NameCensus.

UK surname

Salvage

A surname referring to the act of recovering or saving goods from loss.

In the 1881 census there were 316 people recorded with the Salvage surname, ranking it #9,375 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 570, ranked #9,038, up from #9,375 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Brighton and Hove and Mid Sussex.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Salvage is 610 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 80.4%.

1881 census count

316

Ranked #9,375

Modern count

570

2016, ranked #9,038

Peak year

1998

610 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Salvage had 316 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,375 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 570 in 2016, ranked #9,038.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 551 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Salvage surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Salvage surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Salvage 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 206 #10,183
1861 historical 204 #11,814
1881 historical 316 #9,375
1891 historical 421 #8,502
1901 historical 488 #8,194
1911 historical 551 #7,274
1997 modern 598 #8,162
1998 modern 610 #8,295
1999 modern 594 #8,497
2000 modern 599 #8,435
2001 modern 577 #8,514
2002 modern 571 #8,734
2003 modern 572 #8,602
2004 modern 566 #8,685
2005 modern 564 #8,641
2006 modern 559 #8,714
2007 modern 571 #8,665
2008 modern 572 #8,711
2009 modern 587 #8,733
2010 modern 599 #8,796
2011 modern 594 #8,760
2012 modern 582 #8,793
2013 modern 586 #8,883
2014 modern 582 #8,997
2015 modern 571 #9,045
2016 modern 570 #9,038

Geography

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Where Salvages are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Brighton and Hove and Mid Sussex. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 Preston Sussex
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Brighton and Hove 008 Brighton and Hove
2 Mid Sussex 010 Mid Sussex
3 Brighton and Hove 025 Brighton and Hove
4 Brighton and Hove 009 Brighton and Hove
5 Brighton and Hove 013 Brighton and Hove

Forenames

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First names often paired with Salvage

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Salvage

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Salvage surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Salvage household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Salvage 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

Salvage is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Salvage 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 Salvage is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Salvage

The surname SALVAGE is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "sauver," meaning "to save" or "to rescue." The name first appeared in England in the 11th century, following the Norman Conquest of 1066.

During the Middle Ages, the name SALVAGE was associated with individuals involved in maritime activities, such as sailors, fishermen, or those responsible for salvaging ships and cargo from shipwrecks. It is believed that the name was initially given as an occupational surname to those who performed such duties.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SALVAGE can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a "Roger Salvage" as a landowner in the county of Somerset.

In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir William Salvage, a knight who fought in the Crusades and participated in the siege of Acre in 1191 during the Third Crusade. He later settled in Nottinghamshire, where his descendants established the Salvage family estate.

Another prominent figure was John Salvage, born in 1520 in Norfolk, England. He was a renowned navigator and explorer who accompanied Sir Francis Drake on his circumnavigation of the globe between 1577 and 1580. Salvage's logbooks and charts provided valuable insights into the geography and navigation techniques of that era.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the SALVAGE name was also associated with the thriving shipping industry in coastal regions of England, particularly in ports such as Bristol and Plymouth. Notable individuals included Thomas Salvage (1588-1647), a merchant and ship owner who traded with the American colonies, and Captain Richard Salvage (1620-1688), a renowned naval commander who served in the Anglo-Dutch Wars.

In the late 18th century, the SALVAGE family established roots in the Caribbean, with members such as William Salvage (1745-1812) becoming a prominent plantation owner and sugar merchant in Jamaica. His son, Sir Henry Salvage (1776-1842), later served as the Governor of British Honduras (now Belize) from 1821 to 1828.

While the SALVAGE surname has its origins in maritime and coastal regions, over time, it has spread to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and beyond, as families migrated and established new roots.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Salvage families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Salvage 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. Sussex leads with 112 Salvages recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.42x.

