NameCensus.

UK surname

Sleeth

An Anglo-Saxon surname derived from 'slid' meaning 'muddy valley'.

In the 1881 census there were 88 people recorded with the Sleeth surname, ranking it #21,211 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 153, ranked #23,408, down from #21,211 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tipton otherwise Tibington, Govan Combination and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Lincolnshire, Gateshead and Darlington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sleeth is 168 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 73.9%.

1881 census count

88

Ranked #21,211

Modern count

153

2016, ranked #23,408

Peak year

2010

168 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sleeth had 88 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,211 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 153 in 2016, ranked #23,408.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 109 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Sleeth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sleeth surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sleeth 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 18 #30,094
1861 historical 20 #31,364
1881 historical 88 #21,211
1891 historical 93 #24,965
1901 historical 109 #21,712
1911 historical 109 #21,611
1997 modern 158 #20,422
1998 modern 158 #20,992
1999 modern 155 #21,375
2000 modern 157 #21,146
2001 modern 148 #21,664
2002 modern 150 #21,913
2003 modern 141 #22,549
2004 modern 152 #21,628
2005 modern 151 #21,667
2006 modern 152 #21,721
2007 modern 154 #21,804
2008 modern 158 #21,690
2009 modern 163 #21,715
2010 modern 168 #21,733
2011 modern 160 #22,282
2012 modern 146 #23,681
2013 modern 151 #23,529
2014 modern 151 #23,745
2015 modern 155 #23,194
2016 modern 153 #23,408

Geography

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Where Sleeths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tipton otherwise Tibington, Govan Combination, Gateshead, London parishes and Auckland St Andrew. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North East Lincolnshire, Gateshead and Darlington. 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 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Gateshead Durham
4 London parishes London 3
5 Auckland St Andrew Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North East Lincolnshire 002 North East Lincolnshire
2 North East Lincolnshire 005 North East Lincolnshire
3 Gateshead 009 Gateshead
4 Gateshead 013 Gateshead
5 Darlington 006 Darlington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sleeth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sleeth

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

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Sleeth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Sleeth household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Sleeth is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sleeth is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Sleeth

The surname Sleeth is of English origin, derived from the Olde English word "slede," which means "sled" or "sledge." It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century as a surname for individuals who worked as sled or sledge makers.

The earliest known record of the name Sleeth dates back to 1273 when a Richard Sleth was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, England. Other early spellings of the name include Sleth, Sledde, and Sledeth.

In the 14th century, a William Slethe was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1349. This indicates that the name was present in various regions of England during this time period.

The Sleeth surname is also found in several ancient manuscripts and records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, which mentioned a John Slethe in 1391.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Sleeth was Robert Sleeth, born around 1520 in Leicestershire, England. He was a prominent landowner and farmer in the region.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Sleeth (1576-1643), a wealthy merchant and member of the British East India Company. He played a significant role in establishing trade routes between England and India during the 17th century.

In the 18th century, a notable figure was William Sleeth (1702-1782), a successful textile merchant from Yorkshire, England. He established a thriving business and left a considerable fortune to his descendants.

The Sleeth surname also has connections to various place names in England, such as Sleeth Hall, an ancient manor house in Derbyshire, and Sleeth Farm, located in Warwickshire.

Another individual of note was John Sleeth (1820-1897), a renowned architect from London. He designed several iconic buildings, including the City Hall in Manchester and the Royal Opera House in Birmingham.

Despite its English origins, the Sleeth surname also spread to other parts of the world, including North America, where individuals with this name can be found in historical records from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sleeth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sleeth 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. Durham leads with 30 Sleeths recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.75x.

County Total Index
Durham 30 11.75x
Lanarkshire 17 6.12x
Surrey 12 2.87x
Cumberland 9 12.18x
Yorkshire 8 0.94x
Lincolnshire 6 4.37x
Staffordshire 6 2.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Heworth in Durham leads with 18 Sleeths recorded in 1881 and an index of 357.85x.

Place Total Index
Heworth 18 357.85x
Govan 12 17.48x
Altofts 8 851.06x
Battersea 8 25.33x
Seaton 8 930.23x
Auckland St Helen 6 2222.22x
Clee With Weelsby 6 200.00x
Stockton On Tees 6 48.74x
Tipton 6 67.64x
Barony 4 5.69x
Wandsworth 4 48.43x
Carluke 1 39.68x
Workington 1 23.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 4
Ellen 4
Charlotte 2
Hannah 2
Sarah 2
Susan 2
Adelaide 1
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Catherine 1
Eliz 1
Eliza 1
Emiley 1
Emma 1
Harrt 1
Isabella 1
Jean 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Mary 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
William 6
Thomas 4
David 2
Francis 2
Henry 2
James 2
Willm. 2
Charles 1
Christopher 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
George 1
Jacob 1
Jonothan 1
Joseph 1
Michael 1
Samuel 1
Wm. 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 Sleeth households.

FAQ

Sleeth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sleeth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 88 people were recorded with the Sleeth surname. That placed it at #21,211 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sleeth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 153 in 2016. That gives Sleeth a modern rank of #23,408.

What does the Sleeth surname mean?

An Anglo-Saxon surname derived from 'slid' meaning 'muddy valley'.

What does the Sleeth map show?

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