NameCensus.

UK surname

Pensom

In the 1881 census there were 53 people recorded with the Pensom surname, ranking it #26,134 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 95, ranked #31,782, down from #26,134 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Monmouthshire, Gloucester and Tewkesbury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pensom is 127 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 79.2%.

1881 census count

53

Ranked #26,134

Modern count

95

2016, ranked #31,782

Peak year

2002

127 bearers

Map years

2

1998 to 2006

Key insights

  • Pensom had 53 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,134 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 95 in 2016, ranked #31,782.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 68 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Pensom surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pensom surname density by area, 2006 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pensom 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 29 #28,082
1861 historical 52 #27,369
1881 historical 53 #26,134
1891 historical 41 #31,095
1901 historical 48 #28,808
1911 historical 68 #26,050
1997 modern 109 #25,650
1998 modern 103 #27,141
1999 modern 109 #26,439
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 114 #25,344
2002 modern 127 #24,267
2003 modern 122 #24,628
2004 modern 112 #26,159
2005 modern 104 #27,369
2006 modern 109 #26,872
2007 modern 113 #26,641
2008 modern 109 #27,533
2009 modern 106 #28,666
2010 modern 105 #29,453
2011 modern 102 #29,759
2012 modern 109 #28,689
2013 modern 104 #30,076
2014 modern 101 #30,855
2015 modern 95 #31,749
2016 modern 95 #31,782

Geography

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Where Pensoms 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 Monmouthshire, Gloucester, Tewkesbury, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Herefordshire. 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 Monmouthshire 008 Monmouthshire
2 Gloucester 001 Gloucester
3 Tewkesbury 007 Tewkesbury
4 Rhondda Cynon Taf 009 Rhondda Cynon Taf
5 Herefordshire 007 Herefordshire, County of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pensom

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pensom

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

Pensom 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

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

1881 census detail

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Pensom families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pensom 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. Gloucestershire leads with 26 Pensoms recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.44x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 26 23.44x
Herefordshire 17 73.31x
Warwickshire 6 4.21x
Channel Islands 5 29.83x
Middlesex 4 0.71x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whitcombe Magna in Gloucestershire leads with 10 Pensoms recorded in 1881 and an index of 33333.33x.

Place Total Index
Whitcombe Magna 10 33333.33x
Cheltenham 9 105.14x
Hereford St Peter 9 1451.61x
Aston 6 15.27x
Hereford All Sts 5 471.70x
St Helier 5 91.58x
Taynton 4 3636.36x
Nortonwith 3 2727.27x
West Dean 3 166.67x
Chelsea London 2 11.74x
St Pancras London 2 4.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 4
Annie 3
Emily 3
Ann 2
Anne 2
Fanny 2
Jane 2
Sarah 2
Agness 1
Alice 1
Caroline 1
Carroline 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Florence 1
Louisa 1
Mary 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
Alfred 3
John 3
Nathaniel 3
George 2
Thomas 2
Tom 2
Adam 1
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Hyla 1
Susan 1

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 Pensom households.

FAQ

Pensom surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pensom surname in 1881?

In 1881, 53 people were recorded with the Pensom surname. That placed it at #26,134 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pensom surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 95 in 2016. That gives Pensom a modern rank of #31,782.

What does the Pensom map show?

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