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Salisbury Family History

Salisbury Surname Meaning

English (Lancashire): habitational name primarily from Salesbury in Blackburn (Lancashire) but also occasionally from Salisbury (Wiltshire). The Lancashire placename derives from Old English salh ‘willow sallow’ + burg ‘fortress’ while the Wiltshire placename arises from a shortened form of the Celtic placename Sorviodunum (from an unknown initial element + Celtic dūno- ‘fort’).

In the Old English period the second element was dropped and Sorvio- (of unexplained etymology) became Searo- in Old English as the result of folk etymological association with the Old English word searu ‘trick’; to this an explanatory burh ‘fortress manor town’ was added.

The city is recorded in the Domesday Book as Sarisberie; the change of -r- to -l- is the result of later dissimilation.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Salisbury family from?

You can see how Salisbury families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Salisbury family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Salisbury families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 968 Salisbury families living in Lancashire. This was about 29% of all the recorded Salisbury's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Salisbury families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Salisbury surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Salisbury ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Salisbury. 13% of Salisbury men worked as a General Labourer and 68% of Salisbury women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Salisbury were Cotton Weaver and Cotton Weaver.

View Census Data for Salisbury | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    13%
  • Farm Labourer
    3%
  • Bricklayer
    3%
  • Cotton Weaver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Cotton Weaver
    2%

What Salisbury family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 123,000 census records available for the last name Salisbury. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Salisbury census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Salisbury

Passenger Lists

There are 10,000 immigration records available for the last name Salisbury. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Salisbury immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 20,000 military records available for the last name Salisbury. For the veterans among your Salisbury ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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