NameCensus.

UK surname

Muston

An English place surname referring to someone from Muston, a location.

In the 1881 census there were 282 people recorded with the Muston surname, ranking it #10,148 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 170, ranked #21,801, down from #10,148 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Boston (incl. Boston allotments), Hinckley (incl. Hydes Pastures) and Portsmouth, Portsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include The Vale of Glamorgan, Herefordshire and St Albans.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Muston is 353 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 39.7%.

1881 census count

282

Ranked #10,148

Modern count

170

2016, ranked #21,801

Peak year

1911

353 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Muston had 282 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,148 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 170 in 2016, ranked #21,801.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 353 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Muston surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Muston surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Muston 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 243 #8,983
1861 historical 307 #8,262
1881 historical 282 #10,148
1891 historical 323 #10,480
1901 historical 309 #11,418
1911 historical 353 #10,212
1997 modern 189 #18,267
1998 modern 193 #18,511
1999 modern 188 #18,931
2000 modern 179 #19,494
2001 modern 175 #19,484
2002 modern 180 #19,533
2003 modern 175 #19,690
2004 modern 183 #19,251
2005 modern 178 #19,535
2006 modern 178 #19,666
2007 modern 179 #19,811
2008 modern 178 #20,094
2009 modern 183 #20,135
2010 modern 182 #20,662
2011 modern 182 #20,495
2012 modern 176 #20,915
2013 modern 173 #21,486
2014 modern 177 #21,340
2015 modern 173 #21,542
2016 modern 170 #21,801

Geography

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Where Mustons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Boston (incl. Boston allotments), Hinckley (incl. Hydes Pastures), Portsmouth, Portsea, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Cardiff St John and St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to The Vale of Glamorgan, Herefordshire, St Albans, Aylesbury Vale and Gosport. 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 Boston (incl. Boston allotments) Lincolnshire
2 Hinckley (incl. Hydes Pastures) Leicestershire
3 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 The Vale of Glamorgan 004 Vale of Glamorgan
2 Herefordshire 021 Herefordshire, County of
3 St Albans 016 St Albans
4 Aylesbury Vale 014 Aylesbury Vale
5 Gosport 010 Gosport

Forenames

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First names often paired with Muston

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Muston

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Muston surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Muston household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Muston 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

Muston is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Muston 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 Muston 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Muston

The surname MUSTON is of English origin, originating in the medieval period around the 12th century. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from the village of Muston in Leicestershire, England. The name itself is a compound of the Old English words "mus" meaning "mouse" and "tun" meaning "town" or "settlement".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MUSTON can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a Richard de Muston is mentioned as residing in the village of the same name. This suggests that the surname was already well-established by that time.

In the 14th century, the surname MUSTON appeared in various records and documents, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Leicestershire from 1327, where a John de Muston is listed as a taxpayer. The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and estates in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the name MUSTON, as it predates the emergence of hereditary surnames.

The earliest known bearer of the surname MUSTON was Thomas de Muston, who lived in the village of Muston in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was Sir John Muston, a member of the English gentry who served as the High Sheriff of Leicestershire in 1452.

Other historical figures with the surname MUSTON include:

1. William Muston (c. 1470 - c. 1540), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the rector of Stow Bardolph in Norfolk. 2. Robert Muston (b. 1590), a landowner and yeoman farmer in the village of Muston, Leicestershire. 3. Thomas Muston (1680 - 1743), a prominent merchant and trader from the city of Leicester. 4. Elizabeth Muston (1747 - 1818), a philanthropist and benefactor who established a charitable foundation in her hometown of Muston. 5. Sir Henry Muston (1812 - 1884), a British army officer who served in the Crimean War and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery.

