NameCensus.

UK surname

Sainsbury

A locational surname derived from a place called Saintbury or St. Bury in Gloucestershire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 1,539 people recorded with the Sainsbury surname, ranking it #2,727 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,001, ranked #3,226, down from #2,727 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Trowbridge and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, Braintree and Bridgend.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sainsbury is 2,178 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.0%.

1881 census count

1,539

Ranked #2,727

Modern count

2,001

2016, ranked #3,226

Peak year

1999

2,178 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sainsbury had 1,539 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,727 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,001 in 2016, ranked #3,226.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,128 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sainsbury surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sainsbury surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sainsbury 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 1,053 #2,658
1861 historical 986 #2,825
1881 historical 1,539 #2,727
1891 historical 1,569 #2,830
1901 historical 1,944 #2,718
1911 historical 2,128 #2,360
1997 modern 2,042 #3,011
1998 modern 2,143 #2,989
1999 modern 2,178 #2,962
2000 modern 2,142 #2,992
2001 modern 2,087 #3,001
2002 modern 2,120 #3,019
2003 modern 2,082 #3,009
2004 modern 2,014 #3,097
2005 modern 1,961 #3,142
2006 modern 1,958 #3,153
2007 modern 1,972 #3,162
2008 modern 1,991 #3,157
2009 modern 2,005 #3,206
2010 modern 2,065 #3,189
2011 modern 2,017 #3,215
2012 modern 1,969 #3,224
2013 modern 2,029 #3,201
2014 modern 2,058 #3,191
2015 modern 2,017 #3,216
2016 modern 2,001 #3,226

Geography

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Where Sainsburys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Trowbridge, London parishes and East and West Lavington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire, Braintree and Bridgend. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Trowbridge Wiltshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 East and West Lavington Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 062 Wiltshire
2 Wiltshire 034 Wiltshire
3 Braintree 010 Braintree
4 Bridgend 002 Bridgend
5 Wiltshire 051 Wiltshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sainsbury

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sainsbury

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sainsbury, 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 Sainsbury surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Sainsbury 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Sainsbury is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sainsbury is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sainsbury falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Sainsbury

The surname Sainsbury originates from England, with its earliest roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "sancte" meaning "saint" and "burg" meaning "fortified town or manor." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a church or manor dedicated to a particular saint.

One of the earliest known references to the name Sainsbury can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded individuals living in different counties of England. The spelling variations at the time included Seyntburghe, Santburghe, and Saynesburi.

In the 14th century, the Sainsbury name appeared in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, indicating that families with this surname resided in the area. The name was also mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Sussex in 1396, which were legal documents recording land transactions.

During the 15th century, the Sainsbury family held lands in the village of Navestock, Essex. A notable figure was John Sainsbury (c. 1450–1508), who served as a Member of Parliament for Colchester in 1491 and 1497.

In the 16th century, the Sainsbury name gained prominence with the rise of the Sainsbury family of Sion House, Isleworth, Middlesex. Sir John Sainsbury (c. 1555–1628) was a successful merchant and alderman of the City of London, serving as Lord Mayor in 1617-1618.

Another prominent individual was Edward Sainsbury (1768–1850), a renowned British bibliographer and book collector. His extensive library, known as the Sainsbury Collection, is now housed at the University of Cambridge.

In the 19th century, John James Sainsbury (1844–1928) founded the famous Sainsbury's grocery store chain in London. His business grew from a small dairy shop in Drury Lane to become one of the largest supermarket chains in the United Kingdom.

