NameCensus.

UK surname

Syme

A surname derived from a nickname for someone of diminutive stature.

In the 1881 census there were 1,129 people recorded with the Syme surname, ranking it #3,531 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,451, ranked #4,234, down from #3,531 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Alloa, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sauchie, Alloa South and East and Alva.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Syme is 1,472 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.5%.

1881 census count

1,129

Ranked #3,531

Modern count

1,451

2016, ranked #4,234

Peak year

1998

1,472 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Syme had 1,129 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,531 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,451 in 2016, ranked #4,234.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,261 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Syme surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Syme surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Syme 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 754 #3,526
1861 historical 820 #3,360
1881 historical 1,129 #3,531
1891 historical 1,156 #3,697
1901 historical 1,261 #3,927
1911 historical 172 #16,408
1997 modern 1,451 #4,025
1998 modern 1,472 #4,117
1999 modern 1,451 #4,191
2000 modern 1,469 #4,134
2001 modern 1,413 #4,191
2002 modern 1,455 #4,169
2003 modern 1,439 #4,131
2004 modern 1,447 #4,120
2005 modern 1,461 #4,049
2006 modern 1,440 #4,105
2007 modern 1,430 #4,162
2008 modern 1,437 #4,170
2009 modern 1,451 #4,224
2010 modern 1,453 #4,291
2011 modern 1,421 #4,320
2012 modern 1,401 #4,301
2013 modern 1,412 #4,337
2014 modern 1,430 #4,320
2015 modern 1,434 #4,277
2016 modern 1,451 #4,234

Geography

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Where Symes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Alloa, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Bathgate and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sauchie, Alloa South and East, Alva, Kelty East and Alloa North. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Alloa Clackmannan
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Bathgate Linlithgow
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sauchie Clackmannanshire
2 Alloa South and East Clackmannanshire
3 Alva Clackmannanshire
4 Kelty East Fife
5 Alloa North Clackmannanshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Syme

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Syme

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Syme surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Syme household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Syme is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Syme 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

Syme falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Syme

The surname Syme originated from the Scottish Borders region of Scotland in the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'sihman' or 'syma', meaning a boundary or boundary ridge. This suggests that the name may have been occupational, referring to someone who lived near a boundary or ridge.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Syme appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name is listed as 'Sym' in these rolls. In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including 'Syme', 'Sym', and 'Sime', in records from Berwickshire and Roxburghshire.

The Syme family held lands in the Scottish Borders for centuries. One notable member was Sir John Syme, who fought alongside Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Later, in the 16th century, the Syme family acquired the lands of Cartmore in Renfrewshire, where they remained until the late 18th century.

In the 17th century, the surname Syme was also found in records from the Scottish Highlands, particularly in Argyllshire. One notable individual from this time was John Syme, a Presbyterian minister and supporter of the Covenanters, who was born in 1642 and died in 1706.

Another significant figure with the surname Syme was David Syme, a Scottish-born Australian businessman and newspaper proprietor. He founded the influential newspaper The Age in Melbourne in 1854 and remained its owner and editor until his death in 1908.

Other notable individuals with the surname Syme throughout history include:

1. Patrick Syme (1774-1845), a Scottish engraver and artist. 2. James Syme (1799-1870), a Scottish professor of clinical surgery and a pioneer in the field of surgery. 3. Ebenezer Syme (1826-1860), a Scottish-born Canadian journalist and political activist. 4. David Syme Russell (1869-1953), an Australian lawyer and politician. 5. Eleanor Syme (1914-2012), a Scottish painter and sculptor.

While the surname Syme is not among the most common in Scotland or other parts of the world, it has a rich history dating back to the medieval period, with notable individuals bearing the name in various fields throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Syme families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Syme 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. Fife leads with 241 Symes recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.06x.

