NameCensus.

UK surname

Stobie

An occupational surname with Gaelic origins, likely referring to a stonemason or builder.

In the 1881 census there were 440 people recorded with the Stobie surname, ranking it #7,440 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 476, ranked #10,360, down from #7,440 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Darlington, Ayr South Harbour and Town Centre and Marchmont East and Sciennes.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stobie is 600 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.2%.

1881 census count

440

Ranked #7,440

Modern count

476

2016, ranked #10,360

Peak year

1901

600 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stobie had 440 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,440 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 476 in 2016, ranked #10,360.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 600 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Student Living and Professional Footholds.

Stobie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stobie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stobie 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 308 #7,478
1861 historical 362 #7,062
1881 historical 440 #7,440
1891 historical 482 #7,652
1901 historical 600 #7,077
1911 historical 164 #16,879
1997 modern 474 #9,693
1998 modern 485 #9,825
1999 modern 488 #9,846
2000 modern 499 #9,653
2001 modern 486 #9,674
2002 modern 492 #9,741
2003 modern 472 #9,889
2004 modern 466 #10,030
2005 modern 446 #10,283
2006 modern 450 #10,237
2007 modern 449 #10,350
2008 modern 453 #10,345
2009 modern 474 #10,251
2010 modern 491 #10,192
2011 modern 473 #10,376
2012 modern 450 #10,654
2013 modern 470 #10,478
2014 modern 478 #10,428
2015 modern 475 #10,396
2016 modern 476 #10,360

Geography

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Where Stobies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Crail and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Darlington, Ayr South Harbour and Town Centre, Marchmont East and Sciennes, Linlithgow Bridge and Cornwall. 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 3
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Crail Fife
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Darlington 013 Darlington
2 Ayr South Harbour and Town Centre South Ayrshire
3 Marchmont East and Sciennes City of Edinburgh
4 Linlithgow Bridge West Lothian
5 Cornwall 062 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stobie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stobie

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Student Living and Professional Footholds

Nationally, the Stobie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Student Living and Professional Footholds, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Stobie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

The Group includes many students, some of whom reside in communal residences. Single-person households are the most prevalent and the modal age band is 25 to 44. There are few families with dependent children. A significant number of White residents were born in EU countries (although UK-born residents are more common than in the rest of the Group), and households reflect a diversity of ethnic groups. Residential turnover is exceptionally high and, communal properties aside, flats are the norm. Some properties, including those in the private rental sector, are over-crowded. Many residents are professionals and technicians educated to degree level, and the Group is particularly common near the campuses of established university towns and cities.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Stobie 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

Stobie 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

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

Meaning and origin of Stobie

The surname Stobie has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "stob," meaning a post or stake, suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a specific landmark or boundary marker.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stobie can be found in the Regality of Dunfermline records from 1587, where a John Stobie is mentioned. The name also appears in the Commissariot Records of St. Andrews in 1613, indicating its presence in different regions of Scotland during that period.

The variations in spelling, such as Stobbie, Stobee, and Stoby, were common in those times due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions. Some believe the name may have been influenced by the place name "Stobo" in Peeblesshire, which itself derived from the Old English words "stob" and "byr" (a dwelling or farm).

Notable individuals with the surname Stobie include Sir James Stobie (1780-1853), a Scottish merchant and politician who served as the Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1848 to 1851. Another prominent figure was William Stobie (1753-1825), a Scottish engraver and artist known for his landscape paintings and engravings of Edinburgh.

In the literary world, James Stobie (1783-1853) was a Scottish poet and schoolmaster who published a collection of poems titled "The Scottish Pastorals" in 1801. His contemporary, Thomas Stobie (1799-1865), was a Scottish journalist and editor who worked for the Glasgow Herald and the Kelso Mail.

Crossing the Atlantic, one finds John Stobie (1738-1811), a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister who served as the first president of the Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, United States, from 1776 to 1778.

While the surname Stobie may not be as widespread as some others, its Scottish roots and historical references demonstrate its long-standing presence in various regions and spheres of influence over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stobie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stobie 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. Fife leads with 99 Stobies recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.96x.

