NameCensus.

UK surname

Slocombe

A locational surname indicating someone from a small valley or hollow.

In the 1881 census there were 958 people recorded with the Slocombe surname, ranking it #4,044 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,366, ranked #4,413, down from #4,044 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Shapwick (pt), Huntspill. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bath and North East Somerset, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Caerphilly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Slocombe is 1,511 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.6%.

1881 census count

958

Ranked #4,044

Modern count

1,366

2016, ranked #4,413

Peak year

1998

1,511 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Slocombe had 958 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,044 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,366 in 2016, ranked #4,413.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,406 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Slocombe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Slocombe surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Slocombe 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 593 #4,320
1861 historical 468 #5,549
1881 historical 958 #4,044
1891 historical 988 #4,186
1901 historical 1,269 #3,909
1911 historical 1,406 #3,430
1997 modern 1,445 #4,038
1998 modern 1,511 #4,022
1999 modern 1,502 #4,081
2000 modern 1,493 #4,080
2001 modern 1,464 #4,072
2002 modern 1,502 #4,071
2003 modern 1,463 #4,081
2004 modern 1,419 #4,178
2005 modern 1,397 #4,195
2006 modern 1,407 #4,177
2007 modern 1,386 #4,258
2008 modern 1,393 #4,276
2009 modern 1,419 #4,285
2010 modern 1,436 #4,327
2011 modern 1,441 #4,271
2012 modern 1,437 #4,219
2013 modern 1,420 #4,322
2014 modern 1,415 #4,357
2015 modern 1,368 #4,433
2016 modern 1,366 #4,413

Geography

Back to top

Where Slocombes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Shapwick (pt), Huntspill, Ilfracombe and Cardiff St John and St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bath and North East Somerset, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Caerphilly 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Shapwick (pt), Huntspill Somerset
4 Ilfracombe Devon
5 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bath and North East Somerset 023 Bath and North East Somerset
2 Rhondda Cynon Taf 022 Rhondda Cynon Taf
3 Caerphilly 019 Caerphilly
4 Sedgemoor 009 Sedgemoor
5 Sedgemoor 002 Sedgemoor

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Slocombe

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Slocombe

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Slocombe 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

Slocombe is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Slocombe

The surname Slocombe is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Somerset. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "sloh" meaning a muddy place or a slough, and the word "cumb" meaning a valley or a hollow. Therefore, the name Slocombe may have initially referred to someone who lived in or near a muddy valley or hollow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Slocombe can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Slocumbe". This suggests that the name was already in use during the 11th century and had established itself in the region.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "Slokombe" and "Slocumbe" in various medieval records and documents. One notable example is a reference to a John Slocombe in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset, dated around 1230.

During the 16th century, the spelling of the name became more standardized as "Slocombe". This is evident in various parish records and legal documents from that era. One prominent individual bearing this surname was Sir Henry Slocombe (1562-1644), an English landowner and Member of Parliament.

In the 17th century, the Slocombe family had established themselves as landowners and gentry in Somerset and neighboring counties. A significant figure from this period was Sir John Slocombe (1630-1701), a baronet and member of the landed gentry.

Moving into the 18th and 19th centuries, the Slocombe name continued to be associated with notable individuals. For instance, John Slocombe (1773-1832) was a prominent English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Somerset and Devon.

Another notable figure was William Slocombe (1825-1892), a prominent English businessman and philanthropist. He was involved in various charitable endeavors and was a major benefactor of the city of Bristol.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Slocombe was the English actor and comedian Hattie Jacques (1922-1980), whose birth name was Josephine Edwina Slocombe. She gained widespread recognition for her roles in various British sitcoms, particularly as the iconic Matron in the Carry On films.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Slocombe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Slocombe 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. Somerset leads with 369 Slocombes recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.50x.

County Total Index
Somerset 369 24.50x
Devon 151 7.75x
Gloucestershire 77 4.20x
Middlesex 71 0.76x
Glamorgan 69 4.24x
Surrey 44 0.97x
Monmouthshire 30 4.44x
Pembrokeshire 22 7.40x
Hertfordshire 20 3.10x
Cornwall 14 1.32x
Lancashire 14 0.13x
Yorkshire 14 0.15x
Wiltshire 9 1.09x
Midlothian 8 0.64x
Berkshire 7 1.00x
Hampshire 7 0.37x
Kent 7 0.22x
Derbyshire 6 0.41x
Essex 6 0.32x
Cumberland 3 0.37x
Dorset 3 0.49x
Herefordshire 2 0.52x
Staffordshire 2 0.06x
Cheshire 1 0.05x
Lincolnshire 1 0.07x
Royal Navy 1 0.90x
Warwickshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Huntspill in Somerset leads with 41 Slocombes recorded in 1881 and an index of 665.58x.

