NameCensus.

UK surname

Salvesen

A surname of Norwegian origin meaning "son of Salve".

In the 1881 census there were 26 people recorded with the Salvesen surname, ranking it #29,911 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 118, ranked #27,873, up from #29,911 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Earlston Stow and Clovernfords Area, Crathes and Torphins and Cheviot West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Salvesen is 121 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 353.8%.

1881 census count

26

Ranked #29,911

Modern count

118

2016, ranked #27,873

Peak year

2013

121 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Salvesen had 26 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,911 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016, ranked #27,873.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 59 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Salvesen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Salvesen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Salvesen 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 5 #32,456
1861 historical 16 #31,832
1881 historical 26 #29,911
1891 historical 38 #31,330
1901 historical 59 #27,609
1911 historical 22 #31,030
1997 modern 72 #30,415
1998 modern 77 #30,289
1999 modern 82 #29,933
2000 modern 89 #29,173
2001 modern 82 #29,714
2002 modern 95 #28,666
2003 modern 112 #25,948
2004 modern 92 #29,197
2005 modern 78 #31,058
2006 modern 80 #31,149
2007 modern 86 #30,808
2008 modern 86 #31,114
2009 modern 90 #31,094
2010 modern 97 #30,697
2011 modern 103 #29,589
2012 modern 110 #28,514
2013 modern 121 #27,255
2014 modern 115 #28,439
2015 modern 116 #28,151
2016 modern 118 #27,873

Geography

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Where Salvesens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Earlston Stow and Clovernfords Area, Crathes and Torphins, Cheviot West, IZ14 and Wandsworth. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Earlston Stow and Clovernfords Area Scottish Borders
2 Crathes and Torphins Aberdeenshire
3 Cheviot West Scottish Borders
4 IZ14 East Lothian
5 Wandsworth 006 Wandsworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Salvesen

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Salvesen

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

Spacious Rural Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Salvesen is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Salvesen is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Salvesen 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 Salvesen is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Salvesen

The surname SALVESEN originated in Norway and is believed to have derived from the Old Norse personal name Sölvi, meaning "descendant of Sölr." The name likely emerged in the early medieval period and was initially found in coastal regions of Norway.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the late 13th century, when a Norwegian farmer named Sølve Salvesen was mentioned in the Diplomatarum Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents. The name appeared to have evolved into its modern spelling by the 16th century.

In the mid-17th century, a prominent figure named Christian Salvesen (1627-1698) was a successful merchant and shipowner from Bergen, Norway. He played a significant role in the city's thriving trade industry during that period.

Another notable individual bearing the SALVESEN name was Edvard Isak Salvesen (1841-1924), a Norwegian shipowner and businessman. He founded the Salvesen & Co. shipping company in Leith, Scotland, which became one of the largest whaling and sealing companies in the world.

The SALVESEN surname also has a connection to the Shetland Islands, located off the northern coast of Scotland. In the late 19th century, Samuel Salvesen (1828-1891) established a successful fishing and whaling business in the islands, further contributing to the family's maritime legacy.

One of the most famous individuals with the SALVESEN surname was Sir Theodore Salvesen (1875-1953), a British businessman and politician. He was the chairman of the family's whaling and shipping company, Christian Salvesen Ltd., and served as a Member of Parliament for the Unionist Party.

Throughout history, the SALVESEN name has maintained a strong association with maritime industries, particularly in Norway and Scotland, where it has been carried by several prominent businessmen and entrepreneurs involved in shipping, whaling, and fishing.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Salvesen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Salvesen 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. Lanarkshire leads with 7 Salvesens recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.54x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 7 8.54x
Midlothian 7 20.61x
Renfrewshire 5 25.45x
Surrey 3 2.43x
Kent 1 1.16x
Middlesex 1 0.39x
Norfolk 1 2.56x
Yorkshire 1 0.40x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 7 Salvesens recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.73x.

Place Total Index
Barony 7 33.73x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 43.89x
Inverkip 5 1086.96x
Rotherhithe 2 63.90x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 85.47x
Lambeth 1 4.52x
Leith North 1 1428.57x
Poplar London 1 20.88x
Southcoates 1 71.94x
Woolwich 1 31.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Louisa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
August 1
Charles 1
Henry 1
Johan 1
Jorgen 1
Salve 1

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 Salvesen households.

FAQ

Salvesen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Salvesen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 26 people were recorded with the Salvesen surname. That placed it at #29,911 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Salvesen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016. That gives Salvesen a modern rank of #27,873.

What does the Salvesen surname mean?

A surname of Norwegian origin meaning "son of Salve".

What does the Salvesen map show?

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