NameCensus.

UK surname

Sowerby

An English locational surname derived from places named Sowerby in Yorkshire and Cumberland.

In the 1881 census there were 1,612 people recorded with the Sowerby surname, ranking it #2,650 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,685, ranked #2,494, up from #2,650 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Darlington, Carlisle St Cuthbert and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eden, County Durham and Hartlepool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sowerby is 2,887 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 66.6%.

1881 census count

1,612

Ranked #2,650

Modern count

2,685

2016, ranked #2,494

Peak year

2000

2,887 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sowerby had 1,612 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,650 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,685 in 2016, ranked #2,494.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,376 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sowerby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sowerby surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Sowerby 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 1,008 #2,769
1861 historical 1,076 #2,616
1881 historical 1,612 #2,650
1891 historical 1,826 #2,516
1901 historical 2,164 #2,489
1911 historical 2,376 #2,159
1997 modern 2,731 #2,344
1998 modern 2,870 #2,338
1999 modern 2,874 #2,351
2000 modern 2,887 #2,334
2001 modern 2,804 #2,346
2002 modern 2,828 #2,370
2003 modern 2,718 #2,397
2004 modern 2,691 #2,419
2005 modern 2,666 #2,411
2006 modern 2,649 #2,431
2007 modern 2,642 #2,449
2008 modern 2,660 #2,448
2009 modern 2,724 #2,454
2010 modern 2,769 #2,465
2011 modern 2,726 #2,474
2012 modern 2,672 #2,479
2013 modern 2,743 #2,465
2014 modern 2,722 #2,493
2015 modern 2,711 #2,481
2016 modern 2,685 #2,494

Geography

Back to top

Where Sowerbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Darlington, Carlisle St Cuthbert, Gateshead, Stranton and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Eden, County Durham and Hartlepool. 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 Darlington Durham
2 Carlisle St Cuthbert Cumberland
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Stranton Durham
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Eden 006 Eden
2 Eden 007 Eden
3 County Durham 059 County Durham
4 Hartlepool 002 Hartlepool
5 Eden 004 Eden

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Sowerby

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Sowerby

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Sowerby 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

Sowerby 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

Sowerby 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 Sowerby 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 Sowerby, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sowerby

The surname Sowerby originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is a locational name derived from the place names Sowerby and Sowerby Bridge, both found in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The name is believed to come from the Old English words "souring" meaning "dweller by the muddy place" and "by" meaning a farm or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sowerby can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Sourebi" and "Sourebir." This indicates that the name was already established in Yorkshire by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared as "Soureby" in the Yorkshire Assize Rolls of 1219. The spelling "Sowerby" became more common in the 14th and 15th centuries, as seen in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379.

Notable individuals with the surname Sowerby include:

1. Henry Sowerby (c.1584-1658), an English merchant and politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Aldborough, Yorkshire, in 1624.

2. James Sowerby (1757-1822), a British naturalist, artist, and author known for his detailed illustrations of plants and minerals. His works include "English Botany" and "Exotic Mineralogy."

3. George Brettingham Sowerby (1788-1854), a British naturalist and illustrator, son of James Sowerby. He continued his father's work and published several books on British and foreign conchology (the study of mollusks).

4. James de Carle Sowerby (1787-1871), another son of James Sowerby, who was a renowned British naturalist and illustrator. He specialized in the study of fungi and authored works such as "Coloured Figures of English Fungi or Mushrooms."

5. George Brettenham Sowerby III (1843-1921), a British naturalist and conchologist who was the grandson of George Brettingham Sowerby. He authored several works on mollusks, including "Thesaurus Conchyliorum" and "Illustrated Index of British Shells."

The name Sowerby has remained relatively concentrated in Yorkshire and the surrounding regions of northern England, although it has also spread to other parts of the country and beyond over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Sowerby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sowerby 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. Yorkshire leads with 413 Sowerbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.65x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 413 2.65x
Durham 349 7.45x
Cumberland 245 18.06x
Lancashire 137 0.73x
Westmorland 127 36.68x
Lincolnshire 77 3.06x
Northumberland 73 3.11x
Middlesex 64 0.41x
Surrey 28 0.36x
Kent 18 0.33x
Staffordshire 10 0.19x
Nottinghamshire 9 0.42x
Hertfordshire 8 0.74x
Shropshire 7 0.51x
Kirkcudbrightshire 6 2.63x
Norfolk 6 0.25x
Warwickshire 6 0.15x
Cheshire 4 0.12x
Essex 4 0.13x
Lanarkshire 3 0.06x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.83x
Sussex 3 0.11x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.21x
Devon 2 0.06x
Dorset 2 0.19x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.57x
Midlothian 2 0.09x
Derbyshire 1 0.04x
Gloucestershire 1 0.03x
Northamptonshire 1 0.07x
Oxfordshire 1 0.10x
Somerset 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Darlington in Durham leads with 41 Sowerbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.66x.

