NameCensus.

UK surname

Sibbald

A Scottish surname originating from a place name meaning "burnt clearing" or "burnt land."

In the 1881 census there were 824 people recorded with the Sibbald surname, ranking it #4,559 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 972, ranked #5,937, down from #4,559 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tranent, Govan Combination and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Armadale South, Allerdale and West Calder and Polbeth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sibbald is 1,012 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.0%.

1881 census count

824

Ranked #4,559

Modern count

972

2016, ranked #5,937

Peak year

1901

1,012 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sibbald had 824 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,559 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 972 in 2016, ranked #5,937.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,012 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Sibbald surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sibbald surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sibbald 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 588 #4,351
1861 historical 601 #4,411
1881 historical 824 #4,559
1891 historical 925 #4,467
1901 historical 1,012 #4,713
1911 historical 308 #11,230
1997 modern 895 #5,992
1998 modern 933 #5,993
1999 modern 971 #5,840
2000 modern 956 #5,902
2001 modern 929 #5,925
2002 modern 954 #5,904
2003 modern 919 #5,981
2004 modern 916 #6,001
2005 modern 921 #5,921
2006 modern 938 #5,852
2007 modern 947 #5,864
2008 modern 944 #5,912
2009 modern 934 #6,069
2010 modern 974 #5,996
2011 modern 946 #6,087
2012 modern 955 #5,946
2013 modern 976 #5,937
2014 modern 976 #5,971
2015 modern 972 #5,945
2016 modern 972 #5,937

Geography

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Where Sibbalds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tranent, Govan Combination, Gateshead, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Armadale South, Allerdale, West Calder and Polbeth and Inverleith, Goldenacre and Warriston. 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 Tranent Haddington
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Armadale South West Lothian
2 Allerdale 009 Allerdale
3 West Calder and Polbeth West Lothian
4 Inverleith, Goldenacre and Warriston City of Edinburgh
5 Allerdale 008 Allerdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sibbald

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sibbald

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sibbald, 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 Sibbald surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Sibbald 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Sibbald 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

Sibbald 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

Sibbald 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 Sibbald is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Sibbald

The surname SIBBALD is of Scottish origin, deriving from the lands of Sibbald in the parish of Borthwick, Midlothian. It is believed to have originated from the Old Norse word "sibbaldr," meaning "victor people" or "victorious chieftain." The name first appeared in historical records during the 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William de Sibald, who was a witness to a charter granted by David I, King of Scots, in the late 12th century. The name was also mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

In the 14th century, the lands of Sibbald were held by a family of the same name. John Sibbald was the owner of these lands in the early 1300s. The name was also found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which documented financial transactions and land holdings.

During the 16th century, a notable bearer of the SIBBALD name was Sir Robert Sibbald (1641-1722), a Scottish physician and antiquarian. He was the founder of the College of Physicians in Edinburgh and made significant contributions to the study of natural history and archaeology.

Another prominent figure was James Sibbald (1714-1803), a Scottish writer and editor. He was the editor of the "Edinburgh Magazine" and contributed to various literary publications during the Scottish Enlightenment period.

In the 19th century, John Sibbald (1783-1868) was a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as a Lord of Session in the Court of Session, Scotland's supreme civil court.

A more recent individual of note was Sir Robert Sibbald (1905-1994), a Scottish diplomat and public servant. He served as the Governor of North Borneo (now Sabah, Malaysia) and was appointed as the first British High Commissioner to Malaysia after its independence.

