NameCensus.

UK surname

Susan

A surname derived from the Hebrew name Susanna, meaning "lily" or "rose."

In the 1881 census there were 18 people recorded with the Susan surname, ranking it #31,019 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 141, ranked #24,753, up from #31,019 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and St Leonard Bromley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, Stroud and Brent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Susan is 348 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 683.3%.

1881 census count

18

Ranked #31,019

Modern count

141

2016, ranked #24,753

Peak year

1861

348 bearers

Map years

4

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Susan had 18 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,019 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 141 in 2016, ranked #24,753.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 348 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Susan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Susan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Susan 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 167 #11,936
1861 historical 348 #7,339
1881 historical 18 #31,019
1891 historical 102 #23,719
1901 historical 29 #30,848
1911 historical 73 #25,541
1997 modern 56 #32,004
1998 modern 52 #32,732
1999 modern 48 #33,233
2000 modern 27 #35,188
2001 modern 21 #35,646
2002 modern 21 #35,798
2003 modern 36 #34,522
2004 modern 33 #34,947
2005 modern 39 #34,652
2006 modern 42 #34,714
2007 modern 63 #33,243
2008 modern 60 #33,743
2009 modern 59 #34,072
2010 modern 73 #33,249
2011 modern 77 #32,909
2012 modern 105 #29,362
2013 modern 117 #27,838
2014 modern 123 #27,206
2015 modern 129 #26,226
2016 modern 141 #24,753

Geography

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Where Susans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, St Leonard Bromley, St Giles Camberwell and St Thomas the Apostle. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, Stroud, Brent, Newham and Crawley. 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 Manchester Lancashire
3 St Leonard Bromley London (East Districts)
4 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)
5 St Thomas the Apostle Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 032 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 Stroud 003 Stroud
3 Brent 020 Brent
4 Newham 031 Newham
5 Crawley 003 Crawley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Susan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Susan

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Susan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Susan is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Susan falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Susan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

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

Meaning and origin of Susan

The surname Susan is an anglicized form of the French surname Soissons, which originated in the town of Soissons, located in the northern French region of Picardy. The name is believed to have derived from the Latin word "Suessiones," referring to the Gallic tribe that inhabited the area during ancient times.

The earliest known record of the surname Susan dates back to the 12th century, when it appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this document, the name was recorded as "Suissuns," reflecting its French origin.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Susan was primarily associated with individuals from the Soissons region who migrated to England, either as merchants, artisans, or as part of the Norman conquest. One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Susan, a Knight of the Garter who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century.

As the surname spread across England, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Susans, Sussans, and Sussen. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of individual scribes who recorded the name in official documents.

In the 16th century, the surname Susan gained prominence with the birth of Sir Walter Susan (1522-1586), a prominent English statesman and diplomat who served as Lord Chancellor under Queen Elizabeth I. Another notable figure was Thomas Susan (1551-1626), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Westminster Abbey.

The 17th century saw the rise of Sir Edward Susan (1612-1676), an English politician and lawyer who served as the Speaker of the House of Commons during the reign of Charles II. In the same century, the surname also found its way to the American colonies, with the arrival of John Susan, who settled in Virginia in 1635.

As the centuries passed, the Susan surname continued to be associated with individuals of notable achievements, such as William Susan (1785-1858), a British naval officer and explorer who charted the coastline of Australia, and Sir Arthur Susan (1843-1925), a British military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Sierra Leone.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Susan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Susan 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. Middlesex leads with 6 Susans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.24x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 6 3.24x
Surrey 4 4.43x
Kent 3 4.75x
Sussex 3 9.61x
Cornwall 1 4.77x
Essex 1 2.74x
Royal Navy 1 45.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Spitalfields London in Middlesex leads with 5 Susans recorded in 1881 and an index of 359.71x.

Place Total Index
Spitalfields London 5 359.71x
Camberwell 3 25.36x
Folkestone 2 162.60x
Hastings St Mary 2 256.41x
East Ham 1 147.06x
Hampstead London 1 34.72x
Newington 1 14.62x
Newlyn 1 1111.11x
Otford 1 1111.11x
Rye 1 333.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Anne 1
Catherine 1
Emily 1
Helen 1
Josephine 1
Kate 1
Rebecca 1
Saimi 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Edgar 2
Elias 1
Luis 1
Morris 1
Simon 1
Walter 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Susan households.

FAQ

Susan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Susan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 18 people were recorded with the Susan surname. That placed it at #31,019 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Susan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 141 in 2016. That gives Susan a modern rank of #24,753.

What does the Susan surname mean?

A surname derived from the Hebrew name Susanna, meaning "lily" or "rose."

What does the Susan map show?

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