NameCensus.

UK surname

Salisbury

A locational surname referring to a person from Salisbury, a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 2,966 people recorded with the Salisbury surname, ranking it #1,505 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,796, ranked #1,418, up from #1,505 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wrexham and Fylde.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Salisbury is 5,008 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 61.7%.

1881 census count

2,966

Ranked #1,505

Modern count

4,796

2016, ranked #1,418

Peak year

1999

5,008 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Salisbury had 2,966 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,505 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,796 in 2016, ranked #1,418.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,238 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Salisbury surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Salisbury surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Salisbury 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 1,625 #1,769
1861 historical 1,785 #1,624
1881 historical 2,966 #1,505
1891 historical 3,344 #1,430
1901 historical 3,809 #1,473
1911 historical 4,238 #1,225
1997 modern 4,826 #1,361
1998 modern 4,974 #1,373
1999 modern 5,008 #1,373
2000 modern 4,983 #1,368
2001 modern 4,863 #1,371
2002 modern 4,965 #1,371
2003 modern 4,790 #1,386
2004 modern 4,814 #1,372
2005 modern 4,692 #1,388
2006 modern 4,737 #1,382
2007 modern 4,753 #1,390
2008 modern 4,752 #1,395
2009 modern 4,810 #1,415
2010 modern 4,892 #1,422
2011 modern 4,838 #1,419
2012 modern 4,787 #1,406
2013 modern 4,873 #1,405
2014 modern 4,909 #1,402
2015 modern 4,827 #1,409
2016 modern 4,796 #1,418

Geography

Back to top

Where Salisburys are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Wrexham and Fylde. 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 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Preston Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wrexham 003 Wrexham
2 Fylde 002 Fylde
3 Wrexham 005 Wrexham
4 Wrexham 006 Wrexham
5 Wrexham 012 Wrexham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Salisbury

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Salisbury

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Salisbury is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Salisbury is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Salisbury

The surname Salisbury originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the place name "Salisbury", which was originally spelled "Sarisberie" in Old English. The name refers to the historic city of Salisbury, located in Wiltshire, England.

Salisbury is a locational surname, meaning it was originally given to someone who came from or lived in the city of Salisbury. The city's name itself comes from the Old English words "sæl" meaning "marshy" and "burg" meaning "fortified place" or "town".

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Salisbury can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Sarisberie" in this historic document.

In the 13th century, a notable individual with the surname Salisbury was William de Salisbury, who served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1229 to 1244. Another early bearer of the name was John de Salisbury (c. 1120 - 1180), an English philosopher, author, and scholar who served as the secretary to King Henry II.

During the 15th century, Sir John Salisbury (c. 1420 - 1484) was a prominent English nobleman and soldier who fought in the Wars of the Roses. He was knighted for his service to King Edward IV and served as Lord Chamberlain.

In the 16th century, Sir Robert Salisbury (c. 1563 - 1612) was an English philosopher and scholar who held positions at Oxford University and served as Secretary of State under King James I.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Salisbury was Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury (1563 - 1612), who served as Lord Privy Seal and Secretary of State under Queen Elizabeth I and later as Lord High Treasurer under King James I.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Salisbury families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Salisbury 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 896 Salisburys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.60x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 896 2.60x
Middlesex 232 0.80x
Cheshire 228 3.56x
Denbighshire 157 14.32x
Surrey 122 0.86x
Somerset 102 2.18x
Dorset 91 4.78x
Warwickshire 76 1.04x
Staffordshire 68 0.69x
Derbyshire 64 1.41x
Devon 64 1.06x
Yorkshire 64 0.22x
Gloucestershire 59 1.04x
Worcestershire 59 1.56x
Leicestershire 42 1.31x
Flintshire 40 5.13x
Shropshire 40 1.60x
Wiltshire 40 1.56x
Suffolk 35 0.99x
Kent 34 0.34x
Nottinghamshire 34 0.87x
Bedfordshire 33 2.20x
Cambridgeshire 33 1.80x
Hertfordshire 30 1.50x
Hampshire 27 0.45x
Anglesey 25 4.86x
Glamorgan 24 0.47x
Northamptonshire 24 0.88x
Essex 23 0.40x
Berkshire 21 0.96x
Lanarkshire 21 0.22x
Norfolk 21 0.47x
Cornwall 15 0.46x
Herefordshire 15 1.26x
Merionethshire 12 2.26x
Channel Islands 11 1.28x
Lincolnshire 11 0.24x
Renfrewshire 11 0.49x
Ayrshire 10 0.46x
Oxfordshire 9 0.50x
Cardiganshire 8 1.13x
Caernarfonshire 6 0.51x
Durham 5 0.06x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.51x
Monmouthshire 4 0.19x
Sussex 4 0.08x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.17x
Carmarthenshire 3 0.25x
Cumberland 3 0.12x
Roxburghshire 3 0.57x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.35x
Royal Navy 2 0.58x
Brecknockshire 1 0.17x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Northumberland 1 0.02x
Rutland 1 0.47x
Westmorland 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 116 Salisburys recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.59x.

