NameCensus.

UK surname

Soulsby

An English habitational surname derived from places named Soulsby in England and Yorkshire.

In the 1881 census there were 877 people recorded with the Soulsby surname, ranking it #4,326 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,221, ranked #4,877, down from #4,326 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead and Bishop Wearmouth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, County Durham and Eden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Soulsby is 1,316 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.2%.

1881 census count

877

Ranked #4,326

Modern count

1,221

2016, ranked #4,877

Peak year

2000

1,316 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Soulsby had 877 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,326 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,221 in 2016, ranked #4,877.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,225 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Soulsby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Soulsby surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Soulsby 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 548 #4,617
1861 historical 509 #5,134
1881 historical 877 #4,326
1891 historical 948 #4,366
1901 historical 1,145 #4,245
1911 historical 1,225 #3,855
1997 modern 1,258 #4,526
1998 modern 1,293 #4,593
1999 modern 1,306 #4,583
2000 modern 1,316 #4,517
2001 modern 1,271 #4,571
2002 modern 1,273 #4,663
2003 modern 1,245 #4,653
2004 modern 1,253 #4,631
2005 modern 1,255 #4,586
2006 modern 1,238 #4,648
2007 modern 1,266 #4,589
2008 modern 1,257 #4,654
2009 modern 1,295 #4,623
2010 modern 1,309 #4,675
2011 modern 1,289 #4,682
2012 modern 1,244 #4,765
2013 modern 1,241 #4,851
2014 modern 1,230 #4,914
2015 modern 1,225 #4,879
2016 modern 1,221 #4,877

Geography

Back to top

Where Soulsbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead, Bishop Wearmouth, Bywell St Peter, Bywell St Andrew (Stocksfield Hall), Ovingham (Ovington, Mickley, Prudhoe, Prudhoe and Horton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, County Durham and Eden. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Bishop Wearmouth Durham
4 Bywell St Peter, Bywell St Andrew (Stocksfield Hall), Ovingham (Ovington, Mickley, Prudhoe, Prudhoe Northumberland
5 Horton Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 023 Northumberland
2 County Durham 008 County Durham
3 Eden 006 Eden
4 County Durham 004 County Durham
5 Northumberland 024 Northumberland

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Soulsby

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Soulsby

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

Soulsby 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

Soulsby falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Soulsby

The surname Soulsby has its origins in England, and it is thought to have emerged during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is believed to derive from the Old English words "sol" (meaning "muddy" or "dark") and "by" (meaning a "settlement" or "village"), indicating that it may have referred to a person or family residing in a village with a muddy or dark-colored soil.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Soulsby can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379, where it appears as "Soulby." This suggests that the name was already in use in the northern regions of England during that time. Additionally, the name is mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1486, where it is spelled as "Soulsby."

The surname Soulsby is closely linked to the village of the same name located in Cumbria, England. This connection indicates that the name may have originated from this particular location, with early bearers adopting the place name as their surname. The village of Soulsby itself is first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Sourebi."

One notable figure bearing the surname Soulsby was John Soulsby (c. 1585-1655), an English clergyman who served as the Rector of St. Margaret's Church in Leicester. Another early bearer of the name was William Soulsby (c. 1620-1692), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Yorkshire.

In the 17th century, the name Soulsby appeared in various records, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1665, where it was listed in the parish of Kirkby Malham, Yorkshire. Additionally, the name can be found in the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, from the late 1600s.

During the 18th century, notable individuals with the surname Soulsby included Thomas Soulsby (1715-1788), a prominent lawyer and Member of Parliament for Northallerton, and Robert Soulsby (1742-1821), a successful merchant and shipowner from Hull.

Another interesting figure was John Soulsby (1796-1866), a Baptist minister and author from Yorkshire, who wrote several religious works and was actively involved in the promotion of Sunday schools.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Soulsby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Soulsby 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. Durham leads with 450 Soulsbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.64x.

