NameCensus.

UK surname

Seymour

Derived from a location name meaning "marshy land near the sea" or "sea lake" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 6,090 people recorded with the Seymour surname, ranking it #720 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,567, ranked #670, up from #720 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Radstock and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bath and North East Somerset, New Forest and Neath Port Talbot.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Seymour is 10,022 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.1%.

1881 census count

6,090

Ranked #720

Modern count

9,567

2016, ranked #670

Peak year

1999

10,022 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Seymour had 6,090 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #720 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,567 in 2016, ranked #670.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,799 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Seymour surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Seymour surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Seymour 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 3,363 #853
1861 historical 3,117 #926
1881 historical 6,090 #720
1891 historical 6,389 #721
1901 historical 8,187 #658
1911 historical 8,799 #556
1997 modern 9,700 #641
1998 modern 9,998 #646
1999 modern 10,022 #650
2000 modern 9,944 #656
2001 modern 9,736 #652
2002 modern 9,904 #657
2003 modern 9,580 #665
2004 modern 9,559 #662
2005 modern 9,351 #670
2006 modern 9,317 #670
2007 modern 9,311 #676
2008 modern 9,309 #683
2009 modern 9,579 #677
2010 modern 9,778 #675
2011 modern 9,697 #672
2012 modern 9,462 #677
2013 modern 9,630 #677
2014 modern 9,710 #673
2015 modern 9,613 #672
2016 modern 9,567 #670

Geography

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Where Seymours are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Radstock, St Pancras and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bath and North East Somerset, New Forest, Neath Port Talbot and Dudley. 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 Radstock Somerset
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bath and North East Somerset 024 Bath and North East Somerset
2 New Forest 012 New Forest
3 Neath Port Talbot 005 Neath Port Talbot
4 New Forest 010 New Forest
5 Dudley 006 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Seymour

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Seymour

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Seymour is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Seymour 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

Seymour falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Seymour

The surname Seymour is of Norman French origin, derived from the place name Saint Maur, near Tours in France. It is believed to have been introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name is thought to have originated from the Latin words "Sanctus Maurus," referring to St. Maurus, a disciple of St. Benedict.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Seymour can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Sanctus Maurus." Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, including Seint Mor, Seynt Moor, and eventually Seymour.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Seymour name was Sir John Seymour (c. 1476-1536), who served as a courtier to King Henry VIII. His son, Edward Seymour (c. 1500-1552), became the Lord Protector of England during the reign of his nephew, King Edward VI.

Another notable figure was Jane Seymour (c. 1508-1537), the third wife of King Henry VIII and the mother of his only legitimate son, King Edward VI. Jane Seymour is remembered for her kindness and piety, and she was greatly beloved by the King.

During the Tudor period, the Seymour family rose to prominence, with several members holding influential positions at the royal court. One such member was Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (c. 1506-1552), who served as Lord Protector during the minority of King Edward VI.

In the 17th century, Sir Edward Seymour (1633-1708) was a prominent English politician and Speaker of the House of Commons from 1673 to 1679. He played a significant role in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which saw the overthrow of King James II and the establishment of the constitutional monarchy in England.

