NameCensus.

UK surname

Nimmons

A variant of the Scottish surname Nimmo, derived from a place name of uncertain origin.

In the 1881 census there were 21 people recorded with the Nimmons surname, ranking it #30,609 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 100, ranked #31,123, down from #30,609 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tain, Seaboard and St Edmundsbury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nimmons is 105 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 376.2%.

1881 census count

21

Ranked #30,609

Modern count

100

2016, ranked #31,123

Peak year

2014

105 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nimmons had 21 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,609 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 100 in 2016, ranked #31,123.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 49 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Nimmons surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nimmons surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nimmons 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 5 #32,456
1881 historical 21 #30,609
1891 historical 40 #31,174
1901 historical 49 #28,696
1911 historical 14 #32,045
1997 modern 77 #29,874
1998 modern 82 #29,754
1999 modern 74 #30,759
2000 modern 75 #30,668
2001 modern 80 #29,945
2002 modern 87 #29,644
2003 modern 71 #31,393
2004 modern 79 #30,799
2005 modern 75 #31,400
2006 modern 77 #31,510
2007 modern 78 #31,748
2008 modern 92 #30,286
2009 modern 95 #30,393
2010 modern 101 #30,078
2011 modern 100 #30,058
2012 modern 100 #30,258
2013 modern 100 #30,773
2014 modern 105 #30,204
2015 modern 101 #30,816
2016 modern 100 #31,123

Geography

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Where Nimmons' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tain, Seaboard, St Edmundsbury, Solihull and Kilwinning West and Blacklands. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tain Highland
2 Seaboard Highland
3 St Edmundsbury 011 St Edmundsbury
4 Solihull 010 Solihull
5 Kilwinning West and Blacklands North Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nimmons

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nimmons

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Nimmons is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Nimmons is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Nimmons falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Nimmons is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Nimmons

The surname Nimmons has its origins in the British Isles, specifically in Scotland and Northern England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "niman," which means "to take" or "to seize." This suggests that the name might have been an occupational surname for someone who collected taxes or tolls.

The earliest recorded use of the name Nimmons can be found in the 13th century in the county of Yorkshire, England. A document from 1287 mentions a William Nymman, which is likely an early spelling variation of the surname. In the 14th century, the name appeared in various Scottish records, such as the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which listed a Robertus Nymman in 1366.

One of the earliest known individuals with the Nimmons surname was John Nimmons, a Scottish merchant who lived in the 16th century. He was mentioned in the Records of the Convention of Royal Burghs in 1556 as a representative of the burgh of Linlithgow.

During the 17th century, the name Nimmons appeared in various historical records across Scotland and Northern England. For example, a George Nimmons was listed as a resident of the parish of Coldingham, Berwickshire, in the 1685 Hearth Tax Roll.

In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was James Nimmons, a Scottish clergyman who served as the minister of the parish of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, from 1732 until his death in 1766. His name can be found in various church records and local histories of the time.

Another individual of note was William Nimmons, a merchant and landowner who lived in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, in the late 18th century. He is mentioned in the Old Statistical Account of Scotland, published in 1791, as a prominent landowner in the parish of Dumfries.

In the 19th century, one of the most famous bearers of the Nimmons surname was Sir John Nimmons, a Scottish industrialist and philanthropist. Born in 1820 in Glasgow, he made his fortune in the textile industry and was known for his contributions to educational and charitable causes. He was knighted in 1878 for his philanthropic work.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nimmons families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nimmons 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 20 Nimmons' recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.20x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 20 30.20x
Perthshire 1 10.88x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 20 Nimmons' recorded in 1881 and an index of 122.10x.

Place Total Index
Govan 20 122.10x
Crieff 1 294.12x

FAQ

Nimmons surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nimmons surname in 1881?

In 1881, 21 people were recorded with the Nimmons surname. That placed it at #30,609 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nimmons surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 100 in 2016. That gives Nimmons a modern rank of #31,123.

What does the Nimmons surname mean?

A variant of the Scottish surname Nimmo, derived from a place name of uncertain origin.

What does the Nimmons map show?

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