NameCensus.

UK surname

Robertson

An anglicized form of the Scottish patronymic surname meaning "son of Robert."

In the 1881 census there were 50,348 people recorded with the Robertson surname, ranking it #56 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 60,857, ranked #78, down from #56 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Skye South, George Street and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Robertson is 61,133 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.9%.

1881 census count

50,348

Ranked #56

Modern count

60,857

2016, ranked #78

Peak year

2010

61,133 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Robertson had 50,348 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #56 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 60,857 in 2016, ranked #78.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 59,643 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Robertson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Robertson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Robertson 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 37,195 #47
1861 historical 38,850 #49
1881 historical 50,348 #56
1891 historical 54,025 #58
1901 historical 59,643 #61
1911 historical 15,118 #322
1997 modern 57,597 #74
1998 modern 59,832 #73
1999 modern 60,161 #73
2000 modern 60,036 #73
2001 modern 58,071 #74
2002 modern 59,270 #73
2003 modern 57,763 #73
2004 modern 57,831 #73
2005 modern 57,721 #74
2006 modern 57,661 #74
2007 modern 58,349 #75
2008 modern 58,879 #76
2009 modern 59,952 #77
2010 modern 61,133 #78
2011 modern 59,906 #79
2012 modern 58,766 #78
2013 modern 59,951 #78
2014 modern 60,807 #78
2015 modern 60,709 #78
2016 modern 60,857 #78

Geography

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Where Robertsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Perth and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Skye South, George Street, Northumberland, Deans Village and Campbeltown. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Perth Perth
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Skye South Highland
2 George Street Aberdeen City
3 Northumberland 001 Northumberland
4 Deans Village City of Edinburgh
5 Campbeltown Argyll and Bute

Forenames

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First names often paired with Robertson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Robertson

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Robertson 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

Robertson is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Robertson

The surname Robertson is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Old English words "rod" meaning "cleared land" and "bert" meaning "bright" or "distinguished". It was originally an occupational surname given to a person who cleared land for agricultural use or who lived on newly cleared land.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the name was first recorded in various spellings such as Roberton, Robartson, and Roberdson, primarily in the Scottish Borders and Lothian regions. One of the earliest recorded instances was in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which listed people who swore fealty to King Edward I of England, including Thomas de Roberton from Berwickshire.

The Robertson surname is closely associated with Clan Donnachaidh, a Highland Scottish clan that traces its roots to the 13th century. The clan's territories were centered around Atholl and Perthshire, and many Robertsons can trace their lineage back to this clan.

Notable historical figures with the surname Robertson include:

1. William Robertson (1721-1793), a Scottish historian and principal of the University of Edinburgh, best known for his work "The History of America".

2. Sir William Robertson (1860-1933), a British Army officer who served as the Chief of the Imperial General Staff during World War I.

3. Archibald Robertson (1765-1835), a Scottish-American merchant and politician who served as a United States Representative from Virginia.

4. Andrew Robertson (born 1994), a Scottish professional footballer who currently plays as a left-back for Liverpool F.C. and the Scottish national team.

5. Pat Robertson (born 1930), an American media mogul, political commentator, and former Baptist minister who founded the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) and the Regent University.

The name Robertson has also been associated with various place names, such as Robertsontown in County Kildare, Ireland, and Robertsonville in Monmouth County, New Jersey, both likely named after individuals with the Robertson surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Robertson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Robertson 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. Lanarkshire leads with 7,613 Robertsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.81x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 7,613 4.81x
Midlothian 4,849 7.39x
Angus 4,272 9.42x
Perthshire 4,172 18.99x
Aberdeenshire 3,537 7.80x
Fife 2,927 10.10x
Middlesex 1,868 0.38x
Ayrshire 1,617 4.41x
Renfrewshire 1,464 3.86x
Lancashire 1,294 0.22x
Stirlingshire 1,156 6.40x
Inverness-shire 1,061 7.26x
Shetland 1,042 20.84x
Northumberland 1,026 1.41x
Durham 933 0.64x
Surrey 721 0.30x
Banffshire 665 6.55x
Morayshire 641 8.43x
Dunbartonshire 575 4.37x
Yorkshire 500 0.10x
West Lothian 495 6.71x
Kincardineshire 463 7.77x
East Lothian 439 6.77x
Berwickshire 400 6.75x
Orkney 399 7.41x
Roxburghshire 376 4.24x
Argyllshire 366 2.69x
Caithness 348 5.19x
Kent 316 0.19x
Ross-shire 280 2.08x
Dumfriesshire 256 2.37x
Buteshire 252 8.50x
Clackmannanshire 236 5.84x
Hampshire 234 0.23x
Essex 210 0.22x
Selkirkshire 209 4.72x
Gloucestershire 204 0.21x
Kirkcudbrightshire 191 2.70x
Norfolk 180 0.24x
Devon 159 0.16x
Cumberland 156 0.37x
Cheshire 154 0.14x
Wigtownshire 133 2.05x
Warwickshire 130 0.11x
Kinross-shire 121 9.78x
Peeblesshire 112 4.86x
Nairnshire 111 7.43x
Staffordshire 110 0.07x
Sussex 110 0.13x
Glamorgan 103 0.12x
Sutherland 78 2.07x
Suffolk 68 0.11x
Shropshire 56 0.13x
Somerset 56 0.07x
Berkshire 48 0.13x
Royal Navy 48 0.82x
Leicestershire 47 0.09x
Derbyshire 46 0.06x
Worcestershire 46 0.07x
Dorset 45 0.14x
Hertfordshire 41 0.12x
Lincolnshire 37 0.05x
Westmorland 36 0.33x
Isle of Man 35 0.39x
Monmouthshire 34 0.10x
Oxfordshire 34 0.11x
Northamptonshire 30 0.07x
Cambridgeshire 22 0.07x
Nottinghamshire 22 0.03x
Cornwall 18 0.03x
Wiltshire 18 0.04x
Denbighshire 15 0.08x
Herefordshire 15 0.07x
Pembrokeshire 15 0.10x
Buckinghamshire 14 0.05x
Anglesey 13 0.15x
Bedfordshire 9 0.04x
Carmarthenshire 9 0.04x
Flintshire 9 0.07x
Merionethshire 9 0.10x
Caernarfonshire 5 0.03x
Rutland 5 0.14x
Cardiganshire 3 0.03x
Channel Islands 3 0.02x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.03x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 2,083 Robertsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.32x.

