NameCensus.

UK surname

Simmons

Derived from the Hebrew name "Shimon," meaning "he has heard" or "he who hears."

In the 1881 census there were 12,229 people recorded with the Simmons surname, ranking it #351 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 18,747, ranked #321, up from #351 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 Tunbridge Wells, Hinckley and Bosworth and Thurrock.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Simmons is 19,521 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.3%.

1881 census count

12,229

Ranked #351

Modern count

18,747

2016, ranked #321

Peak year

1999

19,521 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Simmons had 12,229 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #351 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 18,747 in 2016, ranked #321.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 17,789 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Simmons surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Simmons surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Simmons 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 7,821 #358
1861 historical 7,445 #380
1881 historical 12,229 #351
1891 historical 12,524 #353
1901 historical 15,635 #328
1911 historical 17,789 #263
1997 modern 18,650 #312
1998 modern 19,497 #307
1999 modern 19,521 #309
2000 modern 19,195 #311
2001 modern 18,712 #311
2002 modern 19,004 #315
2003 modern 18,397 #318
2004 modern 18,348 #320
2005 modern 18,045 #322
2006 modern 18,097 #321
2007 modern 18,152 #321
2008 modern 18,183 #322
2009 modern 18,556 #323
2010 modern 19,017 #321
2011 modern 18,867 #320
2012 modern 18,579 #319
2013 modern 18,995 #320
2014 modern 19,119 #320
2015 modern 18,876 #321
2016 modern 18,747 #321

Geography

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Where Simmons' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tunbridge Wells, Hinckley and Bosworth, Thurrock, Maidstone and Wakefield. 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 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tunbridge Wells 001 Tunbridge Wells
2 Hinckley and Bosworth 007 Hinckley and Bosworth
3 Thurrock 018 Thurrock
4 Maidstone 013 Maidstone
5 Wakefield 043 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Simmons

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Simmons

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

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Simmons is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Simmons 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

Simmons falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Simmons

The surname Simmons is of English origin, derived from the medieval given name Sim, a shortened form of Simon. The name Simon itself is derived from the Hebrew name Shim'on, meaning "to hearken" or "he has heard." The surname likely emerged in the 12th or 13th century as a patronymic, meaning "son of Sim."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Simmons can be found in various English records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a Nicholas Symound. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 also list a John Symond. These early spellings, like Symound and Symond, reflect the evolution of the name from its original form.

The Simmons surname appears in several notable historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Simundus in Gloucestershire. In the 13th century, a Robert Simond is recorded as a witness to a charter in Northamptonshire in 1240.

Over the centuries, the Simmons surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest was William Simmons (c. 1390-1458), an English clergyman who served as Bishop of Carlisle from 1436 until his death. In the 16th century, Thomas Simmons (c. 1510-1580) was an English printer and publisher who is known for printing the first edition of the Geneva Bible in 1560.

In the 17th century, Bartholomew Simmons (c. 1610-1687) was an English merchant and colonist who settled in Virginia in the 1630s and became a prominent landowner and planter. Another notable figure was Samuel Simmons (1628-1698), an English poet and translator who is best known for his translations of works by French authors.

During the 18th century, Ebenezer Simmons (1717-1787) was an American Baptist minister and author who played a significant role in the development of the Baptist church in New England. In the 19th century, Franklin Simmons (1839-1913) was an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Simmons Bedding Company, a leading manufacturer of mattresses and bedding products.

