NameCensus.

UK surname

Sheath

In the 1881 census there were 492 people recorded with the Sheath surname, ranking it #6,854 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 605, ranked #8,661, down from #6,854 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newchurch, London parishes and Southampton St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Isle of Wight.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sheath is 706 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.0%.

1881 census count

492

Ranked #6,854

Modern count

605

2016, ranked #8,661

Peak year

1911

706 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sheath had 492 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,854 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 605 in 2016, ranked #8,661.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 706 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Sheath surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sheath surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sheath 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 299 #7,675
1861 historical 358 #7,132
1881 historical 492 #6,854
1891 historical 531 #7,061
1901 historical 625 #6,850
1911 historical 706 #6,039
1997 modern 668 #7,513
1998 modern 702 #7,463
1999 modern 680 #7,684
2000 modern 691 #7,557
2001 modern 666 #7,652
2002 modern 662 #7,839
2003 modern 659 #7,749
2004 modern 650 #7,838
2005 modern 646 #7,807
2006 modern 647 #7,829
2007 modern 642 #7,940
2008 modern 636 #8,044
2009 modern 647 #8,107
2010 modern 662 #8,125
2011 modern 650 #8,155
2012 modern 621 #8,359
2013 modern 634 #8,367
2014 modern 626 #8,520
2015 modern 604 #8,692
2016 modern 605 #8,661

Geography

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Where Sheaths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newchurch, London parishes, Southampton St Mary, Portsmouth, Portsea and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Isle of Wight. 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 Newchurch Hampshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Southampton St Mary Hampshire
4 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Isle of Wight 011 Isle of Wight
2 Isle of Wight 012 Isle of Wight
3 Isle of Wight 014 Isle of Wight
4 Isle of Wight 009 Isle of Wight
5 Isle of Wight 017 Isle of Wight

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sheath

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sheath

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Sheath surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Sheath household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Sheath 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

Sheath is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sheath falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Sheath families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sheath 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. Hampshire leads with 262 Sheaths recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.63x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 262 26.63x
Surrey 72 3.08x
Warwickshire 58 4.79x
Middlesex 46 0.96x
Kent 19 1.16x
Essex 8 0.84x
Berkshire 7 1.94x
Lancashire 7 0.12x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.69x
Sussex 2 0.25x
Cheshire 1 0.09x
Glamorgan 1 0.12x
Hertfordshire 1 0.30x
Lanarkshire 1 0.06x
Leicestershire 1 0.19x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.15x
Staffordshire 1 0.06x
Worcestershire 1 0.16x
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. Southampton St Mary in Hampshire leads with 40 Sheaths recorded in 1881 and an index of 64.66x.

Place Total Index
Southampton St Mary 40 64.66x
Birmingham 37 9.17x
Carisbrooke 32 234.26x
Portsea 31 16.08x
Millbrook 23 92.82x
Aston 20 6.00x
Kingston On Thames 19 33.83x
Northwood 19 135.62x
Niton 15 1136.36x
Ventnor 15 160.26x
St Helens 14 195.80x
Whippingham 14 187.92x
Camberwell 13 4.24x
Brading 10 76.51x
Islington London 10 2.15x
Godshill 9 396.48x
Ryde 8 37.86x
Clewer 7 47.43x
Deptford St Paul 7 5.54x
Hackney London 7 2.60x
Plumstead 7 12.83x
Bermondsey 6 4.20x
East Ham 6 34.13x
Mile End Old Town 6 7.92x
Arreton 5 158.73x
Battersea 5 2.83x
Bonchurch 5 450.45x
Epsom 5 43.86x
Fulham London 5 7.18x
Long Ditton 5 130.89x
Portsmouth 5 22.08x
Hammersmith London 4 3.38x
Newport 4 74.91x
Southwark St Thomas 4 312.50x
Wrotham 4 73.80x
Bromley London 3 2.84x
Chale 3 267.86x
Cobham 3 78.13x
Lambeth 3 0.72x
Parr 3 14.73x
St Luke London 3 3.90x
Stoke D Abernon 3 441.18x
Stoke Newington London 3 8.03x
Yaverland 3 1200.00x
Alverstoke 2 5.62x
Bow London 2 3.27x
Brighton 2 1.23x
Clapham 2 3.33x
Newchurch 2 89.69x
St Pancras London 2 0.52x
Sutton 2 11.82x
Upton Cum Chalvey 2 17.30x
Barony 1 0.25x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 1 6.15x
Cardiff St Mary 1 2.17x
Castleton 1 1.76x
Chelsea London 1 0.69x
Croydon 1 0.77x
Edgbaston 1 2.66x
Eling 1 10.04x
Everton 1 0.55x
Hitchin 1 6.70x
Kings Norton 1 1.78x
Liverpool 1 0.29x
Loughborough 1 4.14x
Minster In Sheppey 1 3.69x
Richmond 1 3.05x
Shanklin 1 34.13x
Shorwell 1 99.01x
South Shoebury 1 26.32x
Tranmere 1 2.57x
Wednesbury 1 2.47x
West Ham 1 0.48x
Whittingham 1 39.84x
Worksop 1 5.21x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 30
Elizabeth 18
Ellen 11
Jane 11
Emma 10
Sarah 10
Alice 9
Emily 9
Eliza 8
Louisa 8
Ann 7
Caroline 7
Maria 7
Annie 6
Clara 5
Fanny 5
Harriet 5
Frances 4
Isabella 4
Martha 4
Ada 3
Agnes 3
Charlotte 3
Lucy 3
Sophia 3
Susannah 3
Esther 2
Florence 2
Gertrude 2
Hope 2
Kate 2
Margaret 2
Nellie 2
Audrey 1
Christian 1
Dorcas 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth. 1
Emmeline 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Evelyn 1
Helena 1
Herloyne 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
Larna 1
Laura 1
Lavina 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 30
George 23
Charles 20
John 17
Henry 16
James 11
Frank 10
Thomas 9
Alfred 8
Edward 7
Albert 6
Arthur 6
Frederick 5
Herbert 4
Robert 4
Walter 4
Chas. 3
Ernest 3
Fredk. 3
Harry 3
Isaac 3
Earnest 2
Edwin 2
Joseph 2
Wm. 2
Archibald 1
C. 1
Cyril 1
D. 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Fabius 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Geo.T. 1
Hugh 1
Isacc 1
J. 1
Jacob 1
Jas. 1
Jeremiah 1
Leonard 1
Lewis 1
Mark 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Silas 1
Theodore 1

FAQ

Sheath surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sheath surname in 1881?

In 1881, 492 people were recorded with the Sheath surname. That placed it at #6,854 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sheath surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 605 in 2016. That gives Sheath a modern rank of #8,661.

What does the Sheath map show?

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