NameCensus.

UK surname

Sudbury

A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Sudbury in England.

In the 1881 census there were 391 people recorded with the Sudbury surname, ranking it #8,090 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 378, ranked #12,393, down from #8,090 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Bonsall and Loughborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire, Barking and Dagenham and Dudley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sudbury is 478 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.3%.

1881 census count

391

Ranked #8,090

Modern count

378

2016, ranked #12,393

Peak year

1911

478 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sudbury had 391 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,090 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 378 in 2016, ranked #12,393.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 478 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sudbury surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sudbury surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sudbury 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 242 #9,001
1861 historical 290 #8,686
1881 historical 391 #8,090
1891 historical 463 #7,902
1901 historical 465 #8,499
1911 historical 478 #8,099
1997 modern 387 #11,275
1998 modern 408 #11,187
1999 modern 399 #11,463
2000 modern 403 #11,333
2001 modern 402 #11,183
2002 modern 405 #11,335
2003 modern 399 #11,284
2004 modern 394 #11,417
2005 modern 388 #11,437
2006 modern 377 #11,743
2007 modern 385 #11,698
2008 modern 388 #11,745
2009 modern 390 #11,950
2010 modern 390 #12,233
2011 modern 397 #11,921
2012 modern 379 #12,192
2013 modern 388 #12,204
2014 modern 385 #12,340
2015 modern 376 #12,446
2016 modern 378 #12,393

Geography

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Where Sudburys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Bonsall, Loughborough, London parishes and Pontefract. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carmarthenshire, Barking and Dagenham, Dudley, Braintree and Colchester. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 Bonsall Derbyshire
3 Loughborough Leicestershire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Pontefract Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carmarthenshire 003 Carmarthenshire
2 Barking and Dagenham 006 Barking and Dagenham
3 Dudley 024 Dudley
4 Braintree 004 Braintree
5 Colchester 009 Colchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sudbury

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sudbury

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Sudbury is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sudbury 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

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

Meaning and origin of Sudbury

The surname Sudbury is of English origin and derives from the town of Sudbury in Suffolk, England. The name is thought to have originated from the Old English words 'sūth' and 'burh', meaning 'south town' or 'south fort'.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Sudburie'. This ancient record suggests that the town and surname have existed since at least the 11th century.

In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was John de Sudbury, who served as Bishop of London from 1361 to 1375 and later became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1375. He was born around 1312 in Sudbury, Suffolk, and met an untimely death in 1381 during the Peasants' Revolt.

Another early record of the surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which lists a Richard de Sudbury. This document suggests that the name had already spread beyond its original location by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Simon de Sudbury served as a Member of Parliament for Suffolk in 1376. He was likely a descendant of the same family as John de Sudbury, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

During the 15th century, the name appears in various records from the county of Suffolk, including those of William Sudbury, who was born in Sudbury around 1425, and Robert Sudbury, who was born in the nearby town of Bury St. Edmunds in 1489.

In the following centuries, the Sudbury surname continued to be associated with the town and surrounding areas of Suffolk, as well as spreading to other parts of England and eventually to the American colonies.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sudbury families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sudbury 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 90 Sudburys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.36x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 90 2.36x
Derbyshire 55 9.21x
Essex 54 7.17x
Nottinghamshire 42 8.17x
Yorkshire 29 0.77x
Surrey 24 1.29x
Leicestershire 16 3.78x
Lincolnshire 12 1.97x
Lancashire 9 0.20x
Staffordshire 9 0.70x
Warwickshire 7 0.73x
Cheshire 6 0.71x
Northumberland 5 0.88x
Berkshire 4 1.40x
Kent 4 0.31x
Norfolk 4 0.68x
Durham 3 0.26x
Rutland 3 10.71x
Shropshire 3 0.91x
Worcestershire 3 0.60x
Hertfordshire 2 0.76x
Oxfordshire 2 0.85x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.41x
Devon 1 0.13x
Midlothian 1 0.20x
Suffolk 1 0.22x
Wiltshire 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Halstead in Essex leads with 51 Sudburys recorded in 1881 and an index of 580.87x.

