NameCensus.

UK surname

Sailes

A medieval occupational surname for a maker or seller of sails.

In the 1881 census there were 70 people recorded with the Sailes surname, ranking it #23,670 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 85, ranked #32,637, down from #23,670 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wirral, Cheshire West and Chester and Castle Point.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sailes is 105 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.4%.

1881 census count

70

Ranked #23,670

Modern count

85

2016, ranked #32,637

Peak year

2004

105 bearers

Map years

2

1998 to 2006

Key insights

  • Sailes had 70 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,670 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 85 in 2016, ranked #32,637.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 70 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Sailes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sailes surname density by area, 2006 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sailes 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 46 #24,985
1861 historical 50 #27,636
1881 historical 70 #23,670
1891 historical 36 #31,465
1901 historical 49 #28,696
1911 historical 57 #27,099
1997 modern 101 #26,774
1998 modern 104 #26,981
1999 modern 102 #27,468
2000 modern 100 #27,695
2001 modern 95 #28,101
2002 modern 103 #27,443
2003 modern 100 #27,722
2004 modern 105 #27,181
2005 modern 96 #28,671
2006 modern 100 #28,283
2007 modern 103 #28,187
2008 modern 101 #28,825
2009 modern 101 #29,445
2010 modern 104 #29,618
2011 modern 92 #31,301
2012 modern 90 #31,790
2013 modern 87 #32,472
2014 modern 88 #32,495
2015 modern 85 #32,693
2016 modern 85 #32,637

Geography

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Where Sailes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wirral, Cheshire West and Chester and Castle Point. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wirral 031 Wirral
2 Cheshire West and Chester 008 Cheshire West and Chester
3 Cheshire West and Chester 005 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Wirral 032 Wirral
5 Castle Point 008 Castle Point

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sailes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sailes

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Sailes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Sailes household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Sailes is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Sailes is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sailes falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sailes is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Sailes

The surname Sailes originated in England, with its earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English word "sæl," which means "a willow tree." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a willow tree or in an area abundant with willows.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a William Saille was listed as a resident of Cambridgeshire. In the 14th century, the name was also found in various records from Yorkshire and Northamptonshire, suggesting its spread across different regions of England.

The Sailes surname has been associated with various place names throughout history, particularly in areas where willows were prevalent. For instance, in the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to places such as "Sallowe" in Staffordshire and "Salhov" in Derbyshire, which may have influenced the development of the surname.

Notables bearing the Sailes surname throughout history include John Sailes (1568-1642), an English Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of Ternhill in Shropshire. Another notable figure was Sir John Sailes (1604-1678), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire during the reign of Charles II.

In the late 17th century, Richard Sailes (1652-1706) was a prominent English physician and author who wrote several treatises on medical topics, including "The Nature and Cure of Malignant Fevers" (1686).

During the 18th century, Thomas Sailes (1715-1789) gained recognition as an accomplished English architect and surveyor. He designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Botolph Aldgate and the Guildhall Library.

In the 19th century, William Sailes (1821-1897) was a prominent English industrialist and philanthropist. He founded the Sailes Textile Mills in Lancashire and was known for his contributions to the local community, including the establishment of schools and hospitals.

Throughout its history, the Sailes surname has undergone various spelling variations, such as Saille, Saylle, Sayll, and Saile, reflecting regional dialects and variations in pronunciation. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in its association with willows and the Old English word "sæl."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sailes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sailes 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. Yorkshire leads with 29 Sailes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.35x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 29 4.35x
Kent 21 9.14x
Surrey 7 2.13x
Monmouthshire 4 8.22x
Lanarkshire 2 0.92x
Sussex 2 1.76x
Devon 1 0.71x
Essex 1 0.75x
Lancashire 1 0.13x
Lincolnshire 1 0.93x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dartford in Kent leads with 9 Sailes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 382.98x.

Place Total Index
Dartford 9 382.98x
Barmby On Marsh 8 11428.57x
Greenwich 5 46.69x
Aberystruth 4 93.24x
Adwick Le Street 4 6666.67x
Doncaster 4 82.14x
Hook 4 272.11x
Lambeth 4 6.82x
Croydon 3 16.47x
Ashford 2 89.29x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 2 250.00x
Eastbourne 2 38.31x
Maryhill 2 46.95x
Rotherham 2 53.19x
Sandwich St Clement 2 1052.63x
Almondbury 1 30.96x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 15.77x
Devonport 1 62.11x
Dewsbury 1 14.62x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 7.37x
Lewisham 1 8.16x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 1 59.52x
Marston 1 1428.57x
Prittlewell 1 54.35x
Sandwich St Mary 1 476.19x
Sheffield 1 4.71x
Tonbridge 1 12.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 4
Mary 4
Sarah 4
Jane 3
Alice 2
Martha 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Charlotte 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Harriett 1
Jemima 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
John 6
Thomas 4
Charles 2
Fred 2
Samuel 2
Tom 2
Alfred 1
George 1
Harry 1
James 1
Joe 1
Richard 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Samwell 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Sailes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sailes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 70 people were recorded with the Sailes surname. That placed it at #23,670 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sailes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 85 in 2016. That gives Sailes a modern rank of #32,637.

What does the Sailes surname mean?

A medieval occupational surname for a maker or seller of sails.

What does the Sailes map show?

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