NameCensus.

UK surname

Newsum

A surname derived from a geographic place name indicating a new settlement or community.

In the 1881 census there were 108 people recorded with the Newsum surname, ranking it #18,888 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 183, ranked #20,813, down from #18,888 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lincoln St Botolph, Silkstone and Sawley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rotherham, Derby and Kensington and Chelsea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Newsum is 240 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 69.4%.

1881 census count

108

Ranked #18,888

Modern count

183

2016, ranked #20,813

Peak year

1998

240 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Newsum had 108 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,888 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 183 in 2016, ranked #20,813.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 163 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Newsum surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Newsum surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Newsum 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 23 #29,205
1861 historical 27 #30,543
1881 historical 108 #18,888
1891 historical 86 #25,951
1901 historical 148 #18,212
1911 historical 163 #16,939
1997 modern 226 #16,306
1998 modern 240 #16,117
1999 modern 226 #16,884
2000 modern 224 #16,934
2001 modern 223 #16,765
2002 modern 233 #16,590
2003 modern 218 #17,131
2004 modern 205 #17,935
2005 modern 196 #18,404
2006 modern 196 #18,512
2007 modern 197 #18,669
2008 modern 189 #19,315
2009 modern 195 #19,329
2010 modern 213 #18,660
2011 modern 199 #19,346
2012 modern 193 #19,665
2013 modern 195 #19,857
2014 modern 199 #19,775
2015 modern 187 #20,502
2016 modern 183 #20,813

Geography

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Where Newsums are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lincoln St Botolph, Silkstone, Sawley, Gainsborough, Paddocks and St Werburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rotherham, Derby, Kensington and Chelsea, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire. 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 Lincoln St Botolph Lincolnshire
2 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Sawley Derbyshire
4 Gainsborough, Paddocks Lincolnshire
5 St Werburgh Derbyshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rotherham 019 Rotherham
2 Derby 026 Derby
3 Kensington and Chelsea 020 Kensington and Chelsea
4 North Lincolnshire 005 North Lincolnshire
5 North East Lincolnshire 016 North East Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Newsum

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Newsum

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

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Newsum surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Newsum 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Newsum is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Newsum is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Newsum

The surname NEWSUM is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name referring to a "new settlement" or "new homestead." The earliest known spelling variations include Newsham, Newsome, and Newsom.

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as Newesham. This suggests that the name was already well-established in certain parts of England by the late 11th century.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name began to appear more frequently in various historical records, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. For instance, a John de Newsome is mentioned in the Yorkshire Feet of Fines for the year 1301.

In the 15th century, the surname NEWSUM continued to spread across different regions of England. Notable individuals bearing this name during this period include William Newsom, who was recorded as a landowner in the county of Nottinghamshire in 1438.

As the centuries progressed, the NEWSUM surname became more widespread, with bearers appearing in various parts of the country. One notable figure was Sir Henry Newsum (1628-1695), an English politician and Member of Parliament for the borough of Grantham in Lincolnshire.

Another individual of note was Thomas Newsum (1742-1814), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Holwell in Bedfordshire. His published works include a book titled "The Practical Christian's Library" (1796).

In the 19th century, the surname NEWSUM continued to be found across various regions of England, as well as in other parts of the United Kingdom. One prominent bearer was James Newsum (1818-1892), a British artist and painter known for his landscape and genre works.

Additionally, the name appears in various historical records from other English-speaking countries, likely due to migration and the spread of the British diaspora. For instance, John Newsum (1829-1901) was a notable Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.

Throughout its history, the surname NEWSUM has been associated with individuals from diverse walks of life, reflecting the varied paths taken by those who have borne this name over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Newsum families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Newsum 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. Yorkshire leads with 55 Newsums recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.27x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 55 5.27x
Middlesex 16 1.52x
Surrey 12 2.34x
Derbyshire 9 5.46x
Lincolnshire 7 4.16x
Midlothian 6 4.25x
Lancashire 3 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rotherham in Yorkshire leads with 26 Newsums recorded in 1881 and an index of 442.18x.

Place Total Index
Rotherham 26 442.18x
Brightside Bierlow 15 73.28x
Barnsley 8 74.28x
Newington 7 17.99x
Dalkeith 6 215.83x
Long Eaton 6 275.23x
South Common Lincoln 6 6666.67x
Bromley London 5 21.57x
Camberwell 5 7.43x
Holbeck 5 72.25x
Limehouse London 4 34.60x
Shoreditch London 4 8.76x
Droylsden 3 73.53x
Hathersage 3 652.17x
St Giles Cripplegate 3 214.29x
Sheffield 1 3.01x
St Peterin Eastgate 1 192.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Elizabeth 6
Alice 4
Jane 4
Sarah 4
Kate 3
Ann 2
Edith 2
Amelia 1
Betsey 1
Betsie 1
Effie 1
Eleanor 1
Elizb. 1
Fanny 1
Harriet 1
Louisa 1
Mabel 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
George 5
Henry 5
Albert 4
James 4
John 4
Joseph 4
Samuel 3
Thomas 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Chas.H. 1
Clement 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Kilburn 1
Ogden 1
Peter 1
Tom 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Newsum surname: questions and answers

How common was the Newsum surname in 1881?

In 1881, 108 people were recorded with the Newsum surname. That placed it at #18,888 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Newsum surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 183 in 2016. That gives Newsum a modern rank of #20,813.

What does the Newsum surname mean?

A surname derived from a geographic place name indicating a new settlement or community.

What does the Newsum map show?

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