NameCensus.

UK surname

Nisbet

A Scottish locational surname referring to a person from one of several places called Nisbet in Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 3,202 people recorded with the Nisbet surname, ranking it #1,412 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,159, ranked #1,633, down from #1,412 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Haddington, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North and East Isles, Berwickshire East and Eyemouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nisbet is 4,197 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.9%.

1881 census count

3,202

Ranked #1,412

Modern count

4,159

2016, ranked #1,633

Peak year

2010

4,197 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nisbet had 3,202 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,412 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,159 in 2016, ranked #1,633.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,836 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Nisbet surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nisbet surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nisbet 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 2,052 #1,413
1861 historical 2,423 #1,204
1881 historical 3,202 #1,412
1891 historical 3,410 #1,399
1901 historical 3,836 #1,470
1911 historical 805 #5,456
1997 modern 3,814 #1,701
1998 modern 3,950 #1,714
1999 modern 4,025 #1,690
2000 modern 4,061 #1,667
2001 modern 3,963 #1,671
2002 modern 4,039 #1,672
2003 modern 3,954 #1,675
2004 modern 3,926 #1,693
2005 modern 3,944 #1,649
2006 modern 3,918 #1,664
2007 modern 3,981 #1,656
2008 modern 4,022 #1,646
2009 modern 4,094 #1,660
2010 modern 4,197 #1,653
2011 modern 4,184 #1,634
2012 modern 4,098 #1,637
2013 modern 4,120 #1,661
2014 modern 4,168 #1,652
2015 modern 4,150 #1,643
2016 modern 4,159 #1,633

Geography

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Where Nisbets are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to North and East Isles, Berwickshire East, Eyemouth, Upper Nithsdale and Lerwick North. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Haddington Haddington
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Kilmarnock Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North and East Isles Shetland Islands
2 Berwickshire East Scottish Borders
3 Eyemouth Scottish Borders
4 Upper Nithsdale Dumfries and Galloway
5 Lerwick North Shetland Islands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nisbet

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nisbet

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Nisbet surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Nisbet household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Nisbet 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

Nisbet 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

Nisbet falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Nisbet is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Nisbet

The surname Nisbet has its origins in Scotland, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "neohse" meaning "promontory" or "nose of land." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent headland or cliff.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England after his conquest of parts of Scotland. Here it appears as "Nisbit" and "Nesbit." Over time, various spellings emerged, including Nisbet, Neisbit, and Nisbett.

In the 14th century, records show that a family bearing the Nisbet name held lands in the Scottish Borders region, particularly around the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed. One notable early member was Philip de Nisbet, who fought alongside King Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

During the medieval period, the Nisbets were involved in numerous border conflicts between Scotland and England. In 1448, Alexander Nisbet was appointed Warden of the West Marches, responsible for defending the western Scottish border lands.

The Nisbet name also appears in various Scottish clan histories and records. In the 16th century, a branch of the family became closely associated with the powerful Clan Douglas, serving as vassals and supporters of the Black Douglases.

One of the most famous Nisbets was Sir John Nisbet (1609-1687), a prominent Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland and Lord President of the Court of Session. He was also a noted legal scholar and author of several works on Scottish law.

Another significant figure was Robert Nisbet (1713-1781), a Scottish philosopher and historian who emigrated to America and became the first professor of moral philosophy at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. His writings on political theory and social philosophy had a lasting influence in the early United States.

In the arts, James Nisbet (1784-1835) was a Scottish portrait painter who produced works depicting many of the notable figures of his time, including Sir Walter Scott and Lord Byron. His paintings are held in collections across Britain and Europe.

Throughout history, the Nisbet name has been associated with various locations in Scotland, including the villages of Nisbet and Nisbet House in the Scottish Borders, as well as the former Nisbet Castle near Duns.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nisbet families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nisbet 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 700 Nisbets recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.02x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 700 7.02x
Midlothian 545 13.19x
Ayrshire 428 18.54x
Berwickshire 204 54.62x
Stirlingshire 141 12.39x
Renfrewshire 98 4.10x
East Lothian 87 21.29x
Shetland 87 27.62x
Fife 78 4.27x
Lancashire 76 0.21x
Middlesex 75 0.24x
Dunbartonshire 68 8.20x
West Lothian 51 10.98x
Selkirkshire 47 16.84x
Argyllshire 40 4.66x
Durham 36 0.39x
Northumberland 32 0.70x
Roxburghshire 32 5.73x
Surrey 29 0.19x
Buteshire 22 11.77x
Kent 21 0.20x
Peeblesshire 21 14.47x
Cheshire 19 0.28x
Somerset 19 0.38x
Dumfriesshire 14 2.05x
Essex 13 0.21x
Gloucestershire 13 0.21x
Hampshire 13 0.21x
Yorkshire 13 0.04x
Wigtownshire 12 2.93x
Clackmannanshire 10 3.93x
Kirkcudbrightshire 9 2.02x
Sussex 9 0.17x
Wiltshire 9 0.33x
Aberdeenshire 8 0.28x
Leicestershire 8 0.23x
Lincolnshire 8 0.16x
Perthshire 7 0.51x
Staffordshire 7 0.07x
Angus 6 0.21x
Norfolk 6 0.13x
Banffshire 5 0.78x
Devon 5 0.08x
Kinross-shire 5 6.41x
Ross-shire 4 0.47x
Royal Navy 4 1.09x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.24x
Glamorgan 3 0.06x
Inverness-shire 3 0.33x
Suffolk 2 0.05x
Warwickshire 2 0.03x
Berkshire 1 0.04x
Cumberland 1 0.04x
Denbighshire 1 0.09x
Derbyshire 1 0.02x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.14x

