NameCensus.

UK surname

Norman

Derived from a place name meaning "northman," referring to someone from Scandinavia or with Viking ancestry.

In the 1881 census there were 13,722 people recorded with the Norman surname, ranking it #295 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 19,750, ranked #301, down from #295 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Purbeck, West Somerset and East Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Norman is 20,817 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.9%.

1881 census count

13,722

Ranked #295

Modern count

19,750

2016, ranked #301

Peak year

1999

20,817 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Norman had 13,722 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #295 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 19,750 in 2016, ranked #301.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 19,856 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Norman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Norman surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Norman 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 8,927 #299
1861 historical 9,103 #300
1881 historical 13,722 #295
1891 historical 15,292 #278
1901 historical 17,910 #283
1911 historical 19,856 #228
1997 modern 20,098 #289
1998 modern 20,661 #291
1999 modern 20,817 #290
2000 modern 20,631 #292
2001 modern 20,071 #292
2002 modern 20,444 #292
2003 modern 19,965 #292
2004 modern 19,954 #293
2005 modern 19,425 #295
2006 modern 19,352 #297
2007 modern 19,484 #298
2008 modern 19,557 #298
2009 modern 19,981 #298
2010 modern 20,326 #298
2011 modern 20,000 #299
2012 modern 19,504 #301
2013 modern 20,016 #300
2014 modern 20,091 #301
2015 modern 19,882 #301
2016 modern 19,750 #301

Geography

Back to top

Where Normans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Purbeck, West Somerset, East Cambridgeshire, Forest Heath and Huntingdonshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Purbeck 006 Purbeck
2 West Somerset 003 West Somerset
3 East Cambridgeshire 005 East Cambridgeshire
4 Forest Heath 003 Forest Heath
5 Huntingdonshire 011 Huntingdonshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Norman

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Norman

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Norman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Norman 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Norman is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Norman is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Norman

The surname Norman is of Anglo-Norman origin, derived from the word "Normand" meaning "Northman" or "Norman" in French. The name can be traced back to the Vikings who settled in the region of Normandy in northern France during the 9th century.

The Normans were descendants of Norse raiders who had initially invaded and plundered parts of France. However, they eventually assimilated into the local population and adopted Christianity, forming the semi-independent Duchy of Normandy. The name Norman became a prominent surname among these Scandinavian settlers and their descendants.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Norman can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book lists several individuals with the surname Norman, indicating their presence in various parts of England after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 12th century, a prominent figure named Robert Norman (c. 1090-1165) served as a Norman nobleman and Lord of Raleigh in Devonshire, England. Another notable individual was Roger Norman (c. 1170-1245), a medieval English clergyman who became the Bishop of Salisbury.

During the 13th century, the surname Norman was associated with the powerful Norman family of Normandy, who played a significant role in English history. One member, Sir John Norman (c. 1225-1285), was a renowned knight and military commander who served under King Henry III and participated in the Barons' War against the monarch.

In the 16th century, Sir Henry Norman (c. 1520-1590) was a prominent English courtier and diplomat who served under Queen Elizabeth I. He held various positions, including Ambassador to France and Privy Councillor.