Place Total Index
Halstead 51 580.87x
Ilkeston 24 143.37x
Loughborough 16 83.38x
Hackney London 14 6.55x
Clerkenwell London 13 14.44x
Derby St Peter 13 68.35x
Nottingham Standard 10 763.36x
Kingston On Thames 9 20.16x
Pontefract 9 110.57x
Stoke Newington London 9 30.29x
Bonsall 7 395.48x
Chelsea London 7 6.09x
Hornsey 7 14.51x
Ilkestonderbypart 7 400.00x
Uxbridge 7 160.55x
Snenton 6 29.70x
St George In East 6 23.13x
Sutton On Trent 6 476.19x
Byker 5 17.83x
Kensington London 5 2.36x
Nottingham St Mary 5 3.76x
Scarborough 5 14.56x
Sheffield 5 4.16x
Southwark St Saviour 5 25.51x
Hulme 4 4.23x
Long Bennington 4 336.13x
Paddington London 4 2.85x
Roystone 4 270.27x
Sutton Coldfield 4 39.56x
Tamworth 4 58.14x
Winkfield 4 84.21x
Ancaster 3 352.94x
Basford 3 12.66x
Braintree 3 44.38x
Cropwell Bishop 3 361.45x
Grantham 3 37.74x
Hillingdon 3 24.67x
Lambeth 3 0.90x
Ludlow St Lawrence 3 45.73x
Oakham Lordshold 3 102.39x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 3.91x
St Martin In Fields 3 13.14x
Stockton On Tees 3 5.48x
Abbots Langley 2 51.15x
Carlton Upon Trent 2 769.23x
Clifton Campville 2 198.02x
Formby 2 39.06x
Kingswinford 2 4.28x
Louth 2 14.31x
Manchester 2 0.98x
Mathon 2 136.99x
Matlock 2 24.94x
Monks Coppenhall 2 6.30x
Norwich St George Tombland 2 194.17x
Radford 2 7.66x
Rampton 2 425.53x
Runcorn 2 10.30x
St Marylebone London 2 0.98x
Willesden 2 5.56x
Worksop 2 13.11x
Camberwell 1 0.41x
Conisbrough 1 28.17x
Derby St Werburgh 1 2.90x
Doncaster 1 3.62x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 1.30x
Edgbaston 1 3.35x
Gravesend 1 9.07x
Great Yarmouth 1 2.06x
Kirby Misperton 1 277.78x
Lee 1 5.29x
Mexborough 1 13.33x
Middleton 1 163.93x
Ormskirk 1 11.55x
Oxford St Clement 1 16.84x
Shoreditch London 1 0.60x
Spitalfields London 1 3.49x
St George Hanover 1 2.01x
St Pancras London 1 0.33x
Westminster St John 1 2.15x
Wolverhampton 1 1.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 28
John 20
Thomas 13
Charles 12
George 10
James 9
Walter 7
Robert 6
Arthur 5
Edward 5
Henry 5
Alfred 4
Francis 4
Harry 4
Herbert 4
Richard 4
Samuel 4
Anthony 3
Edwin 3
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Joseph 3
Albert 2
Daniel 2
Ernest 2
Geo. 2
Alexander 1
Caleb 1
Chas. 1
Earnest 1
Fred 1
H. 1
J. 1
Jas 1
Jessie 1
Jonathan 1
Leonard 1
Louis 1
Martin 1
Percy 1
Reginald 1
Reuben 1
Robt. 1
Saml 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
W.H. 1

FAQ

Sudbury surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sudbury surname in 1881?

In 1881, 391 people were recorded with the Sudbury surname. That placed it at #8,090 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sudbury surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 378 in 2016. That gives Sudbury a modern rank of #12,393.

What does the Sudbury surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Sudbury in England.

What does the Sudbury map show?

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