NameCensus.

UK surname

Rawson

A locational surname referring to someone from the village of Rawson in Yorkshire, England, derived from Old Norse.

In the 1881 census there were 3,262 people recorded with the Rawson surname, ranking it #1,385 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,702, ranked #1,842, down from #1,385 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Nottingham St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newark and Sherwood, Bolsover and Ashfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rawson is 4,296 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.5%.

1881 census count

3,262

Ranked #1,385

Modern count

3,702

2016, ranked #1,842

Peak year

1911

4,296 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rawson had 3,262 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,385 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,702 in 2016, ranked #1,842.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,296 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rawson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rawson surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Rawson 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 2,304 #1,287
1861 historical 2,489 #1,173
1881 historical 3,262 #1,385
1891 historical 3,656 #1,312
1901 historical 4,138 #1,360
1911 historical 4,296 #1,203
1997 modern 3,840 #1,696
1998 modern 3,925 #1,723
1999 modern 3,961 #1,720
2000 modern 3,876 #1,742
2001 modern 3,783 #1,744
2002 modern 3,775 #1,797
2003 modern 3,682 #1,803
2004 modern 3,645 #1,819
2005 modern 3,583 #1,823
2006 modern 3,620 #1,801
2007 modern 3,648 #1,803
2008 modern 3,653 #1,816
2009 modern 3,765 #1,812
2010 modern 3,826 #1,819
2011 modern 3,778 #1,821
2012 modern 3,700 #1,821
2013 modern 3,801 #1,805
2014 modern 3,788 #1,820
2015 modern 3,745 #1,818
2016 modern 3,702 #1,842

Geography

Back to top

Where Rawsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Nottingham St Mary, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newark and Sherwood, Bolsover, Ashfield, Barnsley and North East Derbyshire. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newark and Sherwood 007 Newark and Sherwood
2 Bolsover 010 Bolsover
3 Ashfield 010 Ashfield
4 Barnsley 011 Barnsley
5 North East Derbyshire 005 North East Derbyshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Rawson

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Rawson

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

Rawson 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

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

Meaning and origin of Rawson

The surname Rawson originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "ra" meaning "roe deer" and "son" meaning "son of," suggesting that the name may have originally been given to someone who was a hunter or poacher of roe deer.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1176, where a certain Ralph Rawson is mentioned. This record suggests that the name was already established in that region by the late 12th century.

During the medieval period, the name Rawson appeared in various spellings, including Raweson, Raueson, and Raweson. These variations likely reflect regional dialects and differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.

In the 13th century, the Rawson family established themselves as landowners in the county of Yorkshire, where they held estates in the village of Rawson near Calverley. The name of the village itself is thought to be derived from the family name, further reinforcing their connection to the area.

Notable individuals bearing the Rawson surname include Sir Rawson Hart Boddam (1585-1658), an English military officer who served in the English Civil War, and Sir William Rawson (1598-1667), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Andover.

In the 17th century, the Rawson family also had a presence in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded Rawsons in America was Edward Rawson (1615-1693), who served as the Secretary of the Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1650 to 1686.

Another prominent figure was Sir William Rawson (1838-1923), a British civil servant who served as the Lieutenant Governor of the North-Western Provinces in British India from 1887 to 1892.

Throughout the centuries, the Rawson name has been carried by various individuals, including authors, academics, and military personnel, further contributing to the rich history and diversity associated with this surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Rawson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rawson 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 1,270 Rawsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.02x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,270 4.02x
Lancashire 420 1.11x
Nottinghamshire 360 8.38x
Derbyshire 267 5.35x
Lincolnshire 171 3.35x
Middlesex 165 0.52x
Leicestershire 97 2.74x
Northamptonshire 52 1.73x
Warwickshire 38 0.47x
Cheshire 37 0.53x
Surrey 37 0.24x
Sussex 32 0.60x
Staffordshire 31 0.29x
Hertfordshire 27 1.23x
Hampshire 24 0.37x
Northumberland 22 0.46x
Essex 21 0.33x
Durham 20 0.21x
Suffolk 20 0.51x
Denbighshire 19 1.58x
Norfolk 17 0.35x
Cumberland 16 0.58x
Huntingdonshire 9 1.42x
Buckinghamshire 8 0.42x
East Lothian 8 1.89x
Dumfriesshire 7 0.99x
Gloucestershire 7 0.11x
Kent 7 0.06x
Worcestershire 7 0.17x
Rutland 6 2.56x
Channel Islands 5 0.53x
Devon 5 0.08x
Royal Navy 5 1.32x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.14x
Somerset 4 0.08x
Bedfordshire 3 0.18x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.23x
Midlothian 3 0.07x
Shropshire 3 0.11x
Westmorland 3 0.43x
Angus 2 0.07x
Roxburghshire 2 0.35x
Argyllshire 1 0.11x
Brecknockshire 1 0.16x
Cornwall 1 0.03x
Merionethshire 1 0.17x
Renfrewshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nottingham St Mary in Nottinghamshire leads with 70 Rawsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.30x.

