NameCensus.

UK surname

Saint

A surname derived from the French word "saint" referring to an ancestor's saintliness, piety, or religious devotion.

In the 1881 census there were 909 people recorded with the Saint surname, ranking it #4,211 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,706, ranked #3,658, up from #4,211 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Simonburn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ashfield, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Amber Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Saint is 1,744 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 87.7%.

1881 census count

909

Ranked #4,211

Modern count

1,706

2016, ranked #3,658

Peak year

2014

1,744 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Saint had 909 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,211 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,706 in 2016, ranked #3,658.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,468 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Saint surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Saint surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Saint 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 519 #4,826
1861 historical 648 #4,145
1881 historical 909 #4,211
1891 historical 1,016 #4,094
1901 historical 1,199 #4,108
1911 historical 1,468 #3,285
1997 modern 1,640 #3,622
1998 modern 1,680 #3,671
1999 modern 1,702 #3,653
2000 modern 1,693 #3,654
2001 modern 1,653 #3,658
2002 modern 1,692 #3,664
2003 modern 1,674 #3,630
2004 modern 1,677 #3,625
2005 modern 1,658 #3,619
2006 modern 1,640 #3,661
2007 modern 1,645 #3,683
2008 modern 1,655 #3,683
2009 modern 1,702 #3,662
2010 modern 1,735 #3,678
2011 modern 1,713 #3,671
2012 modern 1,706 #3,633
2013 modern 1,730 #3,645
2014 modern 1,744 #3,634
2015 modern 1,736 #3,615
2016 modern 1,706 #3,658

Geography

Back to top

Where Saints are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Simonburn and Gateshead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ashfield, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Amber Valley and Eastleigh. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Simonburn Northumberland
4 London parishes London 3
5 Gateshead Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ashfield 016 Ashfield
2 Rhondda Cynon Taf 024 Rhondda Cynon Taf
3 Amber Valley 003 Amber Valley
4 Eastleigh 010 Eastleigh
5 Amber Valley 004 Amber Valley

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Saint

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Saint

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Saint is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Saint 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

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

Meaning and origin of Saint

The surname SAINT has its origins in medieval England and France, derived from the Old French word "saint" meaning "holy" or "saint". It was originally used as a descriptive term or nickname for someone who was particularly pious or devout, or perhaps lived near a church dedicated to a saint.

The earliest recorded use of the surname dates back to the 12th century, when it appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, referring to a certain Robert le Seint. Around the same time, it was also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, as the place name "Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives" in Normandy, France.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded in various spellings such as "Seint", "Seynt", and "Saynt" in various records and manuscripts across England and France. It was often associated with place names like "Sainte-Mère-Église" in Normandy or "Saint-Pierre" in Guernsey.

One of the earliest notable bearers of the surname was Sir Roger de Sancto Edmundo (Saint Edmund), a 13th-century English nobleman who fought in the Barons' War against King Henry III. Another was John Saint, a 15th-century English priest and scholar who served as Provost of King's College, Cambridge.

During the 16th century, the surname gained prominence with Sir William Saint, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Bedfordshire, England (c. 1490-1559). His descendants included Sir William Saint (1561-1635), a Member of Parliament and Lord Chief Justice of England.

In the 17th century, Captain John Saint (1620-1690) was a notable English sea captain and privateer who fought against the Dutch and Spanish during the Anglo-Dutch Wars and the War of the Grand Alliance.

Other notable bearers of the surname include the English author and philosopher George Edward Moore (1873-1958), who was born George Edward SAINT and later dropped the "SAINT" part of his name, and the American actor and director Eva Marie SAINT (1924-present), who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1955.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Saint families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Saint 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. Middlesex leads with 140 Saints recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.57x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 140 1.57x
Northumberland 115 8.65x
Somerset 88 6.12x
Durham 81 3.05x
Derbyshire 56 4.00x
Dorset 53 9.04x
Hampshire 50 2.73x
Kent 42 1.38x
Huntingdonshire 37 20.85x
Lancashire 33 0.31x
Yorkshire 23 0.26x
Surrey 19 0.44x
Staffordshire 17 0.56x
Buckinghamshire 14 2.59x
Essex 14 0.79x
Nottinghamshire 14 1.16x
Aberdeenshire 13 1.57x
Norfolk 12 0.87x
Cambridgeshire 11 1.94x
Devon 11 0.59x
Monmouthshire 10 1.55x
Sussex 10 0.66x
Warwickshire 10 0.44x
Flintshire 9 3.75x
Channel Islands 6 2.27x
Cheshire 5 0.25x
Herefordshire 5 1.36x
Glamorgan 4 0.26x
Leicestershire 3 0.30x
Pembrokeshire 3 1.06x
Lanarkshire 2 0.07x
Westmorland 2 1.02x
Bedfordshire 1 0.22x
Gloucestershire 1 0.06x
Hertfordshire 1 0.16x
Royal Navy 1 0.94x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kensington London in Middlesex leads with 43 Saints recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.66x.

