NameCensus.

UK surname

Sargeant

An occupational surname referring to a servant or attendant, derived from the Latin "serviens" meaning "one who serves."

In the 1881 census there were 2,361 people recorded with the Sargeant surname, ranking it #1,886 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,506, ranked #1,505, up from #1,886 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Norton-in-the-Moors, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stoke-on-Trent, East Staffordshire and Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sargeant is 4,838 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 90.9%.

1881 census count

2,361

Ranked #1,886

Modern count

4,506

2016, ranked #1,505

Peak year

2011

4,838 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sargeant had 2,361 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,886 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,506 in 2016, ranked #1,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,213 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sargeant surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sargeant surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sargeant 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 1,262 #2,257
1861 historical 1,164 #2,422
1881 historical 2,361 #1,886
1891 historical 2,883 #1,642
1901 historical 3,426 #1,623
1911 historical 4,213 #1,234
1997 modern 4,112 #1,576
1998 modern 4,579 #1,484
1999 modern 4,627 #1,481
2000 modern 4,583 #1,484
2001 modern 4,516 #1,477
2002 modern 4,572 #1,491
2003 modern 4,420 #1,499
2004 modern 4,434 #1,497
2005 modern 4,385 #1,494
2006 modern 4,381 #1,498
2007 modern 4,434 #1,491
2008 modern 4,444 #1,501
2009 modern 4,633 #1,474
2010 modern 4,814 #1,446
2011 modern 4,838 #1,419
2012 modern 4,518 #1,497
2013 modern 4,634 #1,487
2014 modern 4,656 #1,485
2015 modern 4,569 #1,497
2016 modern 4,506 #1,505

Geography

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Where Sargeants are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Norton-in-the-Moors, London parishes, St Pancras and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stoke-on-Trent, East Staffordshire, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Wigan. 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 Norton-in-the-Moors Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stoke-on-Trent 007 Stoke-on-Trent
2 East Staffordshire 001 East Staffordshire
3 Newcastle-under-Lyme 007 Newcastle-under-Lyme
4 Stoke-on-Trent 004 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Wigan 017 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sargeant

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sargeant

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

Sargeant is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Sargeant

The surname Sargeant is of Norman French origin, derived from the Old French word "sergent" which means "servant" or "attendant." It is believed to have emerged in England shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The name Sargeant was initially adopted by individuals who served in a military or legal capacity, either as a sergeant-at-arms or a legal officer. It was also used to refer to those who held a position of authority or command within a household or estate.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Sergant." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of the landholdings and population in England.

In the 12th century, a notable bearer of the name was Willelmus Sergant, who is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1182. These rolls were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer.

During the 13th century, the surname Sargeant began to spread across various regions of England, with variations in spelling such as Sargent, Sargaunt, and Serjeant emerging.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Sargeant spelling can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1273, where a John Sargeant is listed as a landowner.

In the 14th century, a prominent figure bearing the name was Sir John Sargent (c. 1335-1399), a distinguished English knight who served under Edward III during the Hundred Years' War.

Another notable bearer of the name was Ralf Sargeant (c. 1405-1460), a member of the gentry from Northamptonshire who served as a Member of Parliament in 1437.

During the 16th century, the Sargeant surname gained further prominence with individuals like William Sargeant (c. 1520-1585), a wealthy merchant and benefactor from Leicestershire.

In the 17th century, a notable figure was John Sargeant (1621-1693), an English theologian and author who served as the rector of Stamford-Rivers in Essex.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sargeant families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sargeant 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. Middlesex leads with 351 Sargeants recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.52x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 351 1.52x
Staffordshire 266 3.42x
Lancashire 183 0.67x
Surrey 153 1.36x
Kent 139 1.77x
Northamptonshire 109 5.03x
Suffolk 107 3.82x
Yorkshire 107 0.47x
Warwickshire 105 1.81x
Essex 103 2.27x
Berkshire 73 4.22x
Gloucestershire 58 1.28x
Lincolnshire 54 1.47x
Dorset 44 2.91x
Hampshire 40 0.85x
Devon 38 0.79x
Sussex 36 0.93x
Shropshire 35 1.76x
Buckinghamshire 32 2.30x
Oxfordshire 27 1.90x
Derbyshire 26 0.72x
Cambridgeshire 24 1.65x
Cornwall 24 0.92x
Bedfordshire 23 1.93x
Leicestershire 23 0.90x
Nottinghamshire 22 0.71x
Somerset 18 0.49x
Norfolk 16 0.45x
Cheshire 11 0.22x
Huntingdonshire 11 2.41x
Herefordshire 10 1.06x
Westmorland 10 1.98x
Cumberland 9 0.45x
Durham 9 0.13x
Worcestershire 8 0.27x
Hertfordshire 7 0.44x
Monmouthshire 7 0.42x
Ayrshire 6 0.35x
Northumberland 6 0.18x
Fife 5 0.37x
Lanarkshire 5 0.07x
Rutland 5 2.96x
Royal Navy 4 1.46x
Wiltshire 3 0.15x
Channel Islands 2 0.29x
Denbighshire 2 0.23x
Renfrewshire 2 0.11x
Stirlingshire 2 0.24x

