NameCensus.

UK surname

Summersgill

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Summersgill.

In the 1881 census there were 392 people recorded with the Summersgill surname, ranking it #8,080 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 450, ranked #10,809, down from #8,080 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Leeds, Manchester and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Middlesbrough, Craven and West Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Summersgill is 536 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.8%.

1881 census count

392

Ranked #8,080

Modern count

450

2016, ranked #10,809

Peak year

1911

536 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Summersgill had 392 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,080 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 450 in 2016, ranked #10,809.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 536 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Summersgill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Summersgill surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Summersgill 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 220 #9,671
1861 historical 207 #11,687
1881 historical 392 #8,080
1891 historical 397 #8,927
1901 historical 503 #8,015
1911 historical 536 #7,432
1997 modern 445 #10,154
1998 modern 437 #10,637
1999 modern 440 #10,648
2000 modern 442 #10,597
2001 modern 437 #10,482
2002 modern 445 #10,538
2003 modern 445 #10,376
2004 modern 434 #10,619
2005 modern 443 #10,331
2006 modern 438 #10,469
2007 modern 442 #10,495
2008 modern 453 #10,345
2009 modern 468 #10,354
2010 modern 463 #10,660
2011 modern 458 #10,630
2012 modern 440 #10,849
2013 modern 460 #10,661
2014 modern 456 #10,781
2015 modern 454 #10,751
2016 modern 450 #10,809

Geography

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Where Summersgills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Leeds, Manchester, Bradford, Middlesborough and Prestwich. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Middlesbrough, Craven, West Somerset and Stockport. 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 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Middlesborough Durham
5 Prestwich Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Middlesbrough 018 Middlesbrough
2 Middlesbrough 019 Middlesbrough
3 Craven 007 Craven
4 West Somerset 005 West Somerset
5 Stockport 017 Stockport

Forenames

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First names often paired with Summersgill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Summersgill

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Summersgill surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Summersgill household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Summersgill 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

Summersgill 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

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

Meaning and origin of Summersgill

The surname Summersgill is an English locational name that originated in the northern counties of England, specifically in the area known as the North Riding of Yorkshire. It is believed to have derived from a place name that referred to a gill or small valley where summer pastures were located.

One of the earliest records of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the 13th century, where it appears as Sumersghyll. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time and may have existed even earlier.

During the medieval period, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Summersgyll, Somersgill, and Summersgill, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in spelling conventions of the time.

In the 16th century, the name Summersgill appeared in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire, which were legal documents recording land transactions. This indicates that individuals bearing this surname were landowners or involved in property dealings in the region.

One notable bearer of the Summersgill surname was John Summersgill, who was born in Yorkshire in the late 16th century. He was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a churchwarden in the parish of Kirby Malzeard.

Another individual of note was William Summersgill, born in 1712 in the village of Leyburn, Yorkshire. He was a successful merchant and landowner, and his family's coat of arms can still be seen in the local church.

In the 18th century, the name Summersgill appeared in the records of the Society of Friends (Quakers) in Yorkshire, indicating that some members of the family were part of this religious community.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in North America can be traced back to the late 17th century, when a family by the name of Summersgill emigrated from Yorkshire to the British colonies in Virginia.