County Total Index
Sussex 112 21.42x
Middlesex 39 1.26x
Somerset 37 7.41x
Suffolk 28 7.41x
Surrey 27 1.79x
Kent 10 0.94x
Monmouthshire 10 4.46x
Stirlingshire 9 7.87x
Wiltshire 7 2.55x
Cornwall 6 1.71x
Glamorgan 6 1.11x
Gloucestershire 6 0.99x
Lancashire 4 0.11x
Anglesey 2 3.64x
Caernarfonshire 2 1.59x
Derbyshire 2 0.41x
Hampshire 2 0.31x
Northumberland 2 0.43x
Bedfordshire 1 0.62x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.51x
Cheshire 1 0.15x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.20x
Lincolnshire 1 0.20x
Warwickshire 1 0.13x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 81 Salvages recorded in 1881 and an index of 76.77x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 81 76.77x
Lambeth 15 5.55x
Hove 10 43.57x
Kensington London 10 5.80x
Long Melford 10 284.90x
Cheddar 8 318.73x
Falkirk 8 29.87x
Lewes St John 8 1379.31x
Swindon 7 32.89x
Trevethin 7 33.05x
Canterbury St Alphage 6 530.97x
Croydon 6 7.15x
Emborough 6 3157.89x
Hammersmith London 6 7.85x
Horringer 6 857.14x
Lamyatt 6 2222.22x
Llantwit Vairdre 6 98.85x
Newick 6 521.74x
Newlyn 6 400.00x
Rougham 6 689.66x
St Martin In Fields 5 26.93x
St Marylebone London 5 3.02x
Westbury 5 781.25x
Camberwell 4 2.02x
Greenwich 4 8.10x
Priddy 4 1666.67x
Bristol St Paul In 3 18.51x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 3 42.31x
Liverpool 3 1.34x
Rottingdean 3 167.60x
St George In East 3 14.22x
St Woollos 3 11.99x
Wells St Cuthbert 3 87.98x
Bethnal Green London 2 1.48x
Elswick 2 5.43x
Lewes All Sts 2 96.15x
Llanddyfnan 2 294.12x
Llanfair Is Gaer 2 115.61x
Mark 2 172.41x
Paddington London 2 1.75x
Portsea 2 1.61x
St Luke London 2 4.02x
St Pancras London 2 0.80x
Stowmarket 2 45.77x
Wedmore 2 61.54x
Berkeley 1 29.50x
Bow London 1 2.53x
Clifton 1 3.25x
Cumbernauld 1 21.88x
Elvaston 1 166.67x
Enfield 1 4.91x
Fairfield 1 30.77x
Hartfield 1 60.61x
Hastings St Andrew 1 53.48x
Lingfield 1 33.90x
Liscard 1 8.10x
Melchbourne 1 434.78x
Onehouse 1 270.27x
Polmont 1 23.70x
Reigate Foreign 1 6.11x
St Marythe Less 1 84.03x
Stapleton 1 8.67x
Thornaby 1 8.70x
Toxteth Park 1 0.80x
Ulceby 1 82.64x
Wellesbourne Mountford 1 133.33x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 1 24.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 15
Mary 15
Sarah 11
Ellen 7
Eliza 6
Emily 6
Alice 5
Emma 5
Ann 4
Margaret 4
Rose 4
Caroline 3
Charlotte 3
Jane 3
Kate 3
Ada 2
Annie 2
Bessie 2
Clara 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Harriott 2
Laura 2
Marry 2
Nancy 2
Susannah 2
Anna 1
Anne 1
Catherine 1
Chaity 1
Edith 1
Emmeline 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Harriot 1
Hilda 1
Julia 1
Lavinia 1
Leah 1
Lillie 1
Louisa 1
Louiza 1
Lucy 1
M.A.V. 1
Matilda 1
May 1
Minnie 1
Naomi 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 25
George 16
Henry 14
John 12
James 11
Thomas 11
Frederick 8
Edward 7
Charles 5
Harry 5
Joseph 5
Samuel 3
Alfred 2
Amos 2
Frank 2
Geo. 2
Robert 2
Walter 2
Abraham 1
Adolphus 1
Alexr. 1
Allen 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Fred 1
G.W. 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Jacob 1
Lional 1
Mark 1
Matthew 1
Nathaniel 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Ruben 1
Sidney 1
Simon 1
Simpson 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Salvage surname: questions and answers

How common was the Salvage surname in 1881?

In 1881, 316 people were recorded with the Salvage surname. That placed it at #9,375 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Salvage surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 570 in 2016. That gives Salvage a modern rank of #9,038.

What does the Salvage surname mean?

A surname referring to the act of recovering or saving goods from loss.

What does the Salvage map show?

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