NameCensus.

UK surname

Sloper

A surname referring to someone who lived on a slope or hill.

In the 1881 census there were 537 people recorded with the Sloper surname, ranking it #6,413 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 429, ranked #11,214, down from #6,413 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and East and West Lavington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include The Vale of Glamorgan, Wiltshire and Broadland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sloper is 639 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 20.1%.

1881 census count

537

Ranked #6,413

Modern count

429

2016, ranked #11,214

Peak year

1901

639 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sloper had 537 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,413 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 429 in 2016, ranked #11,214.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 639 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sloper surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sloper surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sloper 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 357 #6,620
1861 historical 322 #7,911
1881 historical 537 #6,413
1891 historical 595 #6,431
1901 historical 639 #6,730
1911 historical 634 #6,555
1997 modern 512 #9,153
1998 modern 522 #9,288
1999 modern 512 #9,490
2000 modern 490 #9,772
2001 modern 472 #9,873
2002 modern 480 #9,940
2003 modern 476 #9,830
2004 modern 475 #9,871
2005 modern 468 #9,909
2006 modern 453 #10,194
2007 modern 449 #10,350
2008 modern 448 #10,458
2009 modern 452 #10,629
2010 modern 447 #10,966
2011 modern 449 #10,807
2012 modern 428 #11,092
2013 modern 436 #11,106
2014 modern 428 #11,371
2015 modern 426 #11,320
2016 modern 429 #11,214

Geography

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Where Slopers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, East and West Lavington and Devizes St John the Baptist. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to The Vale of Glamorgan, Wiltshire, Broadland, Carse and Grangemouth Old Town and Chichester. 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 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 East and West Lavington Wiltshire
5 Devizes St John the Baptist Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 The Vale of Glamorgan 014 Vale of Glamorgan
2 Wiltshire 025 Wiltshire
3 Broadland 001 Broadland
4 Carse and Grangemouth Old Town Falkirk
5 Chichester 013 Chichester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sloper

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sloper

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Sloper 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

Sloper 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

Sloper falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Sloper

The surname Sloper is of English origin, originating in the medieval period. It is derived from the Middle English word "slop," which means a muddy or marshy area. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a muddy or swampy region.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Sloper can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it is spelled as "Slope." This suggests that the name may have originated in or around the county of Bedfordshire.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as "Sloper," "Slopper," and "Sloper." These variations reflect the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

The Sloper surname is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, indicating its presence in the southern county of Sussex during the same period.

One notable historical figure with the surname Sloper was John Sloper (c. 1585-1659), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Arundel in Sussex during the English Civil War.

Another individual of note was Sir Robert Sloper (1688-1753), a British naval officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Leeward Islands from 1727 to 1732.

In the 18th century, the surname Sloper can be found in various parish records across England, particularly in the counties of Bedfordshire, Sussex, and Kent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sloper in the United States dates back to the late 17th century, when John Sloper (c. 1660-1706) settled in Boston, Massachusetts, and became a prominent merchant and landowner.

In the 19th century, John Sloper (1808-1890) was a notable English architect who designed numerous churches and buildings in the Gothic Revival style, including St. George's Church in Ramsgate, Kent.

Throughout history, the surname Sloper has been associated with various occupations and professions, from politicians and military officers to merchants and architects, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who bore this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sloper families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sloper 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. Wiltshire leads with 144 Slopers recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.91x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 144 30.91x
Middlesex 76 1.44x
Surrey 57 2.22x
Kent 41 2.28x
Gloucestershire 33 3.19x
Norfolk 33 4.07x
Hampshire 30 2.78x
Lancashire 21 0.34x
Somerset 19 2.24x
Glamorgan 16 1.74x
Berkshire 15 3.79x
Cumberland 13 2.87x
Yorkshire 9 0.17x
Lanarkshire 7 0.41x
Northumberland 6 0.77x
Dorset 5 1.45x
Derbyshire 4 0.49x
Bedfordshire 2 0.73x
Essex 2 0.19x
Hertfordshire 2 0.55x
Oxfordshire 1 0.31x
Royal Navy 1 1.59x
Staffordshire 1 0.06x
Sussex 1 0.11x
Warwickshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Devizes St Mary in Wiltshire leads with 26 Slopers recorded in 1881 and an index of 552.02x.