County Total Index
Durham 450 17.64x
Northumberland 282 22.10x
Yorkshire 69 0.81x
Middlesex 28 0.33x
Lancashire 8 0.08x
Hampshire 7 0.40x
Surrey 7 0.17x
Staffordshire 6 0.21x
Cheshire 5 0.26x
Cumberland 4 0.54x
Devon 4 0.22x
Shropshire 3 0.41x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.39x
Angus 1 0.13x
Gloucestershire 1 0.06x
Hertfordshire 1 0.17x
Norfolk 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. Cowpen in Northumberland leads with 83 Soulsbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 282.51x.

Place Total Index
Cowpen 83 282.51x
Hetton Le Hole 55 170.12x
Gateshead 44 23.04x
Bishopwearmouth 43 19.64x
Holy Trinity 37 18.10x
Longbenton 29 53.66x
Whickham 25 106.52x
Rothbury 23 628.42x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 18 16.29x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 17 22.31x
Trimdon 16 177.38x
Mickley 15 373.13x
Tunstall 14 110.24x
Wingate 14 80.05x
Earsdon 13 125.24x
Holmside 13 206.68x
Ouston 13 349.46x
Prudhoe Castle 13 524.19x
Bothal Demesne 12 196.40x
Kelloe 12 436.36x
Westoe 11 7.61x
Brandon Byshottles 10 31.29x
Darlington 10 10.15x
Middleton In Teesdale 10 148.59x
Tudhoe 10 44.80x
Urpeth 10 201.21x
Sculcoates 9 6.68x
Seghill 9 144.00x
Holy Trinity St Mary 8 61.87x
Islington London 8 0.96x
Monkwearmouth 8 32.76x
Staindrop 8 206.72x
Whitby 8 27.94x
Benwell 7 50.22x
Crossgate 7 62.78x
Helmington Row 7 58.92x
Portsea 7 2.03x
Birtley 6 57.64x
Camberwell 6 1.10x
Heddon On Wall 6 384.62x
St Andrew Holborn 6 20.64x
Stoke Upon Trent 6 1.95x
Witton Gilbert 6 59.58x
Boldon 5 55.01x
Clerkenwell London 5 2.47x
Durham St Nicholas 5 79.74x
Ferryhill 5 56.05x
Monks Coppenhall 5 7.00x
Newcastle On Tyne St 5 7.56x
Seaton Delaval 5 44.64x
Sunderland 5 11.10x
Byker 4 6.34x
Cockfield 4 112.36x
Elswick 4 3.93x
Iveston 4 34.04x
Kimblesworth 4 117.30x
Mason 4 137.46x
Prudhoe 4 45.05x
South Blyth Newsham 4 159.36x
Wallsend 4 9.89x
West Auckland 4 42.87x
West Herrington 4 44.74x
Crook Billy Row 3 9.18x
Gorton 3 3.14x
Greencroft 3 64.10x
Horton 3 47.62x
Lamesley 3 21.85x
Madeley 3 11.05x
Middleton St George 3 94.04x
Monkwearmouth Shore 3 6.03x
St Pancras London 3 0.43x
Westerton 3 220.59x
Whitehaven 3 7.62x
Whitworth 3 16.06x
Coxlodge 2 20.62x
Holywell 2 30.49x
Newbiggin In Morpeth 2 49.02x
Newbottle 2 14.36x
Poplar London 2 1.24x
Westgate 2 2.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 76
Thomas 57
William 45
Robert 36
Joseph 34
George 33
James 20
Edward 16
Henry 10
Richard 10
Charles 9
Michael 7
Frank 6
Matthew 6
Jacob 5
Albert 4
Arthur 4
Frederick 3
Lancelot 3
Ralph 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Elliot 2
Elliott 2
Ernest 2
Herbert 2
Martin 2
Moses 2
Thos. 2
Bart 1
Basil 1
Clement 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Gilbert 1
Harry 1
Hopper 1
Hugh 1
Hunter 1
Infant 1
Mark 1
Math. 1
Mathw. 1
Mawson 1
Nicholas 1
Philip 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Soulsby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Soulsby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 877 people were recorded with the Soulsby surname. That placed it at #4,326 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Soulsby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,221 in 2016. That gives Soulsby a modern rank of #4,877.

What does the Soulsby surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from places named Soulsby in England and Yorkshire.

What does the Soulsby map show?

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