NameCensus.

UK surname

Southey

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "southern homestead" or "southern village."

In the 1881 census there were 565 people recorded with the Southey surname, ranking it #6,131 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 595, ranked #8,776, down from #6,131 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Dover St James, Dover St Mary and St James Clerkenwell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Derbyshire, North Somerset and Suffolk Coastal.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Southey is 661 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.3%.

1881 census count

565

Ranked #6,131

Modern count

595

2016, ranked #8,776

Peak year

1911

661 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Southey had 565 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,131 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 595 in 2016, ranked #8,776.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 661 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Southey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Southey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Southey 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 404 #5,991
1861 historical 429 #5,989
1881 historical 565 #6,131
1891 historical 531 #7,061
1901 historical 652 #6,629
1911 historical 661 #6,353
1997 modern 538 #8,815
1998 modern 558 #8,824
1999 modern 568 #8,755
2000 modern 554 #8,898
2001 modern 550 #8,799
2002 modern 576 #8,674
2003 modern 569 #8,624
2004 modern 592 #8,431
2005 modern 587 #8,402
2006 modern 588 #8,406
2007 modern 593 #8,433
2008 modern 578 #8,650
2009 modern 584 #8,761
2010 modern 607 #8,710
2011 modern 607 #8,613
2012 modern 597 #8,640
2013 modern 595 #8,804
2014 modern 595 #8,857
2015 modern 588 #8,864
2016 modern 595 #8,776

Geography

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Where Southeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Dover St James, Dover St Mary, St James Clerkenwell and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North East Derbyshire, North Somerset, Suffolk Coastal and Wolverhampton. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent
4 St James Clerkenwell London (Central Districts)
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North East Derbyshire 013 North East Derbyshire
2 North Somerset 003 North Somerset
3 North Somerset 001 North Somerset
4 Suffolk Coastal 014 Suffolk Coastal
5 Wolverhampton 018 Wolverhampton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Southey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Southey

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Southey is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Southey 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

Southey falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Southey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Southey

The surname Southey originates from England, deriving from the Old English words "suth" meaning south and "eg" meaning an island or piece of dry ground. It likely emerged as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived in a southern region or near a southern island or raised area of land.

The earliest known record of the surname dates back to the 13th century in the English counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset. Variations of the spelling included Southeye, Southey, and Southy. The name is also found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, an important historical census record from the reign of King Edward I.

In the 14th century, a John Southey is recorded as living in Staverton, Somerset in 1327. Around the same time, the surname appeared in the Poll Tax records of Yorkshire in 1379 as William Southey.

The poet Robert Southey (1774-1843) was one of the most famous bearers of this surname. He was appointed Poet Laureate in 1813 and is known for works such as The Curse of Kehama and The Life of Nelson.

Other notable individuals with the Southey surname include Sir Richard Southey (1504-1564), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1538, and Thomas Southey (1777-1838), a writer and brother of the poet Robert Southey.

In the 17th century, the name appears in parish records from Devon, with a John Southey recorded in the parish of Halberton in 1625. The surname is also found in the nearby parish of Cullompton in 1672 with the baptism of John Southey.

Moving forward to the 18th century, the Reverend Henry Southey (1737-1808) was a Church of England clergyman who served as Rector of Fitzhead in Somerset. His son, Henry Herbert Southey (1783-1865), was a notable English writer and biographer.

Overall, the surname Southey has a rich history spanning multiple centuries in England, particularly concentrated in the southern regions. Its locational origins and variations in spelling offer insights into the lives and movements of its earliest bearers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Southey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Southey 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. Middlesex leads with 160 Southeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.89x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 160 2.89x
Devon 64 5.55x
Cornwall 53 8.45x
Surrey 50 1.85x
Kent 34 1.80x
Somerset 32 3.59x
Norfolk 27 3.17x
Sussex 23 2.46x
Wiltshire 22 4.49x
Warwickshire 15 1.07x
Lancashire 14 0.21x
Suffolk 14 2.07x
Glamorgan 7 0.73x
Hampshire 7 0.62x
Dorset 6 1.65x
Bedfordshire 5 1.74x
Royal Navy 5 7.57x
Worcestershire 5 0.69x
Buckinghamshire 4 1.19x
Cheshire 4 0.33x
Essex 4 0.37x
Yorkshire 4 0.07x
Berkshire 3 0.72x
Gloucestershire 3 0.28x
Renfrewshire 2 0.47x
Leicestershire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Calstock in Cornwall leads with 25 Southeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 203.25x.

