NameCensus.

UK surname

Rasmussen

Son of Rasmus, a patronymic surname of Danish and Norwegian origin.

In the 1881 census there were 66 people recorded with the Rasmussen surname, ranking it #24,256 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 652, ranked #8,163, up from #24,256 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Lindsey, Liverpool and Aylesbury Vale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rasmussen is 680 in 2012. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 887.9%.

1881 census count

66

Ranked #24,256

Modern count

652

2016, ranked #8,163

Peak year

2012

680 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rasmussen had 66 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,256 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 652 in 2016, ranked #8,163.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 195 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Rasmussen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rasmussen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rasmussen 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
1861 historical 4 #33,628
1881 historical 66 #24,256
1891 historical 92 #25,109
1901 historical 164 #17,144
1911 historical 195 #15,197
1997 modern 515 #9,110
1998 modern 548 #8,960
1999 modern 583 #8,605
2000 modern 588 #8,524
2001 modern 549 #8,811
2002 modern 590 #8,556
2003 modern 568 #8,637
2004 modern 572 #8,618
2005 modern 591 #8,363
2006 modern 588 #8,406
2007 modern 594 #8,418
2008 modern 608 #8,320
2009 modern 612 #8,470
2010 modern 644 #8,312
2011 modern 650 #8,155
2012 modern 680 #7,794
2013 modern 662 #8,099
2014 modern 652 #8,233
2015 modern 645 #8,249
2016 modern 652 #8,163

Geography

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Where Rasmussens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Gateshead and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Lindsey, Liverpool, Aylesbury Vale, Charnwood and Luncarty and Dunkeld. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Lindsey 014 East Lindsey
2 Liverpool 058 Liverpool
3 Aylesbury Vale 001 Aylesbury Vale
4 Charnwood 003 Charnwood
5 Luncarty and Dunkeld Perth and Kinross

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rasmussen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rasmussen

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Rasmussen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Rasmussen 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Rasmussen 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

Rasmussen is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rasmussen 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 Rasmussen 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Rasmussen

The surname Rasmussen is of Danish origin, originating in the late medieval period. It is a patronymic surname derived from the personal name Rasmus, which is a Danish form of the biblical name Erasmus. The name Erasmus itself is derived from the Greek word "erasmios," meaning "beloved" or "desired."

Rasmussen is one of the most common surnames in Denmark, where it is believed to have first emerged in the 14th or 15th century. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in Danish census records and parish registers from that time period.

The name Rasmussen is closely tied to the Danish island of Funen, where it was particularly prevalent in the towns of Odense and Nyborg. It is thought that the name may have originated in these areas and then spread throughout Denmark and other Scandinavian countries.

One notable early bearer of the name was Rasmus Ludvigsen Rasmussen, a Danish priest and author who lived in the 17th century (1635-1699). He is known for his work "Danmarkis Beskrivelse" (Description of Denmark), which was an important early geographical account of the country.

Another significant figure with the Rasmussen surname was Jens Rasmussen Skomager, a Danish merchant and ship owner who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is credited with establishing one of the first Danish trading companies in the East Indies.

In the 19th century, the name gained further prominence with the explorer and ethnographer Knud Rasmussen (1879-1933). He is best known for his expeditions to Greenland and his extensive studies of Inuit culture and traditions.

Other notable individuals with the Rasmussen surname include the Danish artist Vilhelm Rasmussen (1822-1865), known for his landscape paintings, and the Norwegian author and playwright Bjørn Rasmussen (1936-2017), who wrote several novels and plays exploring themes of identity and cultural conflicts.

While the name Rasmussen is most commonly associated with Denmark and other Scandinavian countries, it has also spread to other parts of the world through emigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the Danish patronymic naming tradition and the personal name Rasmus, which has its roots in the Greek language and biblical sources.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rasmussen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rasmussen 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 13 Rasmussens recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.02x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 13 2.02x
Midlothian 13 15.08x
Lancashire 11 1.44x
Yorkshire 9 1.41x
Aberdeenshire 5 8.39x
Surrey 3 0.96x
Cheshire 2 1.41x
Durham 2 1.04x
Fife 2 5.25x
Northumberland 2 2.09x
Cambridgeshire 1 2.45x
Essex 1 0.79x
Kent 1 0.46x
Sussex 1 0.92x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leith North in Midlothian leads with 13 Rasmussens recorded in 1881 and an index of 7647.06x.

Place Total Index
Leith North 13 7647.06x
Cottingham 9 656.93x
Islington London 8 12.82x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 5 44.84x
Chorlton Cum Hardy 4 784.31x
Liverpool 4 8.62x
Mile End Old Town 3 29.53x
Rotherhithe 3 37.74x
Birkenhead 2 17.67x
Everton 2 8.22x
Amble 1 227.27x
Berwick Upon Tweed 1 49.26x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 16.50x
Dunfermline 1 17.06x
Kensington London 1 2.79x
Newhaven 1 113.64x
Poplar London 1 8.23x
St Andrewthe Less 1 21.46x
Stranton 1 15.50x
Wemyss 1 62.11x
West Ham 1 3.57x
Westoe 1 9.22x
Woolwich 1 12.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Catherine 2
Margaret 2
Minnie 2
Addo 1
Allis 1
Clara 1
Clarissa 1
Elizabeth 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Hansena 1
Johanna 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Theodore 1
Thora 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Peter 6
Andrew 2
Alfred 1
Andres 1
Arther 1
Charles 1
Christian 1
Dines 1
Ernest 1
Herbert 1
J. 1
Jakob 1
John 1
Lars 1
Peder 1
Rasmus 1
William 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 Rasmussen households.

FAQ

Rasmussen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rasmussen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 66 people were recorded with the Rasmussen surname. That placed it at #24,256 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rasmussen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 652 in 2016. That gives Rasmussen a modern rank of #8,163.

What does the Rasmussen surname mean?

Son of Rasmus, a patronymic surname of Danish and Norwegian origin.

What does the Rasmussen map show?

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