NameCensus.

UK surname

Sheldon

Derived from a place name meaning "valley with steep sides" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 4,548 people recorded with the Sheldon surname, ranking it #985 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,464, ranked #1,043, down from #985 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tipton otherwise Tibington, Leek and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Staffordshire Moorlands, Stoke-on-Trent and Derbyshire Dales.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sheldon is 6,807 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.1%.

1881 census count

4,548

Ranked #985

Modern count

6,464

2016, ranked #1,043

Peak year

1999

6,807 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sheldon had 4,548 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #985 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,464 in 2016, ranked #1,043.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,260 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sheldon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sheldon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sheldon 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 2,855 #1,024
1861 historical 2,873 #1,011
1881 historical 4,548 #985
1891 historical 4,982 #942
1901 historical 5,678 #981
1911 historical 6,260 #823
1997 modern 6,353 #1,037
1998 modern 6,743 #1,002
1999 modern 6,807 #1,000
2000 modern 6,743 #1,002
2001 modern 6,605 #999
2002 modern 6,774 #997
2003 modern 6,685 #989
2004 modern 6,719 #987
2005 modern 6,613 #993
2006 modern 6,557 #1,001
2007 modern 6,602 #1,004
2008 modern 6,555 #1,011
2009 modern 6,675 #1,016
2010 modern 6,799 #1,016
2011 modern 6,742 #1,012
2012 modern 6,569 #1,017
2013 modern 6,634 #1,027
2014 modern 6,678 #1,023
2015 modern 6,563 #1,032
2016 modern 6,464 #1,043

Geography

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Where Sheldons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tipton otherwise Tibington, Leek, Sheffield, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Staffordshire Moorlands, Stoke-on-Trent, Derbyshire Dales and Amber Valley. 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 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
2 Leek Staffordshire
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Staffordshire Moorlands 006 Staffordshire Moorlands
2 Staffordshire Moorlands 005 Staffordshire Moorlands
3 Stoke-on-Trent 004 Stoke-on-Trent
4 Derbyshire Dales 002 Derbyshire Dales
5 Amber Valley 010 Amber Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sheldon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sheldon

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

Sheldon is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sheldon falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sheldon is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Sheldon, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sheldon

The surname Sheldon originates from England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the place name Sheldon, which itself comes from the Old English words "scylf" meaning bank or ridge, and "dun" meaning hill. The name was originally used to refer to someone who lived near a ridged hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sheldon can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Sceldedune" in reference to a place in Warwickshire. Over time, the spelling evolved to Sheldon, with variations such as Sheldun, Sheldoun, and Sheldone.

The Sheldons were a prominent family in Warwickshire and Staffordshire during the Middle Ages. Sir Ralph Sheldon (c. 1537-1609) was a notable figure who served as a Member of Parliament and built the grand Sheldon Manor in Weston, Warwickshire.

Another notable Sheldon was Gilbert Sheldon (1598-1677), an English clergyman who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1663 until his death. He played a significant role in the restoration of the Church of England after the English Civil War.

In the literary world, Richard Sheldon (1599-1663) was an English poet and translator who is best known for his translation of the works of Seneca.

The Sheldon family also had connections to the American colonies. Isaac Sheldon (1650-1735) was an early settler in Massachusetts, arriving in the late 17th century. He and his descendants played significant roles in the development of the region.

Ralph Sheldon (1609-1684) was an English inventor and engineer who is credited with developing the first flushing water closet, a predecessor to the modern toilet.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals bearing the surname Sheldon throughout history, highlighting its long-standing presence in various regions and fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sheldon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sheldon 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. Staffordshire leads with 1,141 Sheldons recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.61x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 1,141 7.61x
Yorkshire 677 1.54x
Derbyshire 463 6.66x
Lancashire 346 0.66x
Warwickshire 302 2.70x
Cheshire 249 2.54x
Worcestershire 197 3.40x
Middlesex 144 0.32x
Nottinghamshire 118 1.97x
Kent 89 0.59x
Durham 81 0.61x
Surrey 79 0.36x
Oxfordshire 65 2.37x
Leicestershire 55 1.12x
Essex 54 0.62x
Somerset 51 0.71x
Devon 44 0.48x
Lanarkshire 38 0.26x
Wiltshire 34 0.87x
Hampshire 24 0.26x
Northumberland 23 0.35x
Shropshire 23 0.60x
Midlothian 22 0.37x
Monmouthshire 22 0.68x
Gloucestershire 21 0.24x
Flintshire 19 1.59x
Pembrokeshire 19 1.35x
Northamptonshire 17 0.41x
Denbighshire 16 0.95x
Lincolnshire 16 0.23x
Sussex 16 0.21x
Berkshire 11 0.33x
Cornwall 10 0.20x
Norfolk 10 0.15x
Renfrewshire 10 0.29x
Cumberland 8 0.21x
Glamorgan 8 0.10x
Hertfordshire 6 0.20x
Bedfordshire 5 0.22x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.15x
East Lothian 3 0.51x
Isle of Man 3 0.36x
Radnorshire 3 0.84x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.07x
Dorset 2 0.07x
Herefordshire 2 0.11x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.10x
Royal Navy 1 0.19x
Rutland 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Bromwich in Staffordshire leads with 190 Sheldons recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.13x.