These examples illustrate the long and rich history of the Simmons surname, which has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including clergy, writers, merchants, and entrepreneurs, among others.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Simmons families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Simmons 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 2,037 Simmons' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.71x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 2,037 1.71x
Surrey 1,312 2.26x
Kent 1,288 3.17x
Sussex 1,057 5.26x
Lancashire 609 0.43x
Essex 431 1.83x
Yorkshire 410 0.35x
Gloucestershire 379 1.62x
Warwickshire 376 1.25x
Staffordshire 350 0.87x
Norfolk 328 1.79x
Somerset 308 1.60x
Devon 307 1.24x
Oxfordshire 226 3.07x
Berkshire 219 2.45x
Cornwall 199 1.47x
Hertfordshire 191 2.32x
Buckinghamshire 190 2.64x
Hampshire 165 0.68x
Durham 160 0.45x
Nottinghamshire 149 0.93x
Leicestershire 135 1.02x
Suffolk 133 0.92x
Shropshire 116 1.13x
Worcestershire 114 0.73x
Northamptonshire 111 0.99x
Glamorgan 110 0.53x
Cheshire 107 0.41x
Northumberland 86 0.48x
Lincolnshire 83 0.44x
Monmouthshire 77 0.89x
Lanarkshire 70 0.18x
Bedfordshire 65 1.05x
Derbyshire 50 0.27x
Wiltshire 44 0.42x
Cambridgeshire 31 0.41x
Channel Islands 24 0.68x
Cumberland 24 0.23x
Flintshire 24 0.75x
Pembrokeshire 18 0.48x
Herefordshire 14 0.29x
Renfrewshire 13 0.14x
Caernarfonshire 12 0.25x
Denbighshire 12 0.27x
Angus 10 0.09x
Royal Navy 9 0.63x
Aberdeenshire 7 0.06x
Midlothian 7 0.04x
Ayrshire 4 0.04x
Rutland 4 0.46x
Brecknockshire 3 0.13x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.11x
Perthshire 3 0.06x
Westmorland 3 0.11x
Dorset 2 0.03x
Anglesey 1 0.05x
Argyllshire 1 0.03x
Banffshire 1 0.04x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.02x
Stirlingshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 277 Simmons' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.40x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 277 2.40x
Lambeth 211 2.03x
Brighton 176 4.34x
St Pancras London 175 1.82x
Camberwell 159 2.09x
Hackney London 146 2.18x
Croydon 128 3.97x
Kensington London 126 1.90x
St Marylebone London 124 1.95x
Deptford St Paul 111 3.54x
Birmingham 109 1.09x
Shoreditch London 99 1.92x
Aston 88 1.06x
Mile End Old Town 88 4.68x
Newington 85 1.93x
Southwark St George Martyr 80 3.33x
Nottingham St Mary 78 1.88x
West Ham 74 1.42x
Portsea 73 1.52x
Greenwich 70 3.69x
Bethnal Green London 68 1.31x
Paddington London 67 1.53x
Battersea 64 1.46x
East Grinstead 64 22.49x
Great Yarmouth 58 3.82x
Bromley London 57 2.17x
St Luke London 57 2.98x
Manchester 56 0.88x
Seaford 53 77.52x
Liverpool 52 0.61x
Loughborough 52 8.67x
Lewisham 51 2.35x
St George Hanover 49 3.15x
Hadlow 46 45.59x
Bermondsey 44 1.24x
Carshalton 43 19.34x
Leeds 43 0.64x
Maidstone 39 3.22x
Walsall Foreign 39 1.88x
Bishopwearmouth 38 1.25x
Eastbourne 38 4.11x
Hurstpierpoint 38 33.97x
Hitchin 36 9.70x
Plymouth St Andrew 36 1.88x
Reigate Foreign 36 5.72x
Midsomer Norton 35 19.36x
Sevenoaks 35 10.61x
Stockton On Tees 35 2.05x
Welford 35 90.93x
Everton 34 0.75x
Paulton 34 38.69x
Spitalfields London 34 3.79x
Stoke Damerel 34 1.96x
Hornsey 33 2.19x
Cuckfield 32 15.76x
Woodmancote 32 225.99x
Bedminster 31 1.72x
Sedgley 31 2.07x
Chatham 30 2.68x
Deal 30 8.64x
Gwennap 30 11.78x
Lee 30 5.08x
Mereworth 30 91.63x
Penge 30 3.94x
Plumstead 30 2.21x
Rochester St Margaret 30 6.99x
Aston Abbotts 29 244.93x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 29 1.32x
Peterborough 29 3.57x
Walthamstow 29 3.42x
Bromley 28 4.52x
Kings Norton 28 2.01x
Kingswinford 28 1.92x
Nantwich 28 9.15x
Stoke Newington London 28 3.01x
Clerkenwell London 27 0.96x
Clifton 27 2.28x
East Peckham 27 31.96x
Stoke Hammond 27 181.21x
Whitechapel London 27 2.30x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 759
Elizabeth 464
Sarah 423
Jane 232
Eliza 211
Ellen 194
Emma 189
Ann 184
Alice 175
Annie 174
Emily 166
Louisa 119
Margaret 96
Hannah 89
Harriet 83
Martha 83
Kate 79
Maria 79
Caroline 77
Fanny 77
Florence 71
Charlotte 69
Ada 68
Edith 66
Harriett 52
Clara 51
Lucy 51
Frances 50
Rose 47
Esther 45
Susan 43
Catherine 41
Amelia 39
Anne 38
Sophia 38
Julia 32
Matilda 31
Agnes 30
Minnie 30
Amy 29
Elizth. 29
Lydia 27
Ruth 27
Rebecca 26
Selina 26
Grace 25
Jessie 24
Rachel 23
Rosa 23
Susannah 23

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 789
John 595
George 484
Thomas 387
James 351
Henry 294
Charles 258
Alfred 181
Joseph 167
Edward 155
Frederick 149
Arthur 134
Albert 118
Robert 114
Walter 106
Richard 102
Samuel 92
Harry 83
Frank 58
Ernest 56
David 52
Herbert 43
Edwin 37
Wm. 37
Geo. 31
Benjamin 25
Francis 25
Daniel 23
Thos. 21
Philip 20
Isaac 19
Percy 17
Stephen 17
Chas. 16
Fredk. 16
Fredrick 16
Sidney 16
Jesse 15
Edgar 14
Horace 14
Willm. 13
Fred 12
Hugh 11
Simon 11
Sydney 11
Abraham 10
Alexander 10
Edwd. 10
Frederic 10
Peter 9

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 Simmons households.

FAQ

Simmons surname: questions and answers

How common was the Simmons surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12,229 people were recorded with the Simmons surname. That placed it at #351 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Simmons surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 18,747 in 2016. That gives Simmons a modern rank of #321.

What does the Simmons surname mean?

Derived from the Hebrew name "Shimon," meaning "he has heard" or "he who hears."

What does the Simmons map show?

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