NameCensus.

UK surname

Sanson

A French occupational surname referring to someone who gathered or sold sawdust, derived from the Old French "sanc(e)."

In the 1881 census there were 386 people recorded with the Sanson surname, ranking it #8,165 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 336, ranked #13,583, down from #8,165 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dunbar, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Warrington, Reigate and Banstead and Gateshead.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sanson is 734 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 13.0%.

1881 census count

386

Ranked #8,165

Modern count

336

2016, ranked #13,583

Peak year

1891

734 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sanson had 386 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,165 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 336 in 2016, ranked #13,583.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 734 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Sanson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sanson surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sanson 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 478 #5,213
1861 historical 545 #4,820
1881 historical 386 #8,165
1891 historical 734 #5,406
1901 historical 574 #7,311
1911 historical 439 #8,671
1997 modern 333 #12,615
1998 modern 335 #12,915
1999 modern 320 #13,398
2000 modern 307 #13,717
2001 modern 300 #13,737
2002 modern 310 #13,697
2003 modern 310 #13,522
2004 modern 311 #13,549
2005 modern 307 #13,625
2006 modern 306 #13,724
2007 modern 311 #13,703
2008 modern 320 #13,550
2009 modern 325 #13,657
2010 modern 320 #14,088
2011 modern 316 #14,092
2012 modern 313 #14,095
2013 modern 326 #13,893
2014 modern 330 #13,889
2015 modern 336 #13,593
2016 modern 336 #13,583

Geography

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Where Sansons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dunbar, London parishes, Edinburgh, Portland and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Warrington, Reigate and Banstead, Gateshead, Thanet and Middlesbrough. 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 Dunbar Haddington
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Portland Dorset
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Warrington 007 Warrington
2 Reigate and Banstead 008 Reigate and Banstead
3 Gateshead 025 Gateshead
4 Thanet 009 Thanet
5 Middlesbrough 011 Middlesbrough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sanson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sanson

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Sanson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Sanson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Sanson 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

Sanson 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

Sanson falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Sanson

The surname Sanson is of French origin, derived from the personal name Samson, which is itself a biblical name meaning "sun". The name can be traced back to the 12th century in the region of Normandy, France.

In medieval records, the name appears with various spellings such as Sanson, Sanxon, and Sanchon. It is believed that the name was originally a nickname given to someone with a sun-like appearance or disposition, perhaps referring to a person with a particularly radiant or sunny personality.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sanson can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as Sanson de Brienon, referring to a landowner in the region of Brienon, Normandy.

During the Middle Ages, the name Sanson was particularly prevalent in the areas of Normandy and Île-de-France, but it also spread to other regions of France as families migrated and established themselves in different parts of the country.

Notable figures with the surname Sanson include:

1. Nicolas Sanson (1600-1667), a French cartographer and geographer who is considered the founder of the French school of cartography. 2. Jacques Sanson (1592-1670), a French theologian and professor of theology at the University of Paris. 3. Guillaume Sanson (1633-1703), a French cartographer and the son of Nicolas Sanson, who continued his father's legacy in mapmaking. 4. Nicolas Sanson d'Abbeville (1600-1667), a French geographer and the brother of Nicolas Sanson, who published several atlases and maps. 5. Jean-Baptiste Sanson (1651-1718), a French lawyer and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Parliament of Paris.

While the name Sanson is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of French heritage and can be found among families with roots in Normandy and other regions of France where the name has historical significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sanson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sanson 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 77 Sansons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.09x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 77 2.09x
Lancashire 63 1.44x
Durham 29 2.65x
Midlothian 20 4.06x
Nottinghamshire 17 3.43x
Yorkshire 17 0.47x
Surrey 15 0.84x
Warwickshire 15 1.62x
East Lothian 14 28.74x
Essex 12 1.65x
Lanarkshire 8 0.67x
Shropshire 8 2.52x
Hampshire 7 0.93x
Somerset 7 1.18x
Staffordshire 7 0.56x
Huntingdonshire 6 8.22x
Kent 6 0.48x
Perthshire 6 3.64x
Devon 5 0.65x
Gloucestershire 5 0.69x
Sussex 4 0.65x
Cheshire 3 0.37x
Dorset 3 1.24x
Leicestershire 3 0.74x
Wiltshire 3 0.92x
Carmarthenshire 2 1.29x
Derbyshire 2 0.35x
Northumberland 2 0.37x
Oxfordshire 2 0.88x
Renfrewshire 2 0.70x
Cumberland 1 0.32x
Hertfordshire 1 0.39x
Lincolnshire 1 0.17x
Peeblesshire 1 5.78x
Roxburghshire 1 1.50x
Suffolk 1 0.22x
Worcestershire 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Warrington in Lancashire leads with 32 Sansons recorded in 1881 and an index of 61.86x.

