NameCensus.

UK surname

Sugar

An English surname derived from an occupation related to dealing with sugar or confections.

In the 1881 census there were 91 people recorded with the Sugar surname, ranking it #20,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 185, ranked #20,652, up from #20,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Glastonbury St Benedict and St John, Street and Hull Holy Trinity. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Epping Forest, South Somerset and Reading.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sugar is 202 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 103.3%.

1881 census count

91

Ranked #20,843

Modern count

185

2016, ranked #20,652

Peak year

1911

202 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sugar had 91 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 185 in 2016, ranked #20,652.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 202 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Sugar surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sugar surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sugar 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 76 #20,127
1861 historical 111 #19,429
1881 historical 91 #20,843
1891 historical 149 #18,420
1901 historical 139 #18,876
1911 historical 202 #14,871
1997 modern 177 #19,018
1998 modern 174 #19,729
1999 modern 166 #20,458
2000 modern 175 #19,764
2001 modern 168 #19,986
2002 modern 161 #20,925
2003 modern 161 #20,697
2004 modern 154 #21,432
2005 modern 164 #20,552
2006 modern 157 #21,322
2007 modern 152 #22,022
2008 modern 150 #22,429
2009 modern 156 #22,351
2010 modern 173 #21,327
2011 modern 179 #20,732
2012 modern 182 #20,440
2013 modern 185 #20,575
2014 modern 192 #20,230
2015 modern 192 #20,138
2016 modern 185 #20,652

Geography

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Where Sugars are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Glastonbury St Benedict and St John, Street, Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Epping Forest, South Somerset, Reading, Gloucester and Mendip. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Glastonbury St Benedict and St John, Street Somerset
3 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
4 London parishes London 3
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Epping Forest 016 Epping Forest
2 South Somerset 023 South Somerset
3 Reading 013 Reading
4 Gloucester 010 Gloucester
5 Mendip 014 Mendip

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sugar

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sugar

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Sugar surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Sugar household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Sugar is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sugar is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sugar falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Sugar

The surname Sugar is of English origin, derived from the Middle English word "sugre," which in turn came from the Old French "sucre" and ultimately traced its roots back to the Sanskrit word "sharkara." This name initially referred to someone who dealt in or processed sugar, a precious commodity in medieval times.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Sugar date back to the 13th century in various English counties, including Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. These areas were known for their thriving sugar trade and refining industries, which likely contributed to the emergence of the surname.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Sugar can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded individuals with this surname in Norfolk. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 and 1332 mention several individuals with the surname Sugar in various locations across England.

Among the notable historical figures bearing the surname Sugar was William Sugar, a merchant from London who lived in the late 16th century. He was involved in the lucrative sugar trade with the West Indies and played a significant role in the establishment of the first English sugar plantations in the Caribbean.

Another prominent individual was Sir George Sugar, who lived from 1608 to 1672 and served as Lord Mayor of London in 1670. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist, known for his contributions to the rebuilding efforts after the Great Fire of London in 1666.

In the 18th century, John Sugar (1703-1778) was a respected clockmaker from London, whose timepieces were highly prized for their accuracy and craftsmanship. He established a successful business that continued to operate for several generations under the family name.

The surname Sugar also has connections to various place names in England, such as Sugar Hill in Hertfordshire and Sugar Lane in London, both of which likely derived their names from individuals or businesses associated with the sugar trade.

Another notable figure was Mary Sugar (1844-1922), a pioneering English photographer who was among the first women to establish a successful professional studio in London. Her work captured the lives of Victorian-era society and contributed to the development of photography as an art form.

Despite its English origins, the surname Sugar has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by descendants of English immigrants and those involved in the sugar trade and related industries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sugar families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sugar 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. Somerset leads with 22 Sugars recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.40x.

County Total Index
Somerset 22 15.40x
Middlesex 21 2.37x
Lancashire 10 0.95x
Yorkshire 9 1.02x
Kent 7 2.31x
Glamorgan 6 3.88x
Sussex 6 4.01x
Essex 2 1.14x
Hampshire 2 1.10x
Lanarkshire 2 0.70x
Dorset 1 1.72x
Dunbartonshire 1 4.19x
Gloucestershire 1 0.57x
Stirlingshire 1 3.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Charlton Mackrell in Somerset leads with 14 Sugars recorded in 1881 and an index of 15555.56x.

Place Total Index
Charlton Mackrell 14 15555.56x
Cheetham 9 114.50x
Edmonton 6 83.92x
Ystradyfodwg 6 44.25x
Lewes All Sts 5 833.33x
Salterforth 5 4166.67x
Woolwich 5 44.68x
Glastonbury 4 341.88x
Shoreditch London 4 10.40x
St Giles In Fields 4 130.72x
Clerkenwell London 3 14.32x
St Marylebone London 3 6.33x
Barony 2 2.75x
Great Bentley 2 714.29x
Lewisham 2 12.38x
Manningham 2 18.47x
Yeovilton 2 2857.14x
Charlton Adam 1 769.23x
East Grinstead 1 47.17x
Havant 1 108.70x
Kimberworth 1 20.49x
Kingweston 1 2500.00x
Larbert 1 51.02x
Manchester 1 2.11x
Old Kilpatrick 1 35.46x
Portsea 1 2.81x
Shipley 1 21.93x
St Andrew Holborn 1 33.22x
Stalbridge 1 181.82x
Stapleton 1 30.30x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Sugar surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sugar surname in 1881?

In 1881, 91 people were recorded with the Sugar surname. That placed it at #20,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sugar surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 185 in 2016. That gives Sugar a modern rank of #20,652.

What does the Sugar surname mean?

An English surname derived from an occupation related to dealing with sugar or confections.

What does the Sugar map show?

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