NameCensus.

UK surname

Solomon

A biblical surname derived from the wise king Solomon, son of David, indicating wisdom or peace.

In the 1881 census there were 2,033 people recorded with the Solomon surname, ranking it #2,165 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,705, ranked #1,838, up from #2,165 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Christ Church Spitalfields, London parishes and St Mary Whitechapel. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Redcar and Cleveland and Camden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Solomon is 3,740 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 82.2%.

1881 census count

2,033

Ranked #2,165

Modern count

3,705

2016, ranked #1,838

Peak year

2014

3,740 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Solomon had 2,033 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,165 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,705 in 2016, ranked #1,838.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,637 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Solomon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Solomon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Solomon 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 1,298 #2,205
1861 historical 1,374 #2,081
1881 historical 2,033 #2,165
1891 historical 2,191 #2,137
1901 historical 2,977 #1,881
1911 historical 3,637 #1,435
1997 modern 3,090 #2,074
1998 modern 3,214 #2,084
1999 modern 3,245 #2,085
2000 modern 3,215 #2,093
2001 modern 3,164 #2,079
2002 modern 3,268 #2,061
2003 modern 3,194 #2,057
2004 modern 3,216 #2,045
2005 modern 3,218 #2,021
2006 modern 3,273 #2,002
2007 modern 3,339 #1,975
2008 modern 3,398 #1,955
2009 modern 3,511 #1,941
2010 modern 3,670 #1,899
2011 modern 3,610 #1,906
2012 modern 3,608 #1,863
2013 modern 3,730 #1,842
2014 modern 3,740 #1,849
2015 modern 3,723 #1,832
2016 modern 3,705 #1,838

Geography

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Where Solomons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Christ Church Spitalfields, London parishes, St Mary Whitechapel and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Redcar and Cleveland, Camden and Harrow. 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 Christ Church Spitalfields London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 St Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 039 Cornwall
2 Redcar and Cleveland 010 Redcar and Cleveland
3 Cornwall 019 Cornwall
4 Camden 002 Camden
5 Harrow 002 Harrow

Forenames

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First names often paired with Solomon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Solomon

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Solomon is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Solomon 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

Solomon falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Solomon

The surname Solomon has its origins in the Hebrew language and is derived from the Hebrew name Shlomo, which means "peaceful". It is believed to have originated in ancient Israel during biblical times, likely around the 10th century BCE.

The name Solomon is strongly associated with the biblical figure King Solomon, the third king of the united Kingdom of Israel and Judah, who ruled from around 970 to 931 BCE. He was renowned for his wisdom, wealth, and the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Solomon can be found in the Domesday Book, a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Salomon" and is listed among the landowners in various counties.

During the Middle Ages, the name Solomon was found among Jewish communities in Europe, particularly in England and France. It was also adopted by some Christian families, possibly as a result of conversion or admiration for the biblical figure.

In the 12th century, a notable individual named Solomon ben Isaac, also known as Rashi, was a highly influential French rabbi and scholar who wrote influential commentaries on the Torah and Talmud.

Another prominent figure with the surname Solomon was Haym Solomon, a Polish-born Jewish immigrant to the United States in the 18th century. He played a crucial role in financing the American Revolutionary War and is considered a patriotic hero.

In the 19th century, Sir Richard Solomon, a British lawyer and judge born in 1838, served as the Attorney General of Cape Colony (now part of South Africa) and later became the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Cape of Good Hope.

Simcha Solomon, born in 1840 in Poland, was a renowned Talmudic scholar and rabbi who served as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Empire from 1892 to 1919.

The surname Solomon has also been associated with various place names, such as Solomon Islands, an archipelago in the South Pacific, and the city of Solomon in Kansas, United States, which was named after a railway worker named Solomon Bundy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Solomon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Solomon 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 754 Solomons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.80x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 754 3.80x
Cornwall 282 12.56x
Surrey 108 1.12x
Kent 92 1.36x
Lancashire 82 0.35x
Staffordshire 64 0.96x
Warwickshire 64 1.28x
Gloucestershire 56 1.44x
Glamorgan 53 1.53x
Yorkshire 50 0.25x
Suffolk 48 1.99x
Durham 42 0.71x
Devon 38 0.92x
Northamptonshire 30 1.61x
Somerset 26 0.81x
Essex 22 0.56x
Hampshire 21 0.52x
Norfolk 18 0.59x
Caernarfonshire 15 1.87x
Lanarkshire 14 0.22x
Nottinghamshire 12 0.45x
Sussex 12 0.36x
Leicestershire 11 0.50x
Lincolnshire 11 0.35x
Anglesey 10 2.85x
Northumberland 9 0.31x
Oxfordshire 9 0.73x
Worcestershire 9 0.35x
Cardiganshire 8 1.65x
Hertfordshire 8 0.59x
Derbyshire 7 0.23x
Pembrokeshire 7 1.11x
Midlothian 6 0.23x
Angus 5 0.27x
Wigtownshire 5 1.90x
Monmouthshire 4 0.28x
Huntingdonshire 3 0.76x
Inverness-shire 3 0.51x
Royal Navy 3 1.27x
Berkshire 2 0.13x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.17x
Renfrewshire 2 0.13x
Berwickshire 1 0.42x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.12x
Channel Islands 1 0.17x
Dorset 1 0.08x
Peeblesshire 1 1.07x
Stirlingshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whitechapel London in Middlesex leads with 90 Solomons recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.04x.

