NameCensus.

UK surname

Salt

A surname derived from the Old English word "sealt", referring to one who lived near salt pits or worked with the production of salt.

In the 1881 census there were 4,449 people recorded with the Salt surname, ranking it #1,008 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,449, ranked #1,229, down from #1,008 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Burton-on-Trent, Walsall and Dilhorne. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Staffordshire Moorlands.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Salt is 6,102 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.5%.

1881 census count

4,449

Ranked #1,008

Modern count

5,449

2016, ranked #1,229

Peak year

1911

6,102 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Salt had 4,449 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,008 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,449 in 2016, ranked #1,229.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,102 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Salt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Salt surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Salt 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 3,096 #934
1861 historical 2,675 #1,097
1881 historical 4,449 #1,008
1891 historical 4,661 #1,001
1901 historical 5,483 #1,016
1911 historical 6,102 #844
1997 modern 5,157 #1,267
1998 modern 5,896 #1,147
1999 modern 5,849 #1,166
2000 modern 5,800 #1,163
2001 modern 5,668 #1,167
2002 modern 5,810 #1,165
2003 modern 5,643 #1,168
2004 modern 5,640 #1,165
2005 modern 5,582 #1,157
2006 modern 5,486 #1,181
2007 modern 5,439 #1,200
2008 modern 5,451 #1,201
2009 modern 5,562 #1,212
2010 modern 5,613 #1,233
2011 modern 5,630 #1,209
2012 modern 5,489 #1,216
2013 modern 5,592 #1,214
2014 modern 5,637 #1,214
2015 modern 5,521 #1,220
2016 modern 5,449 #1,229

Geography

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Where Salts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Burton-on-Trent, Walsall, Dilhorne, London parishes and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Staffordshire Moorlands. 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 Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire
2 Walsall Staffordshire
3 Dilhorne Staffordshire
4 London parishes London 2
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Staffordshire Moorlands 007 Staffordshire Moorlands
2 Staffordshire Moorlands 005 Staffordshire Moorlands
3 Staffordshire Moorlands 001 Staffordshire Moorlands
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 006 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 Staffordshire Moorlands 010 Staffordshire Moorlands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Salt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Salt

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

Salt is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Salt

The surname Salt has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "sealt," which means salt or a salt-worker. This suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals involved in the production or trade of salt, a valuable commodity in medieval times.

The name Salt can be traced back to various regions of England, particularly in areas where salt production was prevalent, such as Cheshire and Worcestershire. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Salt appears in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1195, which mentions a person named Ranulf de Salte.

In the 13th century, the surname Salt was also found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, where it was recorded as "Salte." This variation in spelling was common in the Middle Ages due to the lack of standardized orthography.

The Domesday Book, the famous survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not explicitly mention the surname Salt. However, it does record several places with names derived from the word "salt," such as Saltersford in Warwickshire and Saltney in Cheshire, indicating the presence of salt-related activities in these areas.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Salt was William Salt, a 13th-century landowner from Staffordshire. Another notable figure was Thomas Salt, born around 1485, who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1534.

In the 16th century, the surname Salt was found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, where Sir Walter Salt, born in 1571, became a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament.

During the 17th century, the name Salt was associated with several notable individuals, such as Sir Titus Salt, born in 1803, a wealthy industrialist and philanthropist who founded the model village of Saltaire in Yorkshire.

Another significant figure was Henry Salt, born in 1780, a renowned Egyptologist and traveler who played a crucial role in the acquisition of ancient Egyptian artifacts for the British Museum.

In the 19th century, the surname Salt continued to be influential, with individuals like Sir Thomas Salt, born in 1830, who served as a Member of Parliament and held various government positions.

