NameCensus.

UK surname

North

A directional surname referring to someone who lived to the north of a settlement or landmark.

In the 1881 census there were 9,923 people recorded with the North surname, ranking it #433 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 12,260, ranked #535, down from #433 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, Hambleton and North Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for North is 13,285 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.6%.

1881 census count

9,923

Ranked #433

Modern count

12,260

2016, ranked #535

Peak year

1911

13,285 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • North had 9,923 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #433 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 12,260 in 2016, ranked #535.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 13,285 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

North surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

North surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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North 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 6,461 #425
1861 historical 6,562 #426
1881 historical 9,923 #433
1891 historical 10,281 #430
1901 historical 11,927 #437
1911 historical 13,285 #367
1997 modern 12,205 #506
1998 modern 12,682 #505
1999 modern 12,705 #506
2000 modern 12,609 #508
2001 modern 12,316 #508
2002 modern 12,583 #509
2003 modern 12,184 #514
2004 modern 12,077 #519
2005 modern 11,869 #521
2006 modern 11,824 #527
2007 modern 11,871 #529
2008 modern 11,971 #529
2009 modern 12,305 #528
2010 modern 12,561 #528
2011 modern 12,346 #530
2012 modern 12,132 #532
2013 modern 12,455 #527
2014 modern 12,523 #530
2015 modern 12,342 #533
2016 modern 12,260 #535

Geography

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Where Norths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Lambeth and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, Hambleton, North Lincolnshire, Thurrock and Melton. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 011 Kirklees
2 Hambleton 010 Hambleton
3 North Lincolnshire 011 North Lincolnshire
4 Thurrock 018 Thurrock
5 Melton 004 Melton

Forenames

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First names often paired with North

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for North

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For North, 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 North surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every North 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, North is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

North is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

North falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for North 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 North, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of North

The surname North originates from England and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "norþ," meaning "the northern direction." The name likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived in the northern part of a town or village, or who had migrated from the north.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname North can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Norþ" and "Nort."

During the 13th century, the surname North became more widespread throughout England, particularly in the northern regions. Some notable individuals with this surname from that period include Roger North (c. 1235-1310), a English landowner and knight, and John North (c. 1280-1349), a member of the English Parliament.

In the 16th century, the surname North was associated with several prominent figures, such as Sir Edward North (1496-1564), a English courtier and diplomat during the reign of Henry VIII, and Roger North (1531-1600), a English translator and author.

As the surname spread across England, it also became associated with various place names. For example, the village of North Petherton in Somerset was once known as "Norþ Peretone" in the Domesday Book, and the town of North Shields in Tyne and Wear was originally called "Norþscieles."

One of the most famous individuals with the surname North was Frederick North, Lord North (1732-1792), who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782. Other notable figures include Roger North (1653-1734), an English biographer and writer, and Dudley North (1637-1691), an English economist and merchant.

Over the centuries, the surname North has been found throughout England, particularly in the northern counties, but also in other regions due to migration and population movements. While the name has evolved in spelling, it has maintained its connection to the northern direction and geographic origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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North families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the North 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 2,459 Norths recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.56x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,459 2.56x
Middlesex 1,244 1.28x
Surrey 685 1.45x
Hampshire 523 2.63x
Lincolnshire 488 3.15x
Lancashire 432 0.38x
Leicestershire 388 3.61x
Nottinghamshire 353 2.70x
Buckinghamshire 282 4.82x
Berkshire 260 3.58x
Staffordshire 246 0.75x
Kent 202 0.61x
Hertfordshire 196 2.94x
Somerset 180 1.15x
Devon 175 0.87x
Derbyshire 174 1.15x
Wiltshire 163 1.90x
Essex 156 0.82x
Oxfordshire 145 2.42x
Warwickshire 144 0.59x
Worcestershire 106 0.84x
Sussex 103 0.63x
Shropshire 82 0.98x
Cheshire 76 0.36x
Bedfordshire 67 1.34x
Glamorgan 64 0.38x
Cambridgeshire 63 1.03x
Northamptonshire 56 0.61x
Durham 55 0.19x
Gloucestershire 50 0.26x
Norfolk 49 0.33x
Suffolk 33 0.28x
Dorset 31 0.49x
Monmouthshire 27 0.39x
Huntingdonshire 24 1.25x
Cornwall 23 0.21x
Rutland 18 2.53x
Northumberland 16 0.11x
Lanarkshire 14 0.04x
Cumberland 11 0.13x
Denbighshire 11 0.30x
Flintshire 9 0.35x
Royal Navy 9 0.78x
Merionethshire 6 0.34x
Pembrokeshire 6 0.20x
Cardiganshire 5 0.21x
Westmorland 4 0.19x
Brecknockshire 3 0.15x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.02x
Channel Islands 2 0.07x
West Lothian 2 0.14x
Anglesey 1 0.06x
Angus 1 0.01x
Herefordshire 1 0.03x
Midlothian 1 0.01x
Morayshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Huddersfield in Yorkshire leads with 184 Norths recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.16x.

