NameCensus.

UK surname

Sapey

In the 1881 census there were 95 people recorded with the Sapey surname, ranking it #20,349 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 153, ranked #23,408, down from #20,349 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tamworth, Kingston-on-Thames and Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, South Norfolk and Breckland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sapey is 167 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 61.1%.

1881 census count

95

Ranked #20,349

Modern count

153

2016, ranked #23,408

Peak year

2000

167 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sapey had 95 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,349 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 153 in 2016, ranked #23,408.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 110 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sapey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sapey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sapey 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 27 #28,467
1861 historical 89 #22,419
1881 historical 95 #20,349
1891 historical 101 #23,870
1901 historical 110 #21,604
1911 historical 110 #21,519
1997 modern 145 #21,571
1998 modern 160 #20,832
1999 modern 160 #20,943
2000 modern 167 #20,332
2001 modern 155 #21,047
2002 modern 150 #21,913
2003 modern 141 #22,549
2004 modern 143 #22,471
2005 modern 146 #22,146
2006 modern 146 #22,320
2007 modern 145 #22,693
2008 modern 141 #23,383
2009 modern 139 #24,161
2010 modern 141 #24,460
2011 modern 144 #23,962
2012 modern 141 #24,258
2013 modern 150 #23,653
2014 modern 149 #23,969
2015 modern 151 #23,613
2016 modern 153 #23,408

Geography

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Where Sapeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tamworth, Kingston-on-Thames, Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John, Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos and Hockering. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, South Norfolk and Breckland. 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 Tamworth Staffordshire
2 Kingston-on-Thames Surrey
3 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk
4 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk
5 Hockering Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 031 Doncaster
2 Doncaster 032 Doncaster
3 South Norfolk 008 South Norfolk
4 Breckland 006 Breckland
5 Doncaster 035 Doncaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sapey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sapey

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Sapey is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sapey is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sapey 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 Sapey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Sapey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sapey 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. Norfolk leads with 58 Sapeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.71x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 58 40.71x
Surrey 13 2.88x
Yorkshire 10 1.09x
Warwickshire 7 3.00x
Lincolnshire 5 3.37x
Suffolk 2 1.77x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hockering in Norfolk leads with 15 Sapeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 12500.00x.

Place Total Index
Hockering 15 12500.00x
Heigham 10 130.72x
Kingston On Thames 10 92.17x
Bolehall Glascote 7 707.07x
Barnham Broom 6 4285.71x
Sculthorpe 6 3157.89x
Lutton 5 2083.33x
Mexborough 5 274.73x
Wakefield 5 70.92x
Boughton 4 5714.29x
Camberwell 3 5.07x
Colton 3 3750.00x
Norwich St George Colegate 3 576.92x
East Harling 2 588.24x
Lowestoft 2 37.52x
Norwich St Clement 2 121.21x
West Rudham 2 1333.33x
East Dereham 1 55.56x
Eaton St Andrew 1 250.00x
Norwich St Giles 1 217.39x
Thorpe Next Norwich 1 66.23x
Weasenham St Peter 1 1111.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 5
Sarah 5
Mary 3
Ann 2
Charlotte 2
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Laura 2
Alice 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Emoly 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Harriett 1
Julia 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Nellie 1
Pleasance 1
Rebecca 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
Thomas 7
William 6
Edward 5
James 5
Frederick 3
Robert 3
Henry 2
Zachariah 2
Alfred 1
Bertie 1
Charles 1
Edmund 1
Geo.W. 1
Herbert 1
Robt. 1
Robt.G. 1
Samuel 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Sapey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sapey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 95 people were recorded with the Sapey surname. That placed it at #20,349 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sapey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 153 in 2016. That gives Sapey a modern rank of #23,408.

What does the Sapey map show?

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