NameCensus.

UK surname

Nixon

Derived from the given name Nicholas, which means "victory of the people."

In the 1881 census there were 9,111 people recorded with the Nixon surname, ranking it #464 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13,422, ranked #480, down from #464 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolstanton, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Staffordshire Moorlands, Allerdale and Carlisle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nixon is 13,643 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 47.3%.

1881 census count

9,111

Ranked #464

Modern count

13,422

2016, ranked #480

Peak year

2014

13,643 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nixon had 9,111 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #464 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 13,422 in 2016, ranked #480.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 11,889 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Nixon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nixon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nixon 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 5,506 #502
1861 historical 5,033 #562
1881 historical 9,111 #464
1891 historical 9,373 #469
1901 historical 11,530 #453
1911 historical 11,889 #411
1997 modern 12,191 #507
1998 modern 13,341 #472
1999 modern 13,372 #476
2000 modern 13,255 #475
2001 modern 13,005 #474
2002 modern 13,277 #476
2003 modern 12,997 #475
2004 modern 12,882 #478
2005 modern 12,755 #480
2006 modern 12,741 #481
2007 modern 12,867 #480
2008 modern 12,928 #480
2009 modern 13,295 #478
2010 modern 13,536 #481
2011 modern 13,393 #480
2012 modern 13,217 #478
2013 modern 13,546 #477
2014 modern 13,643 #475
2015 modern 13,545 #476
2016 modern 13,422 #480

Geography

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Where Nixons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolstanton, London parishes, Gateshead, Manchester and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Staffordshire Moorlands, Allerdale and Carlisle. 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 Wolstanton Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Staffordshire Moorlands 004 Staffordshire Moorlands
2 Allerdale 008 Allerdale
3 Carlisle 007 Carlisle
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 003 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 Allerdale 004 Allerdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nixon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nixon

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Nixon, 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 Nixon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Nixon 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, Nixon 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

Nixon is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Nixon 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 Nixon 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Nixon

The surname Nixon originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "nic" meaning "nick" or "valley" and "hus" meaning "house". This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived in a house located in a valley or a small settlement surrounded by hills.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Nicholaus". This Latin form of the name likely referred to a person with the given name Nicholas who lived in a valley or a similar geographical location.

In the 13th century, the name evolved into various spellings such as "Nicson", "Nickson", and "Nixson". These variations reflect the phonetic spelling of the name as it was pronounced in different regions of England.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Nixon became more prevalent in counties like Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Lancashire. Some notable individuals bearing this name include Robert Nixon, a Member of Parliament for Beverley in 1628, and John Nixon, a renowned mathematician and surveyor who published works on navigation and surveying in the late 17th century.

In the 18th century, the name continued to spread across England, with families bearing the surname Nixon residing in various parts of the country. One notable figure from this period was John Nixon, a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and was involved in the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775.

The 19th century saw the Nixon surname migrate to other parts of the world, particularly to the United States and Canada, as a result of immigration. One prominent American with this surname was John Nixon, a Revolutionary War soldier who was present at the crossing of the Delaware River in 1776 and later became a judge in Pennsylvania.

Another notable individual was William Penn Nixon, an American naval officer and explorer who led the United States Exploring Expedition to the Antarctic between 1838 and 1842, making significant contributions to the exploration of the region.