Over the centuries, the Summersgill surname has been associated with various professions and occupations, including farmers, tradesmen, clergymen, and professionals in various fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Summersgill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Summersgill 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 272 Summersgills recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.20x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 272 7.20x
Lancashire 105 2.32x
Durham 7 0.62x
Staffordshire 5 0.39x
Gloucestershire 1 0.13x
Middlesex 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 41 Summersgills recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.21x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 41 19.21x
Manchester 30 14.74x
Horton In Bradford 23 38.97x
Oldham 18 12.32x
Bowling 17 45.41x
Bradford 13 14.21x
Hunslet 13 22.06x
Skipton 13 109.34x
Mirfield 11 53.01x
Bewerley 9 580.65x
Hopwood 9 152.03x
Alne 8 1250.00x
Ampleforth Birdforth 8 3333.33x
Burley In Wharfdale 8 239.52x
Everton 8 5.55x
Keighley 8 19.86x
Manningham 7 15.03x
Shipley 7 35.70x
Bingley 6 24.93x
Wilsden 6 154.64x
Aismunderby Cum 5 467.29x
Clitheroe 5 37.54x
Colne 5 37.09x
Headingley Cum Burley 5 20.55x
Walsall Foreign 5 7.52x
Warrington 5 9.32x
Wombleton 5 1315.79x
Barrow In Furness 4 6.50x
Beswick 4 34.57x
Bradford 4 18.89x
Bramham Cum Oglethorpe 4 264.90x
Byers Green 4 125.00x
High Low Bishopside 4 119.40x
Middlesbrough 4 8.13x
Northallerton 4 82.99x
Spotland 4 7.95x
Weaverthorpe 4 476.19x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 3 8.52x
Doncaster 3 10.87x
Huttons Ambo 3 555.56x
Preston 3 2.48x
Whitworth 3 36.10x
Barnsley 2 5.13x
Batley 2 5.57x
Dewsbury 2 5.16x
Kettlewell With 2 408.16x
Morley 2 10.18x
Salford 2 1.50x
Snainton 2 198.02x
Wortley In Bramley 2 6.68x
Barden In Skipton 1 196.08x
Barton Upon Irwell 1 2.94x
Bishopthorpe 1 136.99x
Blackburn 1 0.83x
Burton In Lonsdale 1 121.95x
Cononley 1 92.59x
Eccleshill 1 10.87x
Fxhls Bythrp Btrwch 1 181.82x
Heaton 1 24.63x
Helmsley 1 49.26x
Holtby 1 555.56x
Hovingham 1 128.21x
Islington London 1 0.27x
Newton 1 2.87x
Pontefract 1 12.29x
Richmond 1 16.92x
Sledmere Cum Croom 1 151.52x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 1 5.69x
Tanshelf 1 33.11x
West Dean 1 8.23x
West Stamford Bridge W 1 500.00x
Whittingham 1 50.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 44
Elizabeth 19
Sarah 17
Jane 15
Hannah 11
Emily 10
Annie 6
Emma 6
Margaret 6
Martha 6
Ellen 4
Agnes 3
Alice 3
Clara 3
Eliza 3
Grace 3
Harriet 3
Maria 3
Ada 2
Amy 2
Ann 2
Christianna 2
Fanny 2
Louisa 2
M. 2
Bertha 1
Bessie 1
Betsy 1
Betty 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Christiana 1
Dorothy 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Georgiana 1
Henrietta 1
Jessie 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Lilla 1
M.E. 1
Mansh. 1
Margt. 1
Millicent 1
Minnie 1
Nancy 1
Priscilla 1
Rachel 1
Sibbil 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 26
John 19
Thomas 13
Joseph 9
Robert 9
George 8
James 8
Henry 7
Alfred 5
Arthur 5
Fred 5
Benjamin 4
Charles 4
Christopher 4
Richard 4
Walter 4
Frederick 3
Harry 3
Ben 2
Edwin 2
Geo. 2
H.V. 2
Maurice 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
Benjn. 1
Emanuel 1
Ernest 1
Fredrick 1
Furgus 1
G.E. 1
H.H. 1
Harker 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
J.B. 1
Jacob 1
Jesse 1
Joe 1
Jonathan 1
Loudon 1
Matthew 1
Nathan 1
Richd. 1
Ronald 1
Smith 1
Stephen 1
Tom. 1
Uriah 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Summersgill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Summersgill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 392 people were recorded with the Summersgill surname. That placed it at #8,080 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Summersgill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 450 in 2016. That gives Summersgill a modern rank of #10,809.

What does the Summersgill surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Summersgill.

What does the Summersgill map show?

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