Place Total Index
Whitechapel London 90 46.04x
Islington London 78 4.06x
Mile End Old Town 69 22.04x
Spitalfields London 65 43.58x
Paddington London 45 6.17x
Hackney London 43 3.87x
Carlton Colville 38 428.89x
St George In East 35 25.95x
Kenwyn 32 54.51x
Birmingham 29 1.74x
Bodmin 28 75.37x
Battersea 26 3.56x
Aston 25 1.82x
St George Bloomsbury 25 21.97x
St Giles In Fields 25 36.55x
St Pancras London 24 1.50x
Leeds 22 1.98x
Old Artillery Ground 22 128.88x
St Columb Minor 21 111.41x
Bethnal Green London 20 2.32x
Liverpool 20 1.40x
St Agnes 20 63.61x
St Botolph Aldgate 20 73.88x
Stoke Upon Trent 19 2.68x
Manchester 18 1.70x
Pawlett 18 500.00x
Kensington London 17 1.54x
Truro St Mary 17 90.09x
Lanlivery 15 159.07x
Tottenham 15 4.75x
Camberwell 13 1.03x
Lambeth 13 0.75x
Merthyr Tydfil 13 3.92x
Mile End New Town 13 48.01x
Rotherhithe 13 5.31x
Mevagissey 12 80.43x
Painswick 12 43.62x
Barony 11 0.68x
Byers Green 11 66.07x
Camborne 11 11.89x
Clifton 11 5.59x
Dartford 11 15.90x
Everton 11 1.47x
Leicester St Margaret 11 2.05x
Madron Penzance 11 13.47x
St Austell 11 14.33x
St Marylebone London 11 1.04x
Clerkenwell London 10 2.14x
Falmouth 10 12.58x
St Anne Soho London 10 8.83x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 10 35.63x
Stoke Damerel 10 3.46x
Stoke Newington London 10 6.47x
Wolverhampton 10 1.94x
Monkwearmouth Shore 9 7.81x
Northampton St Peter 9 79.37x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 9 58.79x
Oxford St Michael 9 177.17x
Southwark St George Martyr 9 2.26x
St George Hanover 9 3.48x
Westminster St James 9 4.41x
Ynyscynhaiarn 9 24.10x
Basford 8 6.49x
Brighton 8 1.19x
Bristol St Michael 8 23.99x
Heworth 8 6.88x
Hipperholme Cum 8 9.26x
Leyton 8 11.86x
Salford 8 1.16x
Swansea Town 8 2.83x
Colan 7 424.24x
Darenth 7 67.11x
Liskeard 7 18.63x
Northampton All Sts 7 11.06x
Putney 7 7.74x
St Enoder 7 91.74x
St Martin In Fields 7 5.90x
St Paul Covent Garden 7 35.28x
Westgate 7 3.83x
Ystradyfodwg 7 2.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 93
Elizabeth 57
Sarah 55
Jane 36
Kate 25
Emily 24
Emma 23
Esther 21
Annie 20
Alice 19
Ellen 19
Hannah 18
Rebecca 17
Rachel 16
Eliza 15
Leah 15
Rose 15
Florence 14
Louisa 14
Amelia 13
Ann 13
Fanny 13
Harriet 13
Julia 13
Sophia 13
Clara 12
Martha 12
Edith 11
Ada 10
Caroline 10
Margaret 10
Maria 10
Charlotte 9
Frances 9
Lucy 9
Rachael 9
Bessie 8
Catherine 8
Gertrude 8
Susan 8
Henrietta 7
Isabella 7
Jessie 6
Rosa 6
Selina 6
Agnes 5
Amy 5
Eleanor 5
Minnie 5
Bertha 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 60
John 53
Henry 46
Joseph 36
Samuel 33
George 32
James 31
Edward 30
Charles 28
Alfred 27
Richard 27
Thomas 27
David 22
Isaac 21
Arthur 19
Jacob 17
Lewis 16
Abraham 14
Solomon 14
Albert 13
Walter 11
Frederick 10
Ernest 8
Harris 8
Harry 8
Philip 8
Frank 7
Herbert 7
Louis 7
Michael 7
Moses 7
Barnett 6
Edwin 6
Josiah 6
Morris 6
Percy 6
Robert 6
Simon 6
Mark 5
Saul 5
Alexander 4
Elijah 4
Hyam 4
Lawrence 4
Myer 4
Owen 4
Sidney 4
Woolf 4
Benjamin 3
Israel 3

FAQ

Solomon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Solomon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,033 people were recorded with the Solomon surname. That placed it at #2,165 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Solomon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,705 in 2016. That gives Solomon a modern rank of #1,838.

What does the Solomon surname mean?

A biblical surname derived from the wise king Solomon, son of David, indicating wisdom or peace.

What does the Solomon map show?

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