Place Total Index
Devizes St Mary 26 552.02x
Hickling 22 1476.51x
Bristol St George 20 41.86x
Devizes St John 20 571.43x
Eltham 19 180.44x
Market Lavington 12 476.19x
Clapham 11 16.70x
Devizes St James 10 161.55x
Mile End Old Town 10 12.03x
Paddington London 10 5.16x
Rowde 10 465.12x
Willesden 9 18.13x
Chelsea London 8 5.04x
Cricklade St Sampson 8 368.66x
Deptford St Paul 8 5.77x
Little Woolton 8 444.44x
Newington 8 4.11x
Rushall 8 2285.71x
St Marylebone London 8 2.84x
Taunton St Mary 8 51.41x
Workington 8 30.80x
Battersea 7 3.61x
Bishops Cannings 7 404.62x
Brixton 7 786.52x
Glasgow 7 2.31x
Lambeth 7 1.52x
Southampton St Mary 7 10.31x
West Lavington 7 313.90x
Chirton 6 33.82x
Merthyr Tydfil 6 6.81x
Reading St Giles 6 15.47x
Shoreditch London 6 2.63x
St Andrew Holborn 6 33.59x
Sutton At Hone 6 160.86x
West Derby 6 3.28x
Portsea 5 2.36x
Reading St Lawrence 5 59.10x
Whitehaven 5 20.69x
Ashton In Makerfield 4 22.47x
Avebury 4 305.34x
Bedminster 4 5.02x
Carshalton 4 40.73x
Collingbourne Kingston 4 320.00x
Hackney London 4 1.35x
Litchurch 4 12.05x
Penmark 4 459.77x
Westbury 4 36.80x
Wick Abson 4 253.16x
Wymondham 4 48.31x
Bexley 3 18.88x
Brightside Bierlow 3 2.93x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 3 3.08x
Codford St Mary 3 483.87x
Dibden 3 329.67x
Donhead St Mary 3 126.58x
Hunslet 3 3.69x
Southcoates 3 10.35x
Southwark Christchurch 3 12.16x
St George Hanover 3 4.36x
Steeple Ashton 3 238.10x
Stoke Newington London 3 7.31x
Sutton 3 16.16x
Wimbledon 3 10.41x
Aberdare 2 3.18x
Drayton 2 178.57x
East Meon 2 70.92x
Great Chishall 2 270.27x
Great Somerford 2 202.02x
Kensington London 2 0.68x
Little Somerford 2 289.86x
Lyncombe Widcombe 2 9.01x
Reading St Mary 2 6.32x
Southampton All Sts 2 10.79x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 1.89x
Streatham 2 5.12x
Sutton Veney 2 152.67x
Walcot 2 4.43x
West Parley 2 327.87x
Westbury On Severn 2 48.90x
Woolwich 2 3.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 40
Sarah 17
Alice 15
Elizabeth 15
Jane 13
Annie 11
Emily 8
Ann 6
Eliza 6
Caroline 5
Ellen 5
Emma 5
Hannah 5
Kate 5
Martha 5
Ada 4
Charlotte 4
Eleanor 4
Florence 4
Harriett 4
Louisa 4
Amelia 3
Anne 3
Christiana 3
Clara 3
Ethel 3
Amy 2
Anna 2
Bessie 2
Christina 2
Edith 2
Esther 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Margaret 2
Matilda 2
Miriam 2
Selina 2
Susan 2
Betsy 1
Blanch 1
Dimee 1
Dinah 1
Ellenor 1
Helena 1
Isabel 1
Isabella 1
Julia 1
Sybelton 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 34
George 23
John 22
James 17
Thomas 17
Charles 15
Henry 13
Robert 9
Edward 7
Walter 7
Arthur 5
Harry 5
Herbert 5
Joseph 5
Samuel 5
Albert 4
Edwin 4
Ernest 4
Frank 4
Frederick 4
Tom 4
Alfred 3
Richard 3
Burton 2
David 2
Earnest 2
Eustace 2
Mark 2
Sidney 2
Simon 2
Thos. 2
Benjamin 1
Bernard 1
Edwar 1
Emanuel 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Geo.W. 1
Gerard 1
Jas.W. 1
Jos.M. 1
Michall 1
Orford 1
Percy 1
Reginald 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Wittley 1

FAQ

Sloper surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sloper surname in 1881?

In 1881, 537 people were recorded with the Sloper surname. That placed it at #6,413 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sloper surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 429 in 2016. That gives Sloper a modern rank of #11,214.

What does the Sloper surname mean?

A surname referring to someone who lived on a slope or hill.

What does the Sloper map show?

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