Place Total Index
Calstock 25 203.25x
Great Yarmouth 22 31.17x
Islington London 21 3.91x
Clerkenwell London 19 14.53x
St George Hanover 19 26.27x
Croydon 18 12.01x
Dover St Mary Virgin 18 98.36x
Durnford 15 1764.71x
Paddington London 14 6.87x
Wellington 14 115.80x
Gorleston 13 75.80x
Broadwater 12 56.00x
Culmstock 12 736.20x
Illogan 9 54.18x
Battersea 8 3.92x
Hendon 7 35.11x
Kenwyn 7 42.68x
St Clement Danes 7 78.04x
Stanwell 7 170.73x
Tottenham 7 7.93x
Walcot 7 14.74x
Westminster St John 7 10.37x
Folkestone 6 16.36x
Hackney London 6 1.93x
Hammersmith London 6 4.40x
Merthyr Tydfil 6 6.47x
Newington 6 2.93x
Openshaw 6 19.49x
Plymouth Charles The 6 11.81x
Sherborne 6 56.02x
St Giles Cripplegate 6 81.52x
St Marylebone London 6 2.03x
Stonehouse East 6 102.56x
Uffculme 6 174.42x
Birmingham 5 1.07x
Coulsdon 5 101.83x
Dudley 5 5.68x
Lambeth 5 1.03x
Northwold 5 219.30x
Paignton 5 56.95x
Redruth 5 28.18x
Royal Navy 5 8.86x
Shoreditch London 5 2.08x
Warwick St Mary 5 41.22x
Callington 4 109.59x
East Teignmouth 4 84.75x
Exeter St David 4 40.61x
Hastings St Mary In The 4 20.07x
Higher Bebington 4 51.09x
Kensington London 4 1.30x
Todmorden Walsden 4 22.71x
Woburn 4 160.64x
Antony 3 49.51x
Bedminster 3 3.58x
Corsham 3 41.96x
Dawlish 3 34.88x
Downton 3 46.80x
Holdenhurst 3 10.07x
Leamington Priors 3 8.73x
Morley 3 10.51x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 3.38x
Taunton St James 3 23.06x
Tavistock 3 22.83x
Titchfield 3 35.05x
Wexham 3 882.35x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 1.39x
Bexley 2 11.97x
Bow London 2 2.84x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 5.52x
Charlton 2 15.92x
Clewer 2 11.74x
East Grinstead 2 15.13x
Eltham 2 18.05x
Mile End Old Town 2 2.29x
Preston 2 12.26x
Prittlewell 2 13.19x
Stoke Damerel 2 2.48x
West Teignmouth 2 22.68x
Willand 2 312.50x
Williton 2 66.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 28
George 26
Henry 18
John 18
James 17
Charles 15
Samuel 14
Richard 10
Robert 10
Joseph 9
Thomas 9
Francis 7
Albert 6
Frederick 6
Walter 6
Harry 5
Arthur 4
Edward 4
Alfred 3
Edmund 3
Frank 3
Herbert 3
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Fred 2
Percy 2
Augustine 1
Benjamin 1
Bertram 1
Bryan 1
Clarence 1
Earnest 1
Edgar 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Florance 1
Frances 1
Fredk. 1
Hedley 1
Jno. 1
Jobe 1
Josiah 1
Norman 1
Pet. 1
Reginald 1
Robt. 1
Samual 1
Sidney 1
Sydney 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Southey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Southey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 565 people were recorded with the Southey surname. That placed it at #6,131 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Southey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 595 in 2016. That gives Southey a modern rank of #8,776.

What does the Southey surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "southern homestead" or "southern village."

What does the Southey map show?

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