NameCensus.

UK surname

Kisby

A geographical surname likely denoting a place of origin.

In the 1881 census there were 249 people recorded with the Kisby surname, ranking it #11,103 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 435, ranked #11,084, up from #11,103 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth, Horncastle (incl. Horncastle allotments) and Deeping, Market. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Richmond upon Thames, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Leicester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kisby is 468 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 74.7%.

1881 census count

249

Ranked #11,103

Modern count

435

2016, ranked #11,084

Peak year

2010

468 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kisby had 249 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,103 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 435 in 2016, ranked #11,084.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 362 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Kisby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kisby surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kisby 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 208 #10,107
1861 historical 142 #15,982
1881 historical 249 #11,103
1891 historical 287 #11,473
1901 historical 299 #11,673
1911 historical 362 #10,020
1997 modern 441 #10,231
1998 modern 453 #10,358
1999 modern 464 #10,216
2000 modern 453 #10,371
2001 modern 438 #10,462
2002 modern 457 #10,314
2003 modern 438 #10,507
2004 modern 429 #10,718
2005 modern 417 #10,833
2006 modern 425 #10,729
2007 modern 430 #10,729
2008 modern 429 #10,850
2009 modern 455 #10,575
2010 modern 468 #10,550
2011 modern 455 #10,691
2012 modern 449 #10,675
2013 modern 446 #10,911
2014 modern 450 #10,902
2015 modern 448 #10,854
2016 modern 435 #11,084

Geography

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Where Kisbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth, Horncastle (incl. Horncastle allotments), Deeping, Market, Peterborough St John the Baptist and Queenborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Richmond upon Thames, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Leicester, Leeds and East Lindsey. 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 Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth Cambridgeshire
2 Horncastle (incl. Horncastle allotments) Lincolnshire
3 Deeping, Market Lincolnshire
4 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire
5 Queenborough Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Richmond upon Thames 004 Richmond upon Thames
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 018 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 Leicester 034 Leicester
4 Leeds 046 Leeds
5 East Lindsey 011 East Lindsey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kisby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kisby

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Kisby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Kisby household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Kisby is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Kisby 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

Kisby falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Kisby

The surname KISBY is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the county of Yorkshire during the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "cyse" meaning cheese and "by" meaning a farmstead or village, indicating that the name likely referred to a place where cheese was produced or a cheese farm.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KISBY appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297, where a Robert de Kesebi is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Kesebi," further supports the connection to the Old English words for cheese and a village or settlement.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a place called "Cheseby" in Yorkshire, which is believed to be the origin of the surname KISBY. This place name is also thought to be derived from the same Old English words for cheese and a village or settlement.

During the 14th century, the name KISBY began to appear in various records across Yorkshire and the surrounding areas. In the Poll Tax Returns of 1379, a John Kyseby is listed in the village of Hovingham, North Yorkshire. This spelling variation further illustrates the evolution of the name over time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname KISBY was William Kisby, who was born in Yorkshire in 1425. He was a landowner and held properties in the village of Kilburn, North Yorkshire.

Another notable individual was Robert Kisby, born in 1567 in Pickering, North Yorkshire. He was a prominent merchant and served as a local magistrate in the town.

In the 17th century, the KISBY surname spread beyond Yorkshire and into other parts of England. John Kisby, born in 1621 in Lincolnshire, was a respected scholar and author who wrote several treatises on theology and philosophy.

During the 18th century, the KISBY name continued to be associated with Yorkshire, but also began to appear in other regions. Thomas Kisby, born in 1732 in Lancashire, was a successful businessman and landowner who owned several mills in the area.

In the 19th century, the surname KISBY gained more prominence, with several notable individuals bearing the name. William Kisby, born in 1817 in Yorkshire, was a renowned architect and designed several churches and public buildings in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kisby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kisby 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. Lincolnshire leads with 65 Kisbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.37x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 65 17.37x
Cambridgeshire 64 43.16x
Huntingdonshire 22 47.33x
Middlesex 20 0.85x
Norfolk 13 3.61x
Northamptonshire 13 5.90x
Leicestershire 9 3.47x
Kent 8 1.00x
Surrey 7 0.61x
Cheshire 6 1.16x
Yorkshire 6 0.26x
Lancashire 5 0.18x
Hertfordshire 1 0.62x
Suffolk 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whittlesey St Mary St in Cambridgeshire leads with 36 Kisbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 694.98x.

Place Total Index
Whittlesey St Mary St 36 694.98x
Kirton 13 866.67x
Mepal 11 3666.67x
Spalding 11 148.05x
Stibbington 9 2045.45x
Kirton In Lindsey 8 540.54x
Leicester St Mary 8 38.15x
All Saints Cambridge 7 673.08x
Horncastle 7 181.35x
Hornsey 7 23.65x
Tenterden 7 248.23x
Thurning 7 4666.67x
Tottenham 7 18.78x
Walsoken 7 324.07x
St Martin Lincoln 6 172.91x
Upwell 6 550.46x
Colne 5 1923.08x
Fulham London 5 14.73x
Hemingford Grey 5 704.23x
Manthorpe Cum Little 5 174.83x
Southcoates 5 38.82x
Watlington 5 1000.00x
Honington 4 2857.14x
Macclesfield 4 17.41x
Croxton 3 1304.35x
Lambeth 3 1.47x
Whaplode Drove 3 476.19x
Withington 3 33.52x
Bracebridge 2 117.65x
Donington 2 149.25x
Godmanchester 2 113.64x
Hyde 2 13.11x
Metheringham 2 133.33x
Peterborough 2 12.55x
Richmond 2 12.52x
Weedon Beck 2 126.58x
Ardwick 1 3.99x
Bushey 1 26.04x
Camberwell 1 0.67x
Cotterstock 1 769.23x
Coulsdon 1 48.31x
Hemingford Abbots 1 322.58x
Ipswich St Clement 1 13.79x
Leeds 1 0.76x
Leicester St Margaret 1 1.58x
Liverpool 1 0.59x
March 1 20.16x
Maxey 1 204.08x
Outwell 1 142.86x
Paddington London 1 1.16x
Queenborough 1 126.58x
St Botolph Lincoln 1 37.17x
Surfleet 1 128.21x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 9
Alice 8
Ann 6
Sarah 5
Frances 4
Jane 4
Kate 4
Margaret 4
Rose 4
Harriet 3
Agnes 2
E. 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Florence 2
Lizzie 2
Lucy 2
Maud 2
Olive 2
Ruth 2
Susan 2
Betsey 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Eda 1
Edith 1
Emoley 1
Esther 1
Georgina 1
Harriett 1
Infant 1
Isabella 1
Jemima 1
Jemmia 1
Jessie 1
Kathleen 1
Kezia 1
Laura 1
Lois 1
Lydia 1
M. 1
M.A. 1
Maria 1
Marion 1
May 1
Miriam 1
Pollie 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 16
John 12
Charles 10
George 9
Henry 7
James 7
Edward 5
Robert 5
Walter 5
Arthur 4
Levi 4
Frederick 3
Edwin 2
Fredk. 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Thomas 2
A. 1
Alfred 1
Amos 1
Backer 1
E. 1
Edga 1
Edgar 1
Elmer 1
Ernest 1
F. 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
Herbut 1
Jesse 1
Matthew 1
Richard 1
Thos. 1
Timotay 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Kisby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kisby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 249 people were recorded with the Kisby surname. That placed it at #11,103 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kisby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 435 in 2016. That gives Kisby a modern rank of #11,084.

What does the Kisby surname mean?

A geographical surname likely denoting a place of origin.

What does the Kisby map show?

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