NameCensus.

UK surname

Angell

A surname of English origin referring to a messenger or a person with angelic qualities.

In the 1881 census there were 1,147 people recorded with the Angell surname, ranking it #3,487 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,463, ranked #2,674, up from #3,487 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Trowbridge and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Wiltshire and North Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Angell is 2,574 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 114.7%.

1881 census count

1,147

Ranked #3,487

Modern count

2,463

2016, ranked #2,674

Peak year

2002

2,574 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Angell had 1,147 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,487 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,463 in 2016, ranked #2,674.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,933 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Angell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Angell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Angell 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 667 #3,897
1861 historical 673 #3,989
1881 historical 1,147 #3,487
1891 historical 1,387 #3,136
1901 historical 1,662 #3,097
1911 historical 1,933 #2,569
1997 modern 2,479 #2,528
1998 modern 2,550 #2,562
1999 modern 2,567 #2,561
2000 modern 2,536 #2,581
2001 modern 2,508 #2,557
2002 modern 2,574 #2,550
2003 modern 2,511 #2,559
2004 modern 2,466 #2,602
2005 modern 2,432 #2,603
2006 modern 2,443 #2,593
2007 modern 2,438 #2,621
2008 modern 2,471 #2,618
2009 modern 2,535 #2,610
2010 modern 2,558 #2,644
2011 modern 2,494 #2,674
2012 modern 2,472 #2,649
2013 modern 2,497 #2,665
2014 modern 2,498 #2,683
2015 modern 2,465 #2,694
2016 modern 2,463 #2,674

Geography

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Where Angells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Trowbridge, London parishes and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Wiltshire, North Devon and Rotherham. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Trowbridge Wiltshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 038 Shropshire
2 Wiltshire 015 Wiltshire
3 North Devon 010 North Devon
4 North Devon 008 North Devon
5 Rotherham 005 Rotherham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Angell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Angell

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Angell is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Angell is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Angell falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Angell

The surname ANGELL is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "Engel" meaning "angel." It is believed to have originated as a nickname for someone with an angelic or gentle disposition or appearance.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century in various areas of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. It was often spelled as "Angill" or "Aungell" in early records.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which mentions a Johannes Aungel in Lincolnshire. The Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327 also list a Robert Aungel.

In the 14th century, the ANGELL name appeared in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John Angell was listed as a tenant in 1348. The name was also recorded in the Poll Tax returns of 1379 in Norfolk, with an entry for a William Angell.

During the 15th century, the surname was sometimes associated with place names, such as Angell's Green in Berkshire and Angell Town in Hampshire. This suggests that some ANGELL families may have derived their name from these locations.

Notable individuals with the surname ANGELL include:

1. Thomas Angell (c. 1619-1694), one of the founders of Providence, Rhode Island, and a prominent figure in the early settlement of the colony.

2. Oliver Angell (1658-1732), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the calculation of planetary orbits.

3. Joseph Kinnicut Angell (1794-1857), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Rhode Island General Assembly and as the Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court.

4. James Burrill Angell (1829-1916), an American educator and diplomat who served as the president of the University of Michigan and as the United States Minister to China.

5. Norman Angell (1872-1967), a British writer and politician who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1933 for his influential book "The Great Illusion," which argued against the economic benefits of war.

The ANGELL surname has a rich history and can be traced back to the Middle Ages in various regions of England, where it was likely used as a nickname before becoming a hereditary surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Angell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Angell 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 233 Angells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.04x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 233 2.04x
Wiltshire 202 19.98x
Gloucestershire 87 3.88x
Surrey 71 1.27x
Somerset 64 3.48x
Hampshire 61 2.60x
Berkshire 55 6.41x
Kent 54 1.38x
Staffordshire 36 0.93x
Hertfordshire 30 3.81x
Warwickshire 29 1.01x
Norfolk 28 1.59x
Suffolk 24 1.72x
Channel Islands 21 6.20x
Worcestershire 21 1.41x
Essex 20 0.89x
Lancashire 19 0.14x
Cambridgeshire 14 1.93x
Bedfordshire 13 2.20x
Devon 13 0.55x
Yorkshire 12 0.11x
Shropshire 11 1.11x
Glamorgan 10 0.50x
Buckinghamshire 9 1.30x
Monmouthshire 8 0.97x
Derbyshire 6 0.34x
Cumberland 4 0.41x
Oxfordshire 4 0.57x
Lincolnshire 3 0.16x
Sussex 3 0.16x
Lanarkshire 2 0.05x
Dorset 1 0.13x
Royal Navy 1 0.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Calne in Wiltshire leads with 86 Angells recorded in 1881 and an index of 413.06x.

