NameCensus.

UK surname

Saxton

An English locational surname derived from place names meaning "sword town" or "Saxon's settlement."

In the 1881 census there were 1,766 people recorded with the Saxton surname, ranking it #2,450 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,560, ranked #2,583, down from #2,450 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Nottingham St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Broxtowe, Amber Valley and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Saxton is 2,640 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.0%.

1881 census count

1,766

Ranked #2,450

Modern count

2,560

2016, ranked #2,583

Peak year

2010

2,640 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Saxton had 1,766 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,450 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,560 in 2016, ranked #2,583.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,569 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Saxton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Saxton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Saxton 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 1,297 #2,208
1861 historical 1,072 #2,627
1881 historical 1,766 #2,450
1891 historical 1,897 #2,425
1901 historical 2,286 #2,377
1911 historical 2,569 #1,992
1997 modern 2,510 #2,509
1998 modern 2,622 #2,497
1999 modern 2,613 #2,522
2000 modern 2,603 #2,519
2001 modern 2,544 #2,523
2002 modern 2,555 #2,562
2003 modern 2,508 #2,561
2004 modern 2,503 #2,569
2005 modern 2,458 #2,574
2006 modern 2,521 #2,532
2007 modern 2,497 #2,571
2008 modern 2,491 #2,591
2009 modern 2,560 #2,589
2010 modern 2,640 #2,580
2011 modern 2,592 #2,588
2012 modern 2,520 #2,610
2013 modern 2,547 #2,624
2014 modern 2,574 #2,612
2015 modern 2,572 #2,586
2016 modern 2,560 #2,583

Geography

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Where Saxtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Nottingham St Mary, Wakefield and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Broxtowe, Amber Valley and Cornwall. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
4 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Broxtowe 004 Broxtowe
2 Amber Valley 012 Amber Valley
3 Broxtowe 016 Broxtowe
4 Cornwall 001 Cornwall
5 Amber Valley 017 Amber Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Saxton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Saxton

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Saxton is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Saxton is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Saxton

The surname Saxton has its origins in England, traced back to the Anglo-Saxon era, specifically the 7th to 11th centuries. It is derived from the Old English word "Seaxan," which means "Saxon," referring to the Germanic people who settled in parts of Britain during this period.

In the early medieval period, the name was often found in areas of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, where many Saxon settlements were established. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Saxton, a 16th-century cartographer and surveyor who created the first county maps of England and Wales. Born around 1542, Saxton's detailed maps were highly regarded and influential in their time.

Another notable figure with this surname was Sir Charles Saxton, a 17th-century English admiral and politician. He served as a Member of Parliament and played a significant role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause against King Charles I.

In the 18th century, Joseph Saxton was a prominent English clergyman and author. Born in 1733, he wrote several theological works and served as the rector of Sutton Courtenay in Berkshire.

During the 19th century, Sir Walter Saxton was a British naval officer who distinguished himself in the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1786 and rose to the rank of Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy.

One of the most famous bearers of the Saxton name was the American inventor and industrialist, Elmer Ambrose Sperry, born in 1860. His mother's maiden name was Saxton, and he is credited with pioneering innovations in gyroscopic technology and automatic pilots for ships and aircraft.

The Saxton surname can also be found in various place names throughout England, such as Saxton in Yorkshire, which was likely derived from the Old English word "Seaxa-tun," meaning "the Saxon settlement."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Saxton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Saxton 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 528 Saxtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.09x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 528 3.09x
Nottinghamshire 305 13.11x
Derbyshire 240 8.88x
Middlesex 111 0.64x
Lancashire 92 0.45x
Kent 71 1.21x
Lincolnshire 58 2.10x
Cheshire 55 1.44x
Surrey 42 0.50x
Oxfordshire 35 3.28x
Essex 23 0.67x
Sussex 23 0.79x
Staffordshire 21 0.36x
Warwickshire 16 0.37x
Hampshire 15 0.42x
Cornwall 14 0.72x
Shropshire 11 0.74x
Devon 10 0.28x
Hertfordshire 10 0.84x
Wiltshire 10 0.65x
Gloucestershire 9 0.27x
Leicestershire 9 0.47x
Durham 8 0.16x
Angus 7 0.44x
Cumberland 7 0.47x
Suffolk 7 0.33x
Westmorland 7 1.84x
Glamorgan 6 0.20x
Worcestershire 5 0.22x
Berkshire 4 0.31x
Flintshire 3 0.65x
Dorset 2 0.18x
Royal Navy 2 0.97x
Somerset 2 0.07x
Monmouthshire 1 0.08x
Northumberland 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Greasley in Nottinghamshire leads with 66 Saxtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 125.69x.

