NameCensus.

UK surname

Sleigh

A surname derived from the Old English word 'slæde', meaning a sledge or sled.

In the 1881 census there were 668 people recorded with the Sleigh surname, ranking it #5,398 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 928, ranked #6,158, down from #5,398 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Stockport and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fyvie-Rothie, Wolverhampton and North West Leicestershire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sleigh is 1,019 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.9%.

1881 census count

668

Ranked #5,398

Modern count

928

2016, ranked #6,158

Peak year

2000

1,019 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sleigh had 668 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,398 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 928 in 2016, ranked #6,158.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 888 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Sleigh surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sleigh surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sleigh 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 430 #5,692
1861 historical 365 #7,009
1881 historical 668 #5,398
1891 historical 719 #5,487
1901 historical 858 #5,324
1911 historical 888 #5,012
1997 modern 978 #5,601
1998 modern 997 #5,687
1999 modern 1,010 #5,670
2000 modern 1,019 #5,594
2001 modern 994 #5,602
2002 modern 998 #5,699
2003 modern 932 #5,926
2004 modern 953 #5,831
2005 modern 920 #5,923
2006 modern 906 #6,015
2007 modern 896 #6,108
2008 modern 925 #6,008
2009 modern 918 #6,157
2010 modern 955 #6,101
2011 modern 947 #6,084
2012 modern 923 #6,128
2013 modern 939 #6,150
2014 modern 949 #6,129
2015 modern 943 #6,102
2016 modern 928 #6,158

Geography

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Where Sleighs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Stockport, London parishes, Edinburgh and Walsall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fyvie-Rothie, Wolverhampton, North West Leicestershire, Ythsie and Wigan. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Walsall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fyvie-Rothie Aberdeenshire
2 Wolverhampton 033 Wolverhampton
3 North West Leicestershire 009 North West Leicestershire
4 Ythsie Aberdeenshire
5 Wigan 013 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sleigh

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sleigh

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Sleigh is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Sleigh is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sleigh 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 Sleigh is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Sleigh

The surname Sleigh has its origins in England, emerging during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "slæh," which referred to a small valley or depression in the landscape. This suggests that the name may have initially been a topographic surname, given to someone who lived near or in such a geographic feature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Sleigh surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Sleh" and "Slegh," indicating the variations in spelling that were common during that era.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "de la Sleghe" in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, suggesting a connection to a specific location or estate. This form of the surname, using the Norman-French preposition "de" and the definite article "la," was a common practice among the nobility and landowners of the time.

Throughout the centuries, the Sleigh surname has been associated with various notable individuals. One such figure was Sir William Sleigh (1593-1671), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Derbyshire in the 17th century. Another noteworthy bearer of the name was Sir John Sleigh (1717-1793), a British naval officer who played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, the surname gained prominence with the birth of John Sleigh (1834-1916), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Surgeons and the Church of St. Mary Magdalene. His son, Sir Percy Leycester Sleigh (1871-1952), followed in his father's footsteps and became an architect as well, known for his work on various churches and public buildings.

Another notable figure was Sir William Sleigh (1863-1938), a British civil servant and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of British Honduras (now Belize) from 1908 to 1914. He played a crucial role in the development and governance of the colony during his tenure.

While the Sleigh surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, carried by individuals and families who emigrated from their homeland over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sleigh families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sleigh 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. Lancashire leads with 151 Sleighs recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.95x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 151 1.95x
Staffordshire 109 4.96x
Cheshire 52 3.62x
Middlesex 52 0.80x
Nottinghamshire 31 3.53x
Derbyshire 26 2.55x
Warwickshire 26 1.58x
Gloucestershire 25 1.96x
Midlothian 25 2.86x
Aberdeenshire 24 3.98x
West Lothian 24 24.46x
Yorkshire 24 0.37x
Surrey 23 0.72x
Somerset 15 1.43x
Berwickshire 14 17.74x
Berkshire 6 1.23x
Dorset 6 1.40x
Banffshire 5 3.70x
East Lothian 4 4.63x
Huntingdonshire 4 3.09x
Kent 3 0.13x
Leicestershire 3 0.42x
Renfrewshire 3 0.59x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.48x
Durham 2 0.10x
Anglesey 1 0.87x
Angus 1 0.17x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.38x
Devon 1 0.07x
Hertfordshire 1 0.22x
Isle of Man 1 0.83x
Lanarkshire 1 0.05x
Stirlingshire 1 0.42x
Suffolk 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Walsall Foreign in Staffordshire leads with 30 Sleighs recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.40x.

