NameCensus.

UK surname

Sykes

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "boundary ditch" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 14,399 people recorded with the Sykes surname, ranking it #281 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 15,082, ranked #422, down from #281 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Kirkheaton and Batley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sykes is 17,714 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.7%.

1881 census count

14,399

Ranked #281

Modern count

15,082

2016, ranked #422

Peak year

1911

17,714 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sykes had 14,399 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #281 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 15,082 in 2016, ranked #422.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 17,714 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Sykes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sykes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sykes 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 8,935 #298
1861 historical 8,025 #343
1881 historical 14,399 #281
1891 historical 13,888 #304
1901 historical 16,566 #303
1911 historical 17,714 #266
1997 modern 15,321 #397
1998 modern 15,750 #403
1999 modern 15,929 #401
2000 modern 15,787 #401
2001 modern 15,298 #404
2002 modern 15,434 #409
2003 modern 15,082 #411
2004 modern 15,046 #411
2005 modern 14,774 #414
2006 modern 14,754 #415
2007 modern 14,808 #417
2008 modern 14,823 #419
2009 modern 15,102 #419
2010 modern 15,377 #423
2011 modern 15,192 #422
2012 modern 15,049 #416
2013 modern 15,348 #416
2014 modern 15,397 #419
2015 modern 15,231 #421
2016 modern 15,082 #422

Geography

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Where Sykes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Kirkheaton, Batley, Almondbury and Huddersfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Kirkheaton Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Almondbury Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Huddersfield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 059 Kirklees
2 Kirklees 052 Kirklees
3 Kirklees 049 Kirklees
4 Kirklees 058 Kirklees
5 Kirklees 055 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sykes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sykes

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Sykes 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

Sykes 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

Sykes falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Sykes

The surname Sykes has its origins in England, emerging in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is derived from the Old Norse word 'sík', meaning a small stream or drainage ditch. The name likely originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a small stream or ditch.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a Robert del Syke is listed. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the county of Yorkshire by the late 14th century.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Sykes. However, it does mention various places with similar names, such as Sike in Derbyshire and Syke in Staffordshire, which may have been the source of the surname.

In the 16th century, the name appeared with various spellings, including Sike, Syke, and Sikes. One notable bearer of the name was Richard Sykes (c. 1510-1557), an English clergyman and Protestant reformer who served as a canon of St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

During the 17th century, the surname Sykes became more widespread across England. One prominent figure was Sir George Sykes (1622-1686), a successful merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of York in 1669.

In the 18th century, Joseph Sykes (1723-1799) was a notable English dissenting minister and tutor who founded an academy for the education of ministers in Leeds. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Mark Masterman Sykes (1771-1823), a British politician and landowner.

The 19th century saw the emergence of several distinguished individuals with the surname Sykes. These included Sir Tatton Sykes (1826-1913), a wealthy English landowner and philanthropist, and Sir Percy Molesworth Sykes (1867-1945), a British diplomat and explorer who published extensively on his travels in Persia and Afghanistan.

Throughout its history, the surname Sykes has been associated with various places in England, particularly in Yorkshire and the surrounding areas. While it may have originated as a topographic name, it has since become a well-established and widely distributed surname in the English-speaking world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sykes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sykes 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 9,593 Sykes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.91x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 9,593 6.91x
Lancashire 1,702 1.02x
Middlesex 472 0.34x
Cheshire 376 1.22x
Lincolnshire 267 1.19x
Surrey 219 0.32x
Derbyshire 209 0.95x
Northamptonshire 190 1.44x
Leicestershire 152 0.98x
Nottinghamshire 114 0.60x
Durham 112 0.27x
Kent 99 0.21x
Warwickshire 67 0.19x
Staffordshire 66 0.14x
Gloucestershire 64 0.23x
Oxfordshire 57 0.66x
Cambridgeshire 45 0.51x
Hampshire 45 0.16x
Essex 37 0.13x
Suffolk 35 0.21x
Huntingdonshire 29 1.04x
Bedfordshire 28 0.39x
Peeblesshire 27 4.10x
Buckinghamshire 24 0.28x
Sussex 24 0.10x
Somerset 23 0.10x
Northumberland 22 0.11x
Shropshire 22 0.18x
Berkshire 21 0.20x
Hertfordshire 20 0.21x
Worcestershire 20 0.11x
Wiltshire 17 0.14x
Monmouthshire 16 0.16x
Lanarkshire 14 0.03x
Midlothian 14 0.07x
Herefordshire 12 0.21x
Brecknockshire 11 0.39x
Cumberland 11 0.09x
Glamorgan 11 0.05x
Westmorland 10 0.32x
Denbighshire 9 0.17x
Devon 9 0.03x
Channel Islands 7 0.17x
Stirlingshire 7 0.14x
Norfolk 6 0.03x
Roxburghshire 6 0.24x
Flintshire 4 0.11x
Perthshire 4 0.06x
Ayrshire 3 0.03x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.05x
Dorset 3 0.03x
Dumfriesshire 3 0.10x
Isle of Man 3 0.12x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.02x
East Lothian 1 0.05x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.02x
Renfrewshire 1 0.01x
Royal Navy 1 0.06x
Sutherland 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Huddersfield in Yorkshire leads with 578 Sykes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.56x.

