NameCensus.

UK surname

Salsbury

Derived from a place name meaning "stronghold of Sealfa," a personal name of Old English origin.

In the 1881 census there were 490 people recorded with the Salsbury surname, ranking it #6,876 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 353, ranked #13,081, down from #6,876 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sawley, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Derbyshire Dales, Vale of White Horse and Runnymede.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Salsbury is 490 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 28.0%.

1881 census count

490

Ranked #6,876

Modern count

353

2016, ranked #13,081

Peak year

1881

490 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Salsbury had 490 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,876 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 353 in 2016, ranked #13,081.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 490 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Mature Families.

Salsbury surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Salsbury surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Salsbury 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 489 #5,104
1861 historical 471 #5,515
1881 historical 490 #6,876
1891 historical 356 #9,697
1901 historical 407 #9,374
1911 historical 403 #9,238
1997 modern 344 #12,319
1998 modern 363 #12,228
1999 modern 368 #12,182
2000 modern 376 #11,928
2001 modern 367 #11,968
2002 modern 387 #11,713
2003 modern 374 #11,828
2004 modern 376 #11,798
2005 modern 349 #12,390
2006 modern 344 #12,600
2007 modern 342 #12,809
2008 modern 330 #13,257
2009 modern 342 #13,193
2010 modern 350 #13,251
2011 modern 344 #13,249
2012 modern 332 #13,501
2013 modern 343 #13,372
2014 modern 354 #13,153
2015 modern 350 #13,159
2016 modern 353 #13,081

Geography

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Where Salsburys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sawley, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, 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 Derbyshire Dales, Vale of White Horse, Runnymede, Winchester and Milton Keynes. 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 Sawley Derbyshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Preston Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Derbyshire Dales 009 Derbyshire Dales
2 Vale of White Horse 006 Vale of White Horse
3 Runnymede 006 Runnymede
4 Winchester 014 Winchester
5 Milton Keynes 017 Milton Keynes

Forenames

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First names often paired with Salsbury

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Salsbury

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Salsbury, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Established Mature Families

Nationally, the Salsbury surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Mature Families, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Salsbury household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Married couples predominate, many with older dependent children. Detached housing is common. Homeownership rates are the highest within this Supergroup. The presence of some students suggests that households are towards the end of a child rearing phase. Many residents have degree level qualifications, and the occupational profile is heavily skewed towards managerial and professional occupations. Residential developments commonly occur on the periphery of major urban cities or conurbations.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Salsbury 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

Salsbury 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

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

Meaning and origin of Salsbury

The surname Salsbury has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from the town of Salisbury in Wiltshire, which was originally known as "Saresberie" in Old English. The name is believed to have originated from the Celtic word "sorviodunum," meaning "marshy hill fort."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Sarisberie" and "Saresberie." This important historical record indicates that the name was already well-established in the region during the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was William de Sarisberia, also known as William of Salisbury, who served as the Bishop of Salisbury from 1217 to 1226. His writings on philosophy and theology were influential during that period.

Another prominent figure was John of Salisbury (c. 1120-1180), a renowned English philosopher, writer, and scholar who served as the Bishop of Chartres in France. His works, such as "Metalogicon" and "Policraticus," were highly regarded in the Middle Ages.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including Salesbury, Salisburi, and Salusbury. One notable figure from this era was John Salusbury (c. 1349-1399), a Welsh landowner and soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France.

During the Tudor period, the Salsbury family held significant influence in Wales. Sir John Salisbury (c. 1456-1534) was a prominent member of the family and served as the High Sheriff of Denbighshire in 1509.

In the 17th century, Sir Thomas Salisbury (1594-1668) was a notable English lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench from 1668 until his death.