Place Total Index
Govan 2,083 5.32x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2,078 7.88x
Barony 1,816 4.53x
Dundee 1,786 10.55x
Glasgow 1,240 4.41x
Liff Benvie 740 10.75x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 725 8.55x
South Leith 628 8.51x
Aberdeen Old Machar 596 6.30x
Dunfermline 383 8.60x
Old Monkland 369 5.87x
Perth East Church 332 16.03x
West Greenock 293 4.30x
Abbey 284 4.91x
Hamilton 271 6.14x
Stirling 269 11.82x
Kilmarnock 266 6.10x
Strath 258 58.06x
North Leith 256 8.44x
Blairgowrie 253 29.11x
Wemyss 252 20.55x
Sleat 236 67.84x
Logierait 214 55.33x
St Ninians 211 11.79x
Peterhead 209 8.72x
Westoe 204 2.47x
Perth West Church 203 19.47x
Moulin 188 54.15x
Falkirk 184 4.35x
Lasswade 183 12.20x
New Monkland 178 3.80x
St Vigeans 175 7.15x
Dysart 173 8.86x
Cupar 172 13.65x
Boness 169 16.63x
Nesting Lunnas Whalsay 169 38.36x
Inverness 166 4.51x
Lambeth 163 0.38x
Rutherglen 162 6.97x
Blair Athole 160 54.66x
Dunbar 154 16.94x
Lerwick Gulberwick 153 19.77x
Monifieth 151 9.43x
Montrose 151 5.49x
Nigg 151 30.62x
Toxteth Park 149 0.76x
Cambusnethan 147 4.18x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 139 8.96x
Cambuslang 138 8.65x
Little Dunkeld 138 37.01x
Paisley High Church 138 4.57x
Alyth 136 23.00x
Perth Middle Church 135 16.34x
Bothwell 134 3.12x
Keith 134 12.38x
Islington London 133 0.28x
Caputh 132 38.18x
Kensington London 132 0.49x
Lesmahagow 131 7.82x
St Pancras London 131 0.33x
Alloa 129 6.58x
Cathcart 129 6.28x
Liverpool 129 0.37x
Row 129 7.58x
Dull 121 27.48x
Forfar 120 4.89x
St Andrews 120 9.10x
Gateshead 119 1.09x
Wick 119 5.50x
Eastwood 114 4.88x
Kirkcaldy 114 7.93x
Maryhill 114 3.68x
Kinnoull 112 19.39x
Logie 112 14.21x
Knockando 111 35.90x
Edinburgh Canongate 110 6.59x
Edinburgh St Stephens 109 8.44x
Ardrossan 107 8.44x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 106 1.68x
Kirriemuir 106 9.47x
Sandsting Aitsting 106 23.39x
Bishopwearmouth 105 0.84x
Burntisland 105 12.96x
Northmavine 104 27.32x
Liberton 102 10.08x
Berwick Upon Tweed 100 6.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 547
Elizabeth 318
Margaret 261
Jane 232
Sarah 205
Ann 154
Annie 133
Isabella 113
Jessie 105
Ellen 103
Eliza 98
Agnes 97
Alice 95
Catherine 77
Emily 75
Emma 75
Hannah 62
Louisa 58
Janet 53
Caroline 50
Edith 49
Helen 46
Harriet 43
Charlotte 41
Martha 40
Maria 39
Anne 37
Susan 37
Florence 35
Fanny 33
Christina 32
Frances 31
Eleanor 29
Kate 27
Lucy 26
Amy 25
Ada 24
Marion 24
Clara 22
Ethel 21
Grace 21
Amelia 20
Georgina 20
Esther 19
Maggie 19
Matilda 19
Rose 18
Gertrude 17
Barbara 16
Julia 16

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 626
William 512
James 453
George 303
Thomas 248
Robert 240
Charles 165
Alexander 156
Henry 127
David 120
Joseph 70
Frederick 66
Edward 59
Arthur 55
Andrew 53
Peter 53
Alfred 51
Walter 44
Francis 39
Richard 37
Adam 34
Herbert 31
Frank 30
Samuel 28
Archibald 27
Duncan 27
Wm. 27
Albert 26
Harry 26
Geo. 24
Daniel 22
Donald 21
Hugh 21
Ernest 20
Edwin 19
Percy 16
Chas. 13
Fred 13
Thos. 13
Douglas 12
Jas. 12
Robt. 12
Alex 10
Fredk. 10
Benjamin 9
Lawrence 9
Malcolm 9
Stephen 9
Ralph 8
Willm. 8

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 Robertson households.

FAQ

Robertson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Robertson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 50,348 people were recorded with the Robertson surname. That placed it at #56 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Robertson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 60,857 in 2016. That gives Robertson a modern rank of #78.

What does the Robertson surname mean?

An anglicized form of the Scottish patronymic surname meaning "son of Robert."

What does the Robertson map show?

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