NameCensus.

UK surname

Coleby

In the 1881 census there were 231 people recorded with the Coleby surname, ranking it #11,722 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 410, ranked #11,674, up from #11,722 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lakenheath, Brighton and St Mary Islington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gateshead, Uttlesford and East Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Coleby is 452 in 2001. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 77.5%.

1881 census count

231

Ranked #11,722

Modern count

410

2016, ranked #11,674

Peak year

2001

452 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Coleby had 231 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,722 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 410 in 2016, ranked #11,674.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 398 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Coleby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Coleby surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Coleby 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 237 #9,152
1861 historical 190 #12,520
1881 historical 231 #11,722
1891 historical 324 #10,453
1901 historical 364 #10,128
1911 historical 398 #9,321
1997 modern 444 #10,172
1998 modern 427 #10,825
1999 modern 443 #10,577
2000 modern 447 #10,497
2001 modern 452 #10,192
2002 modern 434 #10,751
2003 modern 406 #11,150
2004 modern 397 #11,345
2005 modern 387 #11,463
2006 modern 399 #11,282
2007 modern 413 #11,100
2008 modern 429 #10,850
2009 modern 437 #10,947
2010 modern 451 #10,897
2011 modern 427 #11,243
2012 modern 432 #11,015
2013 modern 432 #11,210
2014 modern 417 #11,632
2015 modern 412 #11,642
2016 modern 410 #11,674

Geography

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Where Colebys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lakenheath, Brighton, St Mary Islington, Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gateshead, Uttlesford, East Cambridgeshire, Leicester and New Forest. 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 Lakenheath Suffolk
2 Brighton Sussex
3 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
4 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gateshead 017 Gateshead
2 Uttlesford 006 Uttlesford
3 East Cambridgeshire 001 East Cambridgeshire
4 Leicester 030 Leicester
5 New Forest 019 New Forest

Forenames

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First names often paired with Coleby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Coleby

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Coleby, 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 Coleby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Coleby 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Coleby is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Coleby is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Coleby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Coleby 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. Norfolk leads with 52 Colebys recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.01x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 52 15.01x
Middlesex 42 1.86x
Suffolk 28 10.20x
Surrey 17 1.55x
Lancashire 15 0.56x
Somerset 10 2.76x
Sussex 9 2.37x
Cambridgeshire 7 4.90x
Cheshire 7 1.41x
Northamptonshire 7 3.30x
Yorkshire 7 0.31x
Nottinghamshire 6 1.98x
Gloucestershire 5 1.13x
Devon 4 0.85x
Kent 4 0.52x
Lincolnshire 3 0.83x
Durham 2 0.30x
Herefordshire 2 2.16x
Hertfordshire 1 0.64x
Leicestershire 1 0.40x
Royal Navy 1 3.72x
Warwickshire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Heigham in Norfolk leads with 13 Colebys recorded in 1881 and an index of 69.89x.

Place Total Index
Heigham 13 69.89x
Islington London 11 5.04x
Lowestoft 10 77.16x
East Dereham 8 182.65x
Oldham 8 9.27x
Bethnal Green London 7 7.15x
Ealing 7 34.76x
Glinton 7 2333.33x
Littleport 7 256.41x
Northenden 7 769.23x
Brighton 6 7.83x
Kirkleatham 6 198.68x
Bath St James 5 132.28x
Croydon 5 8.20x
Putney 5 48.69x
Ashby 4 5000.00x
Cheltenham 4 11.73x
Liverpool 4 2.46x
Paston 4 2105.26x
Runham 4 579.71x
Tiverton 4 49.51x
Walcot 4 20.70x
Deptford St Paul 3 5.06x
Enfield 3 20.30x
Great Yarmouth 3 10.45x
Hampstead London 3 8.55x
Lakenheath 3 206.90x
Maresfield 3 187.50x
Old Newton 3 566.04x
Redenhall 3 222.22x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 6.62x
Tottenham 3 8.36x
Annesley 2 175.44x
Aylsham 2 97.09x
Brisley 2 740.74x
Chelsea London 2 2.95x
Coddington 2 500.00x
Darlington 2 7.73x
Guildford Holy Trinity 2 95.69x
Hainford 2 408.16x
Holmer 2 120.48x
Holt 2 169.49x
Ipswich St Margaret 2 21.48x
North Collingham 2 277.78x
North Walsham 2 80.00x
Norwich St Stephen 2 62.89x
Barton Bendish 1 294.12x
Birkdale 1 14.77x
Carlton Colville 1 99.01x
Cliffe 1 57.80x
Clifton 1 4.48x
Conistone Cum Kilnsey 1 714.29x
Cranwell 1 625.00x
Easton 1 588.24x
Ewell 1 43.10x
Eye 1 56.50x
Feltwell Feltwell Anchor 1 158.73x
Hackney London 1 0.79x
Hemingstone 1 434.78x
Ipswich St Mathew 1 13.00x
Kensington London 1 0.80x
Kersey 1 263.16x
Monckton Combe 1 86.21x
Newington 1 1.20x
North Meols 1 3.82x
Norwich St Mary At Coslany 1 101.01x
Norwich St Michael At 1 49.75x
Pulham St Mary Virgin 1 156.25x
Royal Navy 1 4.36x
Rugby 1 13.00x
Shawell 1 625.00x
St Albans St Peter 1 19.08x
St George Bloomsbury 1 7.73x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.52x
St Marylebone London 1 0.83x
Stoke Newington London 1 5.70x
Westhall 1 303.03x
Westleigh 1 16.47x
Wilsford 1 188.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 14
William 10
Charles 6
George 6
Robert 5
Walter 5
Edward 4
Henry 4
David 3
Frederick 3
Herbert 3
James 3
Richard 3
Samuel 3
Thomas 3
Alfred 2
Francis 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Brian 1
Cecil 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
Cornelius 1
Ernest 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
Lyons 1
Matthew 1
Sherwood 1
Thos 1
Thos.Hy. 1
W.H. 1

FAQ

Coleby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Coleby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 231 people were recorded with the Coleby surname. That placed it at #11,722 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Coleby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 410 in 2016. That gives Coleby a modern rank of #11,674.

What does the Coleby map show?

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