Place Total Index
Huntspill 41 665.58x
Bedminster 36 25.44x
Ilfracombe 36 179.55x
Wiveliscombe 34 405.24x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 29 16.79x
Bridgewater 23 56.26x
North Petherton 20 164.61x
Swansea Town 17 12.73x
Fitzhead 15 1764.71x
St Marylebone London 15 3.00x
Croydon 14 5.53x
Dawlish 13 89.47x
Taunton St Mary 13 47.03x
West Hatch 13 970.15x
Bristol St George 11 12.96x
Calstock 11 52.96x
Bawdrip 10 793.65x
Bristol St James In 10 37.06x
Exeter St Sidwell 10 22.42x
Hatch Beauchamp 10 862.07x
Llangeinor 10 104.28x
Aberystruth 9 15.10x
Bideford 9 43.14x
Burnham 9 78.40x
Fishguard 9 139.75x
Lambeth 9 1.10x
Milverton 9 161.87x
Stanton Drew 9 612.24x
Sutton Mallett 9 2500.00x
Withycombe Rawleigh 9 88.76x
Cardiff St Mary 8 8.92x
Llandaff 8 14.76x
North Leith 8 13.79x
Pembroke St Michael 8 185.61x
Stevenage 8 80.00x
Swindon 8 12.47x
Thornhill 8 29.57x
Curry Rivell 7 138.89x
Hampstead London 7 4.80x
Mynyddyslwyn 7 26.24x
Newington 7 2.03x
Plymstock 7 68.63x
St Stephen Coleman 7 281.12x
St Woollos 7 9.28x
Taunton St James 7 31.88x
Weston Super Mare 7 18.41x
Bampton 6 100.67x
Berkhampstead 6 41.38x
Bristol St Michael 6 38.14x
Clifton 6 6.47x
Hammersmith London 6 2.60x
Nether Stowey 6 254.24x
Wedmore 6 61.22x
Wellington 6 29.38x
Bristol St James St Paul 5 8.17x
Colaton Raleigh 5 208.33x
Drewsteignton 5 193.80x
East Teignmouth 5 62.74x
Hendon 5 14.85x
Kensington London 5 0.96x
Llanhilleth 5 112.61x
Long Eaton 5 25.87x
Neath 5 15.09x
Norton Fitzwarren 5 235.85x
Pembroke St Mary 5 13.06x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 3.33x
Reading St Giles 5 7.26x
Swansea Lower 5 60.17x
Tormoham 5 6.07x
Wembdon 5 112.36x
West Derby 5 1.54x
Westminster St James 5 5.20x
Westonsuper Mare 5 162.87x
Bootle Cum Linacre 4 4.54x
Cossington 4 547.95x
Kirkdale 4 2.14x
Littleham 4 28.09x
Lympsham 4 273.97x
Northam 4 28.19x
Walton 4 232.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 81
John 45
James 28
George 27
Henry 26
Thomas 24
Robert 22
Charles 18
Walter 14
Edward 13
Albert 11
Alfred 10
Frank 10
Samuel 10
Arthur 9
Richard 9
Frederick 8
Joseph 8
Edwin 6
Ernest 5
Eli 4
Fred 4
Job 4
Francis 3
Noah 3
Tom 3
Chas. 2
David 2
Fredk. 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Peter 2
Reuben 2
Sidney 2
Silvester 2
Wm. 2
Augustus 1
Charley 1
Chas.L. 1
Christopher 1
Edgar 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1
Emmanuel 1
Horace 1
Ivey 1
Jessie 1
Louis 1
M. 1
Mary 1

FAQ

Slocombe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Slocombe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 958 people were recorded with the Slocombe surname. That placed it at #4,044 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Slocombe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,366 in 2016. That gives Slocombe a modern rank of #4,413.

What does the Slocombe surname mean?

A locational surname indicating someone from a small valley or hollow.

What does the Slocombe map show?

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