NameCensus.

UK surname

Scobie

A Scottish surname derived from the Middle English word "scobby" meaning "shaggy" or "hairy."

In the 1881 census there were 654 people recorded with the Scobie surname, ranking it #5,473 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,292, ranked #4,633, up from #5,473 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Blackford, Abernethy and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carrick South, Newburgh and Finnieston and Kelvinhaugh.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Scobie is 1,292 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 97.6%.

1881 census count

654

Ranked #5,473

Modern count

1,292

2016, ranked #4,633

Peak year

2016

1,292 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Scobie had 654 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,473 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,292 in 2016, ranked #4,633.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 845 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Scobie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Scobie surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Scobie 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 489 #5,104
1861 historical 479 #5,449
1881 historical 654 #5,473
1891 historical 716 #5,503
1901 historical 845 #5,387
1911 historical 154 #17,553
1997 modern 1,177 #4,792
1998 modern 1,217 #4,834
1999 modern 1,202 #4,927
2000 modern 1,214 #4,848
2001 modern 1,175 #4,902
2002 modern 1,222 #4,828
2003 modern 1,167 #4,922
2004 modern 1,195 #4,822
2005 modern 1,206 #4,736
2006 modern 1,194 #4,794
2007 modern 1,214 #4,765
2008 modern 1,214 #4,798
2009 modern 1,234 #4,829
2010 modern 1,248 #4,884
2011 modern 1,228 #4,886
2012 modern 1,218 #4,854
2013 modern 1,254 #4,805
2014 modern 1,279 #4,747
2015 modern 1,288 #4,668
2016 modern 1,292 #4,633

Geography

Back to top

Where Scobies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Blackford, Abernethy, Govan Combination, Dailly and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carrick South, Newburgh, Finnieston and Kelvinhaugh, Maybole and Girvan Glendoune. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Blackford Perth
2 Abernethy Perth
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Dailly Ayr
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carrick South South Ayrshire
2 Newburgh Fife
3 Finnieston and Kelvinhaugh Glasgow City
4 Maybole South Ayrshire
5 Girvan Glendoune South Ayrshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Scobie

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Scobie

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Scobie, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Scobie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Scobie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Scobie is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Scobie is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Scobie

The surname Scobie originated in Scotland, where it was first found in the county of Angus. The name is derived from the Gaelic word "sgobach," meaning "projecting ridge." This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive name for someone who lived near a prominent ridge or hill.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century. A Walter Scoby is mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1296, and a John Schoby appears in the Records of the Monastery of Kelso in 1390.

In the 16th century, the name Scobie began to appear in various records and charters throughout Scotland. One notable example is Sir John Scobie, who was granted lands in Fife by King James VI of Scotland in 1587. Another early bearer of the name was Alexander Scobie, a merchant and burgess of Edinburgh, who was recorded in the city's rolls in 1634.

The Scobie name has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Scobieston in Renfrewshire and Scobie in Angus. These place names likely derived from individuals who bore the surname and settled in those areas.

Among the notable individuals who bore the surname Scobie throughout history are:

1. Sir John Scobie (c. 1550-1614), a Scottish courtier and landowner who served as a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to King James VI of Scotland. 2. Alexander Scobie (fl. 1634), a merchant and burgess of Edinburgh, Scotland. 3. William Scobie (c. 1650-1720), a Scottish minister and author who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1716. 4. John Scobie (1767-1836), a Scottish-born merchant and landowner who became a prominent citizen of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. 5. Norman Ellison Scobie (1888-1962), a British Army officer who served as the Governor of Burma from 1945 to 1946.

