NameCensus.

UK surname

Sivyer

An English surname derived from a place name indicating someone from Siviers, France.

In the 1881 census there were 206 people recorded with the Sivyer surname, ranking it #12,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 430, ranked #11,195, up from #12,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lamberhurst, London parishes and Tunbridge, Bidborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ashford, Gwynedd and Arun.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sivyer is 506 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 108.7%.

1881 census count

206

Ranked #12,596

Modern count

430

2016, ranked #11,195

Peak year

2000

506 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sivyer had 206 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 430 in 2016, ranked #11,195.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 426 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sivyer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sivyer surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Sivyer 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 118 #15,362
1861 historical 102 #20,797
1881 historical 206 #12,596
1891 historical 251 #12,729
1901 historical 396 #9,539
1911 historical 426 #8,856
1997 modern 485 #9,512
1998 modern 504 #9,531
1999 modern 497 #9,698
2000 modern 506 #9,541
2001 modern 482 #9,717
2002 modern 466 #10,151
2003 modern 450 #10,293
2004 modern 446 #10,391
2005 modern 419 #10,802
2006 modern 413 #10,959
2007 modern 426 #10,809
2008 modern 421 #11,010
2009 modern 428 #11,112
2010 modern 437 #11,165
2011 modern 437 #11,036
2012 modern 422 #11,223
2013 modern 440 #11,031
2014 modern 441 #11,082
2015 modern 438 #11,055
2016 modern 430 #11,195

Geography

Back to top

Where Sivyers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lamberhurst, London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough and Wimbledon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ashford, Gwynedd, Arun and Uttlesford. 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 Lamberhurst Sussex
2 London parishes London 1
3 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 Wimbledon Surrey

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ashford 011 Ashford
2 Gwynedd 008 Gwynedd
3 Arun 009 Arun
4 Uttlesford 001 Uttlesford
5 Arun 004 Arun

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Sivyer

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Sivyer

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Sivyer 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

Sivyer is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sivyer falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sivyer 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 Sivyer, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sivyer

The surname SIVYER is of English origin, believed to have originated in the county of Devon, England, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "sifre," which referred to a strainer or sieve maker.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Devon Subsidy Rolls of 1327, where it appears as "Syveyer." This spelling variation likely reflects the regional dialect and pronunciation of the time.

The name is also mentioned in the Cornish Subsidy Rolls of 1524, where it is recorded as "Syvyer." This suggests that the name had spread to neighboring counties by the 16th century.

In the late 16th century, the name appears in the records of the parish of Branscombe, Devon, where a William Sivyer is listed as a churchwarden in 1592.

During the 17th century, the name is found in various locations across Devon, including the parish registers of Honiton, where a John Sivyer was born in 1631, and in the records of the nearby village of Awliscombe, where a Richard Sivyer was recorded in 1678.

One notable bearer of the name was Thomas Sivyer (1752-1826), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in Honiton, Devon, and rose through the ranks to become a captain in the Royal Navy.

Another individual of note was John Sivyer (1794-1873), a British architect and surveyor who worked in London during the early 19th century. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings, including the Freemasons' Hall in Covent Garden.

In the 19th century, the Sivyer family continued to be well-established in Devon, with records showing branches of the family in places like Tiverton, Cullompton, and Exeter.

One of the most prominent figures with the surname was William Sivyer (1818-1889), a British politician and businessman who served as the Mayor of Exeter in 1869 and 1870. He was also a successful merchant and played a significant role in the city's civic affairs.

Another notable bearer of the name was George Sivyer (1854-1935), a British archaeologist and antiquarian who specialized in the study of medieval churches and buildings. He was born in Exeter and conducted extensive research on the history and architecture of churches throughout Devon and Cornwall.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Sivyer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sivyer 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. Sussex leads with 80 Sivyers recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.50x.

County Total Index
Sussex 80 23.50x
Kent 76 11.03x
Middlesex 23 1.14x
Hampshire 12 2.90x
Surrey 11 1.12x
Royal Navy 2 8.31x
Berkshire 1 0.66x
Lancashire 1 0.04x
Norfolk 1 0.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lamberhurst in Sussex leads with 25 Sivyers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2906.98x.

Place Total Index
Lamberhurst 25 2906.98x
Deptford St Paul 12 22.58x
Brenenden 11 1235.96x
Biddenden 10 1063.83x
Brighton 9 13.10x
Portsea 9 11.09x
Canterbury St Mildred 8 490.80x
Eastbourne 8 51.05x
Little Horsted 8 3809.52x
Pagham 8 1333.33x
Murston 7 1147.54x
St George In East 7 50.98x
Bethnal Green London 6 6.84x
Chichester St 6 2727.27x
Sandhurst 6 740.74x
Dorking 5 75.64x
Iden 5 1315.79x
Mile End Old Town 5 15.69x
Croydon 4 7.32x
Frittenden 4 625.00x
Pembury 4 408.16x
Sittingbourne 4 73.53x
Tonbridge 4 16.10x
Islington London 3 1.53x
Lewes St John Southover 3 131.00x
Wormshill 3 2000.00x
Andover 2 51.15x
Royal Navy 2 9.72x
Singleton 2 526.32x
Aldingbourn 1 196.08x
Brenzett 1 476.19x
Brooke 1 204.08x
Clewer 1 16.10x
Kensington London 1 0.89x
Leatherhead 1 40.65x
Maidstone 1 4.87x
Michelmersh 1 125.00x
Milton In Milton 1 34.13x
Playden 1 500.00x
Rye 1 30.86x
St Pancras London 1 0.62x
Treyford 1 1000.00x
Trotton 1 357.14x
Turton 1 25.51x
West Lavington 1 1000.00x
Wimbledon 1 9.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Sarah 10
Emily 9
Martha 7
Ann 4
Elizabeth 4
Esther 3
Jane 3
Rosa 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Lydia 2
Agnes 1
Agness 1
Amy 1
Edith 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Harriett 1
Jemima 1
Kate 1
Lavinia 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Marion 1
Maryann 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 19
George 18
James 9
John 8
Thomas 8
Alfred 6
Stephen 5
Charles 3
Henry 3
Samuel 3
Walter 3
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Joseph 2
Richd. 2
Willm. 2
Amos 1
Arthur 1
Eli 1
Ephraim 1
Ernest 1
Fred. 1
Geo. 1
Geoge 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Hy.Francis 1
Isaac 1
Lennard 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Jas. 1

FAQ

Sivyer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sivyer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 206 people were recorded with the Sivyer surname. That placed it at #12,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sivyer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 430 in 2016. That gives Sivyer a modern rank of #11,195.

What does the Sivyer surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name indicating someone from Siviers, France.

What does the Sivyer map show?

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