NameCensus.

UK surname

Slowey

Of English origin, meaning a person of sluggish or slow-moving nature.

In the 1881 census there were 72 people recorded with the Slowey surname, ranking it #23,371 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 290, ranked #15,099, up from #23,371 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Gateshead and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Campbeltown, Woodhead and Meikle Earnock and Low Waters.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Slowey is 306 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 302.8%.

1881 census count

72

Ranked #23,371

Modern count

290

2016, ranked #15,099

Peak year

2004

306 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Slowey had 72 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,371 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 290 in 2016, ranked #15,099.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 111 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Slowey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Slowey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Slowey 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 23 #29,205
1861 historical 52 #27,369
1881 historical 72 #23,371
1891 historical 97 #24,447
1901 historical 111 #21,492
1911 historical 80 #24,821
1997 modern 267 #14,623
1998 modern 273 #14,803
1999 modern 281 #14,578
2000 modern 274 #14,796
2001 modern 278 #14,444
2002 modern 299 #14,017
2003 modern 303 #13,718
2004 modern 306 #13,720
2005 modern 306 #13,657
2006 modern 298 #13,973
2007 modern 300 #14,048
2008 modern 288 #14,537
2009 modern 295 #14,594
2010 modern 306 #14,529
2011 modern 300 #14,591
2012 modern 290 #14,838
2013 modern 295 #14,918
2014 modern 294 #15,047
2015 modern 294 #14,971
2016 modern 290 #15,099

Geography

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Where Sloweys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Gateshead, London parishes, Glasgow and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Campbeltown, Woodhead and Meikle Earnock, Low Waters, Solihull and Nitshill. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Gateshead Durham
3 London parishes London 3
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Campbeltown Argyll and Bute
2 Woodhead and Meikle Earnock South Lanarkshire
3 Low Waters South Lanarkshire
4 Solihull 002 Solihull
5 Nitshill Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Slowey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Slowey

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Slowey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Slowey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Slowey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Slowey is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Slowey 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 Slowey 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Slowey

The surname Slowey originated in Ireland, likely emerging in the late medieval period or early modern era. It is derived from the Gaelic name 'Sluaghadh', which translates to 'host' or 'crowd', implying a familial connection to a large or numerous clan or group.

Variants of the spelling include Sloey, Sloy, and Sloye, reflecting regional dialects and phonetic adaptations over time. The name is most commonly associated with County Mayo in the west of Ireland, where many bearers of the name can trace their ancestral roots.

Historical records of the Slowey surname are scarce before the 17th century, though it is believed to have been present in Ireland for several centuries prior. One of the earliest documented references to the name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a Sluaghadh O'Conor in the year 1390.

The 17th and 18th centuries saw a greater proliferation of the Slowey name in official records and documents. Notable individuals from this period include Edmond Slowey, a landowner in County Mayo born in 1675, and Patrick Slowey, a soldier in the Irish Brigade of the French Army during the 1740s.

In the 19th century, several members of the Slowey family achieved prominence in various fields. John Slowey (1805-1891) was a renowned historian and author, publishing works on Irish history and culture. Mary Slowey (1823-1902) was a celebrated educator who founded several schools in County Mayo and advocated for the education of Irish women.

Other notable figures with the Slowey surname include:

1. Michael Slowey (1865-1932), an Irish politician and member of the United Kingdom Parliament. 2. Bridget Slowey (1897-1976), a influential labor organizer and advocate for workers' rights in the United States. 3. Patrick Slowey (1911-1998), a renowned artist and sculptor known for his depictions of Irish folklore and mythology. 4. Seamus Slowey (1927-2011), a respected journalist and editor who worked for several prominent Irish newspapers. 5. Maeve Slowey (born 1958), a critically acclaimed novelist and short story writer whose works explore themes of Irish identity and diaspora.

The Slowey surname has endured through the centuries, maintaining a strong connection to its Irish heritage and leaving an indelible mark on various aspects of Irish culture and society.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Slowey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Slowey 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. Lanarkshire leads with 37 Sloweys recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.29x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 37 16.29x
Lancashire 16 1.92x
Durham 9 4.31x
Surrey 8 2.34x
Stirlingshire 2 7.72x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 22 Sloweys recorded in 1881 and an index of 54.55x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 22 54.55x
Govan 11 19.58x
Rainford 11 1222.22x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 9 99.45x
Camberwell 8 17.83x
Barony 4 6.96x
Whiston 3 461.54x
Falkirk 2 33.00x
Blackburn 1 4.51x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 15.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Grace 2
Isabella 2
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
D. 1
Ellen 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Philomina 1
Veronica 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
Thomas 2
Wm. 2
Arthur 1
Daniel 1
Henry 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Nathan 1
Patrick 1
Peter 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 Slowey households.

FAQ

Slowey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Slowey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 72 people were recorded with the Slowey surname. That placed it at #23,371 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Slowey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 290 in 2016. That gives Slowey a modern rank of #15,099.

What does the Slowey surname mean?

Of English origin, meaning a person of sluggish or slow-moving nature.

What does the Slowey map show?

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