NameCensus.

UK surname

Townson

A locational surname derived from a place name, referring to someone from a town or settlement.

In the 1881 census there were 1,263 people recorded with the Townson surname, ranking it #3,228 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,373, ranked #4,395, down from #3,228 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lancaster Borough, Dalton-in-Furness and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ribble Valley and Lancaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Townson is 1,758 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.7%.

1881 census count

1,263

Ranked #3,228

Modern count

1,373

2016, ranked #4,395

Peak year

1911

1,758 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Townson had 1,263 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,228 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,373 in 2016, ranked #4,395.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,758 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Townson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Townson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Townson 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 715 #3,659
1861 historical 971 #2,866
1881 historical 1,263 #3,228
1891 historical 1,432 #3,055
1901 historical 1,691 #3,053
1911 historical 1,758 #2,796
1997 modern 1,436 #4,059
1998 modern 1,451 #4,166
1999 modern 1,454 #4,183
2000 modern 1,473 #4,127
2001 modern 1,443 #4,111
2002 modern 1,442 #4,199
2003 modern 1,385 #4,257
2004 modern 1,393 #4,242
2005 modern 1,368 #4,270
2006 modern 1,378 #4,248
2007 modern 1,362 #4,329
2008 modern 1,367 #4,333
2009 modern 1,367 #4,406
2010 modern 1,392 #4,421
2011 modern 1,379 #4,412
2012 modern 1,348 #4,428
2013 modern 1,349 #4,499
2014 modern 1,381 #4,439
2015 modern 1,376 #4,408
2016 modern 1,373 #4,395

Geography

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Where Townsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lancaster Borough, Dalton-in-Furness, Bradford, Liverpool and Whalley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ribble Valley and Lancaster. 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 Lancaster Borough Lancashire
2 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Whalley Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ribble Valley 001 Ribble Valley
2 Ribble Valley 002 Ribble Valley
3 Ribble Valley 007 Ribble Valley
4 Lancaster 003 Lancaster
5 Ribble Valley 003 Ribble Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Townson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Townson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Townson, 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 Townson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Townson 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, Townson 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

Townson is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Townson

The surname Townson is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It likely emerged in the 12th or 13th century as a descriptive name for someone who lived in or came from a particular town or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Townson can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a certain William Townson is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established by the late 12th century in parts of England.

The name Townson is a variant spelling of the earlier surname Townesman, which was derived from the Old English words "tun" meaning town or settlement, and "mann" meaning man. Over time, the spelling evolved to the more modern form of Townson.

In the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, there is a record of a John Townson, indicating the presence of the name in the West Midlands region during the 14th century.

Notable historical figures bearing the surname Townson include Sir Robert Townson (1591-1663), an English mathematician and astronomer who served as the Savilian Professor of Astronomy at the University of Oxford in the 17th century.

In the realm of literature, Thomas Townson (1615-1692) was an English clergyman and theologian who authored several works on religious subjects during the latter half of the 17th century.

Another prominent individual was Richard Townson (1629-1707), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Malpas in Cheshire and wrote extensively on topics related to theology and ecclesiastical law.

Advancing into the 18th century, John Townson (1720-1805) was a notable English agriculturist and writer who published works on farming practices and rural life in Lancashire.

A more recent figure was Robert Townson (1762-1827), a British geologist and traveler who conducted geological surveys and explorations in various parts of Europe, including Spain and Hungary, during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

While the surname Townson may have originated as a descriptive name for someone from a particular town or settlement, it has since become a well-established family name with a rich history spanning several centuries across different regions of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Townson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Townson 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. Lancashire leads with 685 Townsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.71x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 685 4.71x
Yorkshire 248 2.04x
Cumberland 63 5.97x
Warwickshire 42 1.36x
Westmorland 33 12.25x
Durham 28 0.77x
Middlesex 22 0.18x
Surrey 20 0.33x
Cheshire 19 0.70x
Derbyshire 18 0.94x
West Lothian 12 6.50x
Sussex 8 0.39x
Essex 7 0.29x
Shropshire 7 0.66x
Herefordshire 6 1.19x
Somerset 6 0.30x
Oxfordshire 5 0.66x
Leicestershire 4 0.29x
Worcestershire 4 0.25x
Bedfordshire 3 0.47x
Hampshire 3 0.12x
Northumberland 3 0.16x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.40x
Cornwall 2 0.14x
Midlothian 2 0.12x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.12x
Devon 1 0.04x
Kent 1 0.02x
Royal Navy 1 0.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Burnley in Lancashire leads with 46 Townsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.54x.