Place Total Index
Warrington 32 61.86x
Islington London 20 5.61x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 18 9.08x
Birmingham 14 4.53x
Gateshead 12 14.65x
Dunbar 10 146.41x
Hucknall Torkard 9 71.60x
Lambeth 9 2.81x
Manchester 9 4.59x
Bow London 8 17.09x
Govan 8 2.72x
Stranton 8 21.72x
St Marylebone London 7 3.57x
Bethnal Green London 6 3.76x
Huntingdon St John 6 283.02x
Perth East Church 6 38.56x
Rishton 6 117.19x
Walthanstow 6 500.00x
Clayton Le Moors 5 59.03x
Clerkenwell London 5 5.76x
Clifton 5 13.71x
Colchester St Giles 5 69.74x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 5 10.55x
Mile End Old Town 5 8.61x
Newport 5 130.55x
Bilston 4 16.63x
Hulme 4 4.39x
Isleworth 4 24.46x
Milborne Port 4 168.78x
Sheffield 4 3.45x
Shoreditch London 4 2.51x
Blymhill 3 476.19x
Brighton 3 2.40x
Edgmond 3 85.71x
Hammersmith London 3 3.31x
Kensington London 3 1.47x
Leicester St Margaret 3 3.02x
Lewisham 3 4.48x
Lyndhurst 3 145.63x
Poplar London 3 4.32x
Redcar 3 103.81x
Whalley 3 47.17x
Beeston 2 35.15x
Berwick North 2 58.65x
Bowling 2 5.54x
Carmarthen St Ishmael 2 121.95x
Colyton 2 68.03x
Ealing 2 6.09x
Easton In Gordano 2 84.03x
Everton 2 1.44x
Hackney London 2 0.97x
Hartlepool 2 12.86x
Hook 2 24.94x
Mansfield Woodhouse 2 60.61x
North Newbald 2 243.90x
Portsmouth 2 11.52x
Sawley 2 114.94x
St Luke London 2 3.39x
Tranmere 2 6.70x
Twickenham 2 12.68x
Wareham St Martin 2 217.39x
Westgate 2 5.90x
Winterbourne Dantsey 2 1000.00x
Ardwick 1 2.54x
Axminster 1 27.86x
Chatham 1 2.90x
Doncaster 1 3.76x
Duddingston 1 10.11x
Dudley 1 1.71x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 10.31x
Holdenhurst 1 5.06x
Holy Trinity 1 1.14x
Holy Trinity St Mary 1 18.02x
Kelso 1 15.06x
Leyton Low 1 6.78x
Middle Greenock 1 12.85x
Nottingham St Mary 1 0.78x
Whepstead 1 129.87x
Whitehaven 1 5.92x
Whitwood 1 19.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 27
Elizabeth 16
Jane 9
Sarah 9
Harriett 6
Alice 5
Ann 5
Ellen 5
Emma 5
Clara 4
Maria 4
Susan 4
Ada 3
Edith 3
Frances 3
Hannah 3
Martha 3
Maud 3
Selina 3
Agnes 2
Eliz. 2
Eliza 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Isabella 2
Lilly 2
Louisa 2
Margaret 2
Rebecca 2
Sophia 2
An 1
Annie 1
Bessie 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Elizth.A. 1
Emily 1
Ester 1
Esther 1
Flora 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Helena 1
Isabel 1
Letita 1
Mabel 1
Margtte. 1
Millesina 1
Millicent 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 30
James 16
William 15
Thomas 13
George 10
Henry 8
Joseph 8
Richard 5
Alfred 4
Robert 4
Samuel 4
Albert 3
Arthur 3
Charles 3
Edward 3
Andrew 2
David 2
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Isaac 2
Artha 1
Char.E. 1
Charlie 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Haley 1
Jane 1
Jonathan 1
Leon 1
Louise 1
Mathew 1
Micah 1
Phillip 1
Sam. 1
Samson 1
Soloman 1
Stanley 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Willm.Geo. 1

FAQ

Sanson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sanson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 386 people were recorded with the Sanson surname. That placed it at #8,165 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sanson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 336 in 2016. That gives Sanson a modern rank of #13,583.

What does the Sanson surname mean?

A French occupational surname referring to someone who gathered or sold sawdust, derived from the Old French "sanc(e)."

What does the Sanson map show?

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