County Total Index
Fife 99 38.96x
Midlothian 99 17.22x
Berwickshire 43 82.72x
Northumberland 28 4.38x
Perthshire 28 14.53x
Surrey 19 0.91x
Lanarkshire 17 1.22x
Angus 16 4.02x
Durham 11 0.86x
Middlesex 10 0.23x
East Lothian 9 15.83x
Buckinghamshire 7 2.70x
Clackmannanshire 6 16.93x
Lancashire 6 0.12x
Lincolnshire 6 0.87x
Roxburghshire 6 7.72x
Warwickshire 6 0.55x
Yorkshire 4 0.09x
Buteshire 3 11.53x
Caithness 3 5.10x
Berkshire 2 0.62x
Kinross-shire 2 18.43x
Shetland 2 4.56x
West Lothian 2 3.09x
Worcestershire 2 0.36x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.25x
Hampshire 1 0.11x
Kent 1 0.07x
Staffordshire 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. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 45 Stobies recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.45x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 45 19.45x
Crail 25 965.25x
Dunfermline 24 61.43x
Saline 20 1418.44x
Langton 16 2162.16x
Duddingston 14 121.32x
St Andrews 13 112.46x
Barony 11 3.13x
Dunse 11 223.12x
Southwark St George Martyr 11 12.74x
South Leith 10 15.46x
Longformacus 9 1578.95x
Edinburgh Greenside 8 105.26x
Haddington 8 95.35x
Liff Benvie 8 13.25x
Limehouse London 8 16.98x
Bradwell 7 191.78x
Falkland 7 175.00x
Perth Middle Church 7 96.69x
Aston 6 2.01x
Camberwell 6 2.19x
Crieff 6 83.80x
Hobkirk 6 612.24x
Liberton 6 67.57x
Tunstall 6 94.34x
Clackmannan 5 74.63x
Coxlodge 5 102.88x
Logie 5 877.19x
Rattray 5 111.61x
Brechin 4 25.59x
Edinburgh St Stephens 4 35.34x
Longbenton 4 14.79x
Newbattle 4 81.47x
Newsham With 4 1290.32x
Ashton In Makerfield 3 20.69x
Bedlington 3 14.07x
Boston 3 14.41x
Dawdon 3 19.10x
Embleton 3 220.59x
Morpeth 3 39.95x
Newburgh 3 92.88x
Nunny Kirk 3 5000.00x
Penicuik 3 38.41x
Perth West Church 3 32.82x
Rothesay 3 23.83x
Skegness 3 152.28x
St Martins 3 275.23x
Tulliallan 3 92.02x
Westgate 3 7.59x
Wick 3 15.81x
Belbroughton 2 68.73x
Bunkle Preston 2 186.92x
Clerkenwell London 2 1.97x
Coldingham 2 42.83x
Dundee 2 1.35x
Edinburgh Canongate 2 13.67x
Elswick 2 3.92x
Framwellgate 2 26.46x
Nesting Lunnas Whalsay 2 51.81x
New Windsor 2 18.47x
Newington 2 1.26x
Swinton 2 140.85x
West Derby 2 1.34x
Auchterarder 1 18.59x
Bathgate 1 7.13x
Cadder 1 9.76x
Cambusnethan 1 3.24x
Dalkeith 1 8.82x
Dunino 1 227.27x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 1 7.35x
Forgan 1 20.53x
Huntly 1 15.46x
Kinross 1 26.88x
Linlithgow 1 12.06x
Lochee 1 28.17x
New Romney 1 66.23x
Portmoak 1 64.94x
Tillicoultry 1 12.67x
West Chevington 1 135.14x
Whittinghame 1 106.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 10
James 8
Thomas 6
Robert 5
William 4
Charles 3
George 3
Daniel 2
Henry 2
David 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Hy.Rob. 1
Joseph 1
Richard 1
Victor 1

FAQ

Stobie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stobie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 440 people were recorded with the Stobie surname. That placed it at #7,440 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stobie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 476 in 2016. That gives Stobie a modern rank of #10,360.

What does the Stobie surname mean?

An occupational surname with Gaelic origins, likely referring to a stonemason or builder.

What does the Stobie map show?

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