NameCensus.

UK surname

Sale

An occupational surname for a person who worked as a merchant, trader, or owner of a shop or hall.

In the 1881 census there were 1,972 people recorded with the Sale surname, ranking it #2,221 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,223, ranked #2,918, down from #2,221 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Langford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton, Wakefield and Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sale is 2,409 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.7%.

1881 census count

1,972

Ranked #2,221

Modern count

2,223

2016, ranked #2,918

Peak year

1911

2,409 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sale had 1,972 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,221 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,223 in 2016, ranked #2,918.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,409 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sale surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sale surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sale 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 1,453 #1,979
1861 historical 1,502 #1,882
1881 historical 1,972 #2,221
1891 historical 2,126 #2,192
1901 historical 2,218 #2,439
1911 historical 2,409 #2,128
1997 modern 2,225 #2,791
1998 modern 2,377 #2,728
1999 modern 2,392 #2,730
2000 modern 2,356 #2,751
2001 modern 2,305 #2,751
2002 modern 2,326 #2,785
2003 modern 2,266 #2,785
2004 modern 2,268 #2,780
2005 modern 2,202 #2,838
2006 modern 2,200 #2,840
2007 modern 2,222 #2,837
2008 modern 2,244 #2,833
2009 modern 2,283 #2,856
2010 modern 2,343 #2,847
2011 modern 2,316 #2,841
2012 modern 2,228 #2,889
2013 modern 2,253 #2,903
2014 modern 2,244 #2,928
2015 modern 2,207 #2,936
2016 modern 2,223 #2,918

Geography

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Where Sales are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Langford and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton, Wakefield, Newcastle-under-Lyme, South Cambridgeshire and Selby. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Langford Bedfordshire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 007 Bolton
2 Wakefield 040 Wakefield
3 Newcastle-under-Lyme 007 Newcastle-under-Lyme
4 South Cambridgeshire 013 South Cambridgeshire
5 Selby 010 Selby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sale

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sale

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Sale is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sale 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

Sale falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sale is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Sale

The surname SALE originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from the Old English word "sael," which means "dwelling" or "house." It is believed to have been a toponymic name, referring to someone who lived near a large hall or mansion.

The name was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners and properties across England after the Norman Conquest. The earliest known spelling variations include Sale, Salle, and Sayle.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, where Robert de la Sale was mentioned in 1273. The "de la" prefix indicates the family's association with a specific location.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Robert Sale (c. 1300-1380), a prominent English knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He fought in several battles, including the Battle of Crécy in 1346.

Another notable figure was Sir Robert Sale (1782-1845), a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the First Anglo-Afghan War. He was known for his successful defense of Jalalabad in 1842 during the latter conflict.

The surname SALE was also found in various place names, such as Sale in Greater Manchester, which was recorded as "Saleford" in the Domesday Book. This suggests that the name may have originated from this location.

In the 16th century, the name was associated with Sir John Sale (c. 1520-1595), an English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Worcestershire.

During the 17th century, Robert Sale (1622-1696) was a notable English nonconformist minister and author who faced persecution for his religious beliefs during the Restoration period.

One of the most famous bearers of the name was Sir Robert Henry Sale (1782-1845), a British Army officer known for his role in the First Anglo-Afghan War. He was killed in action during the Battle of Mudki in 1845.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sale families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sale 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. Lancashire leads with 328 Sales recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.44x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 328 1.44x
Middlesex 308 1.60x
Staffordshire 195 3.00x
Surrey 134 1.43x
Bedfordshire 123 12.34x
Warwickshire 114 2.35x
Hertfordshire 97 7.31x
Suffolk 77 3.28x
Kent 74 1.13x
Worcestershire 59 2.35x
Yorkshire 44 0.23x
Derbyshire 41 1.36x
Cheshire 38 0.89x
Cambridgeshire 34 2.79x
Northamptonshire 28 1.55x
Leicestershire 26 1.22x
Hampshire 21 0.53x
Sussex 21 0.65x
Buckinghamshire 20 1.72x
Essex 20 0.53x
Oxfordshire 18 1.51x
Somerset 16 0.52x
Gloucestershire 14 0.37x
Nottinghamshire 13 0.50x
Berkshire 12 0.83x
Shropshire 12 0.72x
Lincolnshire 11 0.36x
Cumberland 9 0.54x
Huntingdonshire 9 2.36x
Devon 8 0.20x
Durham 8 0.14x
Herefordshire 8 1.01x
Northumberland 8 0.28x
Norfolk 7 0.24x
Glamorgan 5 0.15x
Cornwall 4 0.18x
Denbighshire 2 0.28x
Dorset 2 0.16x
Isle of Man 1 0.28x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.16x
Royal Navy 1 0.44x
Westmorland 1 0.24x
Wiltshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Atherton in Lancashire leads with 48 Sales recorded in 1881 and an index of 57.74x.