Overall, the surname Scobie has a rich history rooted in Scotland, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. The name has been associated with various Scottish place names and has been borne by notable individuals throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Scobie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Scobie 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. Lanarkshire leads with 125 Scobies recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.09x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 125 6.09x
Renfrewshire 115 23.37x
Perthshire 99 34.73x
Midlothian 63 7.41x
Ayrshire 58 12.20x
Stirlingshire 36 15.37x
Fife 28 7.45x
Middlesex 21 0.33x
Yorkshire 13 0.21x
Clackmannanshire 12 22.88x
Angus 10 1.70x
Dunbartonshire 9 5.27x
Lancashire 8 0.11x
Warwickshire 8 0.50x
West Lothian 8 8.37x
Surrey 7 0.23x
Sutherland 7 14.34x
Glamorgan 5 0.45x
Essex 3 0.24x
Oxfordshire 3 0.77x
Herefordshire 2 0.77x
Ross-shire 2 1.15x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.26x
Kinross-shire 1 6.23x
Monmouthshire 1 0.22x
Northumberland 1 0.11x
Peeblesshire 1 3.35x
Royal Navy 1 1.32x
Selkirkshire 1 1.74x
Westmorland 1 0.72x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 51 Scobies recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.04x.

Place Total Index
Govan 51 10.04x
Eastwood 49 161.66x
Barony 40 7.70x
Blackford 29 833.33x
Falkirk 29 52.89x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 28 8.18x
Abbey 20 26.63x
Dailly 17 350.52x
North Leith 16 40.64x
West Greenock 16 18.11x
Abernethy 15 403.23x
Dunblane 14 205.28x
Riccarton Hurlford 14 167.87x
Tibbermore 13 318.63x
Dunfermline 11 19.03x
Hamilton 11 19.20x
Kilbarchan 11 73.58x
Glasgow 10 2.74x
Islington London 10 1.62x
Bothwell 9 16.16x
Aston 8 1.81x
Bonhill 8 29.21x
Clackmannan 8 80.73x
Dalmeny 8 218.58x
Aberdour 7 184.70x
Liff Benvie 7 7.84x
West Calder 7 41.74x
Beith 6 42.31x
Dunning 6 168.54x
Hornsey 6 7.47x
Liberton 6 45.70x
Maybole 6 41.47x
Wakefield 6 12.42x
Assynt 5 167.79x
Briton Ferry 5 37.91x
Inverkip 5 43.10x
Irvine 5 37.88x
Methven 5 119.62x
Perth East Church 5 18.61x
Cathcart 4 15.02x
Cockpen 4 40.24x
Dundonald 4 22.83x
Paisley Middle Church 4 13.96x
St Pancras London 4 0.78x
Stirling 4 13.55x
Wemyss 4 25.16x
West Derby 4 1.81x
Alloa 3 11.80x
Caversham 3 38.27x
Dewsbury 3 4.65x
Dundee 3 1.37x
Newington 3 1.28x
Rutherglen 3 9.96x
West Ham 3 1.08x
Bowling 2 3.21x
Burntisland 2 19.03x
Crieff 2 18.87x
Durness 2 93.02x
East Greenock 2 4.30x
Edderton 2 116.28x
Edinburgh Tron Church 2 50.13x
Hereford St John 2 67.34x
Holy Trinity 2 1.32x
Kilmadock 2 30.53x
Kinghorn 2 25.06x
Kinnoull 2 26.70x
Liverpool 2 0.44x
Middle Greenock 2 14.89x
Moulin 2 44.44x
Openshaw 2 5.67x
Perth West Church 2 14.79x
Slamannan 2 15.60x
Abergavenny 1 5.82x
Barr 1 76.92x
Cambusnethan 1 2.19x
Dalmellington 1 7.16x
Epsom 1 6.63x
Scone 1 19.76x
Tillicoultry 1 8.57x
Titlington 1 555.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Elizabeth 4
Agnes 3
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Janet 2
Louisa 2
A.E. 1
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Gr.R. 1
Harriett 1
Harrietta 1
Helen 1
Jane 1
Jemima 1
Kate 1
Matilda 1
Sarah 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 5
John 5
Albert 2
Donald 2
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Egerton 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Lewis 1
Mac 1
Mackay 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
William 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Scobie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Scobie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 654 people were recorded with the Scobie surname. That placed it at #5,473 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Scobie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,292 in 2016. That gives Scobie a modern rank of #4,633.

What does the Scobie surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Middle English word "scobby" meaning "shaggy" or "hairy."

What does the Scobie map show?

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