Throughout history, the Nixon surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, military leaders, scientists, and academics, reflecting the widespread distribution and diverse backgrounds of those bearing this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nixon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nixon 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. Lancashire leads with 1,443 Nixons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.37x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,443 1.37x
Staffordshire 1,061 3.53x
Cumberland 852 11.12x
Yorkshire 823 0.93x
Northumberland 790 5.97x
Durham 729 2.75x
Cheshire 583 2.97x
Middlesex 532 0.60x
Surrey 268 0.62x
Lanarkshire 234 0.81x
Lincolnshire 222 1.56x
Warwickshire 208 0.93x
Leicestershire 170 1.72x
Derbyshire 102 0.73x
Nottinghamshire 96 0.80x
Kent 78 0.26x
Westmorland 71 3.63x
Worcestershire 65 0.56x
Cambridgeshire 61 1.08x
Gloucestershire 55 0.32x
Midlothian 55 0.46x
Renfrewshire 50 0.73x
Ayrshire 48 0.72x
Hampshire 47 0.26x
Angus 40 0.49x
Norfolk 34 0.25x
Oxfordshire 27 0.49x
Huntingdonshire 25 1.41x
Northamptonshire 22 0.26x
Shropshire 20 0.26x
Suffolk 20 0.18x
Dorset 19 0.33x
Essex 19 0.11x
Monmouthshire 19 0.30x
Isle of Man 18 1.09x
Devon 16 0.09x
Stirlingshire 12 0.37x
Channel Islands 11 0.42x
Glamorgan 11 0.07x
Sussex 11 0.07x
Bedfordshire 10 0.22x
Berkshire 10 0.15x
Cornwall 10 0.10x
Flintshire 10 0.42x
Argyllshire 9 0.36x
Dunbartonshire 9 0.38x
Dumfriesshire 8 0.41x
Montgomeryshire 8 0.39x
Ross-shire 8 0.33x
Wiltshire 8 0.10x
Denbighshire 7 0.21x
Herefordshire 7 0.19x
Somerset 7 0.05x
Roxburghshire 5 0.31x
Selkirkshire 5 0.62x
Caernarfonshire 4 0.11x
Royal Navy 4 0.38x
Anglesey 3 0.19x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.06x
Hertfordshire 3 0.05x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 0.23x
Wigtownshire 3 0.25x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.05x
Clackmannanshire 2 0.27x
Fife 2 0.04x
Radnorshire 2 0.28x
Buteshire 1 0.19x
Inverness-shire 1 0.04x
Perthshire 1 0.03x
Rutland 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 243 Nixons recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.63x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 243 7.63x
Wolstanton 120 13.15x
Barony 103 1.41x
Leek Lowe 102 25.52x
Gateshead 101 5.10x
St Cuthbert W O 88 23.56x
Biddulph 76 44.84x
Blackburn 75 2.67x
Lambeth 72 0.93x
Burslem 71 8.25x
Glasgow 68 1.33x
Macclesfield 68 7.79x
Hackney London 67 1.34x
Manchester 66 1.39x
Liverpool 65 1.01x
Lancaster 64 10.19x
Preston 63 2.23x
Wolstanton Oldcott 62 56.98x
Islington London 61 0.71x
St Pancras London 60 0.84x
Leicester St Margaret 56 2.33x
Everton 55 1.63x
Salford 55 1.77x
Westgate 53 6.46x
Newcastle On Tyne St 52 7.58x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 51 4.45x
Sheffield 51 1.82x
Bishopwearmouth 49 2.16x
Caldewgate 49 11.67x
Barnsley 48 5.28x
Toxteth Park 48 1.34x
Bewcastle 45 166.17x
Crosscanonby 42 16.58x
Camberwell 41 0.72x
Chorlton On Medlock 41 2.44x
West Derby 40 1.29x
Ellenborough Ewanrigg 39 73.40x
Hexham 39 19.03x
Leeds 38 0.76x
Nuneaton 38 14.62x
Elswick 37 3.50x
Kimberworth 37 7.56x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 36 0.75x
Birmingham 35 0.47x
Longbenton 35 6.24x
Byker 34 5.19x
Stockport 34 3.36x
Aston 33 0.53x
Darlington 33 3.23x
Dearham 33 32.65x
Hulme 33 1.50x
Shoreditch London 33 0.86x
Bedlington 32 7.24x
Congleton 32 9.43x
Thirlwall 32 178.07x
Ecclesall Bierlow 31 1.73x
Bethnal Green London 30 0.78x
Govan 30 0.42x
Kirkdale 30 1.69x
Stafford St Mary 30 7.06x
Audley 29 9.76x
Bulkington 29 59.79x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 29 3.67x
Pendleton In Salford 29 2.31x
St Luke London 29 2.03x
Benfieldside 28 16.08x
Brampton 28 26.66x
Ardwick 27 2.83x
Middlesbrough 27 2.35x
Nantwich 26 11.39x
Rugeley 26 12.06x
Stapleton 26 7.85x
Penrith 25 8.83x
Sunderland 25 5.35x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 24 2.92x
Battersea 24 0.73x
Chirton 24 8.01x
Coventry Holy Trinity 24 3.58x
Dundee 24 0.78x
Westoe 23 1.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 706
Elizabeth 408
Sarah 323
Jane 213
Margaret 201
Ann 172
Hannah 151
Eliza 121
Ellen 103
Annie 97
Emma 97
Martha 85
Alice 84
Isabella 81
Emily 65
Frances 46
Florence 44
Agnes 43
Catherine 43
Harriet 34
Anne 33
Caroline 32
Edith 32
Ada 31
Louisa 31
Maria 31
Charlotte 30
Fanny 30
Lucy 30
Clara 23
Eleanor 21
Susan 21
Harriett 20
Kate 20
Susannah 19
Dorothy 18
Esther 17
Rebecca 17
Barbara 16
Grace 16
Lydia 16
Lizzie 15
Minnie 14
Gertrude 13
Nancy 13
Rachel 13
Rose 13
Sophia 13
Amelia 12
Amy 12

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 647
William 553
Thomas 370
George 288
James 273
Joseph 230
Robert 190
Charles 122
Henry 120
Edward 102
Richard 71
Arthur 68
Samuel 58
Albert 52
Alfred 50
Frederick 50
Walter 39
Harry 34
Ernest 26
Isaac 25
Wm. 25
Herbert 24
Frank 23
David 22
Francis 21
Adam 20
Tom 19
Ralph 18
Stephen 17
Christopher 16
Daniel 16
Edwin 16
Benjamin 15
Fred 15
Matthew 15
Geo. 14
Peter 14
Thos. 14
Jonathan 13
Anthony 12
Hugh 12
Edmund 11
Michael 10
Andrew 9
Cuthbert 9
Chas. 7
Harold 7
Jacob 7
Aaron 6
Humphrey 6

FAQ

Nixon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nixon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9,111 people were recorded with the Nixon surname. That placed it at #464 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nixon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 13,422 in 2016. That gives Nixon a modern rank of #480.

What does the Nixon surname mean?

Derived from the given name Nicholas, which means "victory of the people."

What does the Nixon map show?

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