Place Total Index
Calne 86 413.06x
Kensington London 44 6.92x
Trowbridge 38 85.03x
Islington London 27 2.44x
Walcot 23 23.47x
St Marylebone London 22 3.60x
Moulsford 16 2388.06x
St Pancras London 16 1.74x
Aston 14 1.76x
Bradford On Avon 14 43.25x
Cirencester 14 46.11x
Evesham All Sts 14 201.15x
Great Yarmouth 14 9.61x
Mangotsfield 14 62.64x
Whippingham 13 73.28x
Woolwich 13 9.02x
Birmingham 12 1.25x
Chelsea London 12 3.48x
Paddington London 12 2.85x
Portsea 12 2.61x
Stroud 12 27.50x
West Ham 12 2.41x
Camberwell 11 1.51x
Carisbrooke 11 33.81x
Hatfield 11 68.88x
Hulme 11 3.88x
Shillington 11 126.15x
Gelligaer 10 22.00x
St Michaelinthe Vale 10 82.71x
Thatcham 10 75.64x
Battersea 9 2.14x
Clerkenwell London 9 3.34x
Gorleston 9 25.44x
Hitchin 9 25.30x
Pewsham 9 604.03x
Shoreditch London 9 1.82x
Box 8 92.81x
Burslem 8 7.24x
Clare 8 119.94x
Fulham London 8 4.83x
Hackney London 8 1.25x
St Andrew Holborn London 8 16.16x
St George Hanover Square 8 3.97x
St Helier 8 7.25x
Tormarton 8 481.93x
Beccles 7 31.24x
Cannock 7 10.40x
Duxford 7 231.02x
Lewisham 7 3.37x
Lyncombe Widcombe 7 14.53x
Panteg 7 53.76x
Sandhurst 7 42.12x
South Mimms 7 44.64x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 3.04x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 7 13.30x
Upton Cum Chalvey 7 25.42x
Wandsworth 7 6.36x
Batheaston 6 95.24x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 2.84x
Chatteris 6 32.47x
Chilton Foliat 6 272.73x
Gillingham 6 7.46x
Hammersmith London 6 2.13x
Lambeth 6 0.60x
Mickleham 6 191.69x
Olveston 6 95.24x
Ramsbury 6 65.50x
Sonning 6 63.36x
Southampton St Mary 6 4.07x
St Mary Extra 6 31.81x
Ventnor 6 26.92x
Aldenham 5 69.74x
Bengeworth 5 97.28x
Burton Upon Trent 5 5.54x
Hillingdon 5 13.72x
Litchurch 5 6.94x
Stoke Damerel 5 3.00x
West Bromwich 5 2.26x
Westminster St James 5 4.25x
Westport St Mary 5 68.21x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 77
Sarah 49
Elizabeth 48
Eliza 28
Annie 24
Ellen 20
Emma 17
Jane 17
Alice 15
Charlotte 15
Florence 15
Ann 14
Louisa 14
Emily 13
Edith 10
Hannah 9
Kate 9
Susan 8
Martha 7
Ada 6
Caroline 6
Harriet 6
Lucy 6
Maria 6
Sophia 6
Anne 5
Jessie 5
Julia 5
Laura 5
Margaret 5
Susannah 5
Bessie 4
Clara 4
Fanny 4
Gertrude 4
Lydia 4
Matilda 4
Minnie 4
Rose 4
Beatrice 3
Catherine 3
Elizth. 3
Frances 3
Harriett 3
Isabella 3
Ruth 3
Agnes 2
Charlt. 2
Maude 2
Mildred 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 75
John 59
George 39
Thomas 38
Henry 24
Charles 22
James 20
Arthur 19
Alfred 16
Albert 15
Edward 14
Walter 14
Frederick 12
Joseph 12
Robert 12
Samuel 10
Harry 7
Francis 6
Herbert 6
Benjamin 5
Edwin 5
Frank 5
Tom 5
Abraham 4
Richard 4
Wm. 4
Andrew 3
Ernest 3
Sidney 3
Stephen 3
A. 2
Bernard 2
Edmund 2
Fredrick 2
H. 2
Isaac 2
Jacob 2
Lewis 2
Philip 2
Saml. 2
Wm.J. 2
Alexr.W. 1
Benedict 1
Douglas 1
Edmond 1
Edwd. 1
Eli 1
Hugh 1
Humfery 1
Wm.Jas. 1

FAQ

Angell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Angell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,147 people were recorded with the Angell surname. That placed it at #3,487 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Angell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,463 in 2016. That gives Angell a modern rank of #2,674.

What does the Angell surname mean?

A surname of English origin referring to a messenger or a person with angelic qualities.

What does the Angell map show?

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