Throughout history, the Seymour name has been associated with various places in England, including Seymour Castle in Somerset and Seymour Place in London. The name has also been linked to several notable families, such as the Dukes of Somerset and the Marquesses of Hertford.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Seymour families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Seymour 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 1,103 Seymours recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.85x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,103 1.85x
Surrey 514 1.77x
Yorkshire 384 0.65x
Durham 301 1.69x
Somerset 298 3.10x
Lancashire 294 0.41x
Berkshire 291 6.49x
Hampshire 283 2.31x
Kent 248 1.22x
Essex 186 1.58x
Nottinghamshire 176 2.19x
Lincolnshire 165 1.73x
Hertfordshire 151 3.67x
Sussex 146 1.45x
Oxfordshire 140 3.80x
Warwickshire 129 0.86x
Buckinghamshire 128 3.55x
Dorset 121 3.09x
Devon 117 0.94x
Cambridgeshire 111 2.94x
Gloucestershire 111 0.95x
Cornwall 80 1.18x
Bedfordshire 70 2.26x
Glamorgan 60 0.58x
Staffordshire 58 0.29x
Wiltshire 54 1.02x
Lanarkshire 40 0.21x
Cheshire 39 0.30x
Northamptonshire 36 0.64x
Northumberland 35 0.39x
Norfolk 31 0.34x
Huntingdonshire 29 2.45x
Worcestershire 24 0.31x
Leicestershire 22 0.33x
Ayrshire 20 0.45x
Channel Islands 14 0.79x
Herefordshire 13 0.53x
Monmouthshire 13 0.30x
Royal Navy 12 1.69x
Derbyshire 11 0.12x
Renfrewshire 9 0.19x
Shropshire 8 0.16x
Caernarfonshire 7 0.29x
Suffolk 7 0.10x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.24x
Cumberland 5 0.10x
Midlothian 5 0.06x
Perthshire 4 0.15x
Anglesey 3 0.28x
Brecknockshire 2 0.17x
Cardiganshire 1 0.07x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.08x
Isle of Man 1 0.09x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.07x
Rutland 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 130 Seymours recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.50x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 130 2.50x
St Pancras London 112 2.33x
Islington London 93 1.61x
Nottingham St Mary 88 4.23x
Kensington London 83 2.50x
Radstock 72 113.92x
Camberwell 67 1.76x
Chinnor 65 254.60x
Alverstoke 60 13.54x
St Marylebone London 57 1.79x
St George Hanover 55 7.06x
Birmingham 54 1.08x
Edmonton 49 10.19x
Liverpool 47 1.09x
Tonbridge 47 6.40x
Battersea 46 2.09x
Chelsea London 46 2.56x
Beckenham 38 14.27x
Shoreditch London 38 1.47x
Everton 37 1.64x
Hackney London 37 1.11x
St Luke London 35 3.65x
Harlow 34 66.94x
Aston 33 0.80x
Hinderwell 33 65.35x
Gateshead 32 2.41x
Newington 32 1.45x
Paddington London 32 1.46x
Portsea 31 1.29x
Yeovil 30 15.36x
Reading St Giles 29 6.60x
Hammersmith London 28 1.90x
Mile End Old Town 28 2.97x
Clapham 27 3.62x
Bethnal Green London 26 1.00x
Bradford 26 1.82x
Bromley London 26 1.98x
Charlton 26 502.90x
Christchurch 26 9.80x
Westminster St John 26 3.58x
Stoke Damerel 25 2.87x
Deptford St Paul 24 1.53x
Wycombe 24 8.92x
Hitchin 23 12.38x
Luton 23 4.30x
Ringwood 23 29.37x
Street 23 44.23x
Boston 22 7.60x
Clewer 22 11.98x
Horton In Bradford 22 2.38x
Codicote 21 85.54x
Hampstead London 21 2.26x
St Andrewthe Less 21 4.86x
St George In East 21 5.17x
Thame 21 31.32x
Tottenham 21 2.21x
Wednesfield 21 7.08x
Darlington 20 2.92x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 20 12.13x
Fulham London 20 2.31x
Swanage 20 41.34x
Watford 20 6.27x
Bermondsey 19 1.07x
Kilmersdon 19 40.02x
South Crosland 19 30.50x
Ford 18 33.82x
Mitcham 18 9.79x
Witchford 18 199.34x
Ashton Under Lyne 17 1.10x
Basford 17 4.58x
Eastbourne 17 3.67x
Kingsclere 17 30.41x
Soham 17 20.89x
West Ham 17 0.65x
Westminster St 17 7.72x
Dukinfield 16 2.63x
Hertford St John 16 26.08x
Kingston On Thames 16 2.29x
Millbrook 16 5.19x
Rotherfield 16 18.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 374
Elizabeth 228
Sarah 175
Eliza 121
Jane 115
Ann 93
Emily 93
Emma 90
Annie 87
Alice 81
Ellen 79
Florence 55
Louisa 52
Margaret 51
Harriet 49
Hannah 48
Martha 44
Charlotte 41
Edith 40
Ada 39
Caroline 39
Fanny 37
Susan 36
Maria 35
Isabella 33
Kate 33
Clara 27
Frances 25
Agnes 23
Catherine 22
Harriett 22
Amelia 21
Amy 21
Anne 21
Elizth. 21
Lucy 19
Rebecca 18
Rose 15
Minnie 14
Sophia 14
Esther 12
Jessie 12
Julia 12
Rosa 12
Eleanor 11
Ethel 11
Helen 11
Lydia 11
Ruth 11
Susannah 11

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 358
John 310
George 234
Thomas 186
James 173
Henry 153
Charles 152
Joseph 83
Edward 80
Alfred 77
Robert 71
Arthur 64
Albert 59
Frederick 58
Walter 56
Richard 52
Ernest 31
Harry 29
Frank 27
Samuel 27
Edwin 25
Francis 22
David 21
Wm. 20
Benjamin 18
Herbert 17
Chas. 12
Fred 12
Thos. 12
Sidney 10
Isaac 9
Ralph 9
Daniel 8
Fredrick 8
Harold 8
Michael 8
Willm. 8
Andrew 7
Fredk. 7
Geo. 7
Jno. 7
Percy 7
W. 7
Alexander 6
Christopher 6
Hugh 6
Jesse 6
Matthew 6
Oliver 6
Tom 6

FAQ

Seymour surname: questions and answers

How common was the Seymour surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,090 people were recorded with the Seymour surname. That placed it at #720 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Seymour surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,567 in 2016. That gives Seymour a modern rank of #670.

What does the Seymour surname mean?

Derived from a location name meaning "marshy land near the sea" or "sea lake" in Old English.

What does the Seymour map show?

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