NameCensus.

UK surname

Sandison

A Scottish surname derived from the personal name Alexander, meaning "defending men".

In the 1881 census there were 753 people recorded with the Sandison surname, ranking it #4,900 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,156, ranked #5,105, down from #4,900 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wick, Lerwick and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lerwick North, North and East Isles and East and West Mainland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sandison is 1,163 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.5%.

1881 census count

753

Ranked #4,900

Modern count

1,156

2016, ranked #5,105

Peak year

2014

1,163 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sandison had 753 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,900 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,156 in 2016, ranked #5,105.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,054 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Sandison surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sandison surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sandison 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 605 #4,247
1861 historical 725 #3,756
1881 historical 753 #4,900
1891 historical 906 #4,550
1901 historical 1,054 #4,560
1911 historical 198 #15,058
1997 modern 1,004 #5,485
1998 modern 1,046 #5,459
1999 modern 1,071 #5,395
2000 modern 1,104 #5,252
2001 modern 1,076 #5,266
2002 modern 1,103 #5,261
2003 modern 1,064 #5,317
2004 modern 1,072 #5,298
2005 modern 1,091 #5,161
2006 modern 1,066 #5,265
2007 modern 1,106 #5,163
2008 modern 1,117 #5,158
2009 modern 1,142 #5,160
2010 modern 1,148 #5,251
2011 modern 1,125 #5,268
2012 modern 1,108 #5,260
2013 modern 1,126 #5,276
2014 modern 1,163 #5,150
2015 modern 1,148 #5,164
2016 modern 1,156 #5,105

Geography

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Where Sandisons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wick, Lerwick, Edinburgh, Westray and Papa Westray and Unst. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lerwick North, North and East Isles, East and West Mainland, North Mainland and Central Shetland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Wick Caithness
2 Lerwick Shetland
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Westray and Papa Westray Orkney
5 Unst Shetland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lerwick North Shetland Islands
2 North and East Isles Shetland Islands
3 East and West Mainland Shetland Islands
4 North Mainland Shetland Islands
5 Central Shetland Shetland Islands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sandison

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sandison

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Sandison surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Sandison household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Sandison is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Sandison 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

Sandison falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Sandison

The surname Sandison has its origins in Scotland, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "sandaidh," which means "solitary" or "lonely." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in a secluded or isolated location.

One of the earliest known records of the name Sandison can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of feudal homage rolls submitted to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners. In these rolls, the name is spelled as "Sandysoun."

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Sandison family was particularly prominent in the county of Angus, located in the northeastern part of Scotland. Several members of the family were landowners and played influential roles in local affairs.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Sandison surname was John Sandison, a Scottish clergyman who served as the minister of Crimond Parish in Aberdeenshire. He was born in 1620 and died in 1688.

Another prominent individual with the Sandison surname was Alexander Sandison, a Scottish merchant and landowner who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was involved in the trade between Scotland and the Netherlands and was a respected figure in his local community.

In the 19th century, Robert Sandison (1809-1889) was a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Aberdeen and surrounding areas, including the Old Town House in Inverurie.

James Sandison (1860-1928) was a Scottish trade unionist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party, representing the constituency of Merthyr Tydfil from 1923 until his death.

Another notable individual with the Sandison surname was Margaret Sandison (1912-2000), a Scottish educator and historian who specialized in the study of Scottish folklore and traditions. She authored several books on the subject and was recognized for her contributions to preserving Scotland's cultural heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sandison families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sandison 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. Shetland leads with 214 Sandisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 285.26x.