Place Total Index
Burnley 46 37.54x
Bradford 40 13.60x
Liverpool 40 4.53x
Lancaster 36 41.58x
Barrow In Furness 34 17.18x
Dalton In Furness 34 60.54x
Blackburn 32 8.27x
Colne 29 66.90x
Oldham 28 5.96x
St Cuthbert W O 27 52.47x
Ulverston 26 61.35x
Salford 21 4.91x
Draughton 20 2666.67x
Aston 17 2.00x
Little Bolton 17 9.09x
Barnoldswick 15 88.44x
Over Kellet 15 724.64x
Poulton Barre 15 90.63x
Preston 15 3.85x
Habergham Eaves 14 10.53x
Keighley 14 10.81x
Bowling 13 10.80x
Everton 13 2.80x
Quernmore 13 528.46x
Rimington 13 807.45x
Withington 13 27.74x
Ambleside 12 143.71x
Bathgate 12 29.93x
Embsay Cum Eastby 12 244.40x
Ennerdale Kinniside 12 975.61x
Kildwick 12 108.50x
Clitheroe 11 25.68x
Hebden 11 839.69x
Hornby 11 733.33x
Leeds 11 1.60x
Addingham 10 110.13x
Accrington 9 6.80x
Chadderton 9 12.65x
Coventry St Michael 9 9.06x
Derby St Peter 9 14.72x
Edgbaston 9 9.39x
Kirkby Ireleth 9 123.97x
Lower Upper Holker 9 452.26x
Scotforth 9 95.14x
Tonge 9 29.48x
Upper Holker 9 262.39x
Bashall Eaves 8 727.27x
Brighton 8 1.92x
Evenwood Barony 8 64.52x
Muncaster 8 355.56x
St Pancras London 8 0.81x
Tatham 8 357.14x
Tranmere 8 8.04x
Elton 7 13.92x
Horton In Bradford 7 3.69x
Manningham 7 4.68x
Sheriff Hales 7 165.09x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 2.84x
Walthamstow 7 8.03x
Wray With Botton 7 266.16x
Chapel En Le Frith 6 34.23x
Chelsea London 6 1.62x
Halton 6 194.81x
Hereford St Owen 6 36.14x
Manchester 6 0.92x
Newbiggin 6 231.66x
Reedley Hallows 6 213.52x
Rydal Loughrigg 6 287.08x
Seaton 6 48.74x
Walton On Hill 6 7.61x
Woodplumpton 6 115.38x
Aston Cum Aughton 5 50.30x
Conside Knitsley 5 17.62x
Gargrave 5 92.42x
Hay Hutton In Hay 5 561.80x
Myerscough 5 310.56x
St George Hanover 5 3.12x
Warton With Lindeth 5 81.97x
Wembdon 5 85.62x
Whalley 5 23.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 96
Elizabeth 59
Sarah 42
Margaret 39
Ann 26
Jane 26
Ellen 22
Isabella 22
Alice 21
Annie 21
Agnes 19
Hannah 16
Esther 14
Emma 11
Emily 10
Ada 7
Nancy 6
Amy 5
Eleanor 5
Florence 5
Rachel 5
Clara 4
Edith 4
Eliza 4
Harriet 4
Maria 4
Martha 4
Betsy 3
Caroline 3
Catherine 3
Charlotte 3
Grace 3
Jemima 3
Louisa 3
Lucy 3
Lydia 3
Margt. 3
Rhoda 3
Rose 3
Susannah 3
A. 2
Bertha 2
Fanny 2
Kate 2
Laura 2
Lilly 2
Maggie 2
Margret 2
Mariah 2
Marion 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 96
William 77
Thomas 52
James 48
Robert 36
George 29
Henry 26
Edward 21
Joseph 18
Richard 18
Francis 12
Alfred 10
Charles 9
Benjamin 8
Walter 7
Frank 6
Herbert 6
Samuel 6
Arthur 5
David 5
Fred 5
Edwin 4
Ernest 4
Wm. 4
Albert 3
Edmund 3
Frederick 3
Harry 3
Peter 3
Robt. 3
Stephen 3
Christopher 2
Daniel 2
Edgar 2
Jonathan 2
Mark 2
Percy 2
Squire 2
Thos. 2
Walker 2
Willie 2
Wilson 2
Cork 1
Cornelius 1
Emanuel 1
Frederic 1
Fredr. 1
Jackson 1
Jas. 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Townson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Townson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,263 people were recorded with the Townson surname. That placed it at #3,228 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Townson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,373 in 2016. That gives Townson a modern rank of #4,395.

What does the Townson surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name, referring to someone from a town or settlement.

What does the Townson map show?

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