NameCensus.

UK surname

Salmon

A surname derived from the Old French word "saumon," meaning someone who sold or caught salmon fish.

In the 1881 census there were 6,817 people recorded with the Salmon surname, ranking it #622 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,268, ranked #702, down from #622 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pembrokeshire, Cheshire East and Uttlesford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Salmon is 9,705 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.0%.

1881 census count

6,817

Ranked #622

Modern count

9,268

2016, ranked #702

Peak year

2010

9,705 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Salmon had 6,817 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #622 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,268 in 2016, ranked #702.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,983 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Salmon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Salmon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Salmon 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 4,132 #693
1861 historical 3,729 #755
1881 historical 6,817 #622
1891 historical 7,010 #642
1901 historical 8,465 #632
1911 historical 8,983 #549
1997 modern 9,169 #683
1998 modern 9,645 #677
1999 modern 9,688 #678
2000 modern 9,569 #683
2001 modern 9,363 #684
2002 modern 9,566 #684
2003 modern 9,345 #685
2004 modern 9,349 #681
2005 modern 9,222 #683
2006 modern 9,143 #691
2007 modern 9,224 #691
2008 modern 9,248 #694
2009 modern 9,547 #683
2010 modern 9,705 #685
2011 modern 9,499 #696
2012 modern 9,333 #694
2013 modern 9,507 #691
2014 modern 9,491 #695
2015 modern 9,325 #703
2016 modern 9,268 #702

Geography

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Where Salmons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch, St Pancras and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pembrokeshire, Cheshire East, Uttlesford and Stockton-on-Tees. 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 London parishes London 1
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pembrokeshire 003 Pembrokeshire
2 Pembrokeshire 002 Pembrokeshire
3 Cheshire East 049 Cheshire East
4 Uttlesford 007 Uttlesford
5 Stockton-on-Tees 003 Stockton-on-Tees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Salmon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Salmon

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Salmon is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Salmon is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Salmon falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Salmon

The surname Salmon originated in England and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "salor," which means "sallow" or "dark complexion." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a dark or olive-toned skin complexion.

In the early records, the name was often spelled as "Salemon" or "Saleman." One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1176, which mention a person named "Willelmus Salemon."

The Salmon name has been associated with various locations throughout England, including Salmon Brook in Buckinghamshire and Salmon's Cross in West Sussex. Additionally, there are references to places like "Salmundebi" in the Domesday Book of 1086, which may have influenced the surname's development.

One notable historical figure with the Salmon surname was John Salmon, a 17th-century English writer and antiquary born in 1675. He was known for his works on English antiquities and history, such as "The Antiquities of Surrey" and "The Lives of the English Bishops."

Another significant individual was Thomas Salmon, a 17th-century English cartographer and writer born in 1679. He published numerous works, including "A New Survey of England" and "A New Geographic and Historical Grammar."

In the 19th century, George Salmon (1819-1904) was a renowned Irish mathematician and theologian who served as the Provost of Trinity College, Dublin. He made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and was also known for his works on theology and church history.

William Salmon (1644-1713) was a notable English medical writer and physician who published several influential works on midwifery and obstetrics during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, including "The Compleat English Midwife" and "Ars Anatomica."

Thomas Salmon (1648-1706), a contemporary of William Salmon, was an English clergyman and writer who gained recognition for his historical works, such as "A Review of the History of the Royal Navy of England" and "The Present State of the Universities."