County Total Index
Shetland 214 285.26x
Aberdeenshire 116 17.05x
Caithness 103 102.42x
Orkney 70 86.62x
Banffshire 67 43.97x
Midlothian 53 5.39x
Middlesex 33 0.45x
Morayshire 27 23.66x
Inverness-shire 9 4.10x
Lanarkshire 8 0.34x
Lancashire 7 0.08x
Surrey 7 0.20x
Selkirkshire 6 9.03x
Glamorgan 5 0.39x
Angus 4 0.59x
Berwickshire 3 3.37x
Fife 3 0.69x
Perthshire 3 0.91x
Yorkshire 3 0.04x
Gloucestershire 2 0.14x
Kent 2 0.08x
Ayrshire 1 0.18x
Cornwall 1 0.12x
Devon 1 0.07x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.51x
Durham 1 0.05x
Ross-shire 1 0.50x
Roxburghshire 1 0.75x
Warwickshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wick in Caithness leads with 81 Sandisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 249.38x.

Place Total Index
Wick 81 249.38x
Northmavine 66 1155.87x
Nesting Lunnas Whalsay 52 786.69x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 31 24.36x
Unst 28 510.02x
Lerwick Gulberwick 27 232.56x
Westray Papa Westray 25 390.02x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 23 5.81x
Walls Flotta 22 582.01x
Cullen 18 318.58x
Fordyce 18 164.23x
Aberdeen Old Machar 17 11.97x
North Leith 17 37.33x
Huntly 13 117.43x
Keith 12 73.89x
Delting 11 260.66x
Duffus 10 99.40x
North Yell 10 485.44x
Tingwall 10 266.67x
King Edward 9 114.80x
Marnoch 9 110.02x
Bower 8 197.53x
Inverness 8 14.50x
Teddington London 8 48.08x
Dunrossness 7 70.85x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 7 30.07x
Rathven 7 24.46x
Urquhart 7 129.87x
Aboyne 6 167.13x
Barony 6 1.00x
Galashiels 6 24.42x
Lady 6 251.05x
South Ronaldshay 6 71.77x
Elgin 5 22.52x
Glenmuick Tullich 5 102.04x
Islington London 5 0.70x
Stronsay Eday 5 94.52x
Swansea Town 5 4.77x
Turriff 5 45.54x
Twickenham 5 15.88x
Watten 5 141.24x
Forgue 4 65.47x
Hammersmith London 4 2.21x
Kirkdale 4 2.73x
St Paul Covent Garden 4 54.42x
Stromness 4 66.01x
Battersea 3 1.11x
Brechin 3 11.22x
Chapel Of Garioch 3 61.98x
Coldingham 3 37.50x
Forres 3 25.00x
Fraserburgh 3 15.67x
Fyvie 3 27.03x
Halkirk 3 44.12x
Kettle 3 57.47x
Kinellar 3 205.48x
Logierait 3 51.72x
Old Artillery Ground 3 47.47x
Olrig 3 59.76x
Toxteth Park 3 1.02x
Westminster St John 3 3.35x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 2 1.47x
Deptford St Paul 2 1.03x
Edinburgh St Georges 2 9.79x
Edinburgh St Stephens 2 10.33x
Govan 2 0.34x
Lambeth 2 0.31x
Latheron 2 11.89x
Lerwick 2 416.67x
Mortlach 2 26.88x
Peterhead 2 5.56x
Sawley In Clitheroe 2 444.44x
South Leith 2 1.81x
Tough 2 116.28x
Auchindoir Kearn 1 26.18x
Kirkwall St Ola 1 8.26x
Maker 1 13.02x
Rothes 1 17.95x
Stornoway 1 3.80x
Wandsworth 1 1.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Jane 4
Julia 3
Clara 2
Eliza 2
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Christina 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Miss 1
Sarah 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
James 3
Andrew 2
Arthur 2
Christopher 2
Edmund 2
George 2
Robert 2
Alexander 1
Charles 1
Ebenezer 1
Edward 1
Frederick 1
Hugh 1
John 1
Sinclair 1
Thos. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Sandison surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sandison surname in 1881?

In 1881, 753 people were recorded with the Sandison surname. That placed it at #4,900 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sandison surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,156 in 2016. That gives Sandison a modern rank of #5,105.

What does the Sandison surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the personal name Alexander, meaning "defending men".

What does the Sandison map show?

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