NameCensus.

UK surname

Simeon

A biblical surname derived from the Hebrew name Shimon, meaning "he has heard" or "he who hears."

In the 1881 census there were 106 people recorded with the Simeon surname, ranking it #19,083 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 212, ranked #18,843, up from #19,083 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Southwark, Tendring and Kettering.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Simeon is 213 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 100.0%.

1881 census count

106

Ranked #19,083

Modern count

212

2016, ranked #18,843

Peak year

2009

213 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Simeon had 106 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,083 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 212 in 2016, ranked #18,843.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 109 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Simeon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Simeon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Simeon 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 90 #18,317
1861 historical 83 #23,189
1881 historical 106 #19,083
1891 historical 81 #26,632
1901 historical 109 #21,712
1911 historical 104 #22,209
1997 modern 178 #18,958
1998 modern 176 #19,584
1999 modern 171 #20,072
2000 modern 159 #20,975
2001 modern 157 #20,884
2002 modern 173 #20,043
2003 modern 166 #20,320
2004 modern 181 #19,363
2005 modern 171 #19,985
2006 modern 185 #19,204
2007 modern 201 #18,428
2008 modern 204 #18,403
2009 modern 213 #18,284
2010 modern 211 #18,774
2011 modern 201 #19,213
2012 modern 202 #19,084
2013 modern 208 #19,041
2014 modern 208 #19,194
2015 modern 204 #19,331
2016 modern 212 #18,843

Geography

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Where Simeons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras, Calbourne, Shalfleet, Brook and St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Southwark, Tendring, Kettering, Blairdardie East and Haringey. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Calbourne, Shalfleet, Brook Hampshire
5 St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace London (West Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Southwark 033 Southwark
2 Tendring 018 Tendring
3 Kettering 005 Kettering
4 Blairdardie East Glasgow City
5 Haringey 031 Haringey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Simeon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Simeon

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Simeon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Simeon 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Simeon 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

Simeon 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

Simeon 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 Simeon is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Simeon

The surname Simeon has its origins in the Hebrew name Shim'on, which means "he has heard" or "he has listened." It is believed to have originated in ancient Israel during biblical times.

The name Simeon first appears in the Book of Genesis as one of the twelve sons of Jacob, the patriarch of the Israelites. Simeon was the second son of Jacob and Leah, and his name was given to one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

In the Middle Ages, the name Simeon was adopted by various European Jewish communities, particularly in France and England. It is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Simeon can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, where a certain David Simeon is mentioned. Another early reference is found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, which lists a Walter Simeon.

In the 13th century, a prominent English Jew named Rabbi Simeon of Canterbury became known for his work in translating biblical texts from Hebrew to French. He lived from around 1200 to 1270.

During the Renaissance period, a notable figure with the surname Simeon was Symeon Seth, a Byzantine scholar and philosopher who lived from around 1035 to 1109. He wrote extensively on various subjects, including medicine, philosophy, and theology.

In the 17th century, a French Huguenot named René Simeon immigrated to England and became a prominent figure in the silk trade. He was born in 1600 and died in 1672.

Another notable bearer of the surname Simeon was Charles Simeon, an English evangelical clergyman and promoter of the missionary movement in the Church of England. He lived from 1759 to 1836 and was known for his influential sermons and writings.

In the 19th century, a French nobleman named Joseph Jérôme Siméon held the position of Minister of the Interior under Napoleon Bonaparte. He was born in 1749 and died in 1842.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Simeon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Simeon 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. Yorkshire leads with 19 Simeons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.77x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 19 1.77x
Middlesex 18 1.66x
Lancashire 15 1.17x
Suffolk 9 6.82x
Hampshire 7 3.15x
Staffordshire 6 1.64x
Channel Islands 5 15.59x
Angus 4 3.99x
Lanarkshire 4 1.14x
Renfrewshire 4 4.77x
Somerset 4 2.30x
Gloucestershire 3 1.41x
Warwickshire 3 1.10x
Oxfordshire 2 2.99x
Aberdeenshire 1 1.00x
Bedfordshire 1 1.78x
Denbighshire 1 2.45x
Devon 1 0.44x
Essex 1 0.47x
Glamorgan 1 0.53x
Norfolk 1 0.60x
Surrey 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lindley Cum Quarmby in Yorkshire leads with 16 Simeons recorded in 1881 and an index of 590.41x.

Place Total Index
Lindley Cum Quarmby 16 590.41x
Clare 9 1428.57x
St Pancras London 7 8.03x
Liverpool 5 6.41x
St Marylebone London 5 8.65x
St Saviour 5 282.49x
West Bromwich 5 23.90x
Bathwick 4 207.25x
Dundee 4 10.68x
Eastwood 4 77.37x
St George Hanover 4 28.31x
Birmingham 3 3.30x
Bishopstoke 3 526.32x
Clifton 3 27.96x
Glasgow 3 4.83x
Holdenhurst 3 51.55x
Spotland 3 21.01x
Toxteth Park 3 6.90x
Huddersfield 2 12.80x
Kirkdale 2 9.26x
Oxford St Giles 2 62.70x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 4.78x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 9.80x
Devonport 1 38.61x
Gorbals 1 48.08x
Islington London 1 0.95x
Langford 1 217.39x
Leeds 1 1.65x
Leyton 1 27.17x
Llandaff 1 15.95x
Llanychan 1 3333.33x
North Meols 1 7.95x
Norwich St Saviour 1 172.41x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 4.59x
St Dunstan In West 1 434.78x
St Thomas Winchester 1 63.69x
Willenhall 1 14.62x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
George 5
Edward 3
Charles 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
James 2
Robert 2
Twitchett 2
William 2
A.B. 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Baux 1
Bertie 1
Chas.E. 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Geoffrey 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Ralph 1
Simeon 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Simeon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Simeon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 106 people were recorded with the Simeon surname. That placed it at #19,083 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Simeon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 212 in 2016. That gives Simeon a modern rank of #18,843.

What does the Simeon surname mean?

A biblical surname derived from the Hebrew name Shimon, meaning "he has heard" or "he who hears."

What does the Simeon map show?

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