UK surname
An English surname derived from the Middle English word "minsum," meaning "diligent" or "industrious."
In the 1881 census there were 64 people recorded with the Minson surname, ranking it #24,561 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 66, ranked #33,948, down from #24,561 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Chard and St Ives. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Minson is 139 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.1%.
1881 census count
64
Ranked #24,561
Modern count
66
2016, ranked #33,948
Peak year
1891
139 bearers
Map years
3
1861 to 1901
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Minson surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Minson surname density by area, 1901 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 61 | #22,412 |
| 1861 | historical | 104 | #20,477 |
| 1881 | historical | 64 | #24,561 |
| 1891 | historical | 139 | #19,311 |
| 1901 | historical | 107 | #21,955 |
| 1911 | historical | 97 | #23,076 |
| 1997 | modern | 76 | #29,997 |
| 1998 | modern | 79 | #30,080 |
| 1999 | modern | 80 | #30,152 |
| 2000 | modern | 74 | #30,785 |
| 2001 | modern | 73 | #30,699 |
| 2002 | modern | 80 | #30,387 |
| 2003 | modern | 75 | #30,994 |
| 2004 | modern | 71 | #31,578 |
| 2005 | modern | 77 | #31,156 |
| 2006 | modern | 70 | #32,240 |
| 2007 | modern | 66 | #32,948 |
| 2008 | modern | 64 | #33,402 |
| 2009 | modern | 63 | #33,751 |
| 2010 | modern | 68 | #33,632 |
| 2011 | modern | 66 | #33,768 |
| 2012 | modern | 68 | #33,763 |
| 2013 | modern | 67 | #33,939 |
| 2014 | modern | 66 | #34,025 |
| 2015 | modern | 67 | #33,911 |
| 2016 | modern | 66 | #33,948 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Chard, St Ives and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London parishes | London 1 |
| 2 | Chard | Somerset |
| 3 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 4 | St Ives | Huntingdonshire |
| 5 | Lambeth | London (South Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Minson surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Minson, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Minson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Minson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Minson is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Minson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Minson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Minson has its origins in England, emerging in the medieval period. It is believed to be a variant of the more common surname Munson, which derived from the Old English personal name Mund or Munt, meaning "protector" or "hand." The suffix "-son" was commonly added to denote "son of," indicating that the name originally referred to the son of someone named Mund or Munt.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Minson can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1195, where a person named Willelmus filius Munsonis (William, son of Munson) is mentioned. This suggests that the Minson variant was already in use by the late 12th century.
The Minson surname has been associated with various place names in England, such as Minstone in Shropshire and Munstone in Kent. These place names likely derived from the same Old English root as the personal name Mund, reflecting the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.
Historically, the name Minson has been represented in various spellings, including Minshon, Minchen, and Minshin, reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings in the Middle Ages. Some notable individuals who bore this surname include:
1. John Minson (c. 1595 - 1669), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Thetford, Norfolk. 2. William Minson (c. 1665 - 1722), an English writer and author of "An Essay on Sobriety," published in 1694. 3. Thomas Minson (c. 1720 - 1789), a prominent English landowner and magistrate in Kent. 4. Elizabeth Minson (c. 1770 - 1855), an English diarist and writer known for her detailed accounts of life in rural Sussex. 5. James Minson (1838 - 1914), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
The Minson surname, with its roots in Old English and connections to various place names, has left a lasting mark on the historical records of England, reflecting the rich tapestry of British surnames and their origins.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Minson surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Somerset leads with 17 Minsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.92x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Somerset | 17 | 16.92x |
| Middlesex | 11 | 1.76x |
| Huntingdonshire | 8 | 64.52x |
| Surrey | 8 | 2.63x |
| Cornwall | 6 | 8.49x |
| Herefordshire | 5 | 19.53x |
| Lancashire | 5 | 0.67x |
| Essex | 1 | 0.81x |
| Glamorgan | 1 | 0.92x |
| Kent | 1 | 0.47x |
| Oxfordshire | 1 | 2.59x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Ives in Huntingdonshire leads with 8 Minsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1250.00x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| St Ives | 8 | 1250.00x |
| Falmouth | 6 | 240.00x |
| Ilminster | 5 | 714.29x |
| Ince In Makerfield | 5 | 144.93x |
| Yeovil | 5 | 245.10x |
| Chard | 4 | 327.87x |
| Kensington London | 4 | 11.52x |
| Camberwell | 3 | 7.52x |
| Colwall | 3 | 937.50x |
| Lambeth | 3 | 5.51x |
| Stoke Newington London | 3 | 61.73x |
| Weston Super Mare | 3 | 118.11x |
| Battersea | 2 | 8.71x |
| Cradley | 2 | 540.54x |
| Henley On Thames | 1 | 126.58x |
| Merthyr Tydfil | 1 | 9.57x |
| Poplar London | 1 | 8.49x |
| St George Hanover | 1 | 12.27x |
| St Luke London | 1 | 9.99x |
| St Pancras London | 1 | 1.99x |
| Walmer | 1 | 107.53x |
| Walthamstow | 1 | 22.52x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Minson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Minson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Minson households.
FAQ
In 1881, 64 people were recorded with the Minson surname. That placed it at #24,561 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 66 in 2016. That gives Minson a modern rank of #33,948.
An English surname derived from the Middle English word "minsum," meaning "diligent" or "industrious."
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Minson bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.