Place Total Index
Greasley 66 125.69x
Nottingham St Mary 52 8.64x
Heanor 40 98.94x
Tickhill 40 366.64x
Sheffield 39 7.16x
Hasland 35 127.18x
Eastwood 33 158.58x
Sutton In Ashfield 31 61.39x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 30 49.08x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 26 41.85x
Swinton In Rotherham 26 57.47x
Handsworth 23 50.85x
Leeds 23 2.38x
North Wingfield 23 190.40x
Brightside Bierlow 22 6.56x
Hucknall Torkard 22 37.28x
West Ham 21 2.79x
Werneth 20 167.50x
Woolvercot 18 415.70x
Yeadon 18 46.58x
Basford 17 15.85x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 15 9.41x
Ludworth 15 117.83x
Oxford St Giles 15 29.49x
Stockport 15 7.65x
Chelsea London 14 2.69x
Morton In Keighley 14 104.17x
Portsea 13 1.87x
Worksop 13 18.84x
Chatham 12 7.40x
Derby St Peter 12 13.94x
Hackney London 12 1.24x
Keighley 12 6.58x
Nether Hallam 12 5.18x
Wilsden 12 68.30x
Bromley London 11 2.90x
Eckington 11 16.75x
Kimberworth 11 11.58x
Sandbach 11 33.84x
Sawley 11 134.97x
Snenton 11 12.03x
Spalding 11 20.08x
Antony 10 52.97x
Bradford 10 2.41x
Holy Trinity 10 2.43x
Liverpool 10 0.80x
Nottingham St Peter 10 38.54x
Rawmarsh 10 16.55x
Ringmer 10 121.95x
Spittlegate 10 26.18x
St Marylebone London 10 1.08x
St Pancras London 10 0.72x
Whitwood 10 41.15x
Wickersley 10 211.42x
Camberwell 9 0.82x
Longwood 9 32.63x
Newington 9 1.41x
Stapleford 9 47.62x
Wilne 9 145.40x
Bermondsey 8 1.56x
Epworth 8 62.16x
Greasbrough 8 35.40x
Lewisham 8 2.55x
Surfleet 8 139.37x
Swindon 8 6.75x
Tibshelf 8 60.33x
Wortley In Bramley 8 5.90x
Alfreton 7 8.52x
Aston 7 0.58x
Beard Ollerset Whitle 7 39.37x
Ecclesfield 7 5.58x
Exeter St Leonard 7 71.21x
Gillingham 7 5.76x
Gorton 7 3.63x
Kensington London 7 0.73x
Killamarsh 7 41.64x
Mildenhall 7 31.32x
Selby 7 19.57x
St Cuthbert W O 7 9.66x
Wingfield South 7 96.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 111
Sarah 84
Elizabeth 63
Eliza 41
Annie 35
Emma 31
Ann 29
Jane 25
Hannah 23
Ellen 21
Emily 21
Kate 17
Alice 16
Harriet 16
Maria 14
Martha 14
Fanny 13
Caroline 12
Rebecca 12
Catherine 11
Louisa 11
Lucy 11
Ada 10
Edith 10
Florence 10
Charlotte 9
Margaret 8
Anne 7
Clara 7
Eva 6
Gertrude 6
Harriett 6
Amy 5
Ethel 5
Frances 5
Lydia 5
Phoebe 5
Ruth 5
Susan 5
Susannah 5
Agnes 4
Elizth. 4
Rosa 4
Annis 3
Beatrice 3
Isabella 3
Jemima 3
Julia 3
Lillian 3
Millicent 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 120
William 96
George 83
Thomas 55
James 42
Joseph 39
Henry 32
Charles 25
Robert 21
Arthur 20
Edward 20
Samuel 18
Alfred 16
Albert 13
Walter 13
Frederick 12
David 7
Edwin 7
Ernest 7
Reuben 6
Richard 6
Vincent 6
Frank 5
Harry 5
Joe 5
Tom 5
Aaron 4
Fred 4
Isaac 4
Stephen 4
Amos 3
Ben 3
Chas. 3
Christopher 3
Edmund 3
Herbert 3
Philip 3
Wright 3
Benjn. 2
Elijah 2
Ephraim 2
Horace 2
Jeremiah 2
Michael 2
Nathaniel 2
Patrick 2
Percy 2
Peter 2
Ralph 2
Sidney 2

FAQ

Saxton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Saxton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,766 people were recorded with the Saxton surname. That placed it at #2,450 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Saxton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,560 in 2016. That gives Saxton a modern rank of #2,583.

What does the Saxton surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from place names meaning "sword town" or "Saxon's settlement."

What does the Saxton map show?

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