NameCensus.

UK surname

Scrimshaw

An occupational surname referring to a maker of scrimshaw objects, decorative carvings on whale bones and teeth.

In the 1881 census there were 533 people recorded with the Scrimshaw surname, ranking it #6,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 855, ranked #6,547, down from #6,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Theddlethorpe St Helen and All Saints, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Normanton, South. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolsover, Ashfield and South Holland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Scrimshaw is 914 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 60.4%.

1881 census count

533

Ranked #6,449

Modern count

855

2016, ranked #6,547

Peak year

2000

914 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Scrimshaw had 533 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 855 in 2016, ranked #6,547.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 727 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Scrimshaw surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Scrimshaw surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Scrimshaw 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 286 #7,933
1861 historical 292 #8,626
1881 historical 533 #6,449
1891 historical 559 #6,792
1901 historical 653 #6,621
1911 historical 727 #5,889
1997 modern 844 #6,279
1998 modern 870 #6,321
1999 modern 896 #6,222
2000 modern 914 #6,113
2001 modern 900 #6,089
2002 modern 900 #6,198
2003 modern 851 #6,343
2004 modern 860 #6,293
2005 modern 854 #6,293
2006 modern 854 #6,293
2007 modern 842 #6,419
2008 modern 841 #6,484
2009 modern 862 #6,501
2010 modern 886 #6,475
2011 modern 886 #6,393
2012 modern 847 #6,548
2013 modern 860 #6,569
2014 modern 872 #6,524
2015 modern 860 #6,538
2016 modern 855 #6,547

Geography

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Where Scrimshaws are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Theddlethorpe St Helen and All Saints, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Normanton, South, Alford and Newark-on-Trent, East Stoke (East Stoke), Park Leys, Rolleston (Fiskerton), Morton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolsover, Ashfield, South Holland, Cornwall and West Lindsey. 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 Theddlethorpe St Helen and All Saints Lincolnshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Normanton, South Nottinghamshire
4 Alford Lincolnshire
5 Newark-on-Trent, East Stoke (East Stoke), Park Leys, Rolleston (Fiskerton), Morton Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolsover 009 Bolsover
2 Ashfield 011 Ashfield
3 South Holland 002 South Holland
4 Cornwall 073 Cornwall
5 West Lindsey 004 West Lindsey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Scrimshaw

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Scrimshaw

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

Scrimshaw is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Scrimshaw falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Scrimshaw is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Scrimshaw

The surname SCRIMSHAW is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the 18th century whaling industry in New England. It is derived from the Dutch word "schrimmen," meaning "to carve or engrave," and likely referred to the practice of whalers carving intricate designs and artwork onto the teeth and bones of whales.

The earliest known record of the name SCRIMSHAW dates back to the late 1700s, when a crew member aboard a New England whaling ship was documented as a skilled scrimshander, or practitioner of the art of scrimshaw. This particular sailor, whose first name was lost to history, was renowned for his intricate carvings on whale teeth and baleen.

One of the earliest and most notable individuals to bear the surname SCRIMSHAW was Edward Scrimshaw (1785-1862), a renowned scrimshander from Nantucket, Massachusetts. His carvings on whale teeth and bones were highly sought after by collectors and are now considered priceless artifacts of the whaling era.

Another prominent figure was Frederick Scrimshaw (1821-1901), a whaler from New Bedford, Massachusetts, who was known for his exceptional scrimshaw carvings on sperm whale teeth. His works, featuring intricate nautical scenes and portraits, are highly prized by museums and private collectors alike.

In the mid-19th century, a family by the name of Scrimshaw settled in the whaling town of Sag Harbor, Long Island, New York. Two brothers, Jonathan Scrimshaw (1830-1902) and Samuel Scrimshaw (1832-1911), were both skilled scrimshanders and passed their craft down through generations of their family.

Interestingly, the surname SCRIMSHAW is also found in some historical records from England, though it is unclear if these individuals were directly connected to the whaling tradition. One such record mentions a Thomas Scrimshaw, who was born in Yorkshire in the late 17th century.

While the art of scrimshaw declined with the demise of the whaling industry in the late 19th century, the surname SCRIMSHAW remains a lasting reminder of this unique maritime art form and the skilled artisans who practiced it aboard whaling ships.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Scrimshaw families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Scrimshaw 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 144 Scrimshaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.55x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 144 20.55x
Lincolnshire 141 16.96x
Yorkshire 57 1.11x
Cambridgeshire 32 9.72x
Leicestershire 20 3.47x
Middlesex 20 0.38x
Derbyshire 19 2.33x
Norfolk 19 2.38x
Surrey 19 0.75x
Durham 17 1.10x
Hampshire 12 1.13x
Northamptonshire 10 2.04x
Staffordshire 8 0.46x
Lancashire 7 0.11x
Berkshire 5 1.28x
Kent 1 0.06x
Northumberland 1 0.13x
Shropshire 1 0.22x

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 Scrimshaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.65x.

