NameCensus.

UK surname

Shipway

A surname likely relating to someone who lived or worked near a ship canal or waterway.

In the 1881 census there were 554 people recorded with the Shipway surname, ranking it #6,228 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 547, ranked #9,323, down from #6,228 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Minchinhampton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Somerset, Test Valley and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shipway is 705 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.3%.

1881 census count

554

Ranked #6,228

Modern count

547

2016, ranked #9,323

Peak year

1911

705 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shipway had 554 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,228 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 547 in 2016, ranked #9,323.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 705 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Shipway surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shipway surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Shipway 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 429 #5,706
1861 historical 359 #7,113
1881 historical 554 #6,228
1891 historical 636 #6,088
1901 historical 671 #6,487
1911 historical 705 #6,048
1997 modern 640 #7,750
1998 modern 660 #7,816
1999 modern 670 #7,761
2000 modern 644 #7,990
2001 modern 628 #7,995
2002 modern 647 #7,980
2003 modern 634 #7,978
2004 modern 613 #8,222
2005 modern 589 #8,388
2006 modern 586 #8,431
2007 modern 575 #8,629
2008 modern 569 #8,742
2009 modern 573 #8,897
2010 modern 596 #8,831
2011 modern 578 #8,929
2012 modern 555 #9,103
2013 modern 578 #8,981
2014 modern 575 #9,068
2015 modern 554 #9,252
2016 modern 547 #9,323

Geography

Back to top

Where Shipways are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Minchinhampton, North Nibley, Wotton-under-Edge and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Somerset, Test Valley, Wiltshire and Birmingham. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Minchinhampton Gloucestershire
4 North Nibley, Wotton-under-Edge Gloucestershire
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Somerset 008 North Somerset
2 North Somerset 007 North Somerset
3 Test Valley 005 Test Valley
4 Wiltshire 014 Wiltshire
5 Birmingham 124 Birmingham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Shipway

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Shipway

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Shipway is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Shipway is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Shipway falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Shipway is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Shipway

The surname Shipway is of English origin, derived from a topographical name for someone who lived near a shipping route or waterway. The name is believed to have originated in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century, when England's maritime trade and commerce began to flourish.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Shipway dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a person named Robert de Shipweye is mentioned. This early spelling variation suggests that the name may have originated from a place name, possibly referring to a location near a shipping route or a way for ships to travel.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various historical records, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which lists a John Schypway. The Hertfordshire Subsidy Rolls of 1381 also mention a Thomas Shypweye, further indicating the widespread use of the name across different regions of England.

One notable early bearer of the Shipway surname was John Shipway, a merchant and alderman who lived in the city of Bristol in the late 15th century. He is recorded in the Bristol Burgess Rolls of 1480 and is known to have held a prominent position in the city's governance and trade activities.

Another historical figure with this surname was Sir Abraham Shipway, a 17th-century English politician and landowner. He served as a Member of Parliament for Ludgershall in Wiltshire during the reign of King Charles II, from 1661 to 1679. Sir Abraham Shipway was born in 1620 and died in 1693.

In the 18th century, the Shipway surname can be found in various parish registers and records across England. One notable individual from this period was John Shipway, a British writer and poet who lived from 1725 to 1798. He is known for his work "The Poetical Works of John Shipway," published in 1792.

During the 19th century, the Shipway surname gained prominence in the shipping industry. William Shipway, born in 1815, was a successful shipbuilder and shipowner based in Sunderland, a major shipbuilding center in the north-east of England. His company, William Shipway & Sons, played a significant role in the region's maritime trade.

Another notable figure from this era was Emma Shipway, a British educator and philanthropist who lived from 1842 to 1920. She founded the Shipway Girls' School in London and dedicated her life to improving educational opportunities for underprivileged children.

The surname Shipway has a rich history rooted in England's maritime traditions and trade activities. While its origins can be traced back to the medieval period, the name has been carried by individuals across various professions and walks of life throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Shipway families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shipway 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. Gloucestershire leads with 154 Shipways recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.53x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 154 14.53x
Middlesex 98 1.81x
Surrey 62 2.35x
Wiltshire 53 11.09x
Warwickshire 33 2.42x
Hampshire 25 2.26x
Somerset 20 2.30x
Worcestershire 18 2.55x
Lancashire 16 0.25x
Berkshire 10 2.47x
Monmouthshire 10 2.56x
Shropshire 8 1.71x
Devon 7 0.62x
Durham 6 0.37x
Kent 6 0.33x
Staffordshire 6 0.33x
Derbyshire 5 0.59x
Essex 4 0.38x
Glamorgan 3 0.32x
Yorkshire 3 0.06x
Dorset 2 0.56x
Oxfordshire 2 0.60x
Cornwall 1 0.16x
Kincardineshire 1 1.52x
Sussex 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wotton Under Edge in Gloucestershire leads with 21 Shipways recorded in 1881 and an index of 336.00x.