Throughout its history, the surname Salt has been linked to various place names, including Saltford in Somerset, Saltburn in Yorkshire, and Saltfleetby in Lincolnshire, further reinforcing its connection to salt-related activities and locations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Salt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Salt 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. Staffordshire leads with 1,966 Salts recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.42x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 1,966 13.42x
Lancashire 448 0.87x
Derbyshire 445 6.55x
Warwickshire 261 2.38x
Middlesex 215 0.50x
Yorkshire 197 0.46x
Cheshire 179 1.87x
Worcestershire 96 1.69x
Surrey 79 0.37x
Shropshire 57 1.52x
Nottinghamshire 45 0.77x
Berkshire 44 1.35x
Durham 44 0.34x
Kent 44 0.30x
Cornwall 42 0.85x
Leicestershire 40 0.83x
Lincolnshire 32 0.46x
Hertfordshire 24 0.80x
Gloucestershire 22 0.26x
Essex 20 0.23x
Hampshire 20 0.22x
Caernarfonshire 15 0.85x
Bedfordshire 13 0.58x
Devon 12 0.13x
Somerset 12 0.17x
Glamorgan 8 0.11x
Wiltshire 8 0.21x
Northamptonshire 7 0.17x
Northumberland 6 0.09x
Sussex 6 0.08x
Monmouthshire 5 0.16x
Norfolk 5 0.07x
Flintshire 4 0.34x
Montgomeryshire 4 0.40x
Suffolk 4 0.08x
Westmorland 4 0.42x
Royal Navy 3 0.58x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.08x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.23x
Brecknockshire 1 0.12x
Cardiganshire 1 0.09x
Cumberland 1 0.03x
Dorset 1 0.04x
Herefordshire 1 0.06x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x
Merionethshire 1 0.13x
Oxfordshire 1 0.04x
Perthshire 1 0.05x
Stirlingshire 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. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 410 Salts recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.39x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 410 26.39x
Cheadle 87 123.63x
Aston 77 2.55x
Walsall Foreign 69 9.12x
Manchester 68 2.94x
Leek Lowe 66 33.85x
Dilhorne 59 242.00x
Wolverhampton 58 5.15x
Stone 57 30.41x
Birmingham 51 1.40x
Warslow Elkstone 51 588.91x
Trentham 48 38.52x
Burton Upon Trent 46 13.42x
Wolstanton 44 9.89x
Islington London 42 1.00x
Salford 40 2.64x
Ecclesall Bierlow 37 4.23x
Kingsley 37 135.48x
Sedgley 37 6.80x
Burslem 36 8.58x
Caverswall 34 44.64x
Newcastle Under Lyme 32 12.34x
Stafford St Mary 32 15.43x
Stockport 30 6.08x
Sheffield 29 2.12x
Worsley 29 9.13x
Newton Solney 28 400.00x
St Pancras London 27 0.77x
Elford 26 410.09x
Lanteglos By Fowey 26 130.00x
Burton Extra 25 29.76x
Rugeley 25 23.78x
Accrington 23 4.91x
Checkley 23 60.45x
Bolehall Glascote 22 47.43x
Pendleton In Salford 22 3.58x
Cauldon 21 433.88x
Darlaston 21 10.37x
Ellastone 21 504.81x
Liverpool 21 0.67x
Macclesfield 21 4.93x
Battersea 20 1.25x
Handsworth 20 5.54x
Hitchin 20 14.81x
Kingsbury 20 85.40x
Belper 19 14.42x
Cotton 19 195.47x
Hartlepool 19 10.35x
Warrington 19 3.11x
Butterton 18 524.78x
Hartington Upper 18 55.52x
Hulme 18 1.67x
Longford 18 290.32x
Norton Canes 18 33.71x
Abbots Bromley 17 78.27x
Ardwick 17 3.66x
Buxton 17 29.55x
Derby St Werburgh 17 4.33x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 17 17.41x
Stapenhill 17 16.81x
Barrow In Furness 16 2.28x
Barton Under Needwood 16 60.13x
Kensington London 16 0.66x
Litchurch 16 5.85x
West Ham 16 0.85x
Wolstanton Knutton 16 17.88x
Hollinsclough 15 289.02x
Kingswinford 15 2.82x
Leicester St Margaret 15 1.28x
Wootton 15 551.47x
Congleton 14 8.46x
Reading St Giles 14 4.38x
Biddulph 13 15.72x
Brampton 13 13.69x
Derby St Peter 13 6.01x
Dudley 13 1.89x
Hammersmith London 13 1.22x
Lambeth 13 0.34x
Little Bolton 13 1.96x
Long Itchington 13 75.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 345
Sarah 186
Elizabeth 170
Ann 112
Emma 97
Hannah 79
Alice 67
Eliza 66
Jane 66
Annie 64
Ellen 60
Emily 48
Maria 36
Margaret 33
Martha 33
Harriet 32
Edith 31
Fanny 30
Clara 25
Charlotte 24
Catherine 23
Louisa 23
Anne 21
Harriett 20
Ada 19
Florence 18
Lucy 18
Rose 12
Esther 11
Agnes 10
Amelia 10
Elizth. 10
Frances 10
Kate 10
Caroline 9
Susan 9
Betsy 8
Minnie 8
Selina 8
Amy 7
Bertha 7
Helen 7
Rachel 7
Susannah 7
Gertrude 6
Isabella 6
Leah 6
Rosa 6
Georgina 5
Jessie 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 263
William 261
George 186
Thomas 174
Joseph 142
James 110
Samuel 84
Charles 81
Henry 78
Arthur 55
Frederick 42
Alfred 37
Edward 31
Albert 30
Walter 28
Richard 26
Harry 24
Ernest 23
Herbert 23
Robert 23
Edwin 20
Francis 18
Benjamin 17
Wm. 17
Isaac 15
Frank 13
David 12
Daniel 11
Jacob 10
Chas. 8
Fredrick 8
Sampson 8
Abraham 7
Leonard 7
Ralph 7
Eli 6
Job 6
Thos. 6
Cecil 5
Enoch 5
Fred 5
Frederic 5
Geo. 5
Saml. 5
Caleb 4
Elijah 4
Fred. 4
Michael 4
Rupert 4
Tom 4

FAQ

Salt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Salt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,449 people were recorded with the Salt surname. That placed it at #1,008 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Salt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,449 in 2016. That gives Salt a modern rank of #1,229.

What does the Salt surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English word "sealt", referring to one who lived near salt pits or worked with the production of salt.

What does the Salt map show?

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