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 89 Sargeants recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.80x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 89 10.80x
Norton In Moors 58 140.98x
Hackney London 50 3.87x
Birmingham 42 2.17x
St Pancras London 36 1.94x
Lambeth 32 1.59x
Aston 31 1.94x
Islington London 26 1.17x
Mile End Old Town 26 7.15x
Burslem 23 10.33x
Deptford St Paul 22 3.63x
Kensington London 21 1.64x
Northampton St Sepulchre 19 17.25x
Plumstead 19 7.26x
Westbury On Severn 19 106.20x
Hampstead London 18 5.02x
Binfield 17 128.21x
Bromley London 17 3.36x
Camberwell 17 1.16x
Greenwich 16 4.37x
Liverpool 16 0.96x
Osmington 16 533.33x
Rotherfield Greys 16 106.31x
Sculcoates 16 4.42x
Wellingborough 16 14.70x
Westbury On Severn East 16 15.68x
Chorley 15 9.79x
Dalham 15 454.55x
Croydon 14 2.25x
Portsmouth 14 12.89x
Upton Cum Chalvey 14 25.24x
Easthampstead 13 140.39x
Fingringhoe 13 778.44x
Peterborough 13 8.29x
Toxteth Park 13 1.41x
Burwell 12 68.69x
Clerkenwell London 12 2.21x
Coventry Holy Trinity 12 6.92x
Lakenheath 12 81.03x
Northampton St Peter 12 91.19x
Cheadle 11 29.47x
Coventry St Michael 11 5.90x
Nether Hallam 11 3.56x
Poulton Barre 11 35.39x
Turvey 11 146.08x
Twickenham 11 11.14x
Warfield 11 70.11x
Petham 10 184.16x
Poplar London 10 2.30x
Salford 10 1.24x
Stoke Damerel 10 2.98x
Walsall Foreign 10 2.49x
West Derby 10 1.25x
Ashburton 9 39.28x
Bethnal Green London 9 0.90x
Bridge 9 133.33x
Cheddleton 9 55.32x
Clare 9 67.01x
Gorton 9 3.50x
Henley On Thames 9 30.90x
Lewisham 9 2.15x
Lower Upper Holker 9 241.29x
Moreton Say 9 175.78x
Preston 9 1.23x
Rotherhithe 9 3.16x
Wanstead 9 11.31x
Wokingham 9 22.82x
Wycombe 9 8.67x
Battersea 8 0.94x
Bletchingley 8 54.68x
Broseley 8 22.64x
Edmonton 8 4.31x
Melbourne 8 32.48x
Ordsall 8 33.67x
Paddington London 8 0.95x
Pattiswick 8 298.51x
Sheffield 8 1.10x
Stranton 8 3.47x
Tipton 8 3.36x
Wolstanton 8 3.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 164
Elizabeth 92
Sarah 71
Ann 49
Emma 49
Eliza 44
Jane 37
Annie 35
Emily 34
Alice 32
Hannah 30
Edith 19
Martha 19
Ada 17
Ellen 17
Fanny 17
Harriet 14
Harriett 14
Louisa 14
Clara 13
Florence 13
Jessie 13
Caroline 12
Kate 12
Amelia 11
Catherine 11
Lucy 11
Maria 11
Susan 11
Matilda 10
Agnes 9
Charlotte 9
Margaret 9
Anne 7
Rose 7
Sophia 7
Susannah 7
Helen 6
Julia 6
Minnie 6
Elizth. 5
Gertrude 5
Isabella 5
Rebecca 5
Selina 5
Bertha 4
Esther 4
Frances 4
Hester 4
Lilian 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 154
John 107
George 96
James 93
Thomas 58
Charles 54
Henry 54
Joseph 45
Arthur 36
Alfred 31
Edward 30
Richard 29
Robert 25
Samuel 24
Frederick 23
Harry 20
Walter 19
Albert 17
Herbert 13
Thos. 11
Frank 10
David 9
Daniel 7
Ernest 7
Wm. 7
Isaac 6
Chas. 5
Fredrick 5
Enoch 4
Fred 4
Fredk. 4
W. 4
Willm. 4
Benjamin 3
Cecil 3
Francis 3
Geo. 3
Nathaniel 3
Philip 3
Saml. 3
Dan 2
Isaiah 2
Jas. 2
Job 2
Leonard 2
Mark 2
Matthew 2
Oliver 2
Richd. 2
Robt. 2

FAQ

Sargeant surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sargeant surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,361 people were recorded with the Sargeant surname. That placed it at #1,886 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sargeant surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,506 in 2016. That gives Sargeant a modern rank of #1,505.

What does the Sargeant surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a servant or attendant, derived from the Latin "serviens" meaning "one who serves."

What does the Sargeant map show?

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