Place Total Index
West Bromwich 190 22.13x
Tipton 154 33.53x
Aston 149 4.83x
Leek Lowe 124 62.14x
Stoke Upon Trent 88 5.53x
Sheffield 87 6.21x
Birmingham 81 2.17x
Macclesfield 80 18.35x
Dudley 79 11.20x
Walsall Foreign 62 8.00x
Ecclesall Bierlow 55 6.14x
Sedgley 53 9.51x
Hunslet 48 6.99x
Norton In Moors 48 60.45x
Oldbury 45 15.76x
Darlaston 44 21.23x
Nether Hallam 42 7.05x
Wednesbury 42 11.21x
Harborne 39 8.11x
Bonsall 36 174.67x
Handsworth 36 9.74x
Manchester 36 1.52x
Brightside Bierlow 35 4.05x
Leeds 35 1.41x
Plymouth St Andrew 35 4.91x
Rothwell 35 39.36x
Long Eaton 32 34.85x
Tideswell 28 92.75x
Wirksworth 28 44.28x
Bexley 27 20.14x
Salford 27 1.74x
Beeston 24 34.88x
Ecclesfield 24 7.43x
Hulme 23 2.09x
Kimberworth 23 9.41x
Walsall Borough 23 19.75x
Conside Knitsley 22 21.40x
Lambeth 22 0.57x
Rainow 22 112.65x
Wolverhampton 22 1.91x
Altrincham 21 12.25x
Ashford 21 204.28x
Claylane 21 21.72x
Wheatley 21 135.40x
Thornaby 20 12.16x
Warrington 20 3.20x
Islington London 19 0.44x
Hurdsfield 18 29.83x
Kingswinford 18 3.31x
Marple 18 26.73x
Nottingham St Mary 18 1.16x
Baslow With Bubnell 17 132.61x
Bilston 17 5.85x
Dalziel 17 11.00x
Holbrook 17 108.70x
Kensington London 17 0.69x
Rotherham 17 6.85x
St George Hanover 17 2.93x
Wednesfield 17 7.70x
Wells St Cuthbert 17 34.83x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 16 3.90x
Bulwell 16 12.29x
Chorlton On Medlock 16 1.91x
Leicester St Margaret 16 1.33x
Pendleton In Salford 16 2.55x
Pilsley 16 69.66x
Stockport 16 3.17x
Sutton Coldfield 15 12.74x
West Ham 15 0.77x
Wootton Bassett 15 43.89x
Broughton In Salford 14 2.90x
Cannock 14 5.35x
Congleton 14 8.26x
Rowley Regis 14 3.35x
Swindon 14 4.59x
Bedlington 13 5.89x
Camberwell 13 0.46x
Rocester 13 69.93x
Rushall 13 14.73x
Stanton 13 112.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 324
Elizabeth 175
Sarah 172
Ann 100
Hannah 77
Emma 73
Eliza 71
Jane 67
Alice 65
Martha 62
Annie 55
Ellen 51
Emily 50
Harriet 36
Edith 31
Maria 29
Ada 28
Florence 28
Charlotte 27
Harriett 23
Fanny 22
Margaret 22
Anne 21
Louisa 21
Clara 19
Catherine 18
Frances 17
Lucy 15
Rose 15
Matilda 14
Amelia 13
Caroline 13
Kate 13
Isabella 12
Lizzie 12
Esther 11
Helen 11
Lydia 11
Agnes 10
Beatrice 10
Eleanor 10
Rebecca 10
Susannah 9
Bertha 8
Betsy 8
Ethel 8
Gertrude 8
Mabel 8
Phoebe 8
Selina 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 272
William 258
Thomas 163
George 151
Joseph 128
James 124
Henry 84
Samuel 72
Charles 68
Arthur 57
Edward 53
Albert 38
Robert 37
Alfred 34
Frederick 32
Richard 26
Walter 26
Harry 24
Benjamin 22
Frank 22
Daniel 19
David 17
Edwin 17
Ernest 17
Wm. 16
Herbert 15
Francis 12
Jacob 11
Stephen 11
Isaac 10
Thos. 9
Fredrick 8
Geo. 8
Chas. 7
Fred 7
Jesse 7
Jno. 7
Saml. 7
Josiah 6
Percy 6
Solomon 6
Earnest 5
Isaiah 5
Jas. 5
Joe 5
Jonathan 5
Joshua 5
Peter 5
Adam 4
Paul 4

FAQ

Sheldon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sheldon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,548 people were recorded with the Sheldon surname. That placed it at #985 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sheldon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,464 in 2016. That gives Sheldon a modern rank of #1,043.

What does the Sheldon surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "valley with steep sides" in Old English.

What does the Sheldon map show?

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