NameCensus.

UK surname

Sizer

An occupational surname for one who sized or adjusted fabrics or apparel.

In the 1881 census there were 524 people recorded with the Sizer surname, ranking it #6,528 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 871, ranked #6,451, up from #6,528 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Soham and Haverhill, Little Wratting. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest Heath, East Cambridgeshire and Mid Suffolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sizer is 921 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 66.2%.

1881 census count

524

Ranked #6,528

Modern count

871

2016, ranked #6,451

Peak year

2002

921 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sizer had 524 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,528 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 871 in 2016, ranked #6,451.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 820 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Sizer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sizer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sizer 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 336 #6,970
1861 historical 194 #12,310
1881 historical 524 #6,528
1891 historical 588 #6,497
1901 historical 758 #5,892
1911 historical 820 #5,371
1997 modern 893 #5,995
1998 modern 920 #6,048
1999 modern 919 #6,100
2000 modern 911 #6,124
2001 modern 883 #6,160
2002 modern 921 #6,092
2003 modern 899 #6,094
2004 modern 872 #6,241
2005 modern 860 #6,252
2006 modern 863 #6,242
2007 modern 875 #6,227
2008 modern 875 #6,263
2009 modern 878 #6,392
2010 modern 878 #6,525
2011 modern 886 #6,393
2012 modern 883 #6,331
2013 modern 888 #6,396
2014 modern 893 #6,408
2015 modern 871 #6,474
2016 modern 871 #6,451

Geography

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Where Sizers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Soham, Haverhill, Little Wratting and Lakenheath. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest Heath, East Cambridgeshire, Mid Suffolk, North Hertfordshire and St Edmundsbury. 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 3
2 Soham Cambridgeshire
3 Haverhill, Little Wratting Suffolk
4 Lakenheath Suffolk
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest Heath 002 Forest Heath
2 East Cambridgeshire 006 East Cambridgeshire
3 Mid Suffolk 001 Mid Suffolk
4 North Hertfordshire 002 North Hertfordshire
5 St Edmundsbury 014 St Edmundsbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sizer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sizer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sizer, 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 Sizer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Sizer 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Sizer 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

Sizer 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

Sizer falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Sizer

The surname SIZER originated in England in the 13th century. It derived from the Medieval English word 'siser', which referred to someone who assisted in measuring or sizing various items like flour or cloth. In some cases, it may have been an occupational name for a tailor or dressmaker who took the measurements of customers before making their garments.

Records from the 13th and 14th centuries show the name spelled in various ways, including Syzer, Syzor, and Syser. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert le Siser, who was mentioned in the Huntingdonshire County records of 1273.

The SIZER surname is also found in some early English place names, such as Sizer's Green in Essex and Sizer's Hill in Gloucestershire. These locations may have been named after individuals with the surname or derived from the same root word.

In 1327, a William Siser was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire. The Subsidy Rolls were tax records that often listed individuals by their surnames and occupations.

Notable historical figures with the SIZER surname include Sir Thomas Sizer (1590-1672), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire in the 17th century. Another notable bearer was Reverend Samuel Sizer (1624-1700), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Barkway in Hertfordshire.

John Sizer (1716-1805) was a noted English clockmaker from Taunton, Somerset, who produced high-quality longcase clocks and watches during the 18th century. His timepieces are now highly sought after by collectors.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the SIZER surname was Edward Sizer, who arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638. His descendants went on to settle in various parts of New England and beyond.

Another prominent American bearer of the name was Humphrey Sizer (1822-1901), a Methodist minister and educator from New York who served as the president of Genesee College (now Syracuse University) from 1865 to 1870.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sizer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sizer 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. Suffolk leads with 109 Sizers recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.54x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 109 17.54x
Lincolnshire 87 10.67x
Yorkshire 76 1.50x
Essex 57 5.66x
Cambridgeshire 56 17.33x
Middlesex 47 0.92x
Norfolk 31 3.95x
Surrey 15 0.60x
Kent 14 0.80x
Nottinghamshire 11 1.60x
Sussex 7 0.81x
Northamptonshire 5 1.04x
Northumberland 5 0.66x
Cheshire 1 0.09x
Hampshire 1 0.10x
Somerset 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Haverhill in Suffolk leads with 53 Sizers recorded in 1881 and an index of 960.14x.

Place Total Index
Haverhill 53 960.14x
Lakenheath 24 731.71x
Soham 20 287.77x
Sculcoates 17 21.21x
Great Bentley 13 812.50x
Kensington London 12 4.23x
Beckingham 11 1410.26x
Catfield 11 1000.00x
Bocking 10 165.02x
Hogsthorpe 10 793.65x
Southcoates 10 35.64x
Barrington 9 825.69x
Deptford St Nicholas 9 65.17x
Great Grimsby 9 17.38x
South Somercoates 9 1216.22x
St Marylebone London 9 3.30x
Alford 8 158.10x
Doncaster 8 21.66x
Holy Trinity 8 6.58x
Huddersfield 8 10.86x
Ipswich St Clement 8 50.63x
Beesby 7 2800.00x
Brighton 7 4.03x
Great Oakley 7 434.78x
Haverhill 7 760.87x
Walthamstow 7 19.31x
Barton Mills 6 731.71x
Great Wilbraham 6 625.00x
St Andrewthe Less 6 16.25x
Wendens Ambo 6 923.08x
Cherry Hinton 5 328.95x
Cowpen 5 28.60x
Glanford Brigg 5 171.82x
Great Hale 5 403.23x
Peterborough 5 14.39x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 4.87x
St Pancras London 5 1.22x
Wortley In Bramley 5 12.49x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 4 34.31x
Deptford St Paul 4 2.98x
Ecclesall Bierlow 4 3.89x
Marske In Guisbrough 4 44.54x
Orby 4 555.56x
Oulton 4 190.48x
Poplar London 4 4.15x
South Mimms 4 57.14x
Swaby 4 555.56x
Battersea 3 1.60x
Braintree 3 33.19x
Coltishall 3 179.64x
Fulham London 3 4.05x
Hickling 3 206.90x
Little Wratting 3 638.30x
Louth 3 16.05x
Paddington London 3 1.60x
Paston 3 681.82x
Sloley 3 652.17x
Waltham 3 230.77x
Waterbeach 3 113.64x
Wombwell 3 20.35x
Addlethorpe 2 465.12x
Bromley London 2 1.78x
Gorleston 2 12.67x
Haslingfield 2 151.52x
Huttoft 2 190.48x
Immingham 2 425.53x
Merton 2 45.98x
Moulton 2 224.72x
Outwell 2 333.33x
Rawmarsh 2 11.20x
Scotter 2 106.95x
South Walsham St Mary 2 307.69x
Southwark St Olave 2 51.41x
St Anne Soho London 2 6.87x
Stretham 2 86.58x
Woodmansey Cum Beverley 2 210.53x
Haugham 1 434.78x
Leeds 1 0.35x
Pannal 1 20.62x
Walton On Hill 1 92.59x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Sizer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sizer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 524 people were recorded with the Sizer surname. That placed it at #6,528 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sizer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 871 in 2016. That gives Sizer a modern rank of #6,451.

What does the Sizer surname mean?

An occupational surname for one who sized or adjusted fabrics or apparel.

What does the Sizer map show?

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