NameCensus.

UK surname

Somerton

In the 1881 census there were 210 people recorded with the Somerton surname, ranking it #12,440 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 228, ranked #17,936, down from #12,440 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Rowley Regis and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mid Devon, North Norfolk and Derbyshire Dales.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Somerton is 244 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.6%.

1881 census count

210

Ranked #12,440

Modern count

228

2016, ranked #17,936

Peak year

1891

244 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Somerton had 210 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,440 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 228 in 2016, ranked #17,936.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 244 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Somerton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Somerton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Somerton 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 183 #11,166
1861 historical 199 #12,062
1881 historical 210 #12,440
1891 historical 244 #12,983
1901 historical 233 #13,740
1911 historical 241 #13,229
1997 modern 207 #17,267
1998 modern 235 #16,358
1999 modern 235 #16,458
2000 modern 234 #16,470
2001 modern 230 #16,415
2002 modern 236 #16,455
2003 modern 227 #16,718
2004 modern 228 #16,723
2005 modern 215 #17,334
2006 modern 211 #17,662
2007 modern 213 #17,744
2008 modern 215 #17,809
2009 modern 222 #17,797
2010 modern 234 #17,544
2011 modern 240 #17,093
2012 modern 235 #17,242
2013 modern 239 #17,307
2014 modern 237 #17,528
2015 modern 235 #17,530
2016 modern 228 #17,936

Geography

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Where Somertons are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Mid Devon, North Norfolk, Derbyshire Dales and King's Lynn and West Norfolk. 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 Rowley Regis Staffordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Clevedon Somerset
5 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mid Devon 007 Mid Devon
2 North Norfolk 002 North Norfolk
3 Derbyshire Dales 001 Derbyshire Dales
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 009 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 011 King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Somerton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Somerton

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

Somerton 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

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

1881 census detail

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Somerton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Somerton 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. Oxfordshire leads with 29 Somertons recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.92x.

County Total Index
Oxfordshire 29 22.92x
Somerset 29 8.79x
Staffordshire 26 3.76x
Northamptonshire 25 12.98x
Gloucestershire 14 3.48x
Surrey 13 1.30x
Worcestershire 13 4.86x
Middlesex 11 0.54x
Yorkshire 10 0.49x
Buckinghamshire 8 6.46x
Hampshire 8 1.91x
Kent 6 0.86x
Lincolnshire 6 1.83x
Warwickshire 4 0.77x
Lancashire 3 0.12x
Berkshire 1 0.65x
Glamorgan 1 0.28x
Monmouthshire 1 0.68x
Sussex 1 0.29x
Wiltshire 1 0.55x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Clevedon in Somerset leads with 18 Somertons recorded in 1881 and an index of 524.78x.

Place Total Index
Clevedon 18 524.78x
Syresham 17 3035.71x
Bloxham 12 967.74x
Worcester St Peter 11 217.39x
Rowley Regis 9 46.70x
Leckhampstead 8 3333.33x
Tockwith 7 1750.00x
Alverstoke 6 39.47x
Brackley St Peter 6 454.55x
Weston Super Mare 6 72.03x
Louth 5 66.58x
Maidstone 5 24.02x
Oxford St Giles 5 82.78x
Somerton 5 2083.33x
Wolverhampton 5 9.40x
Bath St Michael 4 239.52x
Camberwell 4 3.06x
Cheltenham 4 12.90x
Clifton 4 19.69x
Horninglow 4 122.70x
Kensington London 4 3.51x
Tettenhall 4 94.56x
Cheslyn Hay 3 238.10x
Denton 3 55.66x
Islip 3 714.29x
Bristol St Michael 2 58.14x
Chelsea London 2 3.24x
Hook Norton 2 229.89x
Leamington 2 58.48x
Richmond 2 14.30x
St George In East 2 14.36x
Streatham 2 13.16x
Tredington 2 273.97x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.12x
Bradfield 1 123.46x
Bramham Cum Oglethorpe 1 123.46x
Brewood 1 50.25x
Bristol St Paul In 1 9.35x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 1 2.64x
Clapham 1 3.90x
E Adderbury 1 156.25x
Hartwell 1 285.71x
Hastings St Mary 1 11.63x
Kings Sutton 1 116.28x
Laleston 1 263.16x
Leamington Priors 1 7.87x
Market Lavington 1 102.04x
Mirfield 1 8.98x
Newington 1 1.32x
Oxford St Mary Magdalen 1 66.67x
Rodborough 1 51.55x
Rotherham 1 8.74x
Sittingbourne 1 18.12x
South Stoneham 1 10.98x
Southwark St John 1 15.95x
Southwark St Saviour 1 9.50x
St Marylebone London 1 0.91x
St Pancras London 1 0.61x
Sutton 1 13.85x
Trevethin 1 7.15x
Walcot 1 5.69x
Warwick St Mary 1 22.32x
Washingborough 1 196.08x
Weeke 1 78.74x
Westbury On Trym 1 7.35x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 14
William 13
George 9
Thomas 8
Charles 4
James 4
Henry 3
Joseph 3
Richard 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Samuel 2
Stephen 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Caroline 1
Chales 1
Clark 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Eber 1
Edmund 1
Elisha 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Jesse 1
Jonas 1
Lewis 1
Mark 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1
Sydney 1
Will 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Somerton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Somerton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 210 people were recorded with the Somerton surname. That placed it at #12,440 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Somerton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 228 in 2016. That gives Somerton a modern rank of #17,936.

What does the Somerton map show?

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