NameCensus.

UK surname

Sally

A surname derived from the French name "Salée," meaning someone from Salée, a town in Morocco.

In the 1881 census there were 62 people recorded with the Sally surname, ranking it #24,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 120, ranked #27,563, down from #24,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sampford Brett, Bicknoller, Stogumber, Glossop and St James Westminster. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Norfolk, Islington and Uttlesford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sally is 325 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 93.5%.

1881 census count

62

Ranked #24,843

Modern count

120

2016, ranked #27,563

Peak year

1861

325 bearers

Map years

4

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sally had 62 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016, ranked #27,563.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 325 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sally surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sally surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sally 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 143 #13,343
1861 historical 325 #7,835
1881 historical 62 #24,843
1891 historical 185 #15,803
1901 historical 82 #25,019
1911 historical 87 #24,147
1997 modern 50 #32,658
1998 modern 52 #32,732
1999 modern 50 #33,041
2000 modern 55 #32,609
2001 modern 50 #32,957
2002 modern 57 #32,661
2003 modern 56 #32,797
2004 modern 55 #33,154
2005 modern 56 #33,264
2006 modern 62 #33,043
2007 modern 54 #34,042
2008 modern 59 #33,827
2009 modern 72 #33,021
2010 modern 84 #32,289
2011 modern 91 #31,442
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 105 #29,916
2014 modern 104 #30,365
2015 modern 111 #28,986
2016 modern 120 #27,563

Geography

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Where Sallys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sampford Brett, Bicknoller, Stogumber, Glossop, St James Westminster, Manchester and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Norfolk, Islington, Uttlesford, Cheshire West and Chester and Bishopbriggs North and Kenmure. 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 Sampford Brett, Bicknoller, Stogumber Somerset
2 Glossop Derbyshire
3 St James Westminster London (West Districts)
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Norfolk 005 North Norfolk
2 Islington 022 Islington
3 Uttlesford 008 Uttlesford
4 Cheshire West and Chester 006 Cheshire West and Chester
5 Bishopbriggs North and Kenmure East Dunbartonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sally

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sally

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Sally is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sally is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sally falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sally 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
Other Ethnic Group

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

Meaning and origin of Sally

The surname Sally is of English origin and dates back to the late 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "saillir," meaning "to leap or spring forth." This name was likely given to someone who was known for their energetic or lively nature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Sally surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were a series of records compiled for tax purposes during the reign of King Edward I. In these rolls, the name is spelled as "Saille" and "Sailli."

During the 14th century, the Sally surname began to appear in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. In the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327, there are references to individuals with the surname "Saleye" and "Saley."

The Sally surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was John Sally, a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, who lived in the late 15th century. Another was William Sally, a prominent clergyman and author who lived in the 17th century and wrote several religious treatises.

In the 18th century, the Sally surname was linked to the village of Shalfleet on the Isle of Wight, where a family of landed gentry resided. One member of this family, Sir Thomas Sally, served as the High Sheriff of Hampshire in 1726.

Another notable figure was Sir John Sally, a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was knighted for his bravery in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

In the 19th century, the Sally surname gained further prominence with individuals such as Charles Frederic Sally, a renowned British architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas during the Victorian era.

Throughout its history, the Sally surname has also been associated with various place names and localities across England, such as Sally Park in Gloucestershire, Sally Bush in Somerset, and Sally Hay in Wiltshire, reflecting the geographical spread of this family name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sally families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sally 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 23 Sallys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.68x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 23 3.68x
Durham 6 3.23x
Lanarkshire 6 2.97x
Lancashire 6 0.81x
Essex 4 3.25x
Renfrewshire 4 8.27x
Surrey 4 1.31x
Yorkshire 4 0.65x
Royal Navy 2 26.88x
Gloucestershire 1 0.82x
Hampshire 1 0.78x
Kent 1 0.47x
Oxfordshire 1 2.59x
Sussex 1 0.95x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 9 Sallys recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.19x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 9 33.19x
Hackney London 8 22.86x
Iveston 6 697.67x
Cadder 5 335.57x
Eastwood 4 134.23x
West Ham 4 14.70x
Chadderton 3 82.87x
Clerkenwell London 2 13.57x
Morley 2 62.11x
Royal Navy 2 31.45x
Sheffield 2 10.15x
St Pancras London 2 3.98x
Battersea 1 4.35x
Broughton In Salford 1 14.77x
Chiswick 1 29.33x
Clapham 1 12.82x
Glasgow 1 2.79x
Hammersmith London 1 6.50x
Lambeth 1 1.84x
Maidstone 1 15.77x
Oxford St Giles 1 54.35x
Penge 1 25.06x
Pennington In Leigh 1 70.42x
Preston 1 54.35x
St Faith Winchester 1 166.67x
Stapleton 1 43.10x
Westleigh 1 59.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Eliza 3
Elizabeth 3
Anne 2
Emma 2
Lydia 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Bridget 1
Clara 1
E. 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Lizzie 1
Mary 1
May 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Sally households.

FAQ

Sally surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sally surname in 1881?

In 1881, 62 people were recorded with the Sally surname. That placed it at #24,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sally surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016. That gives Sally a modern rank of #27,563.

What does the Sally surname mean?

A surname derived from the French name "Salée," meaning someone from Salée, a town in Morocco.

What does the Sally map show?

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