Place Total Index
Nottingham St Mary 32 17.65x
Alford 23 446.60x
Hucknall Torkard 19 106.92x
Leverington 17 783.41x
Snenton 17 61.75x
Nether Hallam 14 20.09x
Croydon 12 8.53x
Stranton 11 21.13x
Theddlethorpe All Sts 11 1864.41x
Batley 10 20.42x
Newark Upon Trent 10 39.70x
Northampton St Sepulchre 10 40.19x
Radford 10 28.09x
Ratcliffe Upon Trent 10 568.18x
Brightside Bierlow 9 8.91x
Gedney 9 265.49x
Portsea 9 4.31x
Burton Upon Trent 8 19.48x
Great Steeping 8 1702.13x
Old Bolingbroke 8 975.61x
Wrangle 8 386.47x
Blackwell 7 175.00x
Edmonton 7 16.71x
Garforth 7 177.67x
Kirkby In Ashfield 7 93.33x
Walsoken 7 145.53x
Worksop 7 33.69x
Bottesford 6 253.16x
Chelsea London 6 3.83x
Cromwell 6 2222.22x
Dawdon 6 31.55x
Great Grimsby 6 11.37x
Horncastle 6 69.93x
Huddersfield 6 7.99x
South Normanton 6 104.90x
Theddlethorpe St Helen 6 810.81x
Wisbech St Mary 6 158.73x
Wisbech St Peter 6 36.34x
Grainthorpe 5 400.00x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 5 20.83x
Mansfield 5 20.62x
Middlesbrough 5 7.45x
Sandhurst 5 66.14x
Swinderby 5 555.56x
Todmorden Walsden 5 30.25x
Willingham 5 609.76x
Cotgrave 4 273.97x
East Stoke 4 1081.08x
Elmton 4 434.78x
Leicester Newarke 4 132.89x
Mablethorpe 4 350.88x
Skegness 4 168.07x
South Lynn 4 44.35x
St Nicholas Lincoln 4 50.31x
Sutton St Edmunds 4 338.98x
Wainfleet St Mary 4 317.46x
York St Saviour 4 81.30x
Boston 3 11.90x
Camberwell 3 0.90x
Clapham 3 4.62x
Clee With Weelsby 3 16.48x
Parson Drove 3 227.27x
Stathern 3 312.50x
Billesdon 2 134.23x
Burgh In Marsh 2 98.52x
Claxby In Spilsby 2 1111.11x
Clenchwarton 2 168.07x
East Retford 2 32.89x
Edensor 2 392.16x
Farnborough 2 17.87x
Grimoldby 2 307.69x
Hampton London 2 23.39x
Houghton On The Hill 2 270.27x
Louth 2 10.50x
Ordsall 2 37.24x
Salford 2 1.10x
Frithville Fishtoft 1 163.93x
Scott Willoughby 1 1666.67x
Southwell 1 19.61x
Whitechapel London 1 1.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 36
Sarah 26
Elizabeth 24
Emma 17
Ann 14
Annie 12
Jane 10
Fanny 9
Ada 8
Alice 6
Eliza 6
Ellen 5
Maria 5
Martha 5
Susanna 5
Charlotte 4
Lucy 4
Frances 3
Harriett 3
Louisa 3
Margaret 3
Selina 3
Susannah 3
Betsy 2
Eley 2
Emily 2
Esther 2
Gertrude 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Rebecca 2
Rose 2
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Bellia 1
Bessie 1
Catherine 1
Christina 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz.H. 1
Ez. 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Libie 1
Lillie 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Margret 1
Marie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 41
William 34
George 22
Thomas 15
Charles 13
Arthur 12
Frederick 11
James 8
Joseph 8
Henry 7
Harry 6
Walter 6
Robert 5
Albert 4
Benjamin 4
Edward 4
Samuel 4
Fred 3
Herbert 3
Cornelius 2
Enock 2
Ernest 2
Fredrick 2
Job 2
Richard 2
Sidney 2
Tom 2
Alfred 1
Bertie 1
Christr.Thos. 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Dennis 1
E. 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Frekrick 1
Geo.Jeffery 1
Geo.Wm. 1
Griffin 1
Joe 1
Jonathan 1
Louis 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Potipher 1
Raynor 1
Reuben 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Scrimshaw surname: questions and answers

How common was the Scrimshaw surname in 1881?

In 1881, 533 people were recorded with the Scrimshaw surname. That placed it at #6,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Scrimshaw surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 855 in 2016. That gives Scrimshaw a modern rank of #6,547.

What does the Scrimshaw surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a maker of scrimshaw objects, decorative carvings on whale bones and teeth.

What does the Scrimshaw map show?

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