Another notable figure was Sir Roger Norman (c. 1585-1659), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and played a role in the English Civil War, initially supporting the Parliamentarians but later switching sides to support King Charles I.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Norman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Norman 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. Middlesex leads with 1,888 Normans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.39x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,888 1.39x
Surrey 929 1.41x
Devon 808 2.87x
Somerset 709 3.25x
Yorkshire 675 0.50x
Lancashire 610 0.38x
Kent 594 1.29x
Suffolk 508 3.08x
Essex 498 1.86x
Cambridgeshire 458 5.34x
Norfolk 443 2.13x
Sussex 418 1.83x
Leicestershire 367 2.44x
Gloucestershire 358 1.35x
Cumberland 309 2.65x
Dorset 308 3.47x
Hampshire 308 1.11x
Bedfordshire 292 4.17x
Nottinghamshire 273 1.50x
Glamorgan 256 1.09x
Northamptonshire 237 1.86x
Durham 235 0.58x
Buckinghamshire 180 2.20x
Staffordshire 178 0.39x
Derbyshire 171 0.81x
Channel Islands 158 3.94x
Cheshire 154 0.52x
Warwickshire 154 0.45x
Hertfordshire 153 1.64x
Lincolnshire 145 0.67x
Worcestershire 143 0.81x
Northumberland 123 0.61x
Huntingdonshire 119 4.43x
Berkshire 105 1.03x
Herefordshire 80 1.44x
Monmouthshire 79 0.81x
Wiltshire 72 0.60x
Lanarkshire 61 0.14x
Brecknockshire 32 1.18x
Midlothian 32 0.18x
Westmorland 28 0.94x
Denbighshire 23 0.45x
Carmarthenshire 21 0.37x
Cornwall 20 0.13x
Oxfordshire 20 0.24x
Rutland 18 1.81x
Kinross-shire 15 4.38x
Royal Navy 15 0.93x
Angus 14 0.11x
Dumfriesshire 11 0.37x
Fife 10 0.12x
Flintshire 8 0.22x
Renfrewshire 7 0.07x
East Lothian 6 0.33x
Perthshire 6 0.10x
Aberdeenshire 5 0.04x
Shropshire 5 0.04x
Stirlingshire 5 0.10x
Berwickshire 4 0.24x
Dunbartonshire 3 0.08x
Argyllshire 2 0.05x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.04x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.05x
Ayrshire 1 0.01x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.09x
Isle of Man 1 0.04x
Merionethshire 1 0.04x
Radnorshire 1 0.09x
Ross-shire 1 0.03x
Wigtownshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 206 Normans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.57x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 206 1.57x
Lambeth 177 1.50x
St Pancras London 149 1.37x
Camberwell 144 1.67x
West Ham 126 2.14x
Leicester St Margaret 101 2.76x
St Marylebone London 98 1.36x
Bethnal Green London 95 1.62x
Kensington London 90 1.20x
Hackney London 89 1.17x
Shoreditch London 83 1.41x
Paddington London 82 1.65x
Portsea 81 1.49x
Oadby 77 95.76x
Brighton 71 1.54x
Croydon 68 1.86x
Swanage 65 59.25x
Mile End Old Town 64 2.99x
Nottingham St Mary 61 1.29x
Halstead 60 19.25x
Lewisham 60 2.44x
Deptford St Paul 59 1.66x
Great Yarmouth 55 3.19x
Swansea Town 55 2.85x
Warrington 54 2.84x
Combmartin 53 86.64x
Great Torrington 53 33.17x
Bermondsey 52 1.29x
Carlton 52 24.97x
Tonbridge 51 3.06x
Battersea 50 1.00x
Cottenham 49 43.00x
Poplar London 48 1.88x
Newington 47 0.94x
St George Hanover 47 2.66x
Bromley London 46 1.54x
Liverpool 45 0.46x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 44 1.76x
Fulham London 44 2.24x
Sheffield 43 1.01x
St Decumans Watchet 43 77.97x
Tiverton 43 8.86x
Chatham 42 3.31x
Stoke Damerel 42 2.13x
Cheltenham 40 1.95x
Gamlingay 39 43.67x
St George In East 39 4.23x
Clifton 38 2.83x
Lowestoft 38 4.88x
Over 38 74.61x
Plymouth St Andrew 38 1.75x
Westminster St James 37 2.66x
Clerkenwell London 36 1.13x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 36 9.63x
Plumstead 36 2.34x
Southampton St Mary 36 2.06x
Willingham 36 49.13x
Brightside Bierlow 34 1.29x
Chelsea London 34 0.83x
Stevenage 34 23.50x
Toxteth Park 34 0.63x
Blackburn 32 0.75x
Bridgewater 32 5.41x
Hornsey 32 1.87x
Ilfracombe 32 11.03x
Southwark St George Martyr 32 1.17x
St Helier 32 2.45x
Acton 31 3.91x
Everton 31 0.61x
Ystradyfodwg 31 1.50x
Blunham 30 63.16x
East Claydon 30 189.87x
Epsom 30 9.33x
Great Neston 30 30.40x
Reigate Foreign 30 4.20x
St Luke London 30 1.38x
Taunton St Mary 30 7.50x
Barnstaple 29 6.56x
Laxfield 29 70.63x
Soham 29 15.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 864
Elizabeth 573
Sarah 445
Ann 258
Alice 237
Eliza 236
Emma 221
Ellen 215
Jane 205
Annie 203
Emily 185
Louisa 118
Hannah 111
Martha 101
Charlotte 94
Maria 93
Florence 87
Caroline 85
Fanny 85
Susan 83
Edith 79
Harriet 79
Ada 77
Margaret 72
Kate 69
Clara 68
Lucy 66
Anne 56
Harriett 56
Catherine 53
Amelia 50
Frances 47
Esther 42
Rose 41
Isabella 38
Matilda 35
Ruth 35
Agnes 32
Rebecca 32
Julia 31
Sophia 31
Jessie 29
Minnie 28
Grace 27
Anna 26
Gertrude 25
Eleanor 24
Amy 23
Rachel 23
Bessie 22

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 940
John 740
George 552
James 410
Thomas 366
Charles 298
Henry 291
Robert 204
Joseph 202
Edward 167
Alfred 161
Frederick 150
Arthur 140
Samuel 130
Albert 104
Walter 98
Harry 97
Richard 94
Frank 74
Herbert 68
Ernest 58
Edwin 51
Francis 49
David 44
Wm. 40
Benjamin 35
Daniel 30
Fredrick 26
Isaac 25
Fred 24
Fredk. 20
Jesse 20
Percy 20
Thos. 20
Philip 18
Geo. 17
Tom 17
Edgar 16
Mark 14
Sidney 14
Horace 13
Stephen 13
Sydney 13
Matthew 12
Christopher 11
Leonard 11
Peter 11
Willie 11
Alexander 10
Earnest 10

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 Norman households.

FAQ

Norman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Norman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 13,722 people were recorded with the Norman surname. That placed it at #295 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Norman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 19,750 in 2016. That gives Norman a modern rank of #301.

What does the Norman surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "northman," referring to someone from Scandinavia or with Viking ancestry.

What does the Norman map show?

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