NameCensus.

UK surname

Rallison

Of English origin, likely a variant of Rollison or Ralston, derived from a place name and meaning "son of Radulph" or "Ralph's son".

In the 1881 census there were 101 people recorded with the Rallison surname, ranking it #19,636 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 91, ranked #32,109, down from #19,636 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mynyddyslwyn, Sporle with Palgrave and Newcastle All Saints. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Breckland, South Somerset and Broadland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rallison is 131 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.9%.

1881 census count

101

Ranked #19,636

Modern count

91

2016, ranked #32,109

Peak year

1901

131 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2006

Key insights

  • Rallison had 101 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,636 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 91 in 2016, ranked #32,109.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 131 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rallison surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rallison surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rallison 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 41 #25,926
1861 historical 97 #21,503
1881 historical 101 #19,636
1891 historical 104 #23,388
1901 historical 131 #19,552
1911 historical 118 #20,649
1997 modern 100 #26,901
1998 modern 107 #26,555
1999 modern 100 #27,757
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 101 #27,252
2002 modern 102 #27,596
2003 modern 100 #27,722
2004 modern 104 #27,338
2005 modern 102 #27,689
2006 modern 107 #27,179
2007 modern 106 #27,722
2008 modern 104 #28,341
2009 modern 99 #29,754
2010 modern 100 #30,225
2011 modern 102 #29,759
2012 modern 99 #30,442
2013 modern 92 #31,909
2014 modern 89 #32,409
2015 modern 89 #32,325
2016 modern 91 #32,109

Geography

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Where Rallisons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mynyddyslwyn, Sporle with Palgrave, Newcastle All Saints, Fransham, Great and Pickenham, North. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Breckland, South Somerset, Broadland and North Norfolk. 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 Mynyddyslwyn Monmouthshire
2 Sporle with Palgrave Norfolk
3 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
4 Fransham, Great Norfolk
5 Pickenham, North Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Breckland 004 Breckland
2 South Somerset 005 South Somerset
3 Breckland 006 Breckland
4 Broadland 009 Broadland
5 North Norfolk 012 North Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rallison

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rallison

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Rallison 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

Rallison is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rallison 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 Rallison is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Rallison

The surname Rallison is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be a patronymic surname, which means it was derived from the given name of an ancestor. The root of Rallison may come from the Old English personal name Ralf or Radulf, which evolved into the medieval given names Ralph or Rollo. Another possible origin is derived from the Old Norse name Radulfr, which became common in England following the Viking invasions.

Interestingly, the surname Rallison may not have one fixed place of origin but rather multiple areas in England where the name developed independently. In early medieval England, surnames were often informal and fluctuated, as individuals were frequently identified by their parent’s names, professions, or places they lived.

The earliest recorded instance of a variant of the surname appears in the late 13th century with the Poll Tax Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379 mentioning a Ralph Rolleson. Another similar entry can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated 1273, where an Adam Releson is listed. These records indicate that the surname had begun to take form and there were individuals identified by this name in different parts of England.

Over the centuries, the surname underwent various spellings including Rallison, Rollison, and even Relleson, often due to regional dialects and the phonetic spelling common before the standardization of the English language.

One notable bearer of the surname was John Rallison, who was mentioned in early 16th-century tax records from Derbyshire, suggesting his family's substantial estate. Another historical figure is Sir Thomas Rallison, a minor noble from the late 15th century, who held lands in Bedfordshire during the upheavals of the Wars of the Roses.

In the religious sphere, Rev. William Rallison, born in 1633, was a clergyman known for his fervent Protestant sermons during the Interregnum period, noted in various church records. Moving into the early modern period, Eleanor Rallison, born in 1726, was a noted local healer in Nottinghamshire and mentioned in various parish records and folk histories for her herbal remedies and midwifery.

Finally, George Rallison, born in 1791, was an inventor from Birmingham who contributed significantly to early steam engine designs, evidenced by patents and industrial records from the period.

The surname Rallison, while not common, carries with it a rich heritage and history, tracing back through centuries of English history and embodying the evolution of language and identity in England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rallison families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rallison 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. Norfolk leads with 86 Rallisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 56.78x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 86 56.78x
Yorkshire 10 1.02x
Leicestershire 3 2.75x
Middlesex 2 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Fransham in Norfolk leads with 21 Rallisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 19090.91x.

Place Total Index
Great Fransham 21 19090.91x
Swaffham 20 1626.02x
Southburgh 9 8181.82x
Thornaby 8 219.18x
North Pickenham 7 8750.00x
Upwell 6 845.07x
Cockley Cley 5 7142.86x
Great Dunham 4 3076.92x
Sporle With Palgrave 4 1600.00x
East Lexham 3 5000.00x
Heigham 3 36.90x
Leicester St Mary 3 34.01x
Marske In Guisbrough 2 115.61x
Bawdeswell 1 666.67x
Great Yarmouth 1 7.97x
Hampstead London 1 6.52x
Litcham 1 370.37x
Mattishall 1 333.33x
St Pancras London 1 1.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Sarah 4
Elizabeth 3
Emma 3
Eliza 2
Fanny 2
Harriett 2
Lousia 2
Susan 2
Charlotte 1
Christiana 1
Deliah 1
Edith 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Henrietta 1
James 1
Jemima 1
Lydia 1
Ma... 1
Maion 1
Malrina 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Maryanne 1
Rosetti 1
Ruth 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 8
Robert 6
Charles 5
William 5
Frederick 4
George 4
John 4
Edward 3
Herbert 2
Walter 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Edgar 1
Henry 1
Isaac 1
Stephen 1
Thomas 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Rallison surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rallison surname in 1881?

In 1881, 101 people were recorded with the Rallison surname. That placed it at #19,636 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rallison surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 91 in 2016. That gives Rallison a modern rank of #32,109.

What does the Rallison surname mean?

Of English origin, likely a variant of Rollison or Ralston, derived from a place name and meaning "son of Radulph" or "Ralph's son".

What does the Rallison map show?

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