NameCensus.

UK surname

Appel

A German and Jewish surname referring to someone who lived near or worked with apples or apple trees.

In the 1881 census there were 21 people recorded with the Appel surname, ranking it #30,609 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 143, ranked #24,505, up from #30,609 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Isle of Wight, Enfield and Cheltenham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Appel is 146 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 581.0%.

1881 census count

21

Ranked #30,609

Modern count

143

2016, ranked #24,505

Peak year

2014

146 bearers

Map years

2

2006 to 2016

Key insights

  • Appel had 21 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,609 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016, ranked #24,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 72 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Appel surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Appel surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Appel 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 11 #31,309
1861 historical 31 #30,058
1881 historical 21 #30,609
1891 historical 29 #31,963
1901 historical 63 #27,134
1911 historical 72 #25,642
1997 modern 95 #27,638
1998 modern 98 #27,923
1999 modern 98 #28,050
2000 modern 102 #27,425
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 101 #27,766
2003 modern 106 #26,775
2004 modern 108 #26,741
2005 modern 114 #25,837
2006 modern 121 #25,133
2007 modern 110 #27,087
2008 modern 105 #28,180
2009 modern 108 #28,311
2010 modern 116 #27,704
2011 modern 123 #26,512
2012 modern 134 #25,059
2013 modern 141 #24,670
2014 modern 146 #24,274
2015 modern 138 #25,103
2016 modern 143 #24,505

Geography

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Where Appels are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Isle of Wight, Enfield, Cheltenham and Eastleigh. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Isle of Wight 011 Isle of Wight
2 Isle of Wight 008 Isle of Wight
3 Enfield 013 Enfield
4 Cheltenham 011 Cheltenham
5 Eastleigh 008 Eastleigh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Appel

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Appel

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Appel, 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 Appel surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Appel 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Appel is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Appel 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

Appel falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Appel is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Appel

The surname "APPEL" is of Germanic origin, and can be traced back to the Middle Ages in Germany and the Netherlands. Its earliest known spelling was "Appel," derived from the Old German word "appal" or "aphul," meaning "apple." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who cultivated or sold apples, or lived near an apple orchard or tree.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae," a collection of medieval German documents from the 10th to the 14th centuries. In this text, a certain "Conradus Appel" is mentioned in a document dated 1292, living in the town of Meissen, located in present-day Saxony, Germany.

Another notable early reference is from the "Liber Censualis" of the Archdiocese of Utrecht, a medieval census of landowners and tenants in the Netherlands, which lists a "Johannes Appel" as a landowner in the village of Amersfoort in 1376.

The name "APPEL" also appears in various town and village records throughout Germany and the Netherlands during the 15th and 16th centuries, often with variations in spelling such as "Appell," "Appele," or "Apfel."

In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the name was Johann Samuel Appel (1628-1693), a German Lutheran theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg.

In the 18th century, Johann Georg Appel (1708-1784) was a German composer and violinist, known for his contributions to the development of the early Classical style in music.

The 19th century saw the birth of Carl Appel (1857-1928), a German mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of algebraic geometry and the theory of algebraic functions.

Another prominent figure with this surname was Annie Appel (1859-1934), an American writer and activist who advocated for women's rights and suffrage during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the 20th century, Alfred Appel Jr. (1925-2009) was an American literary scholar and biographer, best known for his comprehensive biography of the novelist Vladimir Nabokov.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Appel families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Appel 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 10 Appels recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.88x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 10 4.88x
Lancashire 4 1.65x
Hampshire 3 7.15x
Northumberland 3 9.85x
Leicestershire 1 4.40x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 4 Appels recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.84x.

Place Total Index
Hackney London 4 34.84x
Liverpool 4 27.10x
North South Gosforth 3 7500.00x
Southampton St Mary 3 113.64x
Bethnal Green London 2 22.47x
Kensington London 2 17.56x
Islington London 1 5.04x
Leicester St Margaret 1 18.05x
St Luke London 1 30.49x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 2
Agnes 1
Clara 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Louisa 1
Magrat 1
Maria 1
Marie 1
Sarah 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Augst 1
George 1
Herman 1
Hermann 1
Isaac 1
Michael 1
Oscar 1
Rudolph 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 Appel households.

FAQ

Appel surname: questions and answers

How common was the Appel surname in 1881?

In 1881, 21 people were recorded with the Appel surname. That placed it at #30,609 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Appel surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016. That gives Appel a modern rank of #24,505.

What does the Appel surname mean?

A German and Jewish surname referring to someone who lived near or worked with apples or apple trees.

What does the Appel map show?

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