NameCensus.

UK surname

Rickson

A surname derived from the given name Richard, which originated from the Germanic words "ric" (meaning ruler or power) and "hard" (meaning brave or hardy).

In the 1881 census there were 154 people recorded with the Rickson surname, ranking it #15,259 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 202, ranked #19,475, down from #15,259 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dorking, Rochdale and Stockport. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, Central Bedfordshire and Brighton and Hove.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rickson is 235 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.2%.

1881 census count

154

Ranked #15,259

Modern count

202

2016, ranked #19,475

Peak year

1911

235 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rickson had 154 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,259 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 202 in 2016, ranked #19,475.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 235 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Rickson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rickson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rickson 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 76 #20,127
1861 historical 161 #14,392
1881 historical 154 #15,259
1891 historical 222 #13,854
1901 historical 200 #15,120
1911 historical 235 #13,484
1997 modern 210 #17,104
1998 modern 215 #17,306
1999 modern 217 #17,307
2000 modern 214 #17,457
2001 modern 207 #17,573
2002 modern 208 #17,848
2003 modern 213 #17,395
2004 modern 213 #17,492
2005 modern 203 #17,961
2006 modern 207 #17,892
2007 modern 202 #18,359
2008 modern 207 #18,243
2009 modern 212 #18,328
2010 modern 216 #18,492
2011 modern 206 #18,907
2012 modern 215 #18,304
2013 modern 215 #18,598
2014 modern 213 #18,883
2015 modern 211 #18,906
2016 modern 202 #19,475

Geography

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Where Ricksons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dorking, Rochdale, Stockport, St Mary Rotherhithe and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, Central Bedfordshire, Brighton and Hove and Rochdale. 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 Dorking Surrey
2 Rochdale Lancashire
3 Stockport Cheshire
4 St Mary Rotherhithe London (South Districts)
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 054 Kirklees
2 Central Bedfordshire 007 Central Bedfordshire
3 Brighton and Hove 001 Brighton and Hove
4 Rochdale 002 Rochdale
5 Kirklees 057 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rickson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rickson

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Rickson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Rickson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Rickson is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rickson is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rickson falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rickson 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 Rickson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Rickson

The surname RICKSON originated in England during the 12th century. It is a patronymic name derived from the personal name Rick, a diminutive form of Richard. The name Richard comes from the Germanic elements "ric" meaning power and "hard" meaning brave or hardy.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname RICKSON can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where one Robert Rickson is mentioned. Similar spellings from that time include Ricson, Ryckson, and Rikeson. These variations were common due to inconsistencies in spelling and recordkeeping.

In the 13th century, the surname RICKSON appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a census-like record of landowners. This suggests the name had spread across different regions of England by that point. Some places that may have influenced the name include Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire and Ricklington in Yorkshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Rickson, a merchant from London who was granted a coat of arms in 1512. Another notable figure was John Rickson (1576-1642), an English clergyman and religious writer who served as the rector of Lincoln College, Oxford.

During the 17th century, the name RICKSON gained prominence with the rise of Thomas Rickson (1622-1700), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire. His descendants continued to play a role in local politics and society.

In the 18th century, Robert Rickson (1718-1792) was a respected naval captain who served in the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He is remembered for his successful campaigns against French and Spanish fleets in the Caribbean.

As the British Empire expanded, the name RICKSON spread to other parts of the world. One notable bearer was Sir Joseph Rickson (1826-1899), a colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Barbados and the Leeward Islands in the late 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rickson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rickson 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. Surrey leads with 55 Ricksons recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.51x.

County Total Index
Surrey 55 7.51x
Sussex 21 8.29x
Essex 14 4.72x
Lancashire 12 0.67x
Buckinghamshire 8 8.81x
Durham 8 1.79x
Middlesex 8 0.53x
Berwickshire 6 32.99x
Cheshire 6 1.81x
Yorkshire 4 0.27x
Glamorgan 3 1.15x
Huntingdonshire 3 10.06x
Berkshire 2 1.77x
Bedfordshire 1 1.29x
Gloucestershire 1 0.34x
Kent 1 0.20x
Oxfordshire 1 1.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sutton in Surrey leads with 17 Ricksons recorded in 1881 and an index of 320.75x.

Place Total Index
Sutton 17 320.75x
Castleton 12 67.42x
West Ham 11 16.80x
Cuckfield 9 351.56x
Rotherhithe 9 48.49x
Saunderton 8 3636.36x
Dorking 7 142.57x
Cliffe 6 697.67x
Coldstream 6 454.55x
Hyde 6 61.35x
Croydon 5 12.31x
Lambeth 5 3.82x
Lewes St John Under 5 1428.57x
Shoreditch London 5 7.68x
Long Ditton 4 333.33x
Newington 4 7.21x
Throston 4 465.12x
Graffham 3 1764.71x
Llandaff 3 34.48x
Ardsley 2 116.28x
Barnsley 2 13.03x
Clewer 2 43.29x
Dawdon 2 36.36x
Hartlepool 2 31.50x
Roydon 2 454.55x
Bensington 1 169.49x
Brighton 1 1.96x
Caterham 1 30.86x
Chelsea London 1 2.21x
Grays Thurrock 1 36.23x
Greenwich 1 4.18x
Kingston On Thames 1 5.69x
Luton 1 7.43x
Putney 1 14.60x
St George Hanover 1 5.10x
St Paul Covent Garden 1 66.67x
Stroud 1 17.45x
Warlingham 1 169.49x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Sarah 9
Jane 7
Harriet 4
Alice 3
Ann 3
Eliza 3
Maria 3
Elizabeth 2
Louis 2
Mercy 2
Anna 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Edith 1
Elizth.H 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Francis 1
Harriett 1
Kate 1
Lizzie 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Sophia 1
Sophie 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 15
George 13
Charles 7
Thomas 7
John 5
James 3
Joseph 3
Albert 2
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Robert 2
Thos. 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
David 1
Earnest 1
Esther 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Hereman 1
Hy. 1
Rowland 1
Rueben 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Rickson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rickson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 154 people were recorded with the Rickson surname. That placed it at #15,259 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rickson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 202 in 2016. That gives Rickson a modern rank of #19,475.

What does the Rickson surname mean?

A surname derived from the given name Richard, which originated from the Germanic words "ric" (meaning ruler or power) and "hard" (meaning brave or hardy).

What does the Rickson map show?

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