NameCensus.

UK surname

Scollay

In the 1881 census there were 155 people recorded with the Scollay surname, ranking it #15,174 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 180, ranked #21,022, down from #15,174 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fetlar and Yell, Lerwick and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lerwick North, North and East Isles and Central Shetland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Scollay is 209 in 2003. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.1%.

1881 census count

155

Ranked #15,174

Modern count

180

2016, ranked #21,022

Peak year

2003

209 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Scollay had 155 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,174 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 180 in 2016, ranked #21,022.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 155 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Scollay surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Scollay surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Scollay 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 101 #17,036
1861 historical 139 #16,263
1881 historical 155 #15,174
1891 historical 136 #19,601
1901 historical 150 #18,075
1911 historical 59 #26,914
1997 modern 183 #18,642
1998 modern 193 #18,511
1999 modern 203 #18,081
2000 modern 206 #17,880
2001 modern 195 #18,215
2002 modern 197 #18,474
2003 modern 209 #17,620
2004 modern 202 #18,110
2005 modern 203 #17,961
2006 modern 202 #18,160
2007 modern 194 #18,855
2008 modern 181 #19,875
2009 modern 185 #20,010
2010 modern 186 #20,379
2011 modern 182 #20,495
2012 modern 172 #21,219
2013 modern 177 #21,170
2014 modern 179 #21,186
2015 modern 182 #20,856
2016 modern 180 #21,022

Geography

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Where Scollays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Fetlar and Yell, Lerwick, Edinburgh, Westray and Papa Westray and Nesting. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lerwick North, North and East Isles, Central Shetland, Woodside and Wick South. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Fetlar and Yell Shetland
2 Lerwick Shetland
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Westray and Papa Westray Orkney
5 Nesting Shetland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lerwick North Shetland Islands
2 North and East Isles Shetland Islands
3 Central Shetland Shetland Islands
4 Woodside Aberdeen City
5 Wick South Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Scollay

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Scollay

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Scollay surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Scollay household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Scollay is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Scollay 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

Scollay falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Scollay families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Scollay 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. Shetland leads with 86 Scollays recorded in 1881 and an index of 556.99x.

County Total Index
Shetland 86 556.99x
Orkney 34 204.45x
Middlesex 15 0.99x
Midlothian 9 4.44x
Caithness 4 19.32x
Yorkshire 4 0.27x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.71x
Angus 1 0.71x
Kincardineshire 1 5.43x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Yell Mid in Shetland leads with 24 Scollays recorded in 1881 and an index of 4705.88x.

Place Total Index
Yell Mid 24 4705.88x
North Yell 13 3095.24x
Kirkwall St Ola 12 481.93x
Mile End Old Town 10 41.91x
Unst 10 884.96x
Delting 9 1034.48x
Northmavine 9 762.71x
Birsay Harray 8 661.16x
South Leith 8 35.10x
Fetlar North Yell 7 3181.82x
Rousay Egilshay 7 1206.90x
Westray Papa Westray 6 454.55x
Islington London 5 3.41x
Lerwick Gulberwick 5 209.21x
Nesting Lunnas Whalsay 5 367.65x
Eston 4 122.70x
Wick 4 59.79x
Yell South 4 1052.63x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 3.42x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.23x
Fordoun 1 97.09x
Holm 1 178.57x
Monifieth 1 20.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Emma 2
Amelia 1
Elizabeth 1
Helen 1
Infant 1
Martha 1
Mary 1
Minnie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 5
James 2
John 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Scollay households.

FAQ

Scollay surname: questions and answers

How common was the Scollay surname in 1881?

In 1881, 155 people were recorded with the Scollay surname. That placed it at #15,174 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Scollay surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 180 in 2016. That gives Scollay a modern rank of #21,022.

What does the Scollay map show?

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