NameCensus.

UK surname

Beall

Derived from a place name meaning "bee hill" in Old English, referring to a hill swarming with bees.

In the 1881 census there were 419 people recorded with the Beall surname, ranking it #7,703 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 348, ranked #13,233, down from #7,703 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkcaldy Dysart and Abbotshall, Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) and Bulmer. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stockton-on-Tees, Newark and Sherwood and Kirkcaldy Templehall East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beall is 517 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 16.9%.

1881 census count

419

Ranked #7,703

Modern count

348

2016, ranked #13,233

Peak year

1901

517 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Beall had 419 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,703 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 348 in 2016, ranked #13,233.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 517 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Beall surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beall surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Beall 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 297 #7,707
1861 historical 298 #8,485
1881 historical 419 #7,703
1891 historical 507 #7,349
1901 historical 517 #7,852
1911 historical 464 #8,307
1997 modern 393 #11,144
1998 modern 388 #11,612
1999 modern 394 #11,579
2000 modern 371 #12,052
2001 modern 366 #11,998
2002 modern 352 #12,557
2003 modern 343 #12,607
2004 modern 342 #12,645
2005 modern 331 #12,913
2006 modern 315 #13,440
2007 modern 315 #13,593
2008 modern 326 #13,374
2009 modern 325 #13,657
2010 modern 339 #13,523
2011 modern 332 #13,608
2012 modern 327 #13,654
2013 modern 342 #13,399
2014 modern 351 #13,227
2015 modern 344 #13,332
2016 modern 348 #13,233

Geography

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Where Bealls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkcaldy Dysart and Abbotshall, Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841), Bulmer, London parishes and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stockton-on-Tees, Newark and Sherwood and Kirkcaldy Templehall East. 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 Kirkcaldy Dysart and Abbotshall Fife
2 Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) Devon
3 Bulmer Yorkshire, North Riding
4 London parishes London 3
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stockton-on-Tees 009 Stockton-on-Tees
2 Newark and Sherwood 003 Newark and Sherwood
3 Newark and Sherwood 007 Newark and Sherwood
4 Kirkcaldy Templehall East Fife
5 Newark and Sherwood 011 Newark and Sherwood

Forenames

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First names often paired with Beall

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Beall

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Beall is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Beall is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Beall falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Beall is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Beall

The surname BEALL is of English origin, derived from the Old English word 'ball', meaning a rounded hill or knoll. It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near or on a rounded hill.

The earliest recorded instances of the BEALL surname can be found in various English records dating back to the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Robert atte Balle, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various spellings, such as Balle, Balle, and Beal, indicating regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. The place name Beall in Wiltshire, England, is thought to be derived from the same Old English word, and may have influenced the spelling of the surname in that region.

One notable bearer of the BEALL surname was John Beal, born around 1495 in Northamptonshire, England. He served as the Bishop of Ossory in Ireland and was a prominent figure in the English Reformation.

In the 17th century, several bearers of the BEALL surname migrated to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is William Beall, who arrived in Maryland in 1663 and became a prominent landowner and member of the colonial government.

Another notable bearer of the BEALL surname was Reverend William Beall, born in 1654 in Calvert County, Maryland. He was a prominent Quaker minister and played a significant role in the establishment of the Society of Friends in Maryland.

In the 18th century, the BEALL surname continued to spread throughout the American colonies and beyond. Benjamin Beall, born in 1714 in Prince George's County, Maryland, served as a colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

The BEALL surname has also been associated with several place names, including Beallsville in Montgomery County, Maryland, and Beall Springs in Crawford County, Kansas, both named after early settlers bearing the surname.

