Surnames from the 1881 British Census | British Surnames, Surname Distribution and Surname Profiles

1881 Census

Top surnames by county from the 1881 British Census

For each county, the most common surname (by overall total) and the most concentrated in that county (by population index) are shown. Follow the links to get more detailed stats for each county and parishes/villages within that county.

England

County	Top surname by total	Top surname by index
Bedfordshire	SMITH	WHITTEMORE
Berkshire	SMITH	FLITTER
Buckinghamshire	SMITH	SEAMONS
Cambridgeshire	SMITH	FROHOCK
Cheshire	JONES	SPANN
Cornwall	WILLIAMS	MURRISH
Cumberland	GRAHAM	EILBECK
Derbyshire	SMITH	ANNABLE
Devon	HARRIS	DAMERELL
Dorset	WHITE	BUGLER
County Durham	SMITH	CLISH
Essex	SMITH	ALLSTON
Gloucestershire	SMITH	BRAZINGTON
Hampshire	SMITH	WOODMORE
Herefordshire	JONES	ECKLEY
Huntingdonshire	SMITH	SCRIPPS
Huntingdoneshire	SMITH	CULLIP
Kent	SMITH	LYNDS
Lancashire	SMITH	ALLRED
Leicestershire	SMITH	HEGGS
Lincolnshire	SMITH	FIDELL
London	SMITH	DACOSTA
Northamptonshire	SMITH	FITZHUGH
Norfolk	SMITH	RALLISON
Nottinghamshire	SMITH	LANGSDALE
Northumberland	THOMPSON	STRAUGHAN
Oxfordshire	SMITH	TURRILL
Rutland	SMITH	HIBBITT
Shropshire	JONES	HOOF
Somerset	SMITH	HEMBRY
Staffordshire	SMITH	BEEBEE
Suffolk	SMITH	SPORE
Surrey	SMITH	POTIER
Sussex	SMITH	FEARS
Warwickshire	SMITH	SHEASBY
Wiltshire	SMITH	CUNDICK
Westmorland	ATKINSON	ION
Worcestershire	SMITH	HALWARD
Yorkshire	SMITH	ATHA

Scotland

County	Top surname by total	Top surname by index
Aberdeenshire	SMITH	ARGO
Argyll	CAMPBELL	BUIE
Ayrshire	WILSON	SPEIR
Banffshire	SMITH	BADENOCH
Berwickshire	SCOTT	GILLIE
Buteshire	KERR	MURCHIE
Caithness	SUTHERLAND	WARES
Clackmannanshire	HUNTER	HARROWER
Dumfriesshire	BELL	DINWOODIE
Dunbartonshire	CAMPBELL	KINLOCH
Edinburghshire (Midlothian)	BROWN	KETCHEN
Elginshire (Morayshire)	GRANT	YOUNIE
Fife	THOMSON	EDNIE
Forfarshire (Angus)	SMITH	DARGIE
Haddingtonshire (East Lothian)	THOMSON	PEFFERS
Inverness-shire	FRASER	MACISAAC
Kincardineshire	SMITH	LEIPER
Kinross-shire	ROBERTSON	BEVERIDGE
Kirkcudbrightshire	THOMSON	BURNIE
Lanarkshire	BROWN	JAAP
Linlithgowshire (West Lothian)	BROWN	SNEDDEN
Nairnshire	FRASER	MACKINTOSH
Orkney	SINCLAIR	RITCH
Peeblesshire	SCOTT	VEITCH
Perthshire	ROBERTSON	WHITTET
Renfrewshire	CAMPBELL	GORMLY
Ross-shire (Ross and Cromarty)	ROSS	MACIVER
Roxburghshire	SCOTT	MABON
Selkirkshire	SCOTT	EMOND
Stirlingshire	BROWN	GENTLEMAN
Sutherland	MACKAY	MACKAY
Wigtownshire	SMITH	DONNAN
Zetland (Shetland)	SMITH	WALTERSON

Wales

County	Top surname by total	Top surname by index
Anglesey / Sir Fon	JONES	OWEN
Brecknockshire / Sir Frycheiniog	JONES	HARGEST
Caernarfonshire / Sir Gaernarfon	JONES	PRICHARD
Cardiganshire / Ceredigion	JONES	FELIX
Carmarthenshire / Sir Gaerfyrddin	DAVIES	GRAVELL
Denbighshire / Sir Ddinbych	JONES	CHALONER
Flintshire / Sir Fflint	JONES	BELLIS
Glamorgan / Morgannwg	JONES	ACE
Merioneth / Meirionnydd	JONES	ROWLANDS
Montgomeryshire / Sir Drefaldwyn	JONES	BEEDLES
Monmouthshire / Sir Fynwy	JONES	JEREMIAH
Pembrokeshire / Sir Benfro	DAVIES	SKONE
Radnorshire / Sir Faesyfed	JONES	WORTHING

Others

County	Top surname by total	Top surname by index
Channel Islands	RENOUF	BREHAUT
Isle of Man	KELLY	CARINE
Royal Navy	SMITH	SULLIVAN
(Unknown)	WILLIAMS

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