.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 485 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Metson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Metson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Metson 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 77 #19,998
1861 historical 113 #19,151
1881 historical 299 #9,740
1891 historical 317 #10,611
1901 historical 370 #10,017
1911 historical 485 #8,012
1997 modern 464 #9,831
1998 modern 477 #9,955
1999 modern 481 #9,958
2000 modern 479 #9,951
2001 modern 469 #9,927
2002 modern 469 #10,105
2003 modern 438 #10,507
2004 modern 429 #10,718
2005 modern 403 #11,120
2006 modern 396 #11,338
2007 modern 399 #11,396
2008 modern 400 #11,468
2009 modern 402 #11,682
2010 modern 409 #11,783
2011 modern 407 #11,709
2012 modern 418 #11,318
2013 modern 424 #11,402
2014 modern 425 #11,432
2015 modern 422 #11,409
2016 modern 409 #11,694

Geography

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Where Metsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hedingham, Sible, Weathersfield, London parishes, Stebbing and Chelmsford, Broomfield, Writtle, Widford, Chignal St James, Chignal Smealy. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Braintree, Uttlesford and Chelmsford. 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 Hedingham, Sible Essex
2 Weathersfield Essex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Stebbing Essex
5 Chelmsford, Broomfield, Writtle, Widford, Chignal St James, Chignal Smealy Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Braintree 005 Braintree
2 Uttlesford 008 Uttlesford
3 Chelmsford 011 Chelmsford
4 Uttlesford 007 Uttlesford
5 Braintree 001 Braintree

Forenames

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First names often paired with Metson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Metson

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Metson is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Metson 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

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

1881 census detail

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Metson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Metson 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. Essex leads with 229 Metsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.77x.

County Total Index
Essex 229 39.77x
Middlesex 33 1.13x
Surrey 15 1.06x
Kent 12 1.21x
Yorkshire 4 0.14x
Suffolk 3 0.84x
Berwickshire 2 5.66x
Devon 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wethersfield in Essex leads with 40 Metsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2758.62x.

Place Total Index
Wethersfield 40 2758.62x
Toppesfield 21 2441.86x
Stapleford Abbots 13 2653.06x
Roxwell 12 1481.48x
Camberwell 11 5.90x
Stebbing 11 982.14x
Chignal Smealy 10 5000.00x
Great Maplestead 10 2564.10x
Stambourne 9 2093.02x
Tottenham 9 19.38x
Birdbrook 8 1379.31x
Deptford St Paul 8 10.42x
Finchingfield 7 388.89x
Great Dunmow 7 233.33x
Great Waltham 7 297.87x
Ashen 6 2608.70x
Braintree 6 116.05x
Felstead 6 304.57x
Mile End Old Town 6 13.03x
Abbots Roothing 5 2173.91x
Bocking 5 144.51x
Great Yeldham 5 833.33x
Hackney London 5 3.06x
Kensington London 5 3.08x
Orsett 5 333.33x
Wickham Bishops 5 943.40x
Ardleigh 4 250.00x
Gosfield 4 655.74x
Ham Kingston On Thames 4 645.16x
St Pancras London 4 1.70x
Bardfield Saling 3 1000.00x
Chelmsford 3 30.36x
Dagenham 3 87.46x
Little Dunmow 3 882.35x
Orford 3 260.87x
Rawmarsh 3 29.38x
Writtle 3 127.66x
Addington 2 769.23x
Cliffe 2 88.89x
Coldstream 2 78.13x
Great Bardfield 2 210.53x
Halstead 2 29.76x
Brixham 1 14.22x
Chelsea London 1 1.14x
Edmonton 1 4.26x
Islington London 1 0.35x
Maldon All Sts 1 87.72x
Steeple Bumpstead 1 95.24x
Stoke Newington London 1 4.40x
Swillington 1 121.95x
Tilbury 1 434.78x
Witham 1 33.67x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 13
Charles 10
Joseph 9
Henry 8
John 8
Walter 8
Frederick 7
Harry 7
Herbert 7
James 7
Thomas 7
Robert 6
Arthur 5
Samuel 5
Alfred 4
Frank 4
Stephen 4
William 4
Edgar 3
Willie 3
Benjamin 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Fred 2
Albert 1
Benj. 1
Chas. 1
Daniel 1
Edwd. 1
F.S. 1
Isaac 1
J.M. 1
Jacob 1
Jno 1
Josiah 1
Leonard 1
Maurice 1
Oliver 1
Peter 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Metson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Metson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 299 people were recorded with the Metson surname. That placed it at #9,740 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Metson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 409 in 2016. That gives Metson a modern rank of #11,694.

What does the Metson map show?

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