NameCensus.

UK surname

Southan

In the 1881 census there were 185 people recorded with the Southan surname, ranking it #13,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 288, ranked #15,180, down from #13,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Ribbesford (Bewdley), Abberley, Rock and Halifax. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wolverhampton, Shropshire and Woking.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Southan is 324 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.7%.

1881 census count

185

Ranked #13,506

Modern count

288

2016, ranked #15,180

Peak year

1999

324 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Southan had 185 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 288 in 2016, ranked #15,180.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 320 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Southan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Southan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Southan 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 217 #9,784
1861 historical 199 #12,062
1881 historical 185 #13,506
1891 historical 239 #13,173
1901 historical 320 #11,142
1911 historical 288 #11,757
1997 modern 310 #13,241
1998 modern 318 #13,362
1999 modern 324 #13,288
2000 modern 320 #13,360
2001 modern 312 #13,392
2002 modern 310 #13,697
2003 modern 307 #13,614
2004 modern 295 #14,025
2005 modern 287 #14,216
2006 modern 291 #14,175
2007 modern 292 #14,313
2008 modern 287 #14,580
2009 modern 298 #14,480
2010 modern 307 #14,485
2011 modern 300 #14,591
2012 modern 294 #14,705
2013 modern 293 #14,998
2014 modern 297 #14,943
2015 modern 294 #14,971
2016 modern 288 #15,180

Geography

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Where Southans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Ribbesford (Bewdley), Abberley, Rock, Halifax, Kidderminster and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wolverhampton, Shropshire, Woking and Birmingham. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Ribbesford (Bewdley), Abberley, Rock Worcestershire
3 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Kidderminster Worcestershire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wolverhampton 012 Wolverhampton
2 Shropshire 029 Shropshire
3 Shropshire 034 Shropshire
4 Woking 008 Woking
5 Birmingham 121 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Southan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Southan

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Southan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Southan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Southan is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Southan 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

Southan 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 Southan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Southan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Southan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Southan 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. Staffordshire leads with 50 Southans recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.25x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 50 8.25x
Worcestershire 35 14.93x
Warwickshire 32 7.07x
Surrey 18 2.06x
Middlesex 15 0.84x
Essex 7 1.98x
Leicestershire 7 3.52x
Shropshire 7 4.51x
Sussex 6 1.98x
Lancashire 4 0.19x
Gloucestershire 1 0.28x
Kent 1 0.16x
Monmouthshire 1 0.77x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wednesfield in Staffordshire leads with 24 Southans recorded in 1881 and an index of 269.06x.

Place Total Index
Wednesfield 24 269.06x
Halford 12 7500.00x
Aston 11 8.83x
Kingston On Thames 10 47.60x
Kidderminster Borough 8 58.31x
Tettenhall 8 216.22x
Sileby 7 555.56x
Stockton 7 2121.21x
Grays Thurrock 6 182.37x
Ribbesford 6 307.69x
Bilston 5 42.59x
Codsall 5 581.40x
Edgbaston 5 35.64x
Pershore Holy Cross 5 333.33x
Brighton 4 6.55x
Kidderminster Foreign 4 120.85x
Ridgacre 4 869.57x
St Giles In Fields 4 64.62x
Willenhall 4 35.24x
Wolverhampton 4 8.59x
Birmingham 3 1.99x
Claines 3 46.66x
Hackney London 3 2.98x
Lambeth 3 1.92x
Newton In Makerfield 3 46.01x
Southwark St John 3 54.64x
Great Malvern 2 40.90x
Mile End Old Town 2 7.06x
St Luke London 2 6.95x
Berkeley 1 51.02x
Bermondsey 1 1.87x
Brook 1 1428.57x
Bulkington 1 102.04x
Clerkenwell London 1 2.36x
Croydon 1 2.06x
Hampstead London 1 3.58x
Hulme 1 2.25x
Northfield 1 22.47x
Ratcliffe London 1 10.09x
Rogate 1 163.93x
Rotherfield 1 37.59x
St Marylebone London 1 1.04x
St Woollos 1 6.91x
Walthamstow 1 7.84x
Whistones 1 58.82x
Worcester St Peter 1 22.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 14
William 11
Henry 10
Thomas 8
Joseph 6
Alfred 5
Arthur 5
George 5
James 5
Benjamin 3
Charles 3
Harry 3
Richard 3
Albert 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Edward 1
Frank 1
Humphrey 1
J.L.B. 1
Oliver 1
Richd. 1
Thos. 1
Wiliam 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Southan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Southan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 185 people were recorded with the Southan surname. That placed it at #13,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Southan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 288 in 2016. That gives Southan a modern rank of #15,180.

What does the Southan map show?

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