NameCensus.

UK surname

Mabey

An English surname derived from a Middle English pronunciation of "maybe" or "perhaps".

In the 1881 census there were 430 people recorded with the Mabey surname, ranking it #7,569 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 804, ranked #6,884, up from #7,569 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newchurch, Poole St James and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Southampton, Poole and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mabey is 868 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 87.0%.

1881 census count

430

Ranked #7,569

Modern count

804

2016, ranked #6,884

Peak year

2013

868 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mabey had 430 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,569 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 804 in 2016, ranked #6,884.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 752 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Mabey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mabey surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mabey 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 195 #10,620
1861 historical 249 #9,904
1881 historical 430 #7,569
1891 historical 516 #7,234
1901 historical 608 #7,000
1911 historical 752 #5,729
1997 modern 838 #6,306
1998 modern 859 #6,390
1999 modern 850 #6,487
2000 modern 859 #6,401
2001 modern 826 #6,496
2002 modern 836 #6,543
2003 modern 789 #6,727
2004 modern 784 #6,784
2005 modern 758 #6,899
2006 modern 759 #6,920
2007 modern 755 #7,015
2008 modern 768 #6,973
2009 modern 814 #6,793
2010 modern 846 #6,719
2011 modern 842 #6,664
2012 modern 851 #6,521
2013 modern 868 #6,531
2014 modern 844 #6,692
2015 modern 825 #6,756
2016 modern 804 #6,884

Geography

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Where Mabeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newchurch, Poole St James, London parishes, South Stoneham and Southampton St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Southampton, Poole and Rhondda Cynon Taf. 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 Newchurch Hampshire
2 Poole St James Dorset
3 London parishes London 3
4 South Stoneham Hampshire
5 Southampton St Mary Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Southampton 004 Southampton
2 Southampton 012 Southampton
3 Southampton 002 Southampton
4 Poole 007 Poole
5 Rhondda Cynon Taf 009 Rhondda Cynon Taf

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mabey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mabey

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Mabey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mabey is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Mabey

The surname Mabey originated in England during the late medieval period, derived from the Old French word "mabé," meaning "handsome" or "beautiful." It is believed to have initially been a nickname bestowed upon individuals known for their striking physical appearance.

This surname first emerged in the county of Wiltshire, where it was closely associated with the village of Mabey, located near the town of Calne. The name appears in several historic documents from this region, including the Pipe Rolls of 1176, which mention a "Roger de Mabey" among the landowners.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the Mabey surname was John Mabey, who was born in Wiltshire around 1320. He is mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334 as a taxpayer in the village of Mabey.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname spread to other parts of England, including Somerset and Dorset. Notable individuals from this period include Richard Mabey, a merchant from Bristol born in 1562, and Edward Mabey, a clergyman from Dorset who lived from 1589 to 1647.

In the 18th century, the Mabey surname gained prominence in Hampshire, where a family of landed gentry resided at the Mabey Manor estate. Sir William Mabey (1712-1789) was a prominent figure in this lineage, serving as a Member of Parliament and High Sheriff of Hampshire.

Another notable bearer of the Mabey name was Thomas Mabey (1798-1866), a renowned landscape artist born in Hampshire. His paintings depicting rural scenes and landscapes of southern England are displayed in several art galleries and museums.

As the Mabey family expanded throughout the centuries, the surname underwent various spelling variations, including Maybee, Mayby, and Maby. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of individual scribes or record-keepers.

While the Mabey surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration, particularly to North America and Australia, where descendants of the original English families have established their own lineages and contributions to their respective communities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mabey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mabey 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 109 Mabeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.15x.

