NameCensus.

UK surname

Robson

Son of Rob, a diminutive of Robert, meaning "bright fame."

In the 1881 census there were 19,747 people recorded with the Robson surname, ranking it #190 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 27,771, ranked #202, down from #190 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland and Sunderland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Robson is 28,365 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.6%.

1881 census count

19,747

Ranked #190

Modern count

27,771

2016, ranked #202

Peak year

2010

28,365 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Robson had 19,747 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #190 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 27,771 in 2016, ranked #202.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 25,393 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Robson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Robson surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Robson 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 13,666 #173
1861 historical 14,539 #164
1881 historical 19,747 #190
1891 historical 21,650 #180
1901 historical 24,805 #185
1911 historical 25,393 #169
1997 modern 27,263 #199
1998 modern 28,087 #199
1999 modern 28,244 #200
2000 modern 27,980 #201
2001 modern 27,380 #200
2002 modern 27,958 #200
2003 modern 27,151 #202
2004 modern 27,031 #202
2005 modern 26,453 #203
2006 modern 26,354 #204
2007 modern 26,620 #204
2008 modern 26,678 #205
2009 modern 27,386 #204
2010 modern 28,365 #200
2011 modern 27,978 #200
2012 modern 27,409 #200
2013 modern 27,913 #202
2014 modern 28,159 #203
2015 modern 27,895 #201
2016 modern 27,771 #202

Geography

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Where Robsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Gateshead, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland and Sunderland. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 035 Northumberland
2 Northumberland 019 Northumberland
3 Northumberland 040 Northumberland
4 Northumberland 038 Northumberland
5 Sunderland 009 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Robson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Robson

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Robson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Robson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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, Robson 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

Robson 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

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

Meaning and origin of Robson

The surname Robson is an English patronymic name derived from the personal name Robert. It originated in the north of England, particularly in Northumberland and Durham, during the 12th century. The name can be traced back to the Old French name Robert, which was a Norman variation of the Germanic name Rodbert, meaning "bright renown."

Robson was a common surname in medieval England, and it appears in various historical records from that era. One of the earliest known mentions of the name Robson is in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland from 1195, where a Robert Robson is listed as a landowner.

In the 13th century, the surname Robson can be found in the Feet of Fines, legal records of land transfers, for counties like Northumberland and Yorkshire. This suggests that the Robson family held significant landholdings in these areas during that period.

The Robson name is also documented in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like survey of landowners in England. This record includes references to individuals such as William Robson in Berkshire and Richard Robson in Oxfordshire.

One notable historical figure with the surname Robson was Sir Thomas Robson (c. 1530-1598), an English politician and landowner from Northumberland. He served as a Member of Parliament and held positions such as High Sheriff of Northumberland.

Another prominent individual was Charles Robson (1598-1638), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, from 1629 until his death.

In the 18th century, Jonathan Robson (1737-1823) was a distinguished English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Brunswick Theatre and the former Surrey County Gaol.

The Robson surname has also been associated with notable literary figures, such as William Robson (1785-1863), an English author and dramatist who wrote plays and novels in the early 19th century.

In the 20th century, Sir Bobby Robson (1933-2009) was a highly respected English footballer and manager who played for various clubs, including West Bromwich Albion and England's national team, and later managed teams like Ipswich Town, England, and Newcastle United.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Robson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Robson 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. Durham leads with 7,075 Robsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.37x.

County Total Index
Durham 7,075 12.37x
Northumberland 4,996 17.47x
Yorkshire 2,302 1.21x
Middlesex 790 0.41x
Lancashire 536 0.23x
Cumberland 515 3.11x
Roxburghshire 432 12.41x
Surrey 293 0.31x
Kent 190 0.29x
Dumfriesshire 180 4.24x
Lincolnshire 179 0.58x
Aberdeenshire 155 0.87x
Staffordshire 143 0.22x
Midlothian 130 0.50x
Lanarkshire 127 0.20x
Cheshire 125 0.29x
Kirkcudbrightshire 124 4.46x
Essex 111 0.29x
Berwickshire 107 4.60x
Warwickshire 70 0.14x
Hampshire 67 0.17x
Westmorland 55 1.30x
Selkirkshire 54 3.10x
Banffshire 51 1.28x
Orkney 49 2.32x
Leicestershire 47 0.22x
Sussex 46 0.14x
Derbyshire 44 0.15x
Renfrewshire 40 0.27x
Perthshire 37 0.43x
Fife 36 0.32x
Ayrshire 31 0.22x
Suffolk 31 0.13x
Glamorgan 30 0.09x
Gloucestershire 30 0.08x
Nottinghamshire 30 0.12x
Somerset 28 0.09x
Angus 26 0.15x
Cambridgeshire 26 0.21x
Worcestershire 25 0.10x
Wiltshire 24 0.14x
Norfolk 23 0.08x
Berkshire 20 0.14x
Dunbartonshire 20 0.39x
Devon 19 0.05x
East Lothian 19 0.75x
Peeblesshire 18 1.99x
Stirlingshire 18 0.25x
Morayshire 16 0.54x
Hertfordshire 14 0.11x
Monmouthshire 14 0.10x
Inverness-shire 13 0.23x
Nairnshire 13 2.22x
Flintshire 11 0.21x
Oxfordshire 9 0.08x
Royal Navy 9 0.39x
Bedfordshire 8 0.08x
Kinross-shire 8 1.65x
Buckinghamshire 6 0.05x
Dorset 6 0.05x
Herefordshire 6 0.08x
Merionethshire 6 0.17x
West Lothian 6 0.21x
Argyllshire 5 0.09x
Northamptonshire 5 0.03x
Sutherland 5 0.34x
Ross-shire 4 0.08x
Wigtownshire 4 0.16x
Denbighshire 3 0.04x
Cardiganshire 2 0.04x
Cornwall 2 0.01x
Kincardineshire 2 0.09x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.05x
Shropshire 2 0.01x
Caithness 1 0.04x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.01x
Isle of Man 1 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 1 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. Gateshead in Durham leads with 826 Robsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.29x.

