NameCensus.

UK surname

Saward

In the 1881 census there were 434 people recorded with the Saward surname, ranking it #7,512 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 562, ranked #9,130, down from #7,512 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to South Hanningfield, East Hanningfield, Runwell, Rettendon, Downham, Wickford, Bocking and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dartford, Maldon and Epping Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Saward is 639 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.5%.

1881 census count

434

Ranked #7,512

Modern count

562

2016, ranked #9,130

Peak year

1998

639 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Saward had 434 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,512 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 562 in 2016, ranked #9,130.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 616 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Saward surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Saward surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Saward 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 273 #8,212
1861 historical 355 #7,198
1881 historical 434 #7,512
1891 historical 452 #8,050
1901 historical 495 #8,111
1911 historical 616 #6,702
1997 modern 614 #8,019
1998 modern 639 #8,006
1999 modern 632 #8,139
2000 modern 618 #8,263
2001 modern 600 #8,299
2002 modern 631 #8,152
2003 modern 611 #8,216
2004 modern 615 #8,203
2005 modern 584 #8,431
2006 modern 585 #8,440
2007 modern 578 #8,595
2008 modern 571 #8,720
2009 modern 607 #8,517
2010 modern 606 #8,723
2011 modern 600 #8,696
2012 modern 555 #9,103
2013 modern 581 #8,945
2014 modern 581 #9,006
2015 modern 569 #9,059
2016 modern 562 #9,130

Geography

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Where Sawards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around South Hanningfield, East Hanningfield, Runwell, Rettendon, Downham, Wickford, Bocking, London parishes and West Thurrock, Purfleet. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dartford, Maldon, Epping Forest and North Hertfordshire. 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 South Hanningfield, East Hanningfield, Runwell, Rettendon, Downham, Wickford Essex
2 Bocking Essex
3 London parishes London 1
4 West Thurrock, Purfleet Essex
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dartford 004 Dartford
2 Maldon 006 Maldon
3 Maldon 008 Maldon
4 Epping Forest 010 Epping Forest
5 North Hertfordshire 002 North Hertfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Saward

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Saward

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Saward 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

Saward is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Saward falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Saward families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Saward 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. Essex leads with 193 Sawards recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.10x.

County Total Index
Essex 193 23.10x
Middlesex 127 3.00x
Surrey 46 2.23x
Kent 22 1.52x
Hertfordshire 15 5.14x
Cambridgeshire 6 2.24x
Northamptonshire 6 1.51x
Dorset 4 1.44x
Hampshire 4 0.46x
Oxfordshire 4 1.53x
Norfolk 3 0.46x
Sussex 2 0.28x
Glamorgan 1 0.14x
Yorkshire 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. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 23 Sawards recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.69x.

Place Total Index
Hackney London 23 9.69x
South Hanningfield 19 5588.24x
Gosfield 17 1910.11x
Islington London 15 3.66x
Braintree 13 173.33x
Halstead 11 112.82x
Ashford 10 71.07x
Lambeth 10 2.71x
Maldon St Peter 10 234.74x
St Pancras London 10 2.93x
West Thurrock 10 359.71x
Great Braxted 9 1666.67x
Mile End Old Town 9 13.47x
West Ham 9 4.88x
Willesden 9 22.55x
Bermondsey 8 6.35x
Bocking 8 159.05x
Camberwell 8 2.96x
Croydon 8 6.99x
Little Totham 8 1739.13x
Shoreditch London 8 4.36x
Wendens Ambo 8 1481.48x
Chelmsford 7 48.81x
Clerkenwell London 7 7.00x
Hammersmith London 7 6.71x
Swanscombe 7 107.86x
White Notley 7 1044.78x
Bromley London 6 6.44x
Sawbridgeworth 6 135.75x
Southwark St George Martyr 6 7.04x
St Botolph Aldgate 6 103.81x
St Marylebone London 6 2.65x
Wellingborough 6 29.97x
Epping 5 147.06x
Hadleigh 5 735.29x
Rainham 5 274.73x
Runwell 5 1020.41x
Ealing 4 10.57x
Portland 4 26.77x
Rayleigh 4 208.33x
South Benfleet 4 404.04x
St Andrewthe Less 4 13.06x
Alverstoke 3 9.55x
Chignal Smealy 3 1034.48x
Great Wakering 3 160.43x
Hampton Wick London 3 96.77x
Hertford All Saints 3 184.05x
Lambourne 3 241.94x
Neithrop 3 34.13x
Springfield 3 81.97x
St George Hanover 3 5.43x
Stoke Newington London 3 9.10x
Tillingham 3 204.08x
Tolleshunt Major 3 508.47x
Chelsea London 2 1.57x
Fulham London 2 3.26x
Goldhanger 2 277.78x
Great Amwell 2 68.26x
Rochester St Margaret 2 13.13x
Watford 2 8.84x
Broxbourne 1 17.30x
Clapham 1 1.89x
Colchester St Botolph 1 14.06x
Downham Market 1 22.37x
Hadlow 1 27.93x
Llandaff 1 4.08x
Lockwood 1 6.63x
Northfleet 1 7.86x
Norwich St George Colegate 1 42.19x
Orsett 1 45.87x
Prittlewell 1 8.64x
Purleigh 1 80.00x
Rickmansworth 1 12.45x
Shanklin 1 38.61x
Southwark St Saviour 1 4.60x
St Luke London 1 1.47x
Stoke 1 10.28x
Streatham 1 3.18x
Whittlesey St Mary St 1 10.67x
Widford 1 227.27x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 30
John 18
James 15
George 12
Henry 12
Alfred 9
Charles 7
Harry 7
Samuel 7
Arthur 5
Ernest 5
Thomas 5
Walter 5
David 4
Frank 4
Frederick 4
Albert 3
Percy 3
Richard 3
Abraham 2
Edward 2
Sidney 2
W. 2
Benjamin 1
Bertram 1
Ebenezer 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Emma 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Harvey 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Hubert 1
J.S.Chas. 1
Jane 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Josiah 1
Lewis 1
Lionel 1
Mark 1
Owen 1
Peter 1
Reuben 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1

FAQ

Saward surname: questions and answers

How common was the Saward surname in 1881?

In 1881, 434 people were recorded with the Saward surname. That placed it at #7,512 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Saward surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 562 in 2016. That gives Saward a modern rank of #9,130.

What does the Saward map show?

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