NameCensus.

UK surname

Slessor

In the 1881 census there were 231 people recorded with the Slessor surname, ranking it #11,722 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 401, ranked #11,857, down from #11,722 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Old Deer, Govan Combination and Fraserburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fraserburgh Smiddyhill, North Speyside and Fraserburgh Central-Academy.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Slessor is 419 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 73.6%.

1881 census count

231

Ranked #11,722

Modern count

401

2016, ranked #11,857

Peak year

2009

419 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Slessor had 231 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,722 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 401 in 2016, ranked #11,857.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 317 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Slessor surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Slessor surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Slessor 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 57 #23,092
1861 historical 95 #21,768
1881 historical 231 #11,722
1891 historical 242 #13,048
1901 historical 317 #11,213
1911 historical 37 #29,263
1997 modern 380 #11,418
1998 modern 393 #11,495
1999 modern 389 #11,678
2000 modern 395 #11,503
2001 modern 390 #11,420
2002 modern 408 #11,272
2003 modern 394 #11,384
2004 modern 405 #11,177
2005 modern 402 #11,137
2006 modern 402 #11,213
2007 modern 402 #11,338
2008 modern 410 #11,245
2009 modern 419 #11,282
2010 modern 403 #11,925
2011 modern 390 #12,089
2012 modern 378 #12,216
2013 modern 393 #12,085
2014 modern 401 #11,979
2015 modern 405 #11,800
2016 modern 401 #11,857

Geography

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Where Slessors are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Old Deer, Govan Combination, Fraserburgh, Cruden and Longside. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fraserburgh Smiddyhill, North Speyside, Fraserburgh Central-Academy, Eden and Central Bedfordshire. 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 Old Deer Aberdeen
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Fraserburgh Aberdeen
4 Cruden Aberdeen
5 Longside Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fraserburgh Smiddyhill Aberdeenshire
2 North Speyside Moray
3 Fraserburgh Central-Academy Aberdeenshire
4 Eden 001 Eden
5 Central Bedfordshire 026 Central Bedfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Slessor

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Slessor

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Slessor surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Slessor household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Slessor is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Slessor is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Slessor families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Slessor 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 195 Slessors recorded in 1881 and an index of 93.84x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 195 93.84x
Lanarkshire 8 1.10x
Hampshire 6 1.30x
Angus 3 1.44x
Banffshire 3 6.45x
Durham 3 0.45x
Kincardineshire 2 7.32x
Midlothian 2 0.67x
Stirlingshire 2 2.42x
Devon 1 0.21x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.66x
Kent 1 0.13x
Lancashire 1 0.04x
Oxfordshire 1 0.72x
Suffolk 1 0.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberdeen Old Machar in Aberdeenshire leads with 38 Slessors recorded in 1881 and an index of 87.60x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen Old Machar 38 87.60x
Peterhead 23 209.28x
Cruden 16 597.01x
Longside 16 645.16x
Old Deer 14 355.33x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 12 30.86x
Tyrie 11 421.46x
Tarland 7 777.78x
Turriff 7 208.96x
Ellon 6 209.79x
Foveran 6 382.17x
Fraserburgh 6 102.56x
Govan 6 3.34x
Headbourne Worthy 6 3157.89x
Slains 6 618.56x
New Deer 5 132.98x
Strichen 5 276.24x
Cluny 4 400.00x
Monymusk 4 449.44x
Mains 3 169.49x
Sunderland 3 25.45x
Aberlour 2 135.14x
Balfron 2 196.08x
Barony 2 1.09x
Banchory Devenick 1 39.22x
Banchory Ternan 1 42.37x
Crimond 1 156.25x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.83x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 16.89x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 9.35x
Greenwich 1 2.80x
Huntly 1 29.59x
Kesgrave 1 1250.00x
Kintore 1 55.25x
Logie Buchan 1 166.67x
Lonmay 1 52.91x
Methlick 1 60.24x
Newton 1 4.87x
Oxford St Giles 1 15.13x
Pitsligo 1 50.25x
Rathen 1 45.87x
Row 1 12.82x
St Fergus 1 84.75x
Tarves 1 50.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 2
Agnes 1
Alethea 1
Charlotte 1
Dora 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
Charles 1
George 1
Herbert 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 Slessor households.

FAQ

Slessor surname: questions and answers

How common was the Slessor surname in 1881?

In 1881, 231 people were recorded with the Slessor surname. That placed it at #11,722 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Slessor surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 401 in 2016. That gives Slessor a modern rank of #11,857.

What does the Slessor map show?

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