Place Total Index
Darlington 41 22.66x
Middlesbrough 33 16.23x
Caldewgate 31 41.71x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 25 12.32x
Lunedale 24 1153.85x
Auckland St Andrew 23 185.78x
St Cuthbert W O 21 31.77x
Thornhill 20 43.91x
Emley 19 272.21x
Southcoates 19 21.92x
Culgaith 17 909.09x
Messingham 17 278.69x
Shildon 17 45.14x
Penrith 16 31.93x
Gateshead 15 4.27x
Hackney London 14 1.59x
Skirwith 14 939.60x
Barningham 13 921.99x
Liverpool 13 1.15x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 13 9.29x
St Cuthbert Within 13 82.75x
Stockton On Tees 13 5.75x
Everton 12 2.01x
Kirkheaton 12 47.39x
Leeds 12 1.36x
Raby Keverstone 12 794.70x
St Mary Within 12 70.84x
Barrow In Furness 11 4.33x
Bishop Auckland 11 17.49x
Flockton 11 172.68x
Bishopwearmouth 10 2.49x
Coundon Grange 10 97.28x
Milbourne 10 763.36x
Moss Side 10 10.17x
Streatlam Stainton 10 543.48x
Workington 10 12.88x
Falsgrave 9 39.11x
Farlam 9 105.39x
Layton With Warbreck 9 13.12x
Londesborough Cum 9 463.92x
Morley 9 11.09x
Shitlington 9 55.73x
Tudhoe 9 21.95x
Askham 8 288.81x
Basford 8 8.17x
Cockerton 8 53.23x
Cowpen 8 14.82x
Dalston Buckabank 8 290.91x
Drypool 8 33.47x
Ferryhill 8 48.84x
Hartlepool 8 12.01x
Hunderthwaite 8 519.48x
Longbenton 8 8.06x
Ormside 8 701.75x
Orton 8 77.29x
Scawby 8 96.04x
Skeeby 8 930.23x
Sowerby In Thirsk 8 85.11x
Thirlwall 8 251.57x
Undermilbeck 8 70.05x
Wallsend 8 10.76x
Westoe 8 3.01x
Withcall 8 625.00x
Chorlton On Medlock 7 2.36x
Cockfield 7 107.03x
Dacre 7 133.84x
East Rounton 7 777.78x
Halifax 7 3.05x
Hetton Le Hole 7 11.78x
Irthington 7 217.39x
Lancaster 7 6.29x
Lynesack Softley 7 55.29x
Monk Hesleden 7 53.60x
Ovington 7 243.90x
Preston 7 1.40x
St Marylebone London 7 0.83x
Tottenham 7 2.79x
Waitby 7 1891.89x
Walsall Foreign 7 2.55x
West Derby 7 1.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 136
William 104
Thomas 95
James 62
Joseph 56
George 52
Robert 29
Richard 22
Charles 21
Henry 18
Arthur 13
Isaac 10
Edward 8
Frederick 7
Alfred 6
Francis 6
Thos. 6
Anthony 5
Daniel 5
Ernest 5
Geo. 5
Matthew 5
Philip 5
Samuel 5
Christopher 4
Edwin 4
Herbert 4
Robt. 4
Albert 3
Benjamin 3
David 3
Frank 3
Nicholas 3
Phillip 3
Robinson 3
Walter 3
Amos 2
Danial 2
Fred 2
Frederic 2
Gerald 2
Harry 2
I. 2
Jno. 2
Luke 2
Ralph 2
T. 2
Teasdale 2
Tom 2
Walker 2

FAQ

Sowerby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sowerby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,612 people were recorded with the Sowerby surname. That placed it at #2,650 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sowerby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,685 in 2016. That gives Sowerby a modern rank of #2,494.

What does the Sowerby surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from places named Sowerby in Yorkshire and Cumberland.

What does the Sowerby map show?

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