Place Total Index
Gateshead 826 19.29x
Bishopwearmouth 482 9.82x
Westoe 406 12.52x
Elswick 322 14.10x
Westgate 303 17.10x
Hexham 250 56.47x
Heworth 225 19.96x
Newcastle On Tyne St 225 15.17x
Byker 209 14.78x
Darlington 201 9.10x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 193 11.30x
Longbenton 189 15.60x
Tynemouth 183 11.95x
Winlaton 179 32.62x
Stockton On Tees 175 6.35x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 162 6.54x
Monkwearmouth Shore 154 13.79x
Brandon Byshottles 144 20.10x
Hetton Le Hole 138 19.04x
Middlesbrough 135 5.44x
Chirton 120 18.54x
Bedlington 115 12.04x
Wallsend 105 11.57x
Hartlepool 104 12.79x
Hawick 98 12.57x
Jedburgh 98 28.71x
Allendale 95 35.82x
Shildon 91 19.80x
Whickham 90 17.10x
Framwellgate 87 25.67x
Wolsingham 83 15.92x
Benfieldside 80 21.27x
Bishop Auckland 79 10.30x
Prudhoe 77 38.69x
St Pancras London 77 0.50x
Lamesley 75 24.36x
Tanfield 75 11.03x
Houghton Le Spring 72 18.21x
Ryton 72 35.82x
Islington London 71 0.38x
Ryhope 71 17.88x
Benwell 70 22.39x
Chester Le Street 68 15.48x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 68 0.66x
Lambeth 67 0.40x
Sunderland 67 6.63x
Dawdon 65 9.24x
Monkwearmouth 65 11.87x
Stranton 65 3.38x
Hackney London 64 0.59x
Alston 62 20.33x
North Shields 62 10.86x
Witton Gilbert 62 27.46x
Barony 61 0.39x
Bethnal Green London 61 0.73x
Crook Billy Row 60 8.19x
Bridlington 59 13.53x
Medomsley 59 22.11x
St Marylebone London 59 0.57x
West Herrington 59 29.44x
Birtley 58 24.85x
Corbridge 58 55.36x
Sculcoates 58 1.92x
Wilton 58 15.18x
Harton 57 25.22x
Pelton 56 20.58x
Conside Knitsley 53 11.92x
Morpeth 53 15.76x
West Derby 53 0.79x
Ford 52 49.73x
Haltwhistle 52 37.46x
Scarborough 52 3.00x
Newbottle 51 16.33x
West Ham 51 0.61x
Holy Trinity 50 1.09x
Liverpool 50 0.36x
Camberwell 49 0.40x
Tudhoe 49 9.79x
Clerkenwell London 48 1.06x
Wallbottle 48 79.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,463
Elizabeth 879
Jane 767
Margaret 592
Sarah 490
Ann 457
Isabella 407
Hannah 306
Annie 246
Ellen 156
Alice 149
Eliza 129
Catherine 102
Emma 97
Dorothy 96
Martha 94
Emily 93
Frances 83
Eleanor 77
Agnes 64
Edith 61
Anne 60
Maria 59
Barbara 53
Ada 52
Harriet 47
Charlotte 46
Esther 43
Caroline 41
Florence 39
Elizth. 38
Rebecca 38
Kate 37
Louisa 36
Isabel 35
Fanny 34
Margt. 34
Amy 31
Susannah 31
Clara 29
Grace 29
Ethel 27
Margret 27
Lucy 26
Janet 25
Matilda 24
Ruth 23
Rose 22
Rachel 21
Gertrude 20

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 1,457
William 1,150
Thomas 994
George 672
Robert 584
James 502
Joseph 456
Henry 240
Edward 226
Charles 153
Matthew 132
Richard 113
Alfred 78
Frederick 74
Ralph 66
Thos. 66
Wm. 66
Arthur 58
Andrew 54
Francis 51
Samuel 50
Walter 49
David 44
Frank 39
Christopher 38
Alexander 35
Michael 35
Albert 34
Anthony 34
Geo. 34
Robt. 33
Peter 32
Stephen 31
Benjamin 30
Jacob 28
Isaac 26
Harry 25
Herbert 25
Ernest 24
Mathew 24
Roger 24
Tom 23
Joshua 21
Nicholas 21
Adam 20
Jno. 20
Edwin 19
Jas. 18
Jonathan 18
Percy 18

FAQ

Robson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Robson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 19,747 people were recorded with the Robson surname. That placed it at #190 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Robson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 27,771 in 2016. That gives Robson a modern rank of #202.

What does the Robson surname mean?

Son of Rob, a diminutive of Robert, meaning "bright fame."

What does the Robson map show?

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