Place Total Index
Huddersfield 184 13.16x
St Pancras London 171 2.19x
Islington London 142 1.51x
Lambeth 137 1.62x
Almondbury 110 23.71x
Leeds 99 1.83x
Battersea 93 2.61x
Hackney London 92 1.69x
Nottingham St Mary 88 2.61x
Kensington London 66 1.23x
West Ham 65 1.54x
Sheffield 64 2.09x
Idle 61 13.71x
St Marylebone London 60 1.16x
Bowling 58 6.10x
Paddington London 56 1.57x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 55 16.05x
Camberwell 54 0.87x
Dalton In Huddersfield 54 25.12x
Liversedge 54 12.64x
Loughborough 54 11.08x
Reading St Giles 54 7.57x
St George Hanover 54 4.27x
Bradford 53 2.28x
Brightside Bierlow 53 2.82x
Batley 50 5.48x
Odiham 50 57.40x
Leicester St Margaret 49 1.87x
Mile End Old Town 48 3.14x
Mirfield 48 9.11x
Bilston 47 7.42x
Brighton 47 1.43x
Ashton Under Lyne 43 1.71x
Ecclesall Bierlow 42 2.15x
Holy Trinity 41 1.78x
St Luke London 41 2.64x
North Bierley 40 7.72x
Horton In Bradford 39 2.60x
Syston 39 38.81x
Wortley In Bramley 39 5.13x
Aylesbury 38 14.65x
Bermondsey 38 1.32x
Portsea 38 0.98x
Aston 37 0.55x
Louth 36 10.15x
Sutton In Ashfield 36 12.71x
Croydon 34 1.30x
South Hayling 34 96.21x
Gomersal 33 7.37x
Shoreditch London 33 0.79x
Clapham 31 2.56x
Newington 31 0.87x
Toxteth Park 30 0.77x
Westminster St James 30 3.01x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 29 3.24x
Cleckheaton 29 8.20x
Kingsclere 29 31.99x
Littleover 29 112.75x
Lockwood 29 8.40x
Manningham 29 2.45x
Bethnal Green London 28 0.67x
Lewisham 28 1.59x
Skircoat 28 7.40x
Buckingham 27 22.68x
Foston 27 228.23x
Grantham 27 13.38x
Hammersmith London 27 1.13x
Luton 27 3.11x
Rothley 27 77.36x
Thame 27 24.83x
Wednesbury 27 3.31x
Ecclesfield 26 3.70x
Eccleshill 26 11.13x
Wycombe 26 5.96x
Chelsea London 25 0.86x
Crigglestone 25 27.05x
Enfield 25 3.93x
Snenton 25 4.87x
Winkfield 25 20.73x
Kegworth 24 33.63x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 621
Sarah 399
Elizabeth 377
Ann 210
Jane 195
Emma 171
Eliza 166
Alice 155
Ellen 146
Annie 145
Emily 141
Hannah 101
Martha 95
Louisa 84
Charlotte 73
Ada 62
Maria 60
Fanny 58
Clara 57
Edith 54
Florence 53
Frances 51
Caroline 50
Harriet 50
Kate 50
Amelia 48
Lucy 45
Susan 43
Margaret 42
Rebecca 41
Catherine 38
Rose 33
Anne 30
Harriett 29
Ruth 24
Agnes 22
Amy 22
Sophia 22
Isabella 20
Elizth. 19
Gertrude 19
Julia 19
Matilda 19
Ethel 17
Grace 17
Lydia 17
Selina 17
Betsy 16
Bessie 15
Maud 15

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 624
John 533
George 362
Thomas 307
James 272
Henry 251
Charles 230
Joseph 190
Alfred 104
Frederick 97
Samuel 97
Edward 95
Harry 95
Arthur 83
Richard 75
Robert 70
Albert 68
Walter 65
Benjamin 56
Herbert 46
Fred 41
David 40
Ernest 39
Wm. 38
Frank 34
Tom 33
Edwin 31
Francis 28
Daniel 27
Fredrick 21
Christopher 17
Thos. 17
Fredk. 16
Abraham 13
Isaac 13
Joe 13
Edmund 12
Chas. 11
Earnest 11
Sidney 11
Willie 11
Geo. 10
Matthew 10
Sam 10
Stephen 10
Allen 9
Edgar 8
Jas. 8
Jesse 8
Josiah 8

FAQ

North surname: questions and answers

How common was the North surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9,923 people were recorded with the North surname. That placed it at #433 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the North surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 12,260 in 2016. That gives North a modern rank of #535.

What does the North surname mean?

A directional surname referring to someone who lived to the north of a settlement or landmark.

What does the North map show?

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