NameCensus.

UK surname

Ussher

A surname derived from a variation of the name "Husher," meaning doorkeeper.

In the 1881 census there were 51 people recorded with the Ussher surname, ranking it #26,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 95, ranked #31,782, down from #26,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Derby and Lambeth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ussher is 105 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 86.3%.

1881 census count

51

Ranked #26,428

Modern count

95

2016, ranked #31,782

Peak year

2010

105 bearers

Map years

1

2006 to 2006

Key insights

  • Ussher had 51 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 95 in 2016, ranked #31,782.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 70 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Ussher surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ussher surname density by area, 2006 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ussher 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 29 #28,082
1861 historical 17 #31,714
1881 historical 51 #26,428
1891 historical 51 #30,158
1901 historical 70 #26,383
1911 historical 65 #26,343
1997 modern 83 #29,216
1998 modern 94 #28,435
1999 modern 85 #29,578
2000 modern 83 #29,809
2001 modern 84 #29,508
2002 modern 91 #29,181
2003 modern 89 #29,380
2004 modern 89 #29,623
2005 modern 88 #29,831
2006 modern 102 #27,926
2007 modern 103 #28,187
2008 modern 104 #28,341
2009 modern 98 #29,906
2010 modern 105 #29,453
2011 modern 99 #30,218
2012 modern 91 #31,659
2013 modern 95 #31,523
2014 modern 92 #32,132
2015 modern 92 #32,075
2016 modern 95 #31,782

Geography

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Where Usshers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Derby, Lambeth, Leeds and Horsham. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 016 Cornwall
2 Derby 029 Derby
3 Lambeth 023 Lambeth
4 Leeds 006 Leeds
5 Horsham 002 Horsham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ussher

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ussher

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Ussher surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Ussher household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Ussher 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

Ussher is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Ussher

The surname Ussher has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "ussair," meaning "usher" or "doorkeeper." The name is believed to have originated in County Wicklow, where it was associated with a family that held the hereditary position of ushers to the Lords of Leinster.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Ussher name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals reference an individual named Gilla na Naemh Ua Usair, who died in 1169.

The surname Ussher gained prominence during the Elizabethan era, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One of the most famous was James Ussher (1581-1656), an Anglo-Irish Protestant bishop and scholar who is best known for his work on biblical chronology and his calculation of the date of creation as October 23, 4004 BC.

Another prominent figure was Henry Ussher (1550-1613), an Irish-born Anglican priest and theologian who served as Archdeacon of Dublin. He was also the father of James Ussher, the aforementioned biblical scholar.

In the 17th century, Christopher Ussher (1614-1677) was an Irish politician and landowner who served as a member of the Irish House of Commons. He was also a staunch supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.

During the same period, Ambrose Ussher (1619-1679) was an Irish-born Anglican priest and author who served as Archdeacon of Armagh and wrote several religious works, including "A Body of Divinity" and "The Principles of Christian Religion."

In more recent history, Arland Ussher (1899-1980) was a British architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the reconstruction of London after World War II. He also served as the president of the Royal Institute of British Architects from 1959 to 1961.

The name Ussher has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Usshers Island in County Kilkenny and Ussherton in County Westmeath, reflecting the historical presence of families bearing this surname in those regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ussher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ussher 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. Surrey leads with 12 Usshers recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.86x.

County Total Index
Surrey 12 4.86x
Kent 11 6.36x
Middlesex 11 2.17x
Lancashire 5 0.83x
Gloucestershire 2 2.01x
Pembrokeshire 2 12.41x
Sussex 2 2.34x
Cheshire 1 0.89x
Cumberland 1 2.29x
Durham 1 0.66x
Essex 1 1.00x
Lincolnshire 1 1.23x
Royal Navy 1 16.56x
Shropshire 1 2.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wandsworth in Surrey leads with 9 Usshers recorded in 1881 and an index of 184.43x.

Place Total Index
Wandsworth 9 184.43x
Charlton Next Woolwich 5 277.78x
Folkestone 5 148.81x
Liverpool 5 13.68x
St George Hanover 4 60.42x
St Martin In Fields 4 131.58x
Eastbourne 2 50.89x
Kensington London 2 7.09x
Putney 2 86.58x
Tenby St Mary In 2 243.90x
Deptford St Paul 1 7.49x
Gloucester St Mary Crypt 1 666.67x
Hartford 1 400.00x
Hensingham 1 277.78x
Middle 1 833.33x
Newington 1 5.34x
Prittlewell 1 71.94x
Royal Navy 1 19.34x
Stockton On Tees 1 13.76x
Twickenham 1 46.08x
Usselby 1 10000.00x
Wotton St Mary 1 192.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Charlotte 4
Sarah 2
Annabella 1
Annie 1
Christina 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Jane 1
Jessia 1
Julia 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
M. 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Robert 4
Beverley 2
George 2
Henry 2
John 2
Alfred 1
Allan 1
Arland 1
Arthur 1
Hamilton 1
Howard 1
Hubert 1
Jno. 1
Maurice 1
Percival 1
Richard 1
Thomas 1
William 1

FAQ

Ussher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ussher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 51 people were recorded with the Ussher surname. That placed it at #26,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ussher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 95 in 2016. That gives Ussher a modern rank of #31,782.

What does the Ussher surname mean?

A surname derived from a variation of the name "Husher," meaning doorkeeper.

What does the Ussher map show?

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