County Total Index
Fife 241 37.06x
Lanarkshire 210 5.91x
Midlothian 172 11.69x
Clackmannanshire 84 92.60x
Perthshire 65 13.19x
Stirlingshire 37 9.13x
Kinross-shire 34 122.43x
West Lothian 31 18.74x
Dunbartonshire 30 10.16x
Ayrshire 28 3.41x
Dumfriesshire 27 11.13x
Middlesex 19 0.17x
Lancashire 18 0.14x
Yorkshire 16 0.15x
Kent 14 0.37x
Aberdeenshire 13 1.28x
Devon 10 0.44x
Hertfordshire 9 1.19x
Angus 8 0.79x
Argyllshire 8 2.62x
East Lothian 8 5.50x
Northumberland 7 0.43x
Buteshire 6 9.02x
Durham 6 0.18x
Roxburghshire 6 3.02x
Renfrewshire 5 0.59x
Cumberland 3 0.32x
Somerset 2 0.11x
Surrey 2 0.04x
Sussex 2 0.11x
Channel Islands 1 0.31x
Hampshire 1 0.04x
Inverness-shire 1 0.30x
Lincolnshire 1 0.06x
Peeblesshire 1 1.94x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 87 Symes recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.70x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 87 14.70x
Barony 51 5.67x
Govan 44 5.01x
Dunfermline 39 39.01x
Alloa 37 84.11x
Dysart 36 82.21x
South Leith 28 16.91x
Shotts 23 54.10x
Tillicoultry 22 109.02x
Carnwath 19 86.52x
Glasgow 17 2.70x
Kinghorn 17 123.19x
Kirkintilloch 17 42.39x
Aberdour 16 244.27x
Newbattle 16 127.19x
Clackmannan 15 87.51x
Portmoak 14 354.43x
Stirling 14 27.41x
Beath 13 63.26x
Orwell 13 169.93x
Bathgate 12 33.42x
Burntisland 12 66.01x
Airth 11 213.59x
Edinburgh Canongate 11 29.37x
Fraserburgh 11 38.42x
Row 11 28.81x
Uphall 11 60.47x
Ballingry 10 249.38x
Cupar 10 35.36x
Dollar 10 106.38x
Maryhill 10 14.38x
North Leith 10 14.69x
Auchterderran 9 55.05x
Beckenham 9 18.37x
Dunblane 9 76.27x
Irvine 9 39.42x
Lanark 9 31.49x
Leslie 9 54.68x
Markinch 9 40.78x
St Andrews 9 30.42x
St Mungo 9 360.00x
Carstairs 8 108.70x
St Albans St Peter 8 31.32x
Wolborough 8 27.68x
Abbotshall 7 28.81x
Aberfoyle 7 395.48x
Dalgety 7 140.85x
Dundee 7 1.84x
Guiseley 7 50.22x
Kilmoden 7 555.56x
Kinross 7 73.53x
Madderty 7 353.54x
New Monkland 7 6.67x
Cumbrae 6 85.71x
Dundonald 6 19.80x
Hamilton 6 6.06x
Kirkdale 6 2.74x
Old Monkland 6 4.26x
Wemyss 6 21.81x
Berwick Upon Tweed 5 14.44x
Bothwell 5 5.19x
Cockpen 5 29.07x
Falkirk 5 5.27x
Fowlis Wester 5 119.05x
Gateshead 5 2.04x
Leuchars 5 60.83x
Pencaitland 5 120.48x
Perth East Church 5 10.76x
Westminster St 5 12.35x
Annan 4 19.19x
Barmbrough 4 100.25x
Callander 4 49.20x
Closeburn 4 70.67x
Dreghorn 4 26.88x
Golborne 4 23.54x
Kinglassie 4 80.81x
Linlithgow 4 18.86x
Monzie 4 141.34x
Saline 4 111.11x
St Ninians 4 9.96x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Syme surname: questions and answers

How common was the Syme surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,129 people were recorded with the Syme surname. That placed it at #3,531 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Syme surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,451 in 2016. That gives Syme a modern rank of #4,234.

What does the Syme surname mean?

A surname derived from a nickname for someone of diminutive stature.

What does the Syme map show?

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