Place Total Index
Walsall Foreign 30 26.40x
Linlithgow 24 190.78x
Stockport 24 32.42x
Denton 20 116.75x
Leek Lowe 19 64.94x
Islington London 16 2.53x
Birmingham 12 2.19x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 12 3.42x
Great Bolton 12 11.72x
Barton Upon Irwell 10 17.18x
Bury 10 11.32x
Toxteth Park 10 3.82x
Aston 9 1.99x
Bitton 9 80.94x
Willenhall 9 21.84x
Wolverhampton 9 5.32x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 8 7.09x
Blackley 8 59.04x
Bradford 8 22.11x
Droylsden 8 31.72x
Heaton Norris 8 18.18x
Nottingham St Nicholas 8 66.89x
Ayton 7 152.84x
Bowling 7 10.94x
Clerkenwell London 7 4.55x
Kemnay 7 191.26x
Manchester 7 2.01x
Morley 7 20.85x
St Anne Soho London 7 18.81x
Strichen 7 133.59x
Willoughby On Wolds 7 654.21x
Burton Upon Trent 6 11.66x
Church Eaton 6 405.41x
Clewer 6 29.94x
Wells St Cuthbert 6 83.80x
Wimbledon 6 16.83x
Banff 5 42.59x
Birkenhead 5 4.36x
Bristol St George 5 8.46x
Camberwell 5 1.20x
Corfe Castle 5 126.26x
Edgbaston 5 9.81x
Horfield 5 38.88x
Lambeth 5 0.88x
Lauder 5 114.68x
Longnor 5 420.17x
Oxton 5 434.78x
Sheffield 5 2.43x
Stapenhill 5 32.92x
Wensley Snitterton 5 331.13x
Withington 5 20.07x
Yeardsley Cum Whaley 5 176.06x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 4 3.32x
Dunbar 4 33.06x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 4 66.12x
Flintham 4 470.59x
Great Lever 4 48.78x
Heanor 4 26.21x
Kirkdale 4 3.08x
Lancaster 4 8.69x
Liscard 4 15.43x
Lyncombe Widcombe 4 14.57x
Nantwich 4 23.94x
Rumworth 4 36.20x
Salford 4 1.76x
St Neots 4 56.90x
Stoke Upon Trent 4 1.71x
Tonge 4 24.66x
Walsall Borough 4 23.43x
Bethnal Green London 3 1.06x
Burslem 3 4.76x
Buxton 3 34.76x
Carlton 3 29.94x
Cheadle 3 28.41x
Haslingden 3 9.37x
Higher Bebington 3 32.57x
Longdon 3 98.36x
Uttoxeter 3 26.64x
Walmersley Cum 3 24.29x
West Coker 3 140.85x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 40
John 26
Thomas 22
Joseph 17
James 12
Richard 11
Alfred 10
Charles 10
Frederick 9
Samuel 9
George 8
Robert 8
Arthur 7
Henry 7
Walter 7
Edward 6
Edwin 5
Herbert 5
Hugh 5
Albert 4
Francis 3
Daniel 2
Harold 2
Howard 2
Simon 2
Wm. 2
Benjamin 1
Bernard 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Elijah 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Geo.H. 1
Geoffry 1
Gilbert 1
Hamilton 1
Harry 1
Horatio 1
Infant 1
Jesse 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Ralph 1
Randolph 1
Robt. 1
Robt.Wood 1
Roger 1
Rowland 1

FAQ

Sleigh surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sleigh surname in 1881?

In 1881, 668 people were recorded with the Sleigh surname. That placed it at #5,398 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sleigh surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 928 in 2016. That gives Sleigh a modern rank of #6,158.

What does the Sleigh surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English word 'slæde', meaning a sledge or sled.

What does the Sleigh map show?

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