NameCensus.

UK surname

Scothern

A locational surname likely denoting someone from Scothern, a village in Lincolnshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 281 people recorded with the Scothern surname, ranking it #10,175 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 790, ranked #6,995, up from #10,175 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sutton-in-Ashfield, Fulwood, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Rawmarsh, Wath-on-Dearn (Swinton). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ashfield, County Durham and Barnsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Scothern is 871 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 181.1%.

1881 census count

281

Ranked #10,175

Modern count

790

2016, ranked #6,995

Peak year

1999

871 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Scothern had 281 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,175 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 790 in 2016, ranked #6,995.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 610 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Scothern surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Scothern surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Scothern 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 109 #16,212
1861 historical 108 #19,856
1881 historical 281 #10,175
1891 historical 377 #9,302
1901 historical 450 #8,700
1911 historical 610 #6,749
1997 modern 829 #6,361
1998 modern 846 #6,463
1999 modern 871 #6,368
2000 modern 850 #6,457
2001 modern 839 #6,409
2002 modern 870 #6,353
2003 modern 827 #6,471
2004 modern 855 #6,321
2005 modern 833 #6,398
2006 modern 827 #6,448
2007 modern 820 #6,558
2008 modern 816 #6,629
2009 modern 832 #6,674
2010 modern 843 #6,739
2011 modern 827 #6,757
2012 modern 814 #6,743
2013 modern 807 #6,903
2014 modern 810 #6,917
2015 modern 797 #6,954
2016 modern 790 #6,995

Geography

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Where Scotherns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sutton-in-Ashfield, Fulwood, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Rawmarsh, Wath-on-Dearn (Swinton), Nottingham St Mary and Bingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ashfield, County Durham, Barnsley and North East Derbyshire. 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 Sutton-in-Ashfield, Fulwood Nottinghamshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Rawmarsh, Wath-on-Dearn (Swinton) Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
5 Bingham Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ashfield 009 Ashfield
2 County Durham 021 County Durham
3 Ashfield 012 Ashfield
4 Barnsley 022 Barnsley
5 North East Derbyshire 012 North East Derbyshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Scothern

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Scothern

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Scothern, 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 Scothern surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Scothern 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Scothern is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Scothern is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Scothern 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 Scothern is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Scothern, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Scothern

The surname Scothern is of English origin, deriving from the town of Scothorn in Lincolnshire. The name is believed to have originated in the 11th century and is thought to be derived from the Old English words "scot" meaning a woodman or forester, and "horn" meaning a small hill or promontory.

The earliest recorded example of the surname Scothern is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Scothorne." This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 11th century.

Over the centuries, the spelling of the name has varied slightly, with variations such as Scotthorn, Scothorn, and Scothorne appearing in historical records. These variations likely reflect regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time.

One notable individual with the surname Scothern was John Scothern, a 15th-century English clergyman and academic. He was born in Scothorn, Lincolnshire, in the early 1400s and served as the Master of University College, Oxford, from 1452 to 1457.

Another individual of note was William Scothern, a 16th-century English scholar and clergyman. He was born in Scothorn in the late 1500s and served as the Rector of St. Peter's Church in Nottingham from 1610 until his death in 1634.

In the 17th century, Thomas Scothern, born in 1616 in Scothorn, was a prominent figure in the English Civil War. He fought on the Parliamentarian side and played a significant role in the siege of Newark-on-Trent in 1645.

The 18th century saw the birth of Robert Scothern, a notable English architect and surveyor. Born in Scothorn in 1718, he was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings in Lincolnshire, including the Lincolnshire County Hospital in Lincoln.

Finally, in the 19th century, there was William Scothern, a renowned English horticulturist and botanist. Born in Scothorn in 1818, he is credited with developing several new varieties of fruit and vegetables and was a respected authority on gardening and plant cultivation.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Scothern families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Scothern 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. Nottinghamshire leads with 149 Scotherns recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.33x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 149 40.33x
Derbyshire 64 14.91x
Yorkshire 50 1.84x
Lincolnshire 18 4.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nottingham St Mary in Nottinghamshire leads with 32 Scotherns recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.49x.

Place Total Index
Nottingham St Mary 32 33.49x
Bingham 23 1464.97x
Mansfield 21 164.19x
Kirkby In Ashfield 14 354.43x
Sutton In Ashfield 12 149.63x
Wirksworth 12 307.69x
Spittlegate 11 181.52x
Stretton 11 1864.41x
Nether Hallam 10 27.21x
Rawmarsh 10 104.17x
Treeton 10 1562.50x
Ecclesall Bierlow 8 14.48x
South Normanton 8 265.78x
Alfreton 7 53.68x
Shirland 7 218.07x
Woodborough 7 843.37x
Brightside Bierlow 6 11.26x
Chilwell 6 612.24x
Hathersage 6 500.00x
Selston 6 145.28x
Great Grimsby 5 17.97x
Lambley 5 666.67x
Norton 5 141.24x
Radford 5 26.64x
Carlton 4 94.79x
Claylane 4 67.00x
Newstead 4 439.56x
Sheffield 4 4.63x
Nottingham St Peter 3 72.82x
Grantham 2 35.03x
Mansfield Woodhouse 2 81.30x
Ashford 1 158.73x
Birstwith 1 217.39x
Blidworth Lyndhurst 1 434.78x
Burton Joyce 1 158.73x
Chesterfield 1 6.22x
Ilkestonderbypart 1 79.37x
Lowdham 1 144.93x
Newark Upon Trent 1 7.53x
Pilsley 1 70.42x
South Collingham 1 136.99x
Whiston 1 76.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Elizabeth 14
Emma 10
Sarah 9
Ann 6
Eliza 6
Lucy 5
Annie 4
Elizth. 4
Ellen 4
Hannah 4
Harriett 4
Alice 3
Fanny 3
Jane 3
Kate 3
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Eliz. 2
Florance 2
Harriet 2
Julia 2
Martha 2
Tabitha 2
Abigial 1
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Elizibth 1
Emily 1
Emmeline 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Lavina 1
Louise 1
Mabel 1
Maria 1
Myra 1
Norah 1
Pheba 1
Prudence 1
Rebecca 1
Susan 1
Thursa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 18
William 17
George 12
James 10
Joseph 9
Samuel 9
Henry 7
Arthur 5
Thomas 5
Herbert 4
Walter 4
Albert 3
Ernest 3
Wilfred 3
Charles 2
Joe 2
Peter 2
Robert 2
Alonzo 1
Arthr.Godf. 1
Benjamin 1
Bernard 1
Earnest 1
Elias 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Isaiah 1
Ishmael 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Jno.Jacques 1
Lewis 1
Philip 1
Purcey 1
Robt.A. 1
Sam. 1
Saml. 1
Sampson 1
Soloman 1
Stephen 1
Wallace 1

FAQ

Scothern surname: questions and answers

How common was the Scothern surname in 1881?

In 1881, 281 people were recorded with the Scothern surname. That placed it at #10,175 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Scothern surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 790 in 2016. That gives Scothern a modern rank of #6,995.

What does the Scothern surname mean?

A locational surname likely denoting someone from Scothern, a village in Lincolnshire, England.

What does the Scothern map show?

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