Place Total Index
Atherton 48 57.74x
Langford 33 402.93x
Islington London 31 1.66x
Camberwell 29 2.36x
St Pancras London 28 1.81x
Barrow 26 433.33x
Burslem 26 13.97x
Wednesbury 26 16.01x
West Derby 26 3.89x
Kensington London 24 2.24x
Lambeth 24 1.43x
Stoke Upon Trent 22 3.19x
Hinxworth 20 1020.41x
Toxteth Park 20 2.59x
Greenwich 19 6.20x
Tonbridge 19 8.02x
Chorlton On Medlock 17 4.69x
Hackney London 17 1.58x
Liverpool 17 1.23x
Standon 17 124.54x
Woking 17 30.08x
Bethnal Green London 16 1.91x
Broughton 16 276.82x
Horwich 16 64.23x
Mile End Old Town 16 5.27x
Aston 15 1.12x
Aylesbury 15 29.09x
Hammersmith London 15 3.16x
Kings Norton 15 6.66x
Manchester 15 1.46x
Solihull 15 42.99x
Stotfold 15 78.62x
Coventry Holy Trinity 14 9.66x
Everton 14 1.92x
Birmingham 13 0.80x
Cheshunt 13 28.04x
Horringer 13 298.17x
Shoreditch London 13 1.56x
Bedminster 12 4.12x
Great Bolton 12 3.97x
Haselor 12 533.33x
Luton 12 6.96x
Reddish 12 38.14x
West Ham 12 1.43x
Yardley 12 18.66x
Barnes 11 27.74x
Bassingbourn 11 61.42x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 11 25.00x
Hengrave 11 839.69x
Normanton 11 43.22x
Wolstanton Chesterton 11 33.13x
Salford 10 1.49x
Spitalfields London 10 6.91x
St Giles In Fields 10 15.06x
Wokingham 10 30.33x
Ashby De La Zouch 9 18.20x
Atherstone 9 36.31x
Brighton 9 1.37x
Chippenham 9 211.27x
Clifton 9 93.56x
Handsworth 9 5.62x
Lapley 9 183.67x
Send Ripley 9 73.65x
Stafford St Mary 9 9.79x
Wandsworth 9 4.86x
Bedford 8 16.75x
Bermondsey 8 1.40x
Biggleswade 8 24.51x
Clerkenwell London 8 1.76x
Halesworth 8 48.13x
Leominster 8 24.49x
Little Bolton 8 2.72x
Paddington London 8 1.13x
Skendleby 8 449.44x
St Luke London 8 2.59x
Tottenham 8 2.61x
Tynemouth 8 5.22x
Walton In Wakefield 8 195.60x
Weston Colville 8 231.21x
Bow London 7 2.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 139
Sarah 70
Elizabeth 69
Annie 39
Ellen 32
Emma 31
Ann 30
Jane 30
Eliza 28
Alice 24
Emily 22
Martha 22
Harriet 21
Hannah 20
Edith 17
Fanny 17
Louisa 17
Margaret 17
Charlotte 14
Ada 13
Caroline 13
Florence 13
Lucy 13
Harriett 12
Catherine 11
Anne 9
Frances 9
Kate 9
Maria 9
Rose 9
Bertha 8
Matilda 8
Maud 8
Elizth. 7
Susan 7
Jessie 6
Lizzie 6
Agnes 5
Amy 5
Esther 5
May 5
Clara 4
Ethel 4
Daisy 3
Francis 3
Minnie 3
Phoebe 3
Rachel 3
Ruth 3
Sophia 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 138
John 102
George 64
Thomas 63
James 58
Henry 57
Charles 44
Edward 34
Joseph 33
Arthur 31
Alfred 27
Robert 20
Albert 19
Richard 18
Frederick 15
Walter 14
Ernest 12
Harry 11
Frank 9
Herbert 9
Daniel 7
David 7
Edwin 7
Francis 6
Fredk. 6
Samuel 6
Thos. 6
Benjamin 5
Edmund 4
Fred 4
Philip 4
Wm. 4
Chas. 3
Hugh 3
Isaac 3
Jesse 3
Lambert 3
Matthew 3
Ralph 3
Richd. 3
Stephen 3
Aaron 2
Chas.H. 2
Earnest 2
Jno. 2
Josiah 2
Peter 2
Reuben 2
Robt. 2
Saml. 2

FAQ

Sale surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sale surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,972 people were recorded with the Sale surname. That placed it at #2,221 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sale surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,223 in 2016. That gives Sale a modern rank of #2,918.

What does the Sale surname mean?

An occupational surname for a person who worked as a merchant, trader, or owner of a shop or hall.

What does the Sale map show?

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