Other notable figures with the Sainsbury surname include Sir Robert Sainsbury (1907–2000), a prominent businessman and art collector, and Lord David Sainsbury of Turville (born 1940), a philanthropist and former Minister for Science and Innovation in the UK government.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sainsbury families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sainsbury 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. Wiltshire leads with 421 Sainsburys recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.42x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 421 31.42x
Middlesex 203 1.34x
Gloucestershire 161 5.42x
Hampshire 145 4.67x
Surrey 139 1.88x
Somerset 109 4.47x
Berkshire 51 4.48x
Kent 50 0.97x
Monmouthshire 48 4.38x
Lancashire 31 0.17x
Yorkshire 26 0.17x
Glamorgan 21 0.80x
Sussex 20 0.78x
Oxfordshire 17 1.82x
Dorset 12 1.21x
Isle of Man 10 3.55x
Devon 9 0.29x
Staffordshire 8 0.16x
Brecknockshire 7 2.31x
Hertfordshire 7 0.67x
Royal Navy 7 3.88x
Warwickshire 7 0.18x
Cambridgeshire 6 0.63x
Derbyshire 5 0.21x
Essex 5 0.17x
Lincolnshire 5 0.21x
Cheshire 4 0.12x
Durham 4 0.09x
Herefordshire 4 0.64x
Leicestershire 4 0.24x
Cornwall 2 0.12x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.33x
Suffolk 1 0.05x
Worcestershire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 51 Sainsburys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.47x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 51 3.47x
Lambeth 44 3.33x
West Lavington 42 653.19x
Westbury 33 105.53x
Thornbury 32 157.56x
Trowbridge 30 50.66x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 27 9.65x
Little Cheverell 24 2086.96x
Devizes St Mary 23 169.87x
Portsea 23 3.78x
Sherston Magna 21 260.22x
Bristol St Paul In 20 25.27x
St Pancras London 20 1.64x
Market Lavington 19 262.07x
Kensington London 17 2.02x
Laverstock 17 720.34x
Reading St Mary 17 18.66x
Congresbury 16 258.90x
Beckington 15 311.85x
Bedminster 15 6.55x
Bradford On Avon 15 34.97x
Toxteth Park 15 2.46x
Andover 14 47.72x
Marlborough St Peter St 14 203.19x
Shoreditch London 14 2.13x
Warminster 14 47.68x
Bristol St James St Paul 13 13.12x
Camberwell 13 1.34x
Clifton 13 8.65x
Southampton St Mary 13 6.66x
Frome 12 20.58x
Lyncombe Widcombe 12 18.79x
Mile End Old Town 12 5.02x
Southampton All Sts 12 22.52x
Bermondsey 11 2.44x
Brighton 11 2.13x
Clerkenwell London 11 3.08x
Devizes St James 11 61.80x
Hackney London 11 1.30x
Newington 11 1.97x
Rowde 11 177.99x
Salisbury St Edmund 11 51.14x
Shrewton 11 313.39x
Swindon 11 10.59x
Trevethin 11 10.64x
Wootton Bassett 11 94.42x
Aberystruth 10 10.36x
Bristol St George 10 7.28x
Charfield 10 343.64x
Lavington West 10 1052.63x
Maddington 10 476.19x
Odiham 10 73.37x
Onchan 10 12.34x
Southcoates 10 12.00x
West Derby 10 1.90x
Chislehurst 9 32.47x
Kingston On Thames 9 5.08x
Paddington London 9 1.62x
St Marylebone London 9 1.11x
Winterbourne Stoke 9 580.65x
Chelsea London 8 1.75x
Clapham 8 4.22x
Egham 8 17.65x
Erringden 8 82.47x
Fawley 8 81.22x
Westbury On Trym 8 7.95x
Buckland In Dover 7 40.86x
Dorchester Holy Trinity 7 86.96x
Hammersmith London 7 1.88x
Llandaff 7 7.98x
Llangunider 7 37.10x
Reading St Giles 7 6.27x
Royal Navy 7 4.54x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 2.30x
Upper Machen 7 93.21x
Urchfont 7 127.50x
Cheshunt 6 16.44x
Orcheston St Mary 6 705.88x
Risca 6 29.07x
Stratton St Margaret 6 29.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 95
George 66
John 59
James 45
Henry 44
Thomas 34
Charles 31
Frederick 26
Robert 24
Walter 23
Alfred 22
Edward 22
Arthur 19
Albert 17
Joseph 16
Edwin 14
Harry 12
Richard 12
Francis 11
Herbert 9
Frank 8
Stephen 8
Wm. 8
Samuel 7
Edgar 6
Ernest 6
Daniel 4
David 4
Earnest 3
Eli 3
Isaac 3
Leonard 3
Tom 3
Benjamin 2
Edmund 2
Geo. 2
Job 2
Jonathan 2
Joshua 2
Noah 2
Percy 2
Phillip 2
Sidney 2
Thos. 2
Bertram 1
Charlie 1
Egbert 1
Esau 1
Hy. 1
Young 1

FAQ

Sainsbury surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sainsbury surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,539 people were recorded with the Sainsbury surname. That placed it at #2,727 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sainsbury surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,001 in 2016. That gives Sainsbury a modern rank of #3,226.

What does the Sainsbury surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place called Saintbury or St. Bury in Gloucestershire, England.

What does the Sainsbury map show?

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