NameCensus.

UK surname

Southon

In the 1881 census there were 362 people recorded with the Southon surname, ranking it #8,561 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 489, ranked #10,141, down from #8,561 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dorking, Willesden and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Brighton and Hove, Sevenoaks and Isle of Wight.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Southon is 570 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.1%.

1881 census count

362

Ranked #8,561

Modern count

489

2016, ranked #10,141

Peak year

1998

570 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Southon had 362 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,561 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 489 in 2016, ranked #10,141.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 537 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Southon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Southon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Southon 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 231 #9,334
1861 historical 223 #10,942
1881 historical 362 #8,561
1891 historical 375 #9,331
1901 historical 482 #8,275
1911 historical 537 #7,421
1997 modern 562 #8,527
1998 modern 570 #8,685
1999 modern 566 #8,777
2000 modern 563 #8,781
2001 modern 539 #8,936
2002 modern 526 #9,300
2003 modern 518 #9,257
2004 modern 521 #9,235
2005 modern 496 #9,499
2006 modern 492 #9,590
2007 modern 496 #9,626
2008 modern 499 #9,646
2009 modern 524 #9,516
2010 modern 525 #9,692
2011 modern 513 #9,765
2012 modern 491 #10,013
2013 modern 517 #9,766
2014 modern 507 #9,981
2015 modern 488 #10,182
2016 modern 489 #10,141

Geography

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Where Southons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dorking, Willesden, London parishes, St Pancras and Benenden. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Brighton and Hove, Sevenoaks, Isle of Wight and Adur. 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 Dorking Surrey
2 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Benenden Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Brighton and Hove 017 Brighton and Hove
2 Sevenoaks 014 Sevenoaks
3 Isle of Wight 018 Isle of Wight
4 Sevenoaks 013 Sevenoaks
5 Adur 003 Adur

Forenames

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First names often paired with Southon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Southon

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Southon 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

Southon is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Southon falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Southon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Southon 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. Kent leads with 145 Southons recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.04x.

County Total Index
Kent 145 12.04x
Surrey 63 3.66x
Middlesex 60 1.70x
Sussex 49 8.23x
Hampshire 29 4.01x
Warwickshire 5 0.56x
Cambridgeshire 3 1.34x
Essex 2 0.29x
Wiltshire 2 0.64x
Berkshire 1 0.38x
Lincolnshire 1 0.18x
Norfolk 1 0.18x
Staffordshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 23 Southons recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.15x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 23 19.15x
Aldershot 20 82.47x
Dorking 18 155.84x
Brenenden 16 1032.26x
Folkestone 12 51.35x
Clerkenwell London 11 13.20x
Tenterden 11 258.82x
Battersea 10 7.70x
Bethnal Green London 10 6.52x
Lympne 10 1470.59x
St Pancras London 10 3.52x
Elham 8 555.56x
Frant 8 189.57x
Lambeth 8 2.60x
Maidstone 8 22.29x
Shalford 8 421.05x
Croydon 7 7.33x
Hythe St Leonard 7 164.32x
Marden 7 248.23x
Staplehurst 7 353.54x
Borden 6 392.16x
Cranbrook 6 117.65x
Goudhurst 6 180.18x
Hampstead London 6 10.91x
Hastings St Mary 6 40.49x
Horsemonden 6 340.91x
Aston 5 2.04x
Capel 5 735.29x
Islington London 5 1.46x
Mile End Old Town 5 8.97x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 7.04x
St George Hanover 5 10.85x
Streatham 5 19.08x
Tonbridge 5 11.51x
Deal 4 38.91x
Portsea 4 2.82x
Deptford St Paul 3 3.23x
Doddington 3 182.93x
Paddington London 3 2.31x
Rye 3 53.00x
South Stoneham 3 19.11x
Willesborough 3 92.59x
Acton 2 9.66x
Burwash 2 72.46x
Chailey 2 108.70x
Deptford St Nicholas 2 20.92x
Hove 2 7.66x
Northwood 2 19.40x
Rolvenden 2 128.21x
Rotherfield 2 38.17x
Swindon 2 8.26x
Bermondsey 1 0.95x
Chartham 1 33.33x
Colchester St Botolph 1 16.86x
Cranleigh 1 39.68x
Great Grimsby 1 2.79x
Great Yarmouth 1 2.22x
Greenwich 1 1.78x
Hackney London 1 0.51x
Hastings St Mary In The 1 7.87x
Havering 1 185.19x
Hunton 1 95.24x
Kensington London 1 0.51x
Margate St John Baptist 1 4.53x
Minster In Thanet 1 39.84x
Monks Horton 1 555.56x
Newington In Milton 1 79.37x
Ramsgate 1 5.08x
Reading St Giles 1 3.85x
Sevenoaks 1 10.24x
Tunstall 1 303.03x
Upper Penn 1 33.44x
Willesden 1 3.00x
Woolwich 1 2.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Sarah 12
Elizabeth 11
Annie 10
Alice 7
Ann 7
Caroline 7
Ellen 5
Emily 4
Frances 4
Hannah 4
Jane 4
Kate 4
Margaret 4
Martha 4
Clara 3
Edith 3
Fanny 3
Minnie 3
Olive 3
Charlotte 2
Emma 2
Esther 2
Flora 2
Florence 2
Harriett 2
Julia 2
Katherine 2
Laura 2
Lousia 2
Maria 2
Maude 2
Sophia 2
Susan 2
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Catherine 1
Cicely 1
Daley 1
Eda 1
Eleaner 1
Eliza 1
Elsie 1
Jemima 1
Jessee 1
Josephine 1
Lavinia 1
Lizza 1
Margt. 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 27
George 16
Charles 15
Alfred 12
Thomas 11
John 9
James 8
Walter 8
Albert 5
David 5
Henry 5
Ernest 3
Frederick 3
Harry 3
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Edwin 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Herbert 2
Oliver 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Stephen 2
Tom 2
Wm. 2
Alf. 1
Chas. 1
Chas.J. 1
Clement 1
Cornelius 1
Edgar 1
Edmond 1
Eli 1
Elias 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Garnet 1
Geo. 1
Horace 1
Joseph 1
Josiah 1
Julius 1
Leighton 1
Lewis 1
Owen 1
Percy 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Southon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Southon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 362 people were recorded with the Southon surname. That placed it at #8,561 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Southon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 489 in 2016. That gives Southon a modern rank of #10,141.

What does the Southon map show?

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