NameCensus.

UK surname

Somerset

An English habitational surname denoting someone from the county of Somerset.

In the 1881 census there were 400 people recorded with the Somerset surname, ranking it #7,974 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 584, ranked #8,891, down from #7,974 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Hope. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include High Peak, Purbeck and Rotherham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Somerset is 600 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.0%.

1881 census count

400

Ranked #7,974

Modern count

584

2016, ranked #8,891

Peak year

2013

600 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Somerset had 400 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,974 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 584 in 2016, ranked #8,891.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 470 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Somerset surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Somerset surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Somerset 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 179 #11,346
1861 historical 300 #8,432
1881 historical 400 #7,974
1891 historical 464 #7,887
1901 historical 456 #8,624
1911 historical 470 #8,217
1997 modern 549 #8,668
1998 modern 564 #8,749
1999 modern 568 #8,755
2000 modern 546 #9,001
2001 modern 534 #9,000
2002 modern 548 #9,000
2003 modern 554 #8,788
2004 modern 557 #8,783
2005 modern 558 #8,701
2006 modern 555 #8,752
2007 modern 541 #9,006
2008 modern 547 #9,011
2009 modern 559 #9,055
2010 modern 562 #9,200
2011 modern 584 #8,868
2012 modern 574 #8,891
2013 modern 600 #8,752
2014 modern 597 #8,832
2015 modern 584 #8,914
2016 modern 584 #8,891

Geography

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Where Somersets are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Hope and St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to High Peak, Purbeck, Rotherham, Sheffield and Warrington. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Hope Derbyshire
5 St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace London (West Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 High Peak 013 High Peak
2 Purbeck 004 Purbeck
3 Rotherham 027 Rotherham
4 Sheffield 019 Sheffield
5 Warrington 008 Warrington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Somerset

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Somerset

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Somerset 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

Somerset is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Somerset falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Somerset

The surname "SOMERSET" is of English origin and is a locational name that derives from the county of Somerset in South West England. The name is thought to have originated in the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

The county of Somerset is believed to take its name from the Old English words "Sumor-saetan", meaning "the people living at or dependent on Sumortun". Sumortun itself is thought to derive from the Old English words "sumor" meaning "summer" and "tun" meaning "settlement" or "farm". The name likely refers to a settlement or farm that was particularly fruitful or prosperous during the summer months.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Somerseta". This entry refers to landholders who hailed from the county of Somerset and held lands there at the time of the great survey.

In the 12th century, the surname is recorded as "de Sumersete" in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire and Somerset, which were administrative records kept by the English Exchequer. This early spelling reflects the use of the Norman French preposition "de" to denote a person's place of origin.

Notable historical figures with the surname Somerset include John de Somerset, a 13th-century English nobleman and landowner, born around 1205 and died in 1275. Another is John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, who was born in 1373 and died in 1410. He was a powerful English nobleman and military commander during the Hundred Years' War.

Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester, was a prominent English nobleman and courtier during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was born in 1550 and died in 1628. Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort, was a peer and landowner born in 1629 and died in 1700. He was a prominent figure during the English Civil War and later supported the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

