NameCensus.

UK surname

Sowersby

A topographic surname referring to someone living near a marshy area.

In the 1881 census there were 155 people recorded with the Sowersby surname, ranking it #15,174 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 201, ranked #19,525, down from #15,174 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Frodingham, North, Pickering and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire and New Town West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sowersby is 205 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.7%.

1881 census count

155

Ranked #15,174

Modern count

201

2016, ranked #19,525

Peak year

2015

205 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sowersby had 155 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,174 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 201 in 2016, ranked #19,525.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 167 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Sowersby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sowersby surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sowersby 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 95 #17,707
1861 historical 90 #22,312
1881 historical 155 #15,174
1891 historical 163 #17,300
1901 historical 167 #16,943
1911 historical 113 #21,168
1997 modern 164 #19,944
1998 modern 164 #20,505
1999 modern 162 #20,781
2000 modern 160 #20,903
2001 modern 159 #20,710
2002 modern 168 #20,396
2003 modern 166 #20,320
2004 modern 169 #20,206
2005 modern 172 #19,908
2006 modern 167 #20,447
2007 modern 170 #20,471
2008 modern 169 #20,745
2009 modern 174 #20,782
2010 modern 182 #20,662
2011 modern 181 #20,579
2012 modern 198 #19,340
2013 modern 199 #19,584
2014 modern 204 #19,439
2015 modern 205 #19,269
2016 modern 201 #19,525

Geography

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Where Sowersbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Frodingham, North, Pickering, Edinburgh, Langtoft and Wetwang. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire and New Town West. 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 Frodingham, North Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Pickering Yorkshire, North Riding
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Langtoft Yorkshire, East Riding
5 Wetwang Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 045 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 008 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 New Town West City of Edinburgh
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 010 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 003 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sowersby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sowersby

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Sowersby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Sowersby household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Sowersby is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sowersby is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sowersby falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Sowersby

The surname Sowersby is of English origin and can be traced back to the early 13th century. It originated as a locational surname, derived from the place name Sowerby, which is found in various parts of Yorkshire, England. The name likely stems from the Old English words "sowr" meaning sour or bitter, and "by" meaning a farmstead or village, potentially referring to a settlement near a sour or acidic spring or soil.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sowersby appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a Richard de Soureby is listed. The name was also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, with the spelling "Soureby." These early records suggest the name's connection to the Yorkshire region.

In the late 16th century, the surname was recorded in the parish registers of Sowerby, Yorkshire, with various spellings such as Sowerby, Sowerbie, and Sowreby. This further solidifies the link between the surname and the place name.

One notable bearer of the Sowersby surname was John Sowersby (1688-1745), an English clockmaker and watchmaker from Yorkshire. He is renowned for his intricate and ornate longcase clocks, which are highly sought after by collectors today.

Another individual of note was Thomas Sowersby (1802-1886), a British antiquarian and historian. He wrote extensively on the history and antiquities of Yorkshire, contributing valuable research to the understanding of the region's past.

In the 19th century, the name Sowersby appeared in several historical records, including the 1841 Census of England and Wales, where a family headed by William Sowersby was recorded in the village of Sowerby, Yorkshire.

A more recent example is John Sowersby (1927-2005), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in the United Kingdom, including the Civic Centre in Swindon and the Lloyds Register building in London.

It is worth noting that variations of the name, such as Sowerby and Sowreby, were also used historically, further highlighting the connection between the surname and the place name from which it originated.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sowersby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sowersby 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 76 Sowersbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.04x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 76 5.04x
Lincolnshire 21 8.63x
Midlothian 21 10.30x
Hampshire 14 4.49x
Berkshire 9 7.88x
Durham 7 1.55x
Lancashire 4 0.22x
Leicestershire 2 1.19x
Channel Islands 1 2.22x
Lanarkshire 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 16 Sowersbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.51x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 16 19.51x
Portsea 13 21.27x
Langtoft 11 3437.50x
Wetwang 10 3030.30x
Abingdon St Helen 9 269.46x
Watton 9 5294.12x
Pocklington 8 563.38x
North Frodingham 7 1944.44x
Stockton On Tees 7 32.08x
Barnoldby Le Beck 5 4545.45x
Belton 5 505.05x
South Leith 5 21.80x
Whitton 5 5000.00x
Salford 4 7.53x
Scarborough 4 29.20x
Sculcoates 4 16.73x
Beverley St Martin 3 119.05x
Eastoft 3 937.50x
Sewerby Cum Marton 3 1034.48x
Amcotts 2 952.38x
Bramley In Bramley 2 34.66x
Cottingham 2 61.54x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 6.52x
Fockerby 2 5000.00x
Kegworth 2 178.57x
Pickering 2 105.26x
Garthorpe 1 344.83x
Gorbals 1 34.25x
Halsham 1 833.33x
Hutton Cranswick 1 158.73x
Leeds 1 1.17x
Londesborough Cum 1 526.32x
Middleton On Wolds 1 303.03x
Portsmouth 1 13.93x
Sledmere Cum Croom 1 384.62x
St Sampson 1 49.26x
Yokefleet 1 1666.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 6
Sarah 5
Annie 4
Jane 4
Ann 3
Ada 2
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Frances 2
Rachel 2
Alice 1
Amanda 1
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Christinna 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Florence 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Mable 1
Maria 1
Mercy 1
Minnie 1
Nancy 1
Pollie 1
Pricla 1
Priscilla 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
Thomas 9
William 7
George 6
Richard 4
Charles 2
David 2
Edward 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
James 2
Joseph 2
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Atkinson 1
Elias 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Fredk.G. 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Job 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Nesfield 1
Silas 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Sowersby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sowersby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 155 people were recorded with the Sowersby surname. That placed it at #15,174 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sowersby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 201 in 2016. That gives Sowersby a modern rank of #19,525.

What does the Sowersby surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone living near a marshy area.

What does the Sowersby map show?

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