NameCensus.

UK surname

Saxby

From the Old English "seax" meaning knife, likely referring to one who made or sold knives.

In the 1881 census there were 1,417 people recorded with the Saxby surname, ranking it #2,933 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,752, ranked #3,581, down from #2,933 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, London parishes and Tunbridge, Bidborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hastings and Aylesbury Vale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Saxby is 1,890 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.6%.

1881 census count

1,417

Ranked #2,933

Modern count

1,752

2016, ranked #3,581

Peak year

1998

1,890 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Saxby had 1,417 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,933 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,752 in 2016, ranked #3,581.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,852 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Saxby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Saxby surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Saxby 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 964 #2,889
1861 historical 791 #3,485
1881 historical 1,417 #2,933
1891 historical 1,479 #2,979
1901 historical 1,852 #2,835
1911 historical 1,848 #2,672
1997 modern 1,834 #3,279
1998 modern 1,890 #3,307
1999 modern 1,876 #3,360
2000 modern 1,880 #3,333
2001 modern 1,835 #3,334
2002 modern 1,848 #3,383
2003 modern 1,801 #3,394
2004 modern 1,788 #3,415
2005 modern 1,749 #3,454
2006 modern 1,732 #3,494
2007 modern 1,750 #3,493
2008 modern 1,766 #3,493
2009 modern 1,806 #3,498
2010 modern 1,822 #3,532
2011 modern 1,813 #3,514
2012 modern 1,790 #3,500
2013 modern 1,819 #3,504
2014 modern 1,814 #3,533
2015 modern 1,779 #3,553
2016 modern 1,752 #3,581

Geography

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Where Saxbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough and Timberland. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hastings and Aylesbury Vale. 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 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
2 London parishes London 1
3 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 Timberland Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hastings 004 Hastings
2 Hastings 006 Hastings
3 Hastings 003 Hastings
4 Aylesbury Vale 004 Aylesbury Vale
5 Hastings 001 Hastings

Forenames

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First names often paired with Saxby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Saxby

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Saxby is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Saxby is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Saxby falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Saxby

The surname "Saxby" has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the place name "Saxby," which is found in various parts of the country, including Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire. The name itself is a combination of the Old English words "Seaxe" and "by," meaning "Saxon village" or "village of the Saxons."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname "Saxby" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Saxebi" in the county of Lincolnshire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in that region by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various records, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which mention a John de Saxeby in Lincolnshire. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 also list several individuals with the surname "Saxby" in different parts of England.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname "Saxby" include:

1. William Saxby (1505-1580), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge. 2. Martha Saxby (1677-1758), an English Quaker writer and minister, known for her religious works. 3. Sir Henry Saxby (1798-1876), a British naval officer and explorer who served in the Royal Navy and participated in several Arctic expeditions. 4. Jessie Saxby (1842-1940), a British naturalist and writer, best known for her observations and writings on the wildlife of the Shetland Islands. 5. Henry Saxby (1858-1936), a British lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Bermondsey from 1910 to 1918.

The surname "Saxby" has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Saxby in Leicestershire, Saxby All Saints in Lincolnshire, and Saxby Wold in Yorkshire. These place names, along with the variations in spelling like "Saxebi" and "Saxeby," further reinforce the locational origins of the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Saxby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Saxby 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. Kent leads with 331 Saxbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.01x.

County Total Index
Kent 331 7.01x
Sussex 188 8.06x
Middlesex 176 1.27x
Surrey 102 1.51x
Yorkshire 101 0.74x
Lincolnshire 86 3.89x
Nottinghamshire 79 4.23x
Northamptonshire 44 3.38x
Essex 40 1.46x
Buckinghamshire 35 4.18x
Cheshire 24 0.79x
Herefordshire 24 4.23x
Derbyshire 22 1.02x
Hampshire 22 0.78x
Somerset 15 0.67x
Lancashire 14 0.09x
Norfolk 13 0.61x
Berkshire 12 1.15x
Hertfordshire 12 1.26x
Devon 11 0.38x
Cambridgeshire 10 1.14x
Durham 9 0.22x
Worcestershire 7 0.39x
Gloucestershire 6 0.22x
Warwickshire 6 0.17x
Midlothian 5 0.27x
Suffolk 5 0.30x
Bedfordshire 4 0.56x
Northumberland 4 0.19x
Glamorgan 3 0.12x
Dorset 2 0.22x
Royal Navy 2 1.21x
Wiltshire 2 0.16x
Leicestershire 1 0.07x
Oxfordshire 1 0.12x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hastings St Mary In The in Sussex leads with 36 Saxbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 72.30x.