Place Total Index
Preston 116 12.59x
Blackburn 59 6.44x
Liverpool 43 2.06x
St Pancras London 42 1.80x
Toxteth Park 40 3.43x
Everton 37 3.37x
Islington London 35 1.24x
Lancaster 30 14.64x
Kirkham 29 63.69x
Birkenhead 28 5.48x
Liscard 28 24.26x
Leyland 23 38.39x
Camberwell 22 1.19x
Harpenden 22 72.11x
Kensington London 22 1.36x
Barrow In Furness 21 4.48x
Great Boughton 21 95.11x
Monks Coppenhall 21 8.69x
Habergham Eaves 20 6.35x
Birmingham 19 0.78x
Chelsea London 19 2.17x
Lambeth 19 0.75x
Chesterton 18 31.76x
Darlaston 18 13.30x
Govan 18 0.78x
Nottingham St Mary 18 1.78x
Bampton 17 91.89x
Manchester 17 1.10x
Salford 17 1.68x
Spotland 17 4.44x
Barby Cum Onley 16 283.19x
Broughton 16 37.13x
Over Darwen 16 5.82x
Aberwheeler 15 368.55x
Church Gresley 15 20.75x
Gresford Gwersyllt 15 44.12x
Kirkland 15 473.19x
Stansty 15 124.07x
Witton 15 34.63x
Mendlesham 14 125.11x
Shrewsbury St Chad 14 15.91x
Aston 13 0.65x
Basford 13 7.21x
Cranfield 13 90.03x
Flint 13 29.35x
Frankby 13 706.52x
Hulme 13 1.81x
St Andrewthe Less 13 6.19x
Cheltenham 12 2.73x
Chester St John Baptist 12 10.42x
Church Broughton 12 205.48x
Newington 12 1.12x
Out Rawcliffe 12 146.16x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 12 31.90x
Barnacre With Bonds 11 120.88x
Bromsgrove 11 8.62x
Hackney London 11 0.68x
Norton Sub Hamdon 11 205.61x
Salisbury St Martin 11 41.18x
Shoreditch London 11 0.87x
St Agnes 11 23.91x
Clee With Weelsby 10 9.84x
Great Ryburgh 10 145.35x
Lewisham 10 1.89x
Llanfachreth 10 194.93x
Llanynys 10 143.88x
Oldham 10 0.90x
Pendleton In Salford 10 2.44x
Yeovil 10 10.54x
Bedminster 9 2.05x
Burton Upon Trent 9 3.93x
Everleigh 9 254.96x
Glossop Dale 9 4.23x
Lea Ashton Ingol 9 39.37x
Little Glemham 9 334.57x
Nether Wyresdale 9 149.50x
North Meols 9 2.67x
Romford 9 9.94x
Southwark Christchurch 9 6.62x
St Peter Port 9 5.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 215
Elizabeth 135
Sarah 105
Margaret 69
Ellen 68
Jane 62
Ann 56
Alice 49
Annie 38
Emily 37
Emma 29
Eliza 27
Maria 27
Harriet 22
Martha 22
Catherine 20
Hannah 19
Florence 18
Anne 17
Ada 16
Fanny 16
Louisa 16
Charlotte 14
Clara 14
Edith 14
Susan 13
Caroline 11
Harriett 11
Lucy 11
Elizth. 10
Frances 10
Rebecca 10
Isabella 9
Lydia 8
Rose 8
Bessie 7
Grace 7
Kate 7
Agnes 6
Esther 6
Sophia 6
Susannah 6
Betty 5
Georgina 5
Gertrude 5
Margt. 5
Ruth 5
Betsy 4
Eleanor 4
Jessie 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 200
John 196
Thomas 115
James 107
George 65
Henry 60
Robert 50
Charles 49
Joseph 45
Edward 41
Richard 40
Samuel 27
Walter 23
Alfred 22
Arthur 22
Frederick 20
David 19
Harry 17
Francis 15
Albert 14
Benjamin 12
Frank 11
Thos. 10
Ernest 8
Wm. 7
Aaron 6
Edwin 6
Geo. 6
Owen 6
Edwd. 5
Herbert 5
Hugh 5
Jno. 5
Frederic 4
Willm. 4
Daniel 3
Harold 3
Jas. 3
Jeremiah 3
Nathaniel 3
Peter 3
Richd. 3
Robt. 3
Sidney 3
Tom 3
Arnold 2
Edmund 2
Edric 2
Leonard 2
Percy 2

FAQ

Salisbury surname: questions and answers

How common was the Salisbury surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,966 people were recorded with the Salisbury surname. That placed it at #1,505 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Salisbury surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,796 in 2016. That gives Salisbury a modern rank of #1,418.

What does the Salisbury surname mean?

A locational surname referring to a person from Salisbury, a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England.

What does the Salisbury map show?

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