NameCensus.

UK surname

Simmers

A surname derived from the occupation of a maker or seller of sieves, from Old English "simere".

In the 1881 census there were 192 people recorded with the Simmers surname, ranking it #13,185 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 217, ranked #18,535, down from #13,185 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mains and Strathmartine, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Keith and Fife Keith, Barrahill and Balmullo and Gauldry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Simmers is 293 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.0%.

1881 census count

192

Ranked #13,185

Modern count

217

2016, ranked #18,535

Peak year

1891

293 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Simmers had 192 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,185 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 217 in 2016, ranked #18,535.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 293 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Simmers surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Simmers surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Simmers 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 163 #12,156
1861 historical 260 #9,516
1881 historical 192 #13,185
1891 historical 293 #11,319
1901 historical 230 #13,851
1911 historical 58 #27,001
1997 modern 185 #18,506
1998 modern 198 #18,224
1999 modern 201 #18,179
2000 modern 208 #17,772
2001 modern 196 #18,146
2002 modern 201 #18,236
2003 modern 186 #18,928
2004 modern 198 #18,308
2005 modern 199 #18,198
2006 modern 201 #18,226
2007 modern 207 #18,080
2008 modern 208 #18,171
2009 modern 204 #18,779
2010 modern 219 #18,319
2011 modern 213 #18,502
2012 modern 204 #18,973
2013 modern 214 #18,671
2014 modern 220 #18,471
2015 modern 219 #18,406
2016 modern 217 #18,535

Geography

Back to top

Where Simmers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mains and Strathmartine, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Methlick and Tarves. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Keith and Fife Keith, Barrahill, Balmullo and Gauldry, Rural Keith and Strathisla and Manchester. 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 Mains and Strathmartine Forfar
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Methlick Aberdeen
5 Tarves Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Keith and Fife Keith Moray
2 Barrahill Aberdeenshire
3 Balmullo and Gauldry Fife
4 Rural Keith and Strathisla Moray
5 Manchester 011 Manchester

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Simmers

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Simmers

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Simmers surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Simmers household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Simmers is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Simmers is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Simmers 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 Simmers 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 Simmers, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Simmers

The surname Simmers has its origins in Scotland, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Scots word "simmer," which means "summer." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who was born or lived in the summer months.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Simmers surname can be found in the Parish Registers of Lanarkshire, Scotland, where a William Simmers was listed in 1575. Additionally, the name appears in the Aberdeen Council Registers of the same century, indicating its presence in different regions of Scotland.

The Simmers name has also been linked to the village of Simmers in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is plausible that the surname originated from this place name, with early bearers potentially hailing from or residing in this area.

Historically, the name Simmers has been recorded with various spellings, such as Symers, Symmeris, and Symmers, reflecting the linguistic evolution and regional variations common in ancient times.

Notable individuals bearing the Simmers surname include:

1. Robert Simmers (1680-1744), a Scottish philosopher and theologian known for his works on natural religion and moral philosophy. 2. Elizabeth Simmers (1793-1867), a British novelist and poet, whose writings explored themes of social critique and women's experiences. 3. John Simmers (1825-1892), a Scottish engineer and inventor who patented several innovations in steam engine technology. 4. David Simmers (1860-1928), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. 5. Margaret Simmers (1901-1984), an American artist renowned for her landscape paintings and contributions to the Regionalist art movement.

While the Simmers surname may not be among the most widespread, its history is deeply rooted in the Scottish heritage and has left an indelible mark across various fields, from literature and philosophy to engineering and politics.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Simmers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Simmers 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 105 Simmers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 60.86x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 105 60.86x
Angus 19 11.01x
Lanarkshire 13 2.16x
Midlothian 11 4.41x
Banffshire 8 20.70x
Lancashire 8 0.36x
Kent 7 1.10x
Devon 5 1.29x
Middlesex 4 0.21x
Glamorgan 3 0.92x
Surrey 3 0.33x
Fife 2 1.81x
Berkshire 1 0.72x
Berwickshire 1 4.43x
Northumberland 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tarves in Aberdeenshire leads with 20 Simmers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1226.99x.

Place Total Index
Tarves 20 1226.99x
Inverurie 18 923.08x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 15 46.47x
Govan 13 8.72x
Dundee 12 18.62x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 11 10.96x
Methlick 10 724.64x
Aberdeen Old Machar 8 22.21x
Fordyce 8 287.77x
Logie Buchan 7 1428.57x
Ramsgate 7 67.44x
Turton 7 193.37x
Kintore 6 400.00x
Holy Trinity 5 617.28x
Kemnay 5 476.19x
Strathmartine 5 649.35x
Kinellar 4 1081.08x
Newhills 3 84.99x
Skene 3 263.16x
Swansea Town 3 11.28x
Camberwell 2 1.68x
Alnwick 1 20.96x
Channelkirk 1 256.41x
Chelsea London 1 1.78x
Echt 1 120.48x
Foveran 1 76.34x
Fyvie 1 35.46x
Kennoway 1 100.00x
Kilconquhar 1 76.34x
Limehouse London 1 4.89x
Lundie 1 500.00x
Manchester 1 1.01x
Meldrum 1 68.97x
Montrose 1 9.56x
Monymusk 1 135.14x
Peterculter 1 81.97x
Poplar London 1 2.84x
Rotherhithe 1 4.34x
St Pancras London 1 0.67x
Sunninghill 1 51.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Annie 2
Barbara 2
Ann 1
Anorah 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Isabel 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Margaret 1
Matilda 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 3
George 2
Henry 2
William 2
Frederick 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1
Thos.Wm. 1
Wm. 1
Wm.J. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Simmers households.

FAQ

Simmers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Simmers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 192 people were recorded with the Simmers surname. That placed it at #13,185 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Simmers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 217 in 2016. That gives Simmers a modern rank of #18,535.

What does the Simmers surname mean?

A surname derived from the occupation of a maker or seller of sieves, from Old English "simere".

What does the Simmers map show?

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