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 231 Nisbets recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.36x.

Place Total Index
Govan 231 9.36x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 219 13.17x
Barony 104 4.12x
Glasgow 95 5.36x
Galston 80 126.72x
South Leith 66 14.19x
Eyemouth 56 179.66x
Kilmarnock 50 18.20x
Loudoun 50 90.06x
Dunfermline 44 15.67x
Haddington 44 72.96x
Coldingham 42 125.07x
North Leith 38 19.87x
Dalserf 37 37.17x
North Yell 37 426.76x
New Kilpatrick 35 44.39x
Slamannan 33 52.98x
Lasswade 32 33.87x
Unst 31 134.55x
Abbey 30 8.23x
New Cumnock 30 74.94x
Riccarton Hurlford 29 71.62x
Duddingston 26 31.34x
St Ninians 26 23.06x
Hamilton 25 8.99x
Shotts 24 20.11x
Great Bolton 23 4.74x
Maryhill 23 11.78x
Old Monkland 23 5.81x
Ayr 22 20.19x
Edinburgh St Stephens 22 27.05x
Galashiels 22 21.32x
Boness 21 32.79x
Cambusnethan 21 9.48x
Melrose 21 29.90x
Rutherglen 20 13.67x
Bothwell 19 7.02x
Larbert 19 27.94x
Tarbolton 19 50.01x
Ayton 17 78.45x
Dalziel 17 15.84x
Dunbar 17 29.68x
Lambeth 17 0.63x
Old Kilpatrick 17 17.36x
Rothesay 17 18.78x
Beath 16 27.73x
Cockburnspath 15 125.63x
Innerleithen 15 38.95x
Kelso 15 26.94x
Kirkoswald 15 79.58x
Mauchline 15 56.54x
Ardnamurchan 14 32.15x
Bothkennar 14 41.23x
Islington London 14 0.47x
Liverpool 14 0.63x
Cathcart 13 10.05x
Cockpen 13 26.92x
Polworth 13 541.67x
St Quivox 13 16.66x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 12 12.28x
Kensington London 12 0.70x
Lauder 12 58.14x
Newbattle 12 33.98x
Ratho 12 62.27x
Cardross 11 11.05x
Carluke 11 12.14x
Dundonald 11 12.92x
Gladsmuir 11 60.41x
Kilsyth 11 15.16x
West Greenock 11 2.56x
Eastwood 10 6.79x
Greenlaw 10 75.64x
Halliwell 10 7.51x
Inveresk 10 8.94x
Lerwick Gulberwick 10 20.51x
New Monkland 10 3.39x
Uphall 10 19.58x
Weston In Gordano 10 526.32x
Edinburgh St Marys 9 11.20x
Hawick 9 7.20x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 29
James 22
William 21
George 15
Robert 9
Thomas 8
Alexander 5
Charles 5
Edward 5
Peter 5
Henry 4
Adam 3
Arthur 3
Geo. 3
Harry 3
Joseph 3
Richard 3
Thos. 3
Albert 2
Andrew 2
Daniel 2
David 2
Frank 2
Jas. 2
Norman 2
Walter 2
C.W. 1
Carrick 1
Clark 1
Cornelius 1
Edwin 1
Eric 1
Ernest 1
F.V. 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
G.B. 1
Griffith 1
H.A. 1
Hugh 1
James. 1
Jas.Thos. 1
Leonard 1
Malcolm 1
Mark 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Nicholas 1
Percy 1
Wm.Jno. 1

FAQ

Nisbet surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nisbet surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,202 people were recorded with the Nisbet surname. That placed it at #1,412 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nisbet surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,159 in 2016. That gives Nisbet a modern rank of #1,633.

What does the Nisbet surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname referring to a person from one of several places called Nisbet in Scotland.

What does the Nisbet map show?

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