UK surname
An English surname derived from a place name meaning "ridge" in Old English.
In the 1881 census there were 56 people recorded with the Rison surname, ranking it #25,733 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 19, ranked #36,760, down from #25,733 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Wellingborough, Trowbridge and Hurst. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rison is 121 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 66.1%.
1881 census count
56
Ranked #25,733
Modern count
19
2016, ranked #36,760
Peak year
1861
121 bearers
Map years
1
1861 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Rison surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Rison surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 67 | #21,440 |
| 1861 | historical | 121 | #18,148 |
| 1881 | historical | 56 | #25,733 |
| 1891 | historical | 69 | #28,188 |
| 1901 | historical | 37 | #30,009 |
| 1911 | historical | 32 | #29,838 |
| 1997 | modern | 17 | #36,181 |
| 1998 | modern | 15 | #36,457 |
| 1999 | modern | 16 | #36,371 |
| 2000 | modern | 17 | #36,207 |
| 2001 | modern | 17 | #36,053 |
| 2002 | modern | 16 | #36,267 |
| 2003 | modern | 19 | #36,011 |
| 2004 | modern | 21 | #35,969 |
| 2005 | modern | 17 | #36,407 |
| 2006 | modern | 18 | #36,412 |
| 2007 | modern | 20 | #36,362 |
| 2008 | modern | 19 | #36,534 |
| 2009 | modern | 18 | #36,682 |
| 2010 | modern | 20 | #36,599 |
| 2011 | modern | 19 | #36,668 |
| 2012 | modern | 18 | #36,723 |
| 2013 | modern | 22 | #36,477 |
| 2014 | modern | 21 | #36,577 |
| 2015 | modern | 19 | #36,736 |
| 2016 | modern | 19 | #36,760 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Wellingborough, Trowbridge, Hurst, Manchester and St Botolph Aldersgate. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wellingborough | Northamptonshire |
| 2 | Trowbridge | Wiltshire |
| 3 | Hurst | Berkshire |
| 4 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 5 | St Botolph Aldersgate | London (Central Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Rison surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rison, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Rison surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Rison household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Rison is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rison is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Rison, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Rison has its origins in England, where it is thought to have emerged in the late 12th century or early 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "rison," meaning "a twig" or "a small branch." This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname initially given to someone who worked with twigs or branches, such as a basket weaver or a thatcher.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rison can be found in the Feet of Fines for Essex, a collection of legal documents from the reign of King John (1199-1216). In these records, a person named Adam Rison is mentioned as holding land in the county of Essex.
The Rison surname is also found in the Subsidy Rolls for Cambridgeshire from 1327, which were tax records compiled during the reign of Edward III. This suggests that the name was well-established in various parts of England by the 14th century.
A notable early bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Rison, who lived in the late 15th century and served as a member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1491. Another early example is John Rison, a merchant from Bristol, who is recorded as having traded with Spain in the early 16th century.
In the 17th century, the name Rison appears to have been particularly concentrated in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. One example from this period is Richard Rison, a prominent landowner from Norfolk, who was born in 1620 and died in 1689.
Moving into the 18th century, the Rison surname is associated with the village of Weston Longville in Norfolk. Here, a family by the name of Rison held significant landholdings and influence in the local community. A notable member of this family was John Rison (1719-1795), a wealthy landowner and magistrate.
While the Rison surname may have originated as an occupational name, it is clear that by the 16th and 17th centuries, many bearers of the name had achieved significant social status and landholdings, particularly in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rison surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Wiltshire leads with 17 Risons recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.20x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Wiltshire | 17 | 35.20x |
| Essex | 13 | 12.06x |
| Middlesex | 10 | 1.83x |
| Surrey | 6 | 2.26x |
| Lancashire | 4 | 0.62x |
| Warwickshire | 3 | 2.18x |
| Kent | 2 | 1.07x |
| Bedfordshire | 1 | 3.54x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Trowbridge in Wiltshire leads with 9 Risons recorded in 1881 and an index of 422.54x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Trowbridge | 9 | 422.54x |
| Chelmsford | 8 | 432.43x |
| Lambeth | 6 | 12.60x |
| Kensington London | 5 | 16.47x |
| Twickenham | 5 | 213.68x |
| Bradford On Avon | 4 | 258.06x |
| Manchester | 4 | 13.73x |
| Melksham | 4 | 476.19x |
| West Ham | 4 | 16.81x |
| Birmingham | 3 | 6.54x |
| Chigwell | 1 | 98.04x |
| Eaton Socon | 1 | 227.27x |
| Maidstone | 1 | 18.02x |
| Penshurst | 1 | 322.58x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Rison surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Rison surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Rison households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 7 |
| Dressmaker | 2 |
| Ag Lab | 1 |
| Bootmaker | 1 |
| Cabinet Maker | 1 |
| Clerk | 1 |
| Cloth Worker | 1 |
| Dress Maker | 1 |
| Formerly Woollen Draper | 1 |
| Fund Holder | 1 |
| General Servant | 1 |
| Ground Labourer | 1 |
| Ground Labourer Wife | 1 |
| Housekeeper | 1 |
| Labor | 1 |
| Organist | 1 |
| Printers Apprentice | 1 |
| Pupil Teacher | 1 |
| Servant | 1 |
| Shoe Black | 1 |
| Steward Of Town Hall (Munic) | 1 |
| Tailor | 1 |
| Tailor & License Victr Employg 3 Men & 1 Boy | 1 |
| Ticket Clerk | 1 |
| Valet (Dom) | 1 |
| Wool Cleaner | 1 |
| Wool Weaver | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 56 people were recorded with the Rison surname. That placed it at #25,733 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 19 in 2016. That gives Rison a modern rank of #36,760.
An English surname derived from a place name meaning "ridge" in Old English.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rison bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.