These are just a few examples of notable individuals with the Salmon surname throughout history, highlighting the name's long-standing presence and its association with various fields, including literature, cartography, mathematics, medicine, and theology.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Salmon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Salmon 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. Middlesex leads with 1,240 Salmons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.86x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,240 1.86x
Essex 673 5.12x
Lancashire 458 0.58x
Surrey 439 1.35x
Yorkshire 343 0.52x
Staffordshire 327 1.45x
Kent 298 1.31x
Suffolk 253 3.12x
Somerset 227 2.12x
Warwickshire 222 1.32x
Norfolk 197 1.92x
Cornwall 149 1.98x
Gloucestershire 145 1.11x
Cheshire 142 0.97x
Durham 134 0.68x
Nottinghamshire 133 1.48x
Cambridgeshire 117 2.77x
Hertfordshire 93 2.03x
Hampshire 92 0.67x
Glamorgan 80 0.69x
Lincolnshire 78 0.73x
Pembrokeshire 76 3.59x
Devon 70 0.50x
Lanarkshire 70 0.32x
Northamptonshire 68 1.09x
Sussex 68 0.61x
Leicestershire 60 0.81x
Berkshire 59 1.18x
Oxfordshire 59 1.43x
Derbyshire 55 0.53x
Wiltshire 54 0.92x
Worcestershire 45 0.52x
Buckinghamshire 44 1.09x
Cumberland 28 0.49x
Shropshire 27 0.47x
Northumberland 24 0.24x
Carmarthenshire 19 0.68x
Midlothian 18 0.20x
Huntingdonshire 17 1.29x
Monmouthshire 16 0.33x
Renfrewshire 16 0.31x
Westmorland 16 1.09x
Cardiganshire 11 0.68x
Channel Islands 11 0.56x
Denbighshire 10 0.40x
Aberdeenshire 8 0.13x
Dorset 8 0.18x
Dunbartonshire 6 0.34x
Fife 3 0.08x
Perthshire 3 0.10x
Royal Navy 3 0.38x
Angus 2 0.03x
Bedfordshire 2 0.06x
Herefordshire 2 0.07x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.13x
Radnorshire 2 0.37x
Roxburghshire 2 0.17x
Rutland 2 0.41x
Ayrshire 1 0.02x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.04x
Flintshire 1 0.06x
Isle of Man 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 149 Salmons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.15x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 149 5.15x
Islington London 113 1.75x
St Pancras London 111 2.07x
Lambeth 94 1.62x
Shoreditch London 94 3.25x
Hackney London 91 2.44x
West Ham 76 2.62x
Mile End Old Town 65 6.18x
Stoke Upon Trent 64 2.68x
St Marylebone London 58 1.63x
Madeley 55 98.11x
Kensington London 45 1.21x
Tottenham 44 4.15x
Great Yarmouth 43 5.07x
Camberwell 42 0.99x
Newington 40 1.63x
Brightlingsea 37 49.23x
Liverpool 37 0.77x
Long Compton 37 231.83x
Battersea 34 1.39x
Chelsea London 34 1.69x
Croydon 33 1.83x
Willesden 33 5.25x
Burnley 32 4.81x
Gorleston 32 15.52x
Burslem 31 4.81x
Manchester 30 0.84x
Portsea 30 1.12x
Chorlton On Medlock 29 2.31x
Leeds 29 0.78x
Paddington London 29 1.18x
Everton 28 1.11x
Holy Trinity 28 1.76x
Aston 27 0.58x
Barony 27 0.50x
Birmingham 27 0.48x
Broxted 27 169.81x
Lewisham 27 2.23x
Nottingham St Mary 27 1.16x
Leamington Priors 26 6.29x
St Columb Major 26 41.53x
Elmswell 25 144.01x
Stone 25 8.69x
West Derby 25 1.08x
Brighton 24 1.06x
Edwardstone 24 240.24x
Perranzabuloe 24 36.88x
Wandsworth 24 3.74x
Bow London 23 2.71x
Clerkenwell London 23 1.46x
Great Clacton 23 51.37x
Bedminster 22 2.18x
Bromley London 22 1.50x
Colchester St Botolph 22 19.67x
Hampstead London 22 2.12x
Brightside Bierlow 21 1.62x
Hammersmith London 21 1.28x
St George In East 21 4.63x
Stockton On Tees 21 2.20x
West Wratting 21 155.56x
Weston 21 25.46x
Newport 20 58.28x
St George Hanover 20 2.30x
Stoke Newington London 20 3.85x
Streatham 20 4.05x
Wisbech St Peter 20 9.45x
Fulham London 19 1.97x
Glasgow 19 0.50x
Stalham 19 96.99x
Thornaby 19 7.70x
Doncaster 18 3.73x
Haddenham 18 45.36x
Hulme 18 1.09x
Keele 18 75.31x
Mile End New Town 18 19.79x
Orpington 18 25.86x
Poplar London 18 1.43x
Reading St Giles 18 3.67x
Southwark St George Martyr 18 1.34x
Bermondsey 17 0.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 435
Elizabeth 269
Sarah 262
Emma 117
Eliza 116
Annie 101
Jane 100
Ann 96
Alice 95
Emily 88
Ellen 83
Hannah 62
Martha 59
Harriet 56
Edith 53
Florence 48
Kate 48
Louisa 48
Maria 47
Margaret 46
Catherine 41
Caroline 40
Charlotte 38
Fanny 34
Ada 32
Susan 32
Lucy 31
Clara 28
Anne 26
Frances 25
Amelia 24
Rose 22
Harriett 21
Jessie 20
Agnes 19
Amy 19
Rebecca 19
Sophia 19
Anna 17
Isabella 17
Julia 17
Gertrude 16
Matilda 16
Minnie 16
Elizth. 14
Ethel 13
Laura 13
Beatrice 12
Bridget 12
Esther 12

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 407
John 359
George 277
Thomas 216
James 197
Henry 130
Charles 119
Joseph 106
Arthur 94
Robert 94
Frederick 73
Alfred 72
Edward 68
Richard 49
Walter 48
Albert 44
Harry 40
Herbert 32
Ernest 31
Frank 30
David 29
Samuel 29
Benjamin 22
Wm. 19
Francis 17
Patrick 16
Edwin 15
Michael 14
Thos. 13
Jesse 12
Daniel 11
Fredrick 10
Mark 10
Chas. 9
Fredk. 9
Peter 9
Sidney 9
Abraham 8
Edgar 8
Martin 8
Stephen 8
Alexander 7
Leonard 7
Percy 7
Philip 7
Andrew 6
Edmund 6
Horace 6
Louis 6
Reginald 6

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 Salmon households.

FAQ

Salmon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Salmon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,817 people were recorded with the Salmon surname. That placed it at #622 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Salmon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,268 in 2016. That gives Salmon a modern rank of #702.

What does the Salmon surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French word "saumon," meaning someone who sold or caught salmon fish.

What does the Salmon map show?

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