Place Total Index
Nottingham St Mary 70 6.30x
Northowram 66 29.79x
Sheffield 66 6.56x
Nether Hallam 60 14.03x
Leeds 52 2.91x
Burnley 48 15.06x
Chesterfield 46 24.58x
Halifax 37 7.98x
Wadsworth 37 71.94x
Leicester St Margaret 35 4.06x
Selston 33 68.74x
Snenton 33 19.54x
Brightside Bierlow 32 5.16x
Bury 30 6.94x
Tickhill 28 138.96x
Heanor 27 36.16x
Saddleworth 27 11.08x
Ecclesall Bierlow 26 4.05x
Ecclesfield 26 11.22x
Great Little Marsden 25 14.42x
Rotherham 25 14.03x
Holy Trinity 24 3.16x
Alfreton 23 15.16x
Bradford 23 3.01x
Wigan 22 4.16x
Sculcoates 21 4.19x
Shoreditch London 20 1.45x
Ashton Under Lyne 19 2.30x
Aston 19 0.86x
Goole 19 35.88x
Hackney London 19 1.06x
Headingley Cum Burley 18 8.85x
Hulme 18 2.28x
Islington London 18 0.58x
Swinton In Rotherham 18 21.54x
Thornton In Bradford 18 17.11x
Derby St Werburgh 17 5.90x
Accrington 16 4.65x
Doncaster 16 6.93x
East Dereham 16 25.83x
Gainsborough 16 13.31x
Kirton In Lindsey 16 79.21x
Pudsey 16 9.47x
Spotland 16 3.80x
Horton In Bradford 15 3.04x
Newark Upon Trent 15 9.71x
Arnold 14 22.31x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 14 4.76x
Awkley 14 463.58x
Horsforth 14 20.21x
South Collingham 14 165.29x
Stockport 14 3.86x
Tibshelf 14 57.17x
Basford 13 6.56x
Brighton 13 1.20x
Brigstock 13 114.14x
Dronfield 13 20.32x
Habergham Eaves 13 3.76x
Lambeth 13 0.47x
Manningham 13 3.34x
Southwell 13 41.56x
West Ham 13 0.94x
Wuerdle Wardle 13 11.32x
Almondbury 12 7.85x
Ardsley 12 32.96x
Barnsley 12 3.68x
Crich 12 36.83x
Croydon 12 1.39x
Greasley 12 12.37x
Kildwick 12 41.71x
Litchurch 12 5.97x
Newstead 12 113.64x
Pendleton In Salford 12 2.66x
Shenley 12 82.76x
Wombwell 12 13.02x
Filey 11 43.09x
Holbeck 11 5.25x
Leicester All Sts 11 15.84x
Manchester 11 0.65x
Preston 11 63.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 224
Sarah 140
Elizabeth 126
Jane 67
Eliza 58
Hannah 58
Ann 57
Annie 53
Emma 49
Ellen 47
Martha 40
Alice 38
Harriet 34
Ada 29
Emily 29
Margaret 24
Florence 23
Fanny 19
Catherine 16
Clara 16
Maria 15
Anne 14
Edith 14
Frances 14
Kate 14
Harriett 13
Lucy 12
Agnes 11
Caroline 11
Grace 11
Rebecca 11
Betty 10
Charlotte 10
Rose 9
Betsy 8
Elizth. 7
Esther 7
Louisa 7
Minnie 7
Selina 7
Amelia 6
Amy 6
Francis 6
Gertrude 6
Helen 6
Julia 6
Ruth 6
Susan 6
Susannah 6
Jessie 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 214
William 200
Thomas 112
George 106
James 94
Charles 66
Joseph 56
Henry 53
Samuel 41
Arthur 37
Robert 35
Harry 31
Edward 30
Alfred 28
Frank 24
Frederick 22
Albert 20
Herbert 20
Richard 18
Walter 17
Fred 15
Edwin 14
Benjamin 13
Wm. 12
Tom 11
Christopher 10
Ernest 10
Thos. 9
Isaac 8
Mark 8
David 6
Edmund 6
Geo. 6
Percy 6
Stephen 6
Abraham 5
Fredk. 5
Jno. 5
Jonas 5
Sam 5
Wilfred 5
Francis 4
Job 4
Leonard 4
Reuben 4
Fred. 3
Frederic 3
Matthew 3
Philip 3
W. 3

FAQ

Rawson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rawson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,262 people were recorded with the Rawson surname. That placed it at #1,385 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rawson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,702 in 2016. That gives Rawson a modern rank of #1,842.

What does the Rawson surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from the village of Rawson in Yorkshire, England, derived from Old Norse.

What does the Rawson map show?

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