Place Total Index
Kensington London 43 8.66x
Haltwhistle 36 558.14x
Bromley London 20 10.17x
Humshaugh 20 1369.86x
Crewkerne 19 124.43x
Wayford 18 2608.70x
Hackney London 14 2.79x
Chard 12 68.89x
Benwell 11 75.71x
Deptford St Paul 11 4.68x
North Stoneham 11 264.42x
Alkmonton 10 3846.15x
Barton Blount 10 2000.00x
Bedlington 10 22.53x
Deptford St Nicholas 10 41.34x
Eling 10 53.91x
Trevethin 10 16.39x
Darlington 9 8.77x
Godmanchester 9 134.13x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 9 21.82x
Northop 9 105.76x
South Petherton 9 121.13x
Thorncombe 9 267.06x
Gateshead 8 4.02x
Langley Marish 8 120.66x
Mile End Old Town 8 5.67x
North Perrott 8 808.08x
Peterhead 8 18.28x
Puddletrenthide 8 349.35x
Romsey Extra 8 73.46x
Seghill 8 122.70x
Somersham 8 185.61x
St Ives 8 86.96x
Sydling St Nicholas 8 467.84x
Tarrant Keynston 8 963.86x
Bakewell 7 91.50x
Barnacre With Bonds 7 250.00x
Birmingham 7 0.93x
Crawcrook 7 507.25x
Eckington 7 20.60x
Hetton Le Hole 7 20.78x
Monw Wearmouth Shore 7 275.59x
Newfield 7 198.30x
Shirland 7 66.92x
Alfreton 6 14.12x
Bethnal Green London 6 1.55x
Brailsford 6 301.51x
East Stonehouse 6 16.38x
Fen Stanton 6 183.49x
Greenwich 6 4.22x
Hemingford Abbots 6 504.20x
Islington London 6 0.69x
Nottingham St Mary 6 1.93x
Sheffield 6 2.13x
Stoke Upon Trent 6 1.88x
Sutton Stoneferry 6 23.69x
Tarbock 6 312.50x
Washington 6 53.81x
Blagdon 5 165.02x
Chiswick 5 10.24x
East Rainton 5 97.28x
Hampstead London 5 3.59x
Hastings St Mary In The 5 15.56x
Hereford St Owen 5 41.32x
Manchester 5 1.05x
Poplar London 5 2.96x
Rotherhithe 5 4.53x
Rowley Regis 5 5.95x
Shotton 5 76.10x
West Ham 5 1.28x
Wooburn 5 67.20x
Bradford 4 1.87x
Chigwell 4 24.02x
Haydon 4 1212.12x
Martock 4 42.78x
Merthyr Tydfil 4 2.67x
Nantwich 4 17.45x
Southhampton St Mary Extra 4 201.01x
St Faith Winchester 4 46.84x
Willington 4 26.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 61
William 56
Thomas 34
George 24
Joseph 22
Henry 21
Samuel 18
Charles 17
James 17
Robert 15
Frederick 11
Edward 10
Edwin 8
Arthur 7
Harry 7
Walter 7
Alfred 6
Frank 6
David 5
Isaac 5
Pearson 5
Peter 5
Ralph 5
Richard 5
Wm. 5
Albert 3
Harold 3
Mark 3
Philip 3
Alexander 2
Anthony 2
Benjamin 2
Francis 2
Fred 2
Job 2
Michael 2
Paul 2
Thos. 2
Christian 1
Cuthbert 1
Daniel 1
Georg 1
Gerald 1
Hector 1
Jos.Henry 1
Leonard 1
Louis 1
Marshal 1
Maurice 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Saint surname: questions and answers

How common was the Saint surname in 1881?

In 1881, 909 people were recorded with the Saint surname. That placed it at #4,211 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Saint surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,706 in 2016. That gives Saint a modern rank of #3,658.

What does the Saint surname mean?

A surname derived from the French word "saint" referring to an ancestor's saintliness, piety, or religious devotion.

What does the Saint map show?

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