NameCensus.

UK surname

Saville

Derived from a place name meaning "sand hill" in Old English, likely referring to someone who lived near one.

In the 1881 census there were 2,723 people recorded with the Saville surname, ranking it #1,636 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,514, ranked #1,930, down from #1,636 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Halifax and Wakefield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Erewash, Bassetlaw and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Saville is 3,880 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.0%.

1881 census count

2,723

Ranked #1,636

Modern count

3,514

2016, ranked #1,930

Peak year

1911

3,880 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Saville had 2,723 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,636 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,514 in 2016, ranked #1,930.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,880 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Saville surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Saville surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Saville 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 1,323 #2,171
1861 historical 1,425 #1,993
1881 historical 2,723 #1,636
1891 historical 2,999 #1,567
1901 historical 3,808 #1,474
1911 historical 3,880 #1,330
1997 modern 3,707 #1,748
1998 modern 3,817 #1,769
1999 modern 3,792 #1,792
2000 modern 3,749 #1,796
2001 modern 3,618 #1,823
2002 modern 3,689 #1,835
2003 modern 3,653 #1,814
2004 modern 3,562 #1,854
2005 modern 3,509 #1,860
2006 modern 3,496 #1,870
2007 modern 3,510 #1,875
2008 modern 3,517 #1,888
2009 modern 3,595 #1,896
2010 modern 3,597 #1,938
2011 modern 3,595 #1,918
2012 modern 3,506 #1,923
2013 modern 3,610 #1,899
2014 modern 3,622 #1,897
2015 modern 3,569 #1,912
2016 modern 3,514 #1,930

Geography

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Where Savilles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Halifax, Wakefield and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Erewash, Bassetlaw, Kirklees and Broxtowe. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Erewash 008 Erewash
2 Bassetlaw 015 Bassetlaw
3 Kirklees 007 Kirklees
4 Broxtowe 008 Broxtowe
5 Kirklees 004 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Saville

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Saville

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

Saville 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

Saville falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Saville 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 Saville, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Saville

The surname Saville is of English origin, deriving from the ancient Saxon settlement of Sevenoaks in Kent. The name is believed to have originated in the 11th century, with the earliest known reference appearing in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Savillan".

The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "sæfe", meaning "rush" or "sedge", and "ac", meaning "oak". This suggests that the original bearers of the name likely lived in an area abundant with rushes and oak trees, possibly near a body of water.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Roger de Saville, who was listed as a landowner in the Hundred Rolls of 1273. The Hundred Rolls were a survey of landholdings in England during the reign of King Edward I.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including Savill, Savil, and Savile. One notable bearer of the name during this time was Sir John Savile (1330-1399), a member of the English gentry and a knight of Yorkshire.

The Saville family became prominent in Yorkshire during the 16th and 17th centuries. One of the most notable members of the family was Sir George Savile (1633-1695), a prominent politician and writer who served as a Member of Parliament and authored several works on philosophy and politics.

Another notable figure was Sir Henry Savile (1549-1622), a scholar and mathematician who was appointed as the Warden of Merton College, Oxford, and made significant contributions to the field of classical studies.

In the 18th century, the name Saville was also associated with the town of Saville in West Yorkshire, which further solidified its connection to the region.

