NameCensus.

UK surname

Ralphson

In the 1881 census there were 54 people recorded with the Ralphson surname, ranking it #26,009 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 138, ranked #25,127, up from #26,009 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Winwick, Wigan and Dean. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton, Chorley and Bury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ralphson is 147 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 155.6%.

1881 census count

54

Ranked #26,009

Modern count

138

2016, ranked #25,127

Peak year

2010

147 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ralphson had 54 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,009 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 138 in 2016, ranked #25,127.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 102 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Ralphson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ralphson surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ralphson 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 #32,278
1861 historical 47 #28,023
1881 historical 54 #26,009
1891 historical 72 #27,804
1901 historical 102 #22,596
1911 historical 102 #22,465
1997 modern 142 #21,856
1998 modern 132 #23,394
1999 modern 139 #22,884
2000 modern 139 #22,855
2001 modern 141 #22,344
2002 modern 142 #22,687
2003 modern 138 #22,823
2004 modern 135 #23,326
2005 modern 136 #23,205
2006 modern 141 #22,833
2007 modern 141 #23,137
2008 modern 134 #24,249
2009 modern 142 #23,791
2010 modern 147 #23,809
2011 modern 147 #23,627
2012 modern 140 #24,376
2013 modern 137 #25,149
2014 modern 143 #24,621
2015 modern 135 #25,481
2016 modern 138 #25,127

Geography

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Where Ralphsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Winwick, Wigan, Dean, Blackburn and Prescot. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton, Chorley, Bury and Wigan. 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 Winwick Lancashire
2 Wigan Lancashire
3 Dean Lancashire
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 Prescot Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 013 Bolton
2 Bolton 033 Bolton
3 Chorley 005 Chorley
4 Bury 016 Bury
5 Wigan 006 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ralphson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ralphson

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Ralphson is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ralphson 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

Ralphson 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 Ralphson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Ralphson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ralphson 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 54 Ralphsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.64x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 54 8.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ashton In Makerfield in Lancashire leads with 17 Ralphsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 955.06x.

Place Total Index
Ashton In Makerfield 17 955.06x
Sutton 14 666.67x
Wigan 9 103.09x
Rainford 5 735.29x
Farnworth 4 106.95x
Eccleston In Prescot 3 95.54x
Windle 2 56.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 9
Mary 8
Alice 2
Jane 2
Margaret 2
Sarah 2
Ann 1
Anne 1
Betsy 1
Catherine 1
Ellen 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 5
Henry 3
John 3
Peter 3
George 2
Samuel 2
Thomas 2
Alfred 1
Israel 1
Ralph 1
Richard 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 Ralphson households.

FAQ

Ralphson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ralphson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 54 people were recorded with the Ralphson surname. That placed it at #26,009 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ralphson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 138 in 2016. That gives Ralphson a modern rank of #25,127.

What does the Ralphson map show?

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