NameCensus.

UK surname

Swainsbury

In the 1881 census there were 36 people recorded with the Swainsbury surname, ranking it #28,559 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 148, ranked #23,958, up from #28,559 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Willesden, St Leonard Shoreditch and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Uttlesford, Bexley and Castle Point.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Swainsbury is 178 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 311.1%.

1881 census count

36

Ranked #28,559

Modern count

148

2016, ranked #23,958

Peak year

2000

178 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Swainsbury had 36 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,559 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 148 in 2016, ranked #23,958.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 101 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Swainsbury surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Swainsbury surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Swainsbury 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 36 #26,838
1861 historical 31 #30,058
1881 historical 36 #28,559
1891 historical 64 #28,781
1901 historical 90 #24,021
1911 historical 101 #22,589
1997 modern 177 #19,018
1998 modern 177 #19,523
1999 modern 174 #19,870
2000 modern 178 #19,570
2001 modern 173 #19,635
2002 modern 165 #20,619
2003 modern 160 #20,789
2004 modern 159 #21,007
2005 modern 155 #21,318
2006 modern 149 #22,013
2007 modern 158 #21,464
2008 modern 154 #22,034
2009 modern 162 #21,791
2010 modern 167 #21,835
2011 modern 164 #21,900
2012 modern 146 #23,681
2013 modern 150 #23,653
2014 modern 152 #23,631
2015 modern 150 #23,718
2016 modern 148 #23,958

Geography

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Where Swainsburys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Willesden, St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes, Wellow and St Dunstan Stepney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Uttlesford, Bexley, Castle Point and Havering. 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 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Wellow Somerset
5 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Uttlesford 009 Uttlesford
2 Bexley 027 Bexley
3 Castle Point 004 Castle Point
4 Uttlesford 002 Uttlesford
5 Havering 005 Havering

Forenames

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First names often paired with Swainsbury

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Swainsbury

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Swainsbury surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Swainsbury 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Swainsbury is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Swainsbury 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

Swainsbury falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Swainsbury is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Swainsbury, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Swainsbury families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Swainsbury 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 36 Swainsburys recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.25x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 36 10.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 18 Swainsburys recorded in 1881 and an index of 118.03x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 18 118.03x
Islington London 11 32.31x
Mile End Old Town 3 54.15x
Shoreditch London 2 13.14x
Stoke Newington London 2 72.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 3
Sarah 3
Eliza 2
Jane 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Cellia 1
Ellen 1
Elzbth. 1
Emily 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Louisa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 3
Henry 3
Edwin 2
James 2
Arthur 1
David 1
Edward 1
Fred 1
Joseph 1
Samuel 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Swainsbury households.

FAQ

Swainsbury surname: questions and answers

How common was the Swainsbury surname in 1881?

In 1881, 36 people were recorded with the Swainsbury surname. That placed it at #28,559 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Swainsbury surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 148 in 2016. That gives Swainsbury a modern rank of #23,958.

What does the Swainsbury map show?

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