NameCensus.

UK surname

Silby

A locational surname derived from the village of Silby in North Yorkshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 244 people recorded with the Silby surname, ranking it #11,258 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 100, ranked #31,123, down from #11,258 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Huntingdonshire, Kingston upon Hull and Sedgemoor.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Silby is 297 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 59.0%.

1881 census count

244

Ranked #11,258

Modern count

100

2016, ranked #31,123

Peak year

1861

297 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Silby had 244 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,258 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 100 in 2016, ranked #31,123.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 297 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Silby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Silby surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Silby 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 245 #8,920
1861 historical 297 #8,508
1881 historical 244 #11,258
1891 historical 250 #12,762
1901 historical 200 #15,120
1911 historical 237 #13,406
1997 modern 112 #25,244
1998 modern 114 #25,589
1999 modern 122 #24,745
2000 modern 114 #25,717
2001 modern 109 #26,059
2002 modern 110 #26,412
2003 modern 108 #26,486
2004 modern 114 #25,870
2005 modern 111 #26,260
2006 modern 106 #27,332
2007 modern 101 #28,505
2008 modern 105 #28,180
2009 modern 99 #29,754
2010 modern 103 #29,780
2011 modern 96 #30,721
2012 modern 96 #30,949
2013 modern 99 #30,934
2014 modern 102 #30,714
2015 modern 98 #31,342
2016 modern 100 #31,123

Geography

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Where Silbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Pancras, London parishes and Easton Maudit. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Huntingdonshire, Kingston upon Hull and Sedgemoor. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 Easton Maudit Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Huntingdonshire 015 Huntingdonshire
2 Kingston upon Hull 002 Kingston upon Hull, City of
3 Kingston upon Hull 004 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 Sedgemoor 007 Sedgemoor
5 Huntingdonshire 017 Huntingdonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Silby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Silby

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Silby, 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 Silby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Silby 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, Silby 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

Silby is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Silby 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 Silby 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 Silby, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Silby

The surname Silby originated in England during the late medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the village of Silby, located in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The name itself is thought to come from the Old English words 'sile', meaning a willow tree, and 'by', meaning a settlement or village, suggesting that the original bearers of the name lived near a willow tree or in a settlement surrounded by willow trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Silby appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this document, a landowner named Robert de Sileby is listed as holding lands in the county of Lincolnshire.

In the 13th century, a man named William de Silby was recorded as a member of the clergy in the town of Beverley, Yorkshire. This early reference to the name suggests that the Silby family had established roots in the region by this time.

During the 14th century, the name Silby appeared in various legal and ecclesiastical records across Yorkshire and the surrounding areas. One notable bearer was John Silby, who was appointed as the vicar of the parish church in the village of Silby in 1376.

In the 16th century, a man named Thomas Silby was born in the village of Silby in 1512. He later became a prominent merchant and landowner in the nearby town of Hull. His descendants continued to use the Silby surname and contributed to the local economy and community for several generations.

Another notable figure bearing the Silby name was Sir William Silby, who was born in 1625 and served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Beverley in the late 17th century. He was a respected figure in the local gentry and played a role in the political and social affairs of the region during his lifetime.

While the Silby surname originated in Yorkshire, it eventually spread to other parts of England and beyond as families migrated and settled in new areas. However, the name remains relatively uncommon, reflecting its localized origins and historical significance in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Silby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Silby 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. Middlesex leads with 31 Silbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.32x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 31 1.32x
Northamptonshire 31 14.08x
Glamorgan 20 4.91x
Yorkshire 20 0.86x
Kent 17 2.13x
Leicestershire 17 6.55x
Wiltshire 17 8.21x
Hampshire 9 1.88x
Gloucestershire 8 1.74x
Nottinghamshire 8 2.54x
Surrey 8 0.70x
Huntingdonshire 7 15.06x
Bedfordshire 6 4.95x
Essex 6 1.30x
Lancashire 6 0.22x
Somerset 5 1.33x
Sussex 5 1.27x
Dorset 4 2.60x
Lincolnshire 3 0.80x
Monmouthshire 3 1.77x
Hertfordshire 2 1.24x
Staffordshire 2 0.25x
Warwickshire 2 0.34x
Devon 1 0.21x
Norfolk 1 0.28x
Oxfordshire 1 0.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cardiff St Mary in Glamorgan leads with 15 Silbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 66.82x.