The surname MUSTON has also been associated with various place names and their alternative spellings over the centuries, such as Mustun, Mustoun, and Muston-in-le-Wold, reflecting the evolution of language and local dialects.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Muston families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Muston 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. Leicestershire leads with 35 Mustons recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.39x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 35 11.39x
Middlesex 32 1.16x
Warwickshire 29 4.15x
Staffordshire 28 2.99x
Dorset 21 11.55x
Lincolnshire 21 4.74x
Hampshire 19 3.35x
Essex 14 2.56x
Glamorgan 12 2.49x
Surrey 12 0.89x
Worcestershire 9 2.49x
Northumberland 7 1.70x
Sussex 6 1.28x
Cheshire 4 0.65x
Gloucestershire 4 0.74x
Kent 4 0.42x
Lancashire 4 0.12x
Somerset 4 0.90x
Wiltshire 4 1.63x
Yorkshire 4 0.15x
Devon 2 0.35x
Hertfordshire 2 1.05x
Midlothian 2 0.54x
Bedfordshire 1 0.70x
Channel Islands 1 1.22x
Norfolk 1 0.23x
Oxfordshire 1 0.58x
Suffolk 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 16 Mustons recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.36x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 16 21.36x
Walsall Foreign 14 28.99x
Hinckley 12 164.61x
Rugby 9 95.24x
Roath 8 36.51x
St Clement Danes 8 178.57x
West Ham 8 6.63x
Atherstone 7 196.08x
Grantham 7 121.32x
Portsmouth 7 53.56x
Coventry St Michael 6 26.74x
Haselbury Bryan 6 882.35x
Kidderminster Foreign 6 117.19x
Wandsworth 6 22.50x
Colsterworth 5 531.91x
Corfe Mullen 5 757.58x
Maiden Newton 5 657.89x
Southampton All Sts 5 51.33x
St Marylebone London 5 3.38x
Tynemouth 5 22.66x
Audley 4 43.24x
Bedminster 4 9.55x
Boston Hall Hills 4 533.33x
Brighton 4 4.24x
Chelsea London 4 4.79x
Coventry Holy Trinity 4 19.18x
Cowley 4 1428.57x
Keele 4 404.04x
Liscard 4 36.30x
Salisbury St Edmund 4 101.78x
Walthamstow 4 20.33x
Wimbledon 4 26.39x
Alford 3 109.09x
Capel Le Ferne 3 1666.67x
Countesthorpe 3 285.71x
Hammersmith London 3 4.40x
Islington London 3 1.12x
Kings Norton 3 9.25x
Leicester St Mary 3 12.09x
Newcastle Under Lyme 3 18.13x
Portsea 3 2.70x
Swansea Town 3 7.59x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 2 60.98x
Barugh 2 86.21x
Benwell 2 44.35x
Bethnal Green London 2 1.66x
Bishops Waltham 2 84.39x
Boston 2 14.88x
Broughton In Salford 2 6.65x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 1.34x
Lambeth 2 0.83x
Melcombe Regis 2 26.53x
Monks Kirby 2 129.87x
Paddington London 2 1.96x
Radipole 2 160.00x
Ticehurst 2 69.93x
Alverstoke 1 4.87x
Bury St Edmunds St James 1 11.10x
Carleton Rode 1 135.14x
East Stonehouse 1 8.80x
Hampstead London 1 2.32x
Holdenhurst 1 6.72x
Leicester All Sts 1 16.58x
Mile End Old Town 1 2.29x
Much Woolton 1 22.42x
Neithrop 1 17.39x
Northaw 1 181.82x
Salford 1 1.03x
St Botolph Aldgate 1 26.46x
St Pancras London 1 0.45x
St Peter Port 1 6.58x
Stanford Rivers 1 108.70x
Tonbridge 1 2.93x
Tormoham 1 4.10x
Tottenham 1 2.27x
Trentham 1 12.58x
Uttoxeter 1 20.88x
Watford 1 6.76x
Welsh St Donats 1 500.00x
Wivenhoe 1 46.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 14
Mary 14
Sarah 11
Jane 8
Emma 6
Fanny 5
Frances 5
Charlotte 4
Edith 4
Eliza 4
Ellen 4
Louisa 4
Ada 3
Alice 3
Annie 3
Betsy 3
Clara 3
Martha 3
Rebecca 3
Amelia 2
Emily 2
Ethel 2
Harriet 2
Helen 2
Isabella 2
Lilly 2
Margaret 2
Rose 2
Susan 2
Anna 1
Caroline 1
Elleneor 1
Florence 1
Flory 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Harriette 1
Ida 1
Jemima 1
Katie 1
Laura 1
Lousia 1
Lucy 1
Matilda 1
Maud 1
Minnie 1
Novella 1
Sara 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Muston surname: questions and answers

How common was the Muston surname in 1881?

In 1881, 282 people were recorded with the Muston surname. That placed it at #10,148 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Muston surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 170 in 2016. That gives Muston a modern rank of #21,801.

What does the Muston surname mean?

An English place surname referring to someone from Muston, a location.

What does the Muston map show?

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