Throughout history, variations of the SIBBALD surname have included Sibald, Sibbald, Sybald, and Sybalde, reflecting the evolution of spelling over time and regional differences.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sibbald families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sibbald 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 154 Sibbalds recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.12x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 154 6.12x
Midlothian 140 13.44x
East Lothian 67 65.06x
Lancashire 51 0.55x
West Lothian 40 34.16x
Durham 37 1.60x
Peeblesshire 30 82.03x
Stirlingshire 29 10.11x
Fife 28 6.08x
Roxburghshire 26 18.46x
Surrey 23 0.61x
Northumberland 22 1.90x
Selkirkshire 15 21.33x
Yorkshire 14 0.18x
Angus 12 1.67x
Dumfriesshire 12 6.99x
Ayrshire 11 1.89x
Middlesex 10 0.13x
Renfrewshire 10 1.66x
Wigtownshire 10 9.69x
Kirkcudbrightshire 9 8.00x
Sussex 9 0.69x
Cumberland 8 1.20x
Argyllshire 5 2.31x
Cheshire 5 0.29x
Somerset 4 0.32x
Dunbartonshire 3 1.44x
Royal Navy 3 3.24x
Essex 2 0.13x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.14x
Banffshire 1 0.62x
Berwickshire 1 1.06x
Buteshire 1 2.12x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.20x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.56x
Oxfordshire 1 0.21x
Worcestershire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 71 Sibbalds recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.94x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 71 16.94x
Glasgow 48 10.75x
Govan 48 7.72x
Barony 46 7.23x
Uphall 28 217.39x
Tranent 26 186.92x
Cavers 17 482.95x
Poulton Barre 15 142.86x
South Leith 15 12.80x
Tynemouth 13 20.98x
Heath Charnock 11 448.98x
Heworth 11 24.13x
Bothkennar 10 116.82x
Edinburgh Greenside 10 72.67x
Southwark Christchurch 10 27.45x
Scoonie 9 90.27x
Denny 8 52.46x
Dunbar 8 55.40x
Edinburgh St Stephens 8 39.02x
Falkirk 8 11.92x
North Leith 8 16.60x
Traquair 8 394.09x
Edinburgh Canongate 7 26.41x
Harrington 7 86.63x
Hawick 7 22.21x
Kilmarnock 7 10.11x
Newlands 7 321.10x
Offerton 7 1944.44x
Prestonpans 7 101.30x
Ticehurst 7 87.28x
Yarrow 7 409.36x
Dryfesdale 6 75.85x
Galashiels 6 23.08x
Kilconquhar 6 109.49x
Kirkliston 6 87.85x
Morton 6 105.26x
Ormesby 6 28.99x
Spott 6 389.61x
Yester 6 241.94x
Altrincham 5 16.67x
Bathgate 5 19.67x
Bishop Auckland 5 16.11x
Dundee 5 1.86x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 5 20.29x
Glenholm 5 793.65x
Inch 5 49.65x
Inveraray 5 178.57x
Liverpool 5 0.89x
Peebles 5 46.25x
West Derby 5 1.85x
Whitekirk Tynninghame 5 177.31x
Cramond 4 50.70x
Gateshead 4 2.31x
Haddington 4 26.32x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 4 3.99x
Kirkdale 4 2.58x
Leslie 4 34.33x
Maryhill 4 8.13x
Prestonkirk 4 77.67x
Renfrew 4 20.10x
Richmond 4 7.54x
Strathmartine 4 125.39x
Urr 4 27.32x
West Calder 4 19.48x
Westoe 4 3.05x
Yeovil 4 15.73x
Amble 3 57.03x
Ayr 3 10.93x
Dalry 3 114.07x
Houston Killallan 3 51.46x
Hulme 3 1.56x
Kingston On Thames 3 3.30x
Kirkintilloch 3 10.57x
Lambeth 3 0.44x
Leeds 3 0.69x
Leswalt 3 42.43x
Lochwinnoch 3 33.41x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 3 4.34x
Salford 3 1.11x
Colchester St Peter 2 32.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Elizabeth 8
Margaret 8
Agnes 6
Hannah 5
Jane 5
Sarah 5
Annie 3
Eliza 3
Maria 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Ann 2
Christiana 2
Harriet 2
Isabella 2
Janet 2
Lydia 2
Anne 1
Catherine 1
Christina 1
Eliz. 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Florice 1
Gertrude 1
James 1
Jeanie 1
Lucy 1
Maggie 1
Maramie 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Matildah 1
May 1
Miniel 1
Minnie 1
Nellie 1
Prisilla 1
Rachel 1
Richardina 1
Ruth 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 13
William 13
Thomas 10
John 9
Robert 5
Alexander 3
Andrew 3
George 3
Richard 3
Walter 3
Charles 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Isaac 2
Adam 1
D. 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Douglas 1
Edmund 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Gordon 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
J.J. 1
Patrick 1
Robt. 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Sibbald surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sibbald surname in 1881?

In 1881, 824 people were recorded with the Sibbald surname. That placed it at #4,559 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sibbald surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 972 in 2016. That gives Sibbald a modern rank of #5,937.

What does the Sibbald surname mean?

A Scottish surname originating from a place name meaning "burnt clearing" or "burnt land."

What does the Sibbald map show?

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