County Total Index
Surrey 109 5.15x
Hampshire 101 11.35x
Dorset 88 30.89x
Middlesex 48 1.11x
Somerset 22 3.15x
Channel Islands 14 10.88x
Kent 8 0.54x
Staffordshire 8 0.55x
Durham 6 0.46x
Sussex 6 0.82x
Essex 5 0.58x
Gloucestershire 5 0.59x
Yorkshire 5 0.12x
Berkshire 3 0.92x
Devon 3 0.33x
Hertfordshire 3 1.00x
Northumberland 3 0.46x
Shropshire 3 0.80x
Warwickshire 2 0.18x
Angus 1 0.25x
Cheshire 1 0.10x
Worcestershire 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. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 34 Mabeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.98x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 34 8.98x
Camberwell 33 11.90x
Eling 18 199.78x
Bromley London 13 13.61x
Cerne Abbas 13 942.03x
Tottenham 13 18.80x
Charlton Marshall 12 1237.11x
Mitcham 12 89.75x
Newchurch 11 544.55x
Milton Abbas 10 714.29x
Rotherhithe 10 18.65x
Haselbury Plucknett 9 1022.73x
Portland 9 58.75x
South Stoneham 9 46.63x
Southampton St Mary 9 16.09x
Bonchurch 8 800.00x
Brading 8 67.68x
Harborne 8 17.04x
Netherbury 8 338.98x
Kimmeridge 7 2800.00x
Romsey Extra 7 132.33x
St Peter Port 7 29.41x
Michelmersh 6 346.82x
Newington 6 3.74x
South Petherton 6 166.21x
Clapham 5 9.21x
Eastbourne 5 14.85x
Holdenhurst 5 21.42x
Kensington London 5 2.07x
Kingston On Thames 5 9.84x
Leeds 5 2.06x
Portsea 5 2.87x
West Ham 5 2.64x
Weymouth 5 92.59x
Crayford 4 61.82x
Hackney London 4 1.64x
Longfleet 4 121.21x
Poplar London 4 4.88x
Preston 4 384.62x
Ryde 4 20.93x
St Saviour 4 56.26x
Bishopwearmouth 3 2.71x
Chipping Barnet 3 57.36x
Evercreech 3 178.57x
Neen Savage 3 612.24x
Powerstock 3 245.90x
Shildon 3 28.90x
St Peter 3 80.86x
Twickenham 3 16.12x
Ventnor 3 35.46x
Wallsend 3 14.65x
Widley 3 188.68x
Beaminster 2 63.09x
Bedminster 2 3.05x
Bexley 2 15.28x
Birmingham 2 0.55x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 2 2.50x
Exeter St Thomas The 2 21.72x
Lewisham 2 2.53x
Longbredy 2 588.24x
Mangotsfield 2 23.56x
Mapperton 2 1333.33x
Melcombe Regis 2 16.93x
St Pancras London 2 0.57x
Streatham 2 6.21x
West Knighton 2 434.78x
Bristol St George 1 2.54x
Burton Bradstock 1 70.92x
Dundee 1 0.67x
Hornsey 1 1.82x
Kings Norton 1 1.97x
Macclesfield 1 2.35x
Mortlake 1 10.60x
New Windsor 1 9.13x
Oxted 1 39.22x
Portsmouth 1 4.88x
Reading St Lawrence 1 14.35x
Reading St Mary 1 3.83x
Wareham Holy Trinity 1 80.65x
Yeovil 1 7.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 28
Eliza 22
Sarah 15
Jane 14
Alice 10
Ellen 8
Annie 6
Ada 5
Elizabeth 5
Emily 5
Florence 5
Hannah 5
Ann 4
Caroline 4
Kate 4
Susan 4
Anne 3
Bessie 3
Clara 3
Edith 3
Frances 3
Harriet 3
Jessie 3
Louisa 3
Amy 2
Emma 2
Ethel 2
Eva 2
Francis 2
Isabella 2
Julia 2
Lucy 2
Lydia 2
Maggie 2
Martha 2
Maud 2
Minnie 2
Cecil 1
Edent 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Florrence 1
Georgenia 1
Isabel 1
Laura 1
Levina 1
Lily 1
Maria 1
Marie 1
Veronique 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Mabey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mabey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 430 people were recorded with the Mabey surname. That placed it at #7,569 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mabey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 804 in 2016. That gives Mabey a modern rank of #6,884.

What does the Mabey surname mean?

An English surname derived from a Middle English pronunciation of "maybe" or "perhaps".

What does the Mabey map show?

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