NameCensus.

UK surname

Singh

A surname of Indian origin, meaning "lion" or "warrior," often associated with the Sikh religion.

In the 1881 census there were 17 people recorded with the Singh surname, ranking it #31,170 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 66,078, ranked #71, up from #31,170 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ealing, Sandwell and Wolverhampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Singh is 68,950 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 388594.1%.

1881 census count

17

Ranked #31,170

Modern count

66,078

2016, ranked #71

Peak year

2010

68,950 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Singh had 17 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,170 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 66,078 in 2016, ranked #71.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 55 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Multicultural Communities and Students.

Singh surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Singh surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Singh 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 9 #31,675
1861 historical 40 #28,970
1881 historical 17 #31,170
1891 historical 55 #29,744
1901 historical 24 #31,365
1911 historical 43 #28,581
1997 modern 38,141 #121
1998 modern 39,750 #122
1999 modern 40,833 #119
2000 modern 42,330 #112
2001 modern 40,983 #115
2002 modern 44,625 #106
2003 modern 46,772 #101
2004 modern 49,028 #93
2005 modern 51,842 #85
2006 modern 55,028 #79
2007 modern 58,425 #74
2008 modern 61,131 #74
2009 modern 64,151 #70
2010 modern 68,950 #67
2011 modern 68,942 #67
2012 modern 65,927 #67
2013 modern 67,014 #67
2014 modern 67,522 #67
2015 modern 66,149 #71
2016 modern 66,078 #71

Geography

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Where Singhs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ealing, Sandwell, Wolverhampton 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ealing 037 Ealing
2 Sandwell 023 Sandwell
3 Wolverhampton 035 Wolverhampton
4 Ealing 026 Ealing
5 Birmingham 039 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Singh

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Singh

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Challenged Multicultural Communities and Students

Nationally, the Singh surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Multicultural Communities and Students, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Singh household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Married couples with dependent children are common in this Group, with many parents born in Africa or the EU. The representation of residents amongst different ethnic minority groups is high, particularly for individuals of Pakistani ethnic group. For many residents, English is not their main language, and affiliation to Christian religions is less common. Privately rented terrace properties predominate and levels of overcrowding are high. Part time work is common, with many employed in elementary occupations and sales and customer services. There are also many students living within these areas, and overall unemployment levels are high.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Singh is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Singh 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

Singh falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Singh 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
Asian - Indian

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

Meaning and origin of Singh

The surname Singh has its origins in the northern Indian subcontinent, particularly in the Punjab region. It is a title derived from the Sanskrit word 'Simha', which means lion. The name first emerged around the 16th century during the reign of the Mughal Empire in India.

Singh was initially adopted as a title by the Sikhs, who were followers of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. The title was bestowed upon those who embraced the Sikh way of life, symbolizing courage, strength, and spiritual enlightenment. Over time, Singh became a hereditary surname within the Sikh community.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Singh can be found in the writings of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and last human Guru of the Sikhs, who lived from 1666 to 1708. He decreed that all Sikh men should adopt the surname Singh as a mark of their identity and commitment to the Sikh faith.

Notable figures who bore the surname Singh include Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the powerful ruler of the Sikh Empire in the early 19th century, who consolidated and expanded his territories across the Punjab region. Another prominent figure was Bhagat Singh, a revolutionary socialist and influential figure in India's struggle for independence from British rule, who lived from 1907 to 1931.

Among the Sikh gurus, Guru Arjan Singh, the fifth Sikh Guru (1563-1606), and Guru Tegh Bahadur Singh, the ninth Sikh Guru (1621-1675), were instrumental in shaping the Sikh faith and its teachings.

Beyond the Sikh community, the name Singh has also been adopted by other communities in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the northern regions. Prominent figures with the surname Singh include Jai Singh II, a Rajput king and mathematician from the early 18th century, known for his contributions to astronomy and the construction of the Jantar Mantar observatories.

While the surname Singh has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, it has now spread globally due to migration and the Sikh diaspora. However, its historical significance remains closely tied to the Sikh faith and the valor and courage associated with the lion.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Singh families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Singh 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. Suffolk leads with 9 Singhs recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.60x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 9 44.60x
Middlesex 5 3.02x
Kent 2 3.54x
Aberdeenshire 1 6.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Elvenden in Suffolk leads with 9 Singhs recorded in 1881 and an index of 45000.00x.

Place Total Index
Elvenden 9 45000.00x
Kensington London 4 43.43x
Dartford 1 172.41x
Kildrummy 1 2500.00x
Limehouse London 1 54.95x
Margate St John Baptist 1 97.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Bamba 1
Catherine 1
Maharanee 1
Rundheer 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Albert 2
Arroor 1
Davey 1
Duleep 1
Frederick 1
Harree 1
Hookum 1
Kulloo 1
Rampal 1
Soochait 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Singh households.

FAQ

Singh surname: questions and answers

How common was the Singh surname in 1881?

In 1881, 17 people were recorded with the Singh surname. That placed it at #31,170 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Singh surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 66,078 in 2016. That gives Singh a modern rank of #71.

What does the Singh surname mean?

A surname of Indian origin, meaning "lion" or "warrior," often associated with the Sikh religion.

What does the Singh map show?

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