NameCensus.

UK surname

Solway

A locational surname likely referring to someone from Solway, a region near the Scottish-English border.

In the 1881 census there were 100 people recorded with the Solway surname, ranking it #19,750 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 325, ranked #13,930, up from #19,750 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Shute, Weston-super-Mare, Kewstoke, Worle and Langport, Drayton with Middleney, Curry Rivell, Swell, Aller. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Dorset, Black Isle North and Kingston upon Hull.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Solway is 343 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 225.0%.

1881 census count

100

Ranked #19,750

Modern count

325

2016, ranked #13,930

Peak year

2013

343 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Solway had 100 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,750 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 325 in 2016, ranked #13,930.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 179 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Solway surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Solway surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Solway 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 65 #21,747
1861 historical 79 #23,702
1881 historical 100 #19,750
1891 historical 172 #16,663
1901 historical 148 #18,212
1911 historical 179 #16,023
1997 modern 300 #13,530
1998 modern 316 #13,424
1999 modern 329 #13,147
2000 modern 323 #13,268
2001 modern 316 #13,258
2002 modern 319 #13,448
2003 modern 305 #13,662
2004 modern 319 #13,342
2005 modern 297 #13,916
2006 modern 300 #13,911
2007 modern 292 #14,313
2008 modern 295 #14,303
2009 modern 321 #13,770
2010 modern 333 #13,717
2011 modern 320 #13,976
2012 modern 336 #13,376
2013 modern 343 #13,372
2014 modern 336 #13,692
2015 modern 325 #13,927
2016 modern 325 #13,930

Geography

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Where Solways are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Shute, Weston-super-Mare, Kewstoke, Worle, Langport, Drayton with Middleney, Curry Rivell, Swell, Aller, Stokeinteignhead, Combeinteignhead, Haccombe, St Nicholas and Othery, Lyng. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Dorset, Black Isle North, Kingston upon Hull, Teignbridge and Sheffield. 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 Shute Devon
2 Weston-super-Mare, Kewstoke, Worle Somerset
3 Langport, Drayton with Middleney, Curry Rivell, Swell, Aller Somerset
4 Stokeinteignhead, Combeinteignhead, Haccombe, St Nicholas Devon
5 Othery, Lyng Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Dorset 005 West Dorset
2 Black Isle North Highland
3 Kingston upon Hull 022 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 Teignbridge 004 Teignbridge
5 Sheffield 027 Sheffield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Solway

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Solway

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Solway, 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 Solway surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Solway 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Solway 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

Solway is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Solway 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 Solway is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Solway

The surname Solway has its origins in the Scottish Borders region, specifically the area surrounding the Solway Firth which separates England and Scotland. The name is derived from the Old English words "soel" meaning muddy and "waeg" meaning way or path, referring to the tidal mudflats found in the Solway Firth area.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Solway can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of acts of homage rendered to King Edward I of England. This document lists several individuals with variations of the name, such as "de Solewath" and "de Sulewath."

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records related to the Anglo-Scottish border conflicts, with individuals bearing the name Solway serving as soldiers or landowners in the region. One notable example is John Solway, who was appointed as the Warden of the West March, a defensive border territory, in the late 1300s.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Solway name spread beyond the Scottish Borders as families migrated to other parts of Scotland and England. One prominent individual from this period was Sir James Solway (1557-1624), a Scottish merchant and landowner who served as a member of the Scottish Parliament and acquired substantial estates.

Another notable bearer of the Solway name was Sir John Solway (1720-1786), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the Seven Years' War and later became an influential figure in the administration of the British East India Company.

In the 19th century, the name Solway was found across various parts of the United Kingdom, with several individuals achieving recognition in various fields. One example is Sir William Solway (1812-1898), a prominent Scottish lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Advocate of Scotland.

It is worth noting that the place name Solway has also been used in various geographical locations, such as the Solway Firth itself, the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England, and the town of Solway in Minnesota, United States, which was likely named after the Scottish region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Solway families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Solway 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. Devon leads with 37 Solways recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.13x.

County Total Index
Devon 37 14.13x
Somerset 35 17.28x
Channel Islands 26 69.74x
Glamorgan 5 2.28x
Yorkshire 4 0.32x
Essex 3 1.21x
Royal Navy 3 20.01x
Surrey 3 0.49x
Gloucestershire 2 0.81x
Kent 2 0.47x
Middlesex 2 0.16x
Monmouthshire 2 2.20x
Pembrokeshire 2 5.00x
Cornwall 1 0.70x
Derbyshire 1 0.51x
Lancashire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Sampson in Channel Islands leads with 25 Solways recorded in 1881 and an index of 1488.10x.

Place Total Index
St Sampson 25 1488.10x
Shute 19 7600.00x
Bridgewater 7 127.27x
Seavington St Mary 7 5384.62x
Fivehead 6 3333.33x
Othery 6 2400.00x
Uplyme 5 1282.05x
Weston Super Mare 5 97.85x
Axmouth 4 1379.31x
Clase 4 49.08x
Holy Trinity 3 10.00x
Royal Navy 3 23.40x
Seaton 3 297.03x
East Stonehouse 2 38.76x
Lewisham 2 8.74x
Middlezoy 2 800.00x
Newington 2 4.30x
Pembroke St Mary 2 38.84x
Spitalfields London 2 21.14x
Trevethin 2 23.28x
Walthamstow 2 22.37x
Axminster 1 81.30x
Chertsey 1 25.25x
Chinley Bugsworth 1 192.31x
Devonport 1 33.22x
East Ham 1 21.69x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 100.00x
Llanwonno 1 12.71x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 4.96x
Rudford 1 1111.11x
St Clement 1 67.11x
St Peter Port 1 14.49x
Stoke Damerel 1 5.46x
Tibberton 1 625.00x
Tintinhull 1 588.24x
Trull 1 243.90x
Warrington 1 5.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 9
Mary 8
Eliza 4
Emily 3
Florence 2
Margaret 2
Matilda 2
Alice 1
Anna 1
Charlotte 1
Elizh.E. 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Jane 1
Lillian 1
Maney 1
Margt. 1
Martha 1
Marther 1
Mina 1
Minnie 1
Pamela 1
Patience 1
Rachel 1
Sally 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
George 9
John 9
Henry 6
Charles 5
Thomas 5
James 3
Samuel 3
Frederick 2
Isaac 2
Joseph 2
Robert 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Archibald 1
Arther 1
Benjamin 1
Frank 1
Gilbert 1
Haman 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Jefford 1
Jessie 1
Leonard 1
Levie 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Solway surname: questions and answers

How common was the Solway surname in 1881?

In 1881, 100 people were recorded with the Solway surname. That placed it at #19,750 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Solway surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 325 in 2016. That gives Solway a modern rank of #13,930.

What does the Solway surname mean?

A locational surname likely referring to someone from Solway, a region near the Scottish-English border.

What does the Solway map show?

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