NameCensus.

UK surname

Sankoh

A surname of African origin, possibly referring to a person from the Sankoh region or village.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Hackney.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sankoh is 172 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

172

2016, ranked #21,648

Peak year

2016

172 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 172 in 2016, ranked #21,648.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Sankoh surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sankoh surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sankoh 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
1997 modern 52 #32,444
1998 modern 51 #32,816
1999 modern 53 #32,746
2000 modern 60 #32,124
2001 modern 66 #31,394
2002 modern 76 #30,830
2003 modern 69 #31,587
2004 modern 74 #31,306
2005 modern 88 #29,831
2006 modern 95 #29,113
2007 modern 94 #29,650
2008 modern 105 #28,180
2009 modern 113 #27,520
2010 modern 120 #27,124
2011 modern 121 #26,789
2012 modern 144 #23,902
2013 modern 145 #24,207
2014 modern 152 #23,631
2015 modern 169 #21,888
2016 modern 172 #21,648

Geography

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Where Sankohs 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 Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Lambeth. 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 Southwark 027 Southwark
2 Tower Hamlets 019 Tower Hamlets
3 Hackney 013 Hackney
4 Lambeth 005 Lambeth
5 Southwark 018 Southwark

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sankoh

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sankoh

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Sankoh surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Sankoh 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 includes many younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Sankoh 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

Sankoh 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

Sankoh 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 Sankoh 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
Black - African

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

Meaning and origin of Sankoh

The surname Sankoh finds its origins in West Africa, specifically in the region now known as Sierra Leone. It is believed to have emerged during the 15th century, initially derived from the Temne language spoken by the ethnic group of the same name.

Sankoh is thought to be a combination of two words – "san" meaning "warrior" and "koh" signifying "leader" or "chief." This suggests that the name was originally bestowed upon individuals who held positions of authority and commanded respect within their communities.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the Sankoh surname can be traced back to the late 17th century, when European explorers and traders began documenting their encounters with the Temne people. In particular, the diaries of Portuguese merchants make reference to a chief named Sankoh who ruled over a prominent village in the northern region of Sierra Leone.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Sankoh name appeared in various British colonial records, as Sierra Leone became a colony and center of the abolition movement. One notable figure from this period was Bai Sankoh Bana, a Temne chief who allied with the British and played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Colony of Sierra Leone in the late 1700s.

As the centuries progressed, the Sankoh name spread beyond its original homeland, carried by individuals who migrated to other parts of Africa and eventually to other continents. Among the notable bearers of this surname was Foday Sankoh, a former Sierra Leonean revolutionary and the founder of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), born in 1937 and who passed away in 2003.

Another prominent figure was Alhaji Sankoh, a influential politician and businessman from Sierra Leone who served as a Member of Parliament and played a significant role in the country's affairs during the late 20th century.

In more recent times, the name Sankoh has been associated with individuals such as Ishmael Sankoh, a Sierra Leonean footballer who has represented his country on the international stage, and Tamba Sankoh, a Sierra Leonean-American writer and poet whose works explore themes of identity and displacement.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Sankoh surname: questions and answers

How common is the Sankoh surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 172 in 2016. That gives Sankoh a modern rank of #21,648.

What does the Sankoh surname mean?

A surname of African origin, possibly referring to a person from the Sankoh region or village.

What does the Sankoh map show?

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