NameCensus.

UK surname

Philbey

In the 1881 census there were 114 people recorded with the Philbey surname, ranking it #18,324 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 158, ranked #22,904, down from #18,324 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Missenden, Great and Tring. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hillingdon, Tower Hamlets and Aylesbury Vale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Philbey is 211 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.6%.

1881 census count

114

Ranked #18,324

Modern count

158

2016, ranked #22,904

Peak year

1911

211 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Philbey had 114 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,324 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 158 in 2016, ranked #22,904.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 211 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Philbey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Philbey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Philbey 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 108 #16,308
1861 historical 84 #23,058
1881 historical 114 #18,324
1891 historical 139 #19,311
1901 historical 200 #15,120
1911 historical 211 #14,467
1997 modern 170 #19,505
1998 modern 170 #20,030
1999 modern 169 #20,233
2000 modern 179 #19,494
2001 modern 175 #19,484
2002 modern 171 #20,177
2003 modern 163 #20,554
2004 modern 167 #20,367
2005 modern 166 #20,379
2006 modern 167 #20,447
2007 modern 162 #21,115
2008 modern 158 #21,690
2009 modern 163 #21,715
2010 modern 170 #21,560
2011 modern 167 #21,642
2012 modern 161 #22,157
2013 modern 168 #21,914
2014 modern 166 #22,277
2015 modern 162 #22,509
2016 modern 158 #22,904

Geography

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Where Philbeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Missenden, Great, Tring, Thurrock, Grays and Chesham (incl. Chartridge, Billington & Latimers with Waterside. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hillingdon, Tower Hamlets, Aylesbury Vale, Cornwall and South Northamptonshire. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Missenden, Great Buckinghamshire
3 Tring Hertfordshire
4 Thurrock, Grays Essex
5 Chesham (incl. Chartridge, Billington & Latimers with Waterside Buckinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hillingdon 016 Hillingdon
2 Tower Hamlets 001 Tower Hamlets
3 Aylesbury Vale 020 Aylesbury Vale
4 Cornwall 040 Cornwall
5 South Northamptonshire 010 South Northamptonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Philbey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Philbey

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Philbey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Philbey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Philbey 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

Philbey is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Philbey falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Philbey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 40-50 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

7
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Philbey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Philbey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Philbey 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. Buckinghamshire leads with 39 Philbeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.02x.

County Total Index
Buckinghamshire 39 58.02x
Hertfordshire 27 35.23x
Essex 22 10.02x
Middlesex 10 0.90x
Surrey 9 1.66x
Kent 5 1.32x
Oxfordshire 1 1.46x
Worcestershire 1 0.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wendover in Buckinghamshire leads with 16 Philbeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2222.22x.

Place Total Index
Wendover 16 2222.22x
West Thurrock 12 1643.84x
Tring 10 487.80x
Berkhampstead 8 465.12x
Chesham 8 322.58x
Hemel Hempstead 8 231.88x
Great Missenden 7 843.37x
Grays Thurrock 6 294.12x
Lambeth 6 6.19x
St Marylebone London 5 8.42x
Ramsey 4 1379.31x
St Anne Soho London 4 62.99x
Minster In Sheppey 3 47.77x
Newington 3 7.30x
Weston Turville 3 967.74x
Lavendon 2 666.67x
Marsworth 2 1176.47x
Plumstead 2 15.81x
Aston Clinton 1 175.44x
Cowley 1 46.73x
Paddington London 1 2.45x
Sarratt 1 370.37x
Strensham 1 1428.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Sarah 6
Elizabeth 5
Amelia 3
Charlotte 3
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Lucy 3
Ada 2
Ann 2
Emily 2
Hannah 2
Louisa 2
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Harriett 1
Julia 1
Lizzie 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
Joseph 7
George 5
Henry 4
James 4
Alfred 3
Charles 3
Herbert 3
Walter 3
Abel 2
Arthur 2
William 2
Willm. 2
Arnold 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Ephram 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Hernest 1
Jesse 1
Phillip 1

FAQ

Philbey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Philbey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 114 people were recorded with the Philbey surname. That placed it at #18,324 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Philbey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 158 in 2016. That gives Philbey a modern rank of #22,904.

What does the Philbey map show?

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