Edward Adolphus Seymour, 12th Duke of Somerset, was a British peer and politician who lived from 1804 to 1885. He served as a member of parliament and held several prestigious positions including Lord President of the Council.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Somerset families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Somerset 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. Yorkshire leads with 77 Somersets recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.96x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 77 1.96x
Middlesex 56 1.41x
Lancashire 49 1.04x
Derbyshire 38 6.13x
Surrey 27 1.40x
Durham 14 1.19x
Berkshire 12 4.04x
Suffolk 12 2.49x
Monmouthshire 11 3.84x
Northumberland 11 1.87x
Nottinghamshire 10 1.87x
Hampshire 8 0.99x
Kent 8 0.59x
Sussex 8 1.20x
Cornwall 6 1.34x
Devon 6 0.73x
Gloucestershire 6 0.77x
Hertfordshire 5 1.83x
Shropshire 5 1.46x
Brecknockshire 4 5.05x
Channel Islands 4 3.41x
Cheshire 4 0.46x
Oxfordshire 4 1.64x
Royal Navy 4 8.48x
Glamorgan 3 0.44x
Lincolnshire 3 0.47x
Northamptonshire 3 0.81x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.84x
Essex 2 0.26x
Worcestershire 2 0.39x
Cumberland 1 0.29x
Somerset 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 18 Somersets recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.41x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 18 14.41x
Gateshead 14 15.87x
Ecclesall Bierlow 13 16.29x
St Marylebone London 10 4.73x
Ecclesfield 8 27.81x
Greenham 8 540.54x
Mitchel Troy 8 1739.13x
Openshaw 8 36.35x
Ashford 7 760.87x
Doncaster 7 24.42x
Formby 7 131.58x
Manchester 7 3.31x
Norton 7 136.99x
St Pancras London 7 2.20x
Twickenham 7 41.23x
Warrington 7 12.57x
Worksop 7 44.22x
Bradwell 6 431.65x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 6 66.30x
Fairfield 6 144.58x
Rotherham 6 27.12x
Sudbury St Gregory 6 155.04x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 5 13.68x
Benwell 5 77.64x
Brighton 5 3.71x
Didsbury 5 80.13x
Nether Hallam 5 9.42x
Prees 5 119.90x
St George Hanover 5 9.67x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 4 85.47x
Chipping Barnet 4 83.86x
Great Hucklow 4 1666.67x
Herne 4 66.89x
Lambeth 4 1.16x
Newton 4 11.04x
Oldham 4 2.64x
Oxford St Clement 4 64.83x
Penge 4 15.81x
Royal Navy 4 9.92x
Southwark St John 4 33.03x
Southwark St Saviour 4 19.66x
St Helier 4 10.47x
St Mabyn 4 579.71x
Tideswell 4 148.70x
Clee With Weelsby 3 21.65x
Crickhowell 3 163.93x
Crondall 3 68.81x
Dawlish 3 48.78x
Elswick 3 6.38x
Enfield 3 11.55x
Frensham 3 106.01x
Great Badminton 3 447.76x
Hellidon 3 697.67x
Hulme 3 3.06x
Kensington London 3 1.36x
Marple 3 50.00x
Paddington London 3 2.06x
Stoke Newington London 3 9.72x
Westgate 3 8.22x
Wimbledon 3 13.84x
Bletchley 2 285.71x
Callington 2 76.63x
Farnborough 2 23.45x
Godalming 2 16.46x
Great Crosby 2 15.61x
Hampstead London 2 3.24x
Hasland 2 31.70x
Holy Trinity 2 2.12x
Hornsey 2 3.99x
Horton In Bradford 2 3.26x
Llantwit Lower 2 33.00x
Raglan 2 204.08x
Ratcliffe London 2 9.14x
Reading St Giles 2 6.86x
Shoreditch London 2 1.17x
Southcoates 2 9.18x
Tormoham 2 5.73x
West Ham 2 1.16x
Woolaston 2 170.94x
York St Mary 2 12.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 20
George 17
John 13
Charles 12
Henry 12
Thomas 10
Arthur 8
James 6
Edward 5
Robert 5
Joseph 4
Richard 4
Alfred 3
Frederick 3
Walter 3
Benjamin 2
Chas. 2
Ernest 2
Fitzroy 2
Francis 2
Raglan 2
Reginald 2
Samuel 2
Albert 1
Bertram 1
Cecil 1
Chas.F.M. 1
Flynng.H. 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Fredrick 1
Granville 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
Jabyz 1
Johnson 1
Jonathon 1
Joshua 1
Leveson 1
Lucy 1
Nathanial 1
Nathaniel 1
Oswald 1
Sam 1
Thom 1
Vere 1
W.H. 1
Wm.Horace 1

FAQ

Somerset surname: questions and answers

How common was the Somerset surname in 1881?

In 1881, 400 people were recorded with the Somerset surname. That placed it at #7,974 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Somerset surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 584 in 2016. That gives Somerset a modern rank of #8,891.

What does the Somerset surname mean?

An English habitational surname denoting someone from the county of Somerset.

What does the Somerset map show?

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