Other notable individuals with the surname include James Salsbury (1809-1883), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 16th Governor of Delaware, and Albert Raymond Salisbury (1868-1961), an American geologist and explorer known for his expeditions to Greenland and the Canadian Arctic.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Salsbury families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Salsbury 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 61 Salsburys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.28x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 61 1.28x
Worcestershire 58 9.29x
Surrey 45 1.93x
Lancashire 33 0.58x
Nottinghamshire 33 5.12x
Warwickshire 33 2.74x
Derbyshire 32 4.28x
Devon 21 2.11x
Yorkshire 18 0.38x
Lincolnshire 17 2.22x
Flintshire 14 10.90x
Gloucestershire 14 1.49x
Bedfordshire 13 5.25x
Staffordshire 11 0.68x
Caernarfonshire 10 5.17x
Northamptonshire 9 2.00x
Shropshire 9 2.18x
Cheshire 8 0.76x
Kent 8 0.49x
Huntingdonshire 7 7.38x
Monmouthshire 5 1.45x
Essex 4 0.42x
Herefordshire 4 2.04x
Leicestershire 4 0.75x
Somerset 4 0.52x
Anglesey 2 2.36x
Glamorgan 2 0.24x
Hampshire 2 0.20x
Hertfordshire 2 0.61x
Suffolk 2 0.34x
Denbighshire 1 0.55x
Dorset 1 0.32x
Merionethshire 1 1.14x
Sussex 1 0.12x
Wiltshire 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 33 Salsburys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.58x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 33 8.58x
Tibberton 21 3684.21x
Melbourne 20 391.39x
Brixham 17 147.44x
Camberwell 16 5.24x
Nottingham St Mary 15 9.00x
Llanasa 14 313.90x
Nottingham St Peter 14 194.99x
Aston 12 3.62x
Birmingham 12 2.99x
Stoke Upon Trent 11 6.43x
Lambeth 10 2.40x
Crowle 8 919.54x
Islington London 8 1.73x
Kingston On Thames 8 14.30x
Little Comberton 8 1702.13x
Long Eaton 8 80.97x
Blackburn 7 4.64x
Farndish 7 5833.33x
Barby Cum Onley 6 645.16x
Claines 6 35.03x
Great Grimsby 6 12.37x
Sculcoates 6 7.99x
Spittlegate 6 56.76x
Bedford St Mary 5 78.49x
Ealing 5 11.70x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 5 29.15x
Great Bolton 5 6.66x
Great Catworth 5 510.20x
Holy Trinity 5 4.39x
Mynyddyslwyn 5 36.68x
Newton 5 11.44x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 5 29.55x
Pershore St Andrew 5 145.35x
Barrington 4 588.24x
Chorley 4 12.57x
Cockerham 4 275.86x
Dolwyddelan 4 191.39x
Eglwys Rhos 4 164.61x
Greenwich 4 5.26x
Guildford St Mary 4 139.86x
Llansilin 4 132.89x
Radford 4 12.22x
Streatham 4 11.28x
Birkenhead 3 3.57x
Cleethorpes 3 66.67x
Derby St Werburgh 3 6.94x
Hartpury 3 227.27x
Hornsey 3 4.96x
Kettering 3 16.50x
Kingskerswell 3 181.82x
Mistley 3 118.58x
Paddington London 3 1.71x
Salford 3 1.80x
Stayley 3 24.88x
Wrockwardine 3 33.04x
Bangor 2 10.73x
Bromyard 2 77.52x
Chart Sutton 2 176.99x
Chelsea London 2 1.39x
Cheltenham 2 2.77x
Clee With Weelsby 2 11.95x
Deptford St Paul 2 1.59x
Easton 2 833.33x
Hampton Bishop 2 465.12x
Hemel Hempstead 2 13.48x
Higham On The Hill 2 270.27x
Inkberrow 2 79.37x
Llanfihangel Tyn Sylwy 2 1428.57x
Monks Kirby 2 75.47x
Newington 2 1.13x
Old Sodbury 2 170.94x
Pershore Holy Cross 2 50.00x
South Littleton 2 377.36x
St Bartholomew Great 2 45.98x
Studley 2 38.84x
Swansea Lower 2 47.17x
Wellington 2 8.62x
Withybrook 2 416.67x
Market Bosworth 1 52.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 31
Sarah 22
Elizabeth 20
Jane 15
Ellen 12
Ann 10
Emma 10
Annie 6
Hannah 6
Alice 5
Edith 5
Ada 4
Amy 4
Eliza 4
Fanny 4
Harriet 4
Harriett 4
Maria 4
Rebecca 4
Anne 3
Catherine 3
Emily 3
Frances 3
Martha 3
Susan 3
Betsey 2
Caroline 2
Flora 2
Florence 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Margaret 2
Rose 2
Selina 2
Arthur 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Eveline 1
Grace 1
Kezia 1
Laura 1
Lillian 1
Lilly 1
Lizzie 1
Lousia 1
Lu...tte 1
Madeline 1
Margret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 42
John 21
Joseph 17
Thomas 15
George 14
Henry 13
Charles 9
Robert 9
Alfred 8
Arthur 8
James 8
Edward 6
Edmund 5
Albert 3
Edwin 3
Josiah 3
Tom 3
Walter 3
Wm. 3
Benjamin 2
David 2
Dick 2
Edwd. 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Geo. 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Hy. 2
Isaac 2
Samuel 2
Thos. 2
Wm.Hy. 2
Clarance 1
Edgar 1
Ernest 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Jno. 1
Joe 1
Joshua 1
Lemuel 1
Lewis 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Sansom 1
Solomon 1
Stephen 1

FAQ

Salsbury surname: questions and answers

How common was the Salsbury surname in 1881?

In 1881, 490 people were recorded with the Salsbury surname. That placed it at #6,876 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Salsbury surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 353 in 2016. That gives Salsbury a modern rank of #13,081.

What does the Salsbury surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "stronghold of Sealfa," a personal name of Old English origin.

What does the Salsbury map show?

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