NameCensus.

UK surname

Neeson

An Anglicization of the Irish surname Ó Niasáin, meaning "descendant of Niasán."

In the 1881 census there were 155 people recorded with the Neeson surname, ranking it #15,174 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 741, ranked #7,368, up from #15,174 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Gateshead and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ12, IZ14 and IZ13.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Neeson is 741 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 378.1%.

1881 census count

155

Ranked #15,174

Modern count

741

2016, ranked #7,368

Peak year

2016

741 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Neeson had 155 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,174 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 741 in 2016, ranked #7,368.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 224 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Neeson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Neeson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Neeson 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 80 #19,558
1861 historical 97 #21,503
1881 historical 155 #15,174
1891 historical 205 #14,649
1901 historical 224 #14,091
1911 historical 74 #25,423
1997 modern 596 #8,188
1998 modern 618 #8,221
1999 modern 631 #8,152
2000 modern 626 #8,179
2001 modern 608 #8,220
2002 modern 644 #8,007
2003 modern 613 #8,191
2004 modern 611 #8,234
2005 modern 628 #7,984
2006 modern 619 #8,089
2007 modern 641 #7,952
2008 modern 669 #7,743
2009 modern 673 #7,876
2010 modern 690 #7,864
2011 modern 685 #7,819
2012 modern 685 #7,732
2013 modern 700 #7,725
2014 modern 716 #7,638
2015 modern 722 #7,543
2016 modern 741 #7,368

Geography

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Where Neesons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Gateshead, Edinburgh, Manchester and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ12, IZ14, IZ13, IZ11 and Springburn. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ12 West Dunbartonshire
2 IZ14 West Dunbartonshire
3 IZ13 West Dunbartonshire
4 IZ11 West Dunbartonshire
5 Springburn Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Neeson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Neeson

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Neeson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Neeson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Neeson 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

Neeson 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

Neeson falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Neeson 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Neeson

The surname "Neeson" is of Irish origin, originating from the Gaelic word "Niadh" meaning "fierce" or "vehement". It is believed to have emerged in the 16th or 17th century, primarily in the northern counties of Ulster, Ireland. The Neeson name is thought to be an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Niadháin" or "Ó Neidhin", meaning "descendant of Niadh".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Neeson surname can be found in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1663, which listed households in Ireland for taxation purposes. The name appears to have been concentrated in counties such as Antrim, Down, and Armagh during that time period.

While the Neeson name does not appear in the famous Domesday Book, which was a survey of land ownership in England in 1086, it is possible that the name's origins can be traced back even further through various spellings and variations.

Some notable individuals with the surname Neeson throughout history include:

1. John Neeson (1768-1820), an Irish Presbyterian minister and writer from County Antrim. 2. James Neeson (1809-1889), an Irish-born merchant and politician in Ontario, Canada. 3. Sir Bruce Somervail Neeson (1903-1993), a British diplomat and colonial administrator who served as Governor of British Honduras (now Belize) from 1958 to 1962. 4. Liam Neeson (born 1952), the famous Irish actor known for films such as "Schindler's List," "Taken," and "Michael Collins." 5. Gerry Neeson (born 1942), an Irish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder for clubs like Glentoran and Linfield in Northern Ireland.

The Neeson surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Neeson's Hollow and Neeson's Hill, which may have been named after early settlers or landowners with the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Neeson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Neeson 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. Lanarkshire leads with 59 Neesons recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.07x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 59 12.07x
Dunbartonshire 43 105.83x
Yorkshire 20 1.33x
Renfrewshire 11 9.39x
Lancashire 7 0.39x
Midlothian 4 1.98x
Durham 3 0.67x
Middlesex 2 0.13x
West Lothian 2 8.78x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.49x
Surrey 1 0.14x
Warwickshire 1 0.26x
Worcestershire 1 0.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dumbarton in Dunbartonshire leads with 35 Neesons recorded in 1881 and an index of 619.47x.

Place Total Index
Dumbarton 35 619.47x
Glasgow 30 34.55x
Govan 18 14.88x
Barony 8 6.47x
Middle Greenock 8 250.00x
New Kilpatrick 8 207.25x
High Low Bishopside 6 451.13x
Richmond 5 213.68x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 4.91x
Osmotherley 4 833.33x
West Greenock 3 14.27x
Westoe 3 11.76x
Barton Upon Irwell 2 14.81x
Bingley 2 20.96x
Bradford 2 23.81x
Carriden 2 194.17x
Hamilton 2 14.66x
Bowling 1 6.74x
Cheetham 1 7.47x
Croydon 1 2.45x
Edgbaston 1 8.46x
Kings Norton 1 5.65x
Leeds 1 1.18x
Linthorpe 1 11.19x
Liverpool 1 0.92x
Radford 1 9.66x
Shotts 1 17.09x
St Marylebone London 1 1.24x
Tottington Lower End 1 11.74x
Westminster St James 1 6.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Ann 2
Elizabeth 2
Margaret 2
Annie 1
Clara 1
Elizbth. 1
Ellinor 1
Eva 1
Frieda 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Louisa 1
Martha 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Robert 2
Thomas 2
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Frank 1
Frederich 1
George 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Pat 1
Patrick 1
Sidney 1
William 1

Top occupations

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 Neeson households.

FAQ

Neeson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Neeson surname in 1881?

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

How common is the Neeson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 741 in 2016. That gives Neeson a modern rank of #7,368.

What does the Neeson surname mean?

An Anglicization of the Irish surname Ó Niasáin, meaning "descendant of Niasán."

What does the Neeson map show?

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