Other notable individuals with the surname Saville include Sir Ernest Savile (1858-1909), a British politician and Member of Parliament, and Alfred Savile Caley (1831-1914), an English botanist and naturalist.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Saville families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Saville 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. Yorkshire leads with 1,180 Savilles recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.49x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,180 4.49x
Middlesex 324 1.22x
Lancashire 295 0.94x
Essex 218 4.16x
Hertfordshire 107 5.85x
Kent 102 1.13x
Surrey 78 0.60x
Cheshire 61 1.04x
Derbyshire 45 1.08x
Durham 45 0.57x
Warwickshire 37 0.55x
Bedfordshire 35 2.55x
Sussex 30 0.67x
Gloucestershire 25 0.48x
Devon 19 0.34x
Nottinghamshire 19 0.53x
Monmouthshire 11 0.57x
Suffolk 11 0.34x
Worcestershire 11 0.32x
Staffordshire 9 0.10x
Norfolk 8 0.20x
Buckinghamshire 7 0.44x
Hampshire 7 0.13x
Lanarkshire 5 0.06x
Northumberland 5 0.13x
Shropshire 5 0.22x
Berkshire 4 0.20x
Lincolnshire 4 0.09x
Royal Navy 3 0.95x
Anglesey 1 0.21x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.06x
Dorset 1 0.06x
Flintshire 1 0.14x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.16x
Oxfordshire 1 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.12x
Renfrewshire 1 0.05x
Somerset 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 81 Savilles recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.46x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 81 5.46x
Ashton Under Lyne 57 8.28x
Kensington London 44 2.98x
Sheffield 43 5.14x
Brightside Bierlow 37 7.17x
Bradford 36 5.66x
Morley 33 24.14x
Wakefield 33 16.35x
Hunslet 32 7.81x
Manningham 32 9.88x
Dewsbury 31 11.50x
Hackney London 29 1.95x
Huddersfield 28 7.31x
Nether Hallam 28 7.87x
West Ham 28 2.42x
Gomersal 27 22.00x
Idle 27 22.15x
St Pancras London 26 1.22x
North Bierley 25 17.61x
Halifax 24 6.22x
Golcar 23 33.08x
Thornton In Bradford 23 26.28x
Waltham Holy Cross 22 44.94x
Liversedge 21 17.94x
Oldham 21 2.07x
St Marylebone London 21 1.48x
West Ardsley 20 63.21x
Barnsley 19 7.01x
Birmingham 19 0.85x
Bowling 19 7.30x
Islington London 19 0.74x
Northowram 19 10.31x
Wimbish 19 245.80x
Batley 18 7.20x
Dukinfield 17 6.28x
Matching 17 313.08x
Cleckheaton 16 16.52x
Almondbury 15 11.80x
Steppingley 15 528.17x
Thaxted 15 86.31x
Tottenham 15 3.55x
Horton In Bradford 14 3.41x
Ovenden 14 11.96x
Bishopwearmouth 13 1.92x
Camberwell 13 0.77x
Clifton In Halifax 13 82.75x
Enfield 13 7.47x
Everton 13 1.30x
Birkenhead 12 2.57x
Broughton In Salford 12 4.17x
Chadderton 12 7.80x
Ealing 12 5.06x
Lockwood 12 12.69x
Tong 12 23.63x
Beighton 11 58.45x
Bramley In Bramley 11 10.93x
Crook Billy Row 11 10.88x
East Ardsley 11 48.31x
Edmonton 11 5.15x
Hammersmith London 11 1.68x
Lambeth 11 0.48x
Leyton Low 11 10.33x
Maldon St Peter 11 41.23x
Paddington London 11 1.13x
Pendleton In Salford 11 2.93x
Tanshelf 11 52.38x
Ware 11 20.98x
Wollaton 11 170.02x
Woolwich 11 3.29x
Wormley 11 164.67x
Allerton Bywater 10 70.27x
Barton Upon Irwell 10 4.22x
Chorley 10 5.66x
Deptford St Paul 10 1.43x
Panteg 10 33.10x
Pollington 10 284.90x
Sheriff Hutton W 10 134.05x
Southwark St George Martyr 10 1.87x
Standon 10 53.14x
Tupton 10 80.06x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 192
Sarah 108
Elizabeth 103
Ann 55
Annie 54
Emma 46
Eliza 44
Jane 41
Alice 39
Hannah 39
Ellen 38
Martha 37
Emily 35
Margaret 22
Harriet 21
Ada 20
Edith 20
Charlotte 16
Maria 16
Caroline 14
Florence 14
Louisa 14
Anne 13
Clara 12
Kate 11
Frances 10
Lucy 10
Fanny 9
Gertrude 9
Sophia 9
Susannah 9
Esther 8
Jessie 8
Rebecca 8
Susan 8
Betty 7
Ruth 7
Amelia 6
Amy 6
Bertha 6
Lydia 6
Matilda 6
Minnie 6
Agnes 5
Catherine 5
Elizth. 5
Isabella 5
Rosa 5
Rose 5
Jemima 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 151
John 149
George 108
James 90
Joseph 65
Thomas 62
Henry 43
Charles 42
Walter 39
Alfred 35
Arthur 26
Samuel 22
Harry 21
Frederick 20
Richard 20
Edward 19
Ernest 19
Herbert 19
Robert 18
Benjamin 15
Fred 14
Albert 13
David 13
Francis 12
Edwin 9
Frank 9
Isaac 8
Peter 8
Tom 7
Willie 6
Percy 5
Thos. 5
Abraham 4
Alexander 4
Fredrick 4
Joe 4
Jonas 4
Mark 4
Phillip 4
Sam 4
Sydney 4
Edmond 3
Edmund 3
Jeremiah 3
Jonathan 3
Sidney 3
Stephen 3
Wm. 3
Josh. 2
Josiah 2

FAQ

Saville surname: questions and answers

How common was the Saville surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,723 people were recorded with the Saville surname. That placed it at #1,636 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Saville surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,514 in 2016. That gives Saville a modern rank of #1,930.

What does the Saville surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "sand hill" in Old English, likely referring to someone who lived near one.

What does the Saville map show?

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