Place Total Index
Huddersfield 578 28.56x
Slaithwaite 427 295.26x
Almondbury 353 52.55x
Golcar 343 93.39x
Leeds 304 3.88x
Linthwaite 286 97.97x
Batley 249 18.86x
Lockwood 235 47.02x
Mirfield 218 28.58x
Ashton Under Lyne 202 5.56x
Morley 187 25.89x
Saddleworth 180 16.80x
Elland Cum Greetland 178 28.45x
Dewsbury 168 11.79x
Marsden In Almondbury 153 121.05x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 152 43.38x
Sheffield 141 3.19x
Longwood 136 60.74x
Oldham 134 2.50x
Meltham 129 59.72x
Bradford 127 3.78x
Halifax 122 5.98x
Stainland Cum Old 121 50.90x
Soothill 114 22.72x
Hipperholme Cum 110 18.02x
Hunslet 105 4.85x
Scammonden 105 360.45x
Glossop Dale 100 9.73x
Dalton In Huddersfield 96 30.85x
Lepton 90 62.03x
Thornhill 90 22.20x
South Crosland 88 60.17x
Liversedge 87 14.07x
Dukinfield 84 5.87x
Holbeck 84 9.13x
Manchester 84 1.12x
Kirkheaton 81 35.96x
Horton In Bradford 78 3.60x
Barkisland 77 76.34x
Rastrick 76 19.70x
Gomersal 75 11.57x
Salford 74 1.51x
Kirkburton 69 42.13x
Lingards 69 164.52x
Honley 68 27.97x
Skircoat 68 12.41x
Ecclesall Bierlow 64 2.27x
Lambeth 64 0.52x
Barnsley 63 4.40x
Brightside Bierlow 61 2.24x
Rishworth 60 112.55x
Wooldale 57 24.19x
Castleton 56 3.37x
Nether Hallam 56 2.98x
Wakefield 56 5.25x
Wortley In Bramley 55 5.00x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 53 4.10x
Ovenden 52 8.41x
Heckmondwike 51 11.42x
Manningham 51 2.98x
Heaton Norris 50 5.28x
Ackworth 48 44.98x
Doncaster 44 4.34x
Horbury 44 18.11x
Stockport 44 2.76x
Holy Trinity 43 1.29x
North Meols 41 2.52x
Northowram 41 4.21x
Cheadle 40 6.77x
Castleford 39 7.71x
Hulme 39 1.12x
St Pancras London 39 0.35x
Bowling 38 2.76x
Cleckheaton 37 7.23x
Headingley Cum Burley 37 4.14x
Leicester St Margaret 37 0.98x
Bethnal Green London 36 0.59x
Hackney London 36 0.46x
Liverpool 36 0.36x
Southowram 36 8.49x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,064
Sarah 682
Elizabeth 469
Ann 334
Hannah 307
Emma 267
Annie 255
Martha 235
Jane 230
Eliza 196
Alice 165
Ellen 162
Emily 161
Harriet 123
Clara 120
Ada 104
Margaret 84
Louisa 81
Maria 74
Edith 73
Charlotte 70
Frances 62
Fanny 58
Caroline 54
Betty 47
Florence 47
Lucy 46
Anne 45
Kate 45
Ruth 43
Agnes 38
Esther 36
Rebecca 34
Amy 31
Nancy 31
Sophia 30
Catherine 27
Ethel 27
Gertrude 27
Lydia 27
Susannah 27
Amelia 25
Grace 25
Harriett 25
Matilda 24
Susan 24
Betsy 23
Selina 23
Bertha 22
Eleanor 22

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 848
William 649
James 426
George 410
Joseph 410
Thomas 335
Henry 197
Arthur 165
Charles 162
Fred 143
Edward 123
Walter 122
Alfred 118
Samuel 115
Albert 114
Benjamin 111
Harry 110
Robert 108
Richard 90
Herbert 85
Joe 77
Frederick 73
David 66
Edwin 63
Sam 62
Tom 62
Frank 61
Wm. 54
Ernest 52
Ben 38
Joshua 35
Willie 32
Allen 29
Francis 26
Abraham 25
Geo. 24
Edgar 21
Percy 21
Lewis 20
Edmund 18
Isaac 17
Matthew 17
Thos. 17
Jonathan 15
Ephraim 14
Jno. 14
Levi 14
Wright 14
Wilfred 13
Dan 12

FAQ

Sykes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sykes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 14,399 people were recorded with the Sykes surname. That placed it at #281 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sykes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 15,082 in 2016. That gives Sykes a modern rank of #422.

What does the Sykes surname mean?

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "boundary ditch" in Old English.

What does the Sykes map show?

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