Place Total Index
Cardiff St Mary 15 66.82x
Leicester St Mary 13 61.99x
Deptford St Paul 12 19.48x
Bozeat 10 1041.67x
Bradford On Avon 8 120.66x
Highworth 8 301.89x
Beverley St Martin 7 180.88x
Islington London 7 3.09x
Kensington London 7 5.38x
Wellingborough 7 63.23x
West Retford 7 1076.92x
Wollaston 7 578.51x
East Ham 6 69.93x
Meppershall 6 967.74x
St George In East 6 37.69x
Berkeley Alkington 5 1428.57x
Holy Trinity 5 8.96x
Roath 5 27.01x
Aldershot 4 24.89x
Canford Magna 4 449.44x
Dartford 4 48.96x
Easton Maudit 4 2857.14x
Eynesbury 4 370.37x
Leeds 4 3.05x
Leicester St Margaret 4 6.32x
Bermondsey 3 4.30x
Clerkenwell London 3 5.43x
Esher 3 187.50x
Frant 3 107.14x
Oldham 3 3.35x
Ribchester 3 285.71x
St Neots 3 118.58x
St Pancras London 3 1.59x
Walcot 3 14.95x
Billingshurst 2 155.04x
Burslem 2 8.83x
Elstree 2 377.36x
Enfield 2 13.02x
Gloucester Barton St 2 74.35x
Mancetter 2 117.65x
Middlesbrough 2 6.62x
Monckton Combe 2 166.67x
Northampton Priory St 2 15.14x
Portsea 2 2.13x
Spalding 2 26.92x
Stoke Newington London 2 10.97x
Bristol St Paul In 1 8.18x
Bromley London 1 1.94x
Chepstow Mounton 1 2000.00x
Deddington 1 63.69x
Grendon 1 232.56x
Kirk Hammerton 1 454.55x
Lambeth 1 0.49x
Lewisham 1 2.35x
Lower Cwmyoy 1 526.32x
Newark Upon Trent 1 8.82x
Portsmouth 1 9.05x
Purton 1 54.35x
Routh 1 769.23x
Saxelby With Ingleby 1 104.17x
Southampton St Mary 1 3.31x
Streatham 1 5.76x
Titchfield 1 27.62x
Tormoham 1 4.85x
Upper Machen 1 86.21x
West Walton 1 144.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 21
Sarah 11
Elizabeth 5
Alice 4
Eliza 4
Ellen 4
Martha 4
Agnes 3
Clara 3
Emily 3
Emma 3
Hannah 3
Jane 3
Amelia 2
Ann 2
Anne 2
Arabella 2
Frances 2
Lucy 2
Margaret 2
Susan 2
Angeline 1
Annie 1
C.Or 1
Caroline 1
Carrie 1
Catharine 1
Elizth. 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Harriott 1
Helen 1
Hester 1
Janet 1
Kezia 1
Lena 1
Levina 1
Lois 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
Marion 1
Marther 1
Matilda 1
Millida 1
Nellie 1
Rose 1
Rosetta 1
Ruth 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 17
William 13
Thomas 10
George 7
Henry 7
James 7
Joseph 7
Robert 5
Frederick 4
Alfred 3
Samuel 3
Abraham 2
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Herbert 2
Neal 2
Albert 1
Andrew 1
Charles 1
Douglas 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
G. 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Isaac 1
Job 1
Josiah 1
Jubal 1
Mark 1
Paul 1
Reuben 1
T.W. 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Silby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Silby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 244 people were recorded with the Silby surname. That placed it at #11,258 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Silby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 100 in 2016. That gives Silby a modern rank of #31,123.

What does the Silby surname mean?

A locational surname derived from the village of Silby in North Yorkshire, England.

What does the Silby map show?

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