Place Total Index
Wotton Under Edge 21 336.00x
Minchinhampton 17 201.42x
Aston 16 4.26x
Lambeth 16 3.40x
Finchley 14 67.57x
Kingstanley 14 357.14x
Swindon 13 35.07x
Battersea 10 5.03x
Salford 10 5.30x
Avebury 9 671.64x
Bedminster 9 11.01x
Birmingham 9 1.98x
Camberwell 9 2.61x
Horton 9 1323.53x
Millbrook 9 32.26x
Stonehouse 9 149.50x
Acton 8 25.25x
Bristol St George 8 16.32x
Chelsea London 8 4.91x
Clapham 8 11.84x
Hampstead London 8 9.51x
Reading St Mary 8 24.62x
Yardley 8 44.30x
Appleshaw 7 1428.57x
Bethnal Green London 7 2.98x
Cheltenham 7 8.56x
Clapton 7 1944.44x
Islington London 7 1.34x
Stoke Newington London 7 16.63x
Stroud 7 33.93x
Trowbridge 7 33.14x
Wellington 7 26.68x
West Overton 7 560.00x
Bishopwearmouth 6 4.35x
Carshalton 6 59.52x
Kidderminster Borough 6 14.53x
Upton Lovell 6 1578.95x
Wolstanton 6 10.83x
Bishops Cleeve 5 185.87x
Coates 5 581.40x
Exeter St Sidwell 5 19.41x
St Pancras London 5 1.15x
Westbury On Trym 5 13.92x
Andover 4 38.24x
Bristol St James St Paul 4 11.32x
Dursley 4 91.74x
Edgbaston 4 9.47x
Great Alne 4 500.00x
Hackney London 4 1.32x
Paddington London 4 2.01x
Raglan 4 298.51x
St George Bloomsbury 4 12.90x
Westerleigh 4 168.07x
Aberystruth 3 8.71x
Barton Upon Irwell 3 6.22x
Edmonton 3 6.89x
Egham 3 18.55x
Gloucester Barton St 3 48.31x
Hammersmith London 3 2.25x
Kingswood 3 174.42x
Llandaff 3 9.58x
Marlborough St Mary Virgin 3 89.02x
Morton 3 184.05x
Randwick 3 143.54x
Rodbourne Cheney 3 81.30x
South Tidworth 3 681.82x
Uley 3 155.44x
Winterbourne 3 51.19x
Woolwich 3 4.40x
Yate 3 129.31x
Beswick 2 12.20x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 2 20.73x
Pershore St Andrew 2 51.41x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 1.84x
St Marylebone London 2 0.69x
Tonbridge 2 3.01x
Tooting Graveney 2 27.29x
Tytherington 2 243.90x
West Ham 2 0.85x
Westminster St John 2 3.04x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 38
George 24
John 18
Henry 17
James 13
Frederick 11
Joseph 11
Francis 9
Albert 8
Charles 8
Thomas 8
Walter 8
Edward 6
Edwin 6
Robert 6
Ernest 5
Alfred 4
David 4
Richard 4
Thos. 4
Arthur 3
Frank 3
Harry 3
Herbert 3
Benjamin 2
Edgar 2
Eliam 2
Fred 2
Jesse 2
Orpheus 2
Samuel 2
Wm. 2
Alfd. 1
Arthr. 1
Chas. 1
Cyrus 1
Daniel 1
Elias 1
Enoch 1
Enos 1
Fred.G. 1
Fredrick 1
Gary 1
Howard 1
Hugh 1
J... 1
Josiah 1
Morley 1
Morris 1
N. 1

FAQ

Shipway surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shipway surname in 1881?

In 1881, 554 people were recorded with the Shipway surname. That placed it at #6,228 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shipway surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 547 in 2016. That gives Shipway a modern rank of #9,323.

What does the Shipway surname mean?

A surname likely relating to someone who lived or worked near a ship canal or waterway.

What does the Shipway map show?

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