Place Total Index
Hastings St Mary In The 36 72.30x
Camberwell 32 3.62x
Irthlingborough 30 235.11x
Martin In Sleaford 26 670.10x
Stowe 25 1543.21x
East Peckham 23 234.45x
Tonbridge 21 12.33x
Battle 20 126.98x
Dartford 20 41.42x
Ore 19 109.38x
Ramsgate 17 22.05x
Brighton 16 3.40x
Willesden 16 12.26x
Catsfield 15 447.76x
Crayford 15 72.71x
Islington London 14 1.04x
Milton In Milton 14 69.72x
Sheffield 14 3.21x
Irchester 13 160.89x
Kensington London 13 1.69x
Leominster 13 55.34x
Margate St John Baptist 13 15.03x
Portsea 13 2.34x
St Botolph Aldgate 13 68.78x
Brenenden 12 197.69x
Cranbrook 12 60.00x
Elland Cum Greetland 12 19.42x
Lenton 12 27.30x
St George Hanover 12 6.64x
East Retford 11 67.94x
Loose 11 158.50x
Maidstone 11 7.82x
Southfleet 11 251.72x
Westminster St John 11 6.53x
Bethnal Green London 10 1.66x
Carlton Le Moorland 10 680.27x
Faversham 10 22.20x
Hastings St Leonards 10 29.15x
Hyde 10 11.09x
Mile End Old Town 10 4.58x
Newington 10 1.96x
Battersea 9 1.77x
Brinnington 9 31.53x
Chelsea London 9 2.16x
Harby 9 538.92x
Hastings St Mary 9 15.50x
Minster In Sheppey 9 11.50x
Penge 9 10.18x
Ramsey 9 250.70x
Ruddington 9 71.94x
St Marylebone London 9 1.22x
Wombwell 9 22.50x
Greenwich 8 3.63x
Hawkhurst 8 54.50x
Newark Upon Trent 8 11.93x
Northfleet 8 19.23x
St Andrewthe Less 8 7.99x
Wortley In Wortley 8 148.42x
Wotton Underwood 8 761.90x
Drypool 7 33.33x
Eastbourne 7 6.52x
Hackney London 7 0.90x
Hasland 7 31.73x
Hereford St Peter 7 46.17x
Kings Norton 7 4.32x
Lambeth 7 0.58x
Lee 7 10.21x
Preston Next Faversham 7 63.06x
Sevenoaks 7 18.28x
Slindon 7 291.67x
St Albans 7 35.81x
Stoke Damerel 7 3.47x
Thetford St Cuthbert 7 91.03x
Whisby 7 1250.00x
Yapton 7 266.16x
Canterbury St Alphage 6 118.81x
Dagenham 6 36.90x
Pontefract 6 20.30x
Sandhurst 6 107.91x
St Swithin Lincoln 6 17.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 84
John 81
George 55
Charles 35
Thomas 33
James 32
Henry 28
Robert 27
Samuel 23
Arthur 20
Alfred 14
Edward 14
Frederick 14
Richard 14
Albert 13
Ernest 13
Joseph 13
Stephen 11
Harry 10
Herbert 9
Walter 9
Edwin 6
Frank 6
Wm. 6
Geo. 4
Leonard 4
Francis 3
Fred 3
Fredk. 3
Fredrick 3
Percy 3
Sydney 3
Thos. 3
Willm. 3
Andrew 2
Benjamin 2
Chas. 2
Daniel 2
David 2
Henery 2
Horace 2
Isaac 2
Matthew 2
Philip 2
Chas.Thos. 1
Eli 1
Ellis 1
Ephraim 1
Erbert 1
Ezra 1

FAQ

Saxby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Saxby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,417 people were recorded with the Saxby surname. That placed it at #2,933 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Saxby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,752 in 2016. That gives Saxby a modern rank of #3,581.

What does the Saxby surname mean?

From the Old English "seax" meaning knife, likely referring to one who made or sold knives.

What does the Saxby map show?

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