While the BEALL surname has its roots in England, it has since become widely distributed across various parts of the world, with notable bearers contributing to various fields, including religion, politics, and military service.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Beall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beall 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 81 Bealls recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.99x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 81 1.99x
Yorkshire 62 1.53x
Devon 56 6.60x
Surrey 38 1.91x
Fife 36 14.91x
Kent 22 1.58x
Somerset 17 2.59x
Bedfordshire 14 6.63x
Durham 14 1.15x
Sussex 14 2.04x
Northumberland 12 1.98x
Nottinghamshire 10 1.82x
Essex 9 1.12x
Lincolnshire 8 1.23x
Berkshire 6 1.96x
Buckinghamshire 3 1.22x
Northamptonshire 3 0.78x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.77x
Hertfordshire 2 0.71x
Norfolk 2 0.32x
Hampshire 1 0.12x
Lancashire 1 0.02x
Leicestershire 1 0.22x
Oxfordshire 1 0.40x
Royal Navy 1 2.06x
Staffordshire 1 0.07x
Suffolk 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Damerel in Devon leads with 51 Bealls recorded in 1881 and an index of 85.86x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Damerel 51 85.86x
Dysart 36 221.54x
Islington London 23 5.82x
Welburn In Malton 19 2435.90x
Hackney London 14 6.12x
St Marylebone London 11 5.05x
Lambeth 10 2.81x
Worksop 10 61.35x
Dorking 8 59.97x
Hornsea 8 312.50x
Lidlington 8 869.57x
Bridgewater 7 39.28x
Camberwell 7 2.69x
Eastbourne 7 22.13x
Jesmond 7 81.97x
Kensington London 7 3.09x
Stamford St George 7 238.91x
Bletsoe 6 1276.60x
Brighton 6 4.33x
Cottingham 6 68.89x
Harton 6 3157.89x
Lewisham 6 8.09x
Wokingham 6 85.84x
Bowling 5 12.49x
Croydon 5 4.53x
Gateshead 5 5.51x
Great Burstead 5 170.65x
Hammersmith London 5 4.98x
Twickenham 5 28.60x
Weston Super Mare 5 30.18x
Willesborough 5 133.69x
Wooldale 5 72.99x
Byker 4 13.34x
Great Driffield 4 48.25x
Stockton On Tees 4 6.84x
Stoke Newington London 4 12.59x
Bishopwearmouth 3 2.88x
Ecclesfield 3 10.12x
Folkestone 3 11.12x
Irthlingborough 3 79.79x
St Giles In Fields London 3 15.00x
West Wickham 3 223.88x
Banstead 2 37.17x
Beeford 2 202.02x
Bromley London 2 2.23x
Cheshunt 2 20.37x
Cornforth 2 56.02x
Epsom 2 20.66x
Nafferton 2 116.28x
North Curry 2 89.69x
Plympton St Mary 2 40.73x
South Weald 2 29.03x
St Andrewthe Less 2 6.78x
St George Hanover Square 2 2.78x
Tilney Cum Islington 2 487.80x
Westminster St John 2 4.03x
Amersham 1 28.65x
Bradninch 1 41.84x
Canterbury St Dunstan 1 41.67x
Chelsea London 1 0.81x
Chislehurst 1 13.40x
Combe St Nicholas 1 62.89x
Crawley 1 454.55x
Devonport 1 10.26x
Dinton 1 103.09x
Elswick 1 2.07x
Everton 1 0.65x
Exeter St Thomas The 1 11.56x
Kingston On Thames 1 2.10x
Leigh 1 35.71x
Lowestoft 1 4.26x
Martock 1 23.42x
Preston 1 8.33x
Ramsgate 1 4.40x
Royal Navy 1 2.41x
St Pancras London 1 0.30x
St Thomas Winchester 1 16.95x
Tenterden 1 20.37x
Westminster St James 1 2.39x
Woodham Ferris 1 106.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 22
Ann 11
Elizabeth 11
Jane 9
Alice 8
Emily 8
Annie 7
Martha 7
Sarah 7
Eliza 6
Edith 5
Emma 5
Hannah 5
Harriet 5
Clara 4
Fanny 4
Kate 4
Louisa 3
Sophia 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Charlotte 2
Elizth. 2
Eva 2
Florence 2
Laura 2
Margaret 2
Anne 1
Bessie 1
Betsey 1
Betsy 1
C.A. 1
Caroline 1
Catharine 1
Eleanor 1
Elenor 1
Elizh. 1
Ellen 1
Ellenor 1
Esther 1
Grace 1
Haddussah 1
Hariett 1
Harriett 1
Henretta 1
Isabella 1
Jettie 1
Lilly 1
Lizzie 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 22
George 18
John 17
Alfred 10
James 9
Charles 8
Joseph 8
Richard 8
Robert 7
Thomas 6
Henry 5
Samuel 5
Walter 5
Edward 4
Arthur 3
Harry 3
Wm. 3
Benjamin 2
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Frederick 2
Griffin 2
Horace 2
Philip 2
Saml. 2
A. 1
Archie 1
E.Joyce 1
Felix 1
Frank 1
Fredrick 1
Harold 1
Henery 1
Herbert 1
Herbt. 1
Hide 1
Hy.Clarke 1
Isaac 1
Jos. 1
Lawrence 1
Leonard 1
Phillip 1
Rd. 1
Reginald 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1
Thos.W. 1
Wallace 1
Wm.Eades 1

FAQ

Beall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 419 people were recorded with the Beall surname. That placed it at #7,703 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 348 in 2016. That gives Beall a modern rank of #13,233.

What does the Beall surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "bee hill" in Old English, referring to a hill swarming with bees.

What does the Beall map show?

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