NameCensus.

UK surname

Boxell

A habitational name derived from a place name in England.

In the 1881 census there were 115 people recorded with the Boxell surname, ranking it #18,230 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 201, ranked #19,525, down from #18,230 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Willesden, London parishes and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Somerset, Cornwall and Rochford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Boxell is 217 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 74.8%.

1881 census count

115

Ranked #18,230

Modern count

201

2016, ranked #19,525

Peak year

1911

217 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Boxell had 115 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,230 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 201 in 2016, ranked #19,525.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 217 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Boxell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Boxell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Boxell 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 53 #23,739
1861 historical 73 #24,492
1881 historical 115 #18,230
1891 historical 138 #19,411
1901 historical 190 #15,634
1911 historical 217 #14,214
1997 modern 200 #17,618
1998 modern 204 #17,896
1999 modern 202 #18,127
2000 modern 208 #17,772
2001 modern 195 #18,215
2002 modern 208 #17,848
2003 modern 208 #17,685
2004 modern 207 #17,821
2005 modern 200 #18,144
2006 modern 196 #18,512
2007 modern 199 #18,542
2008 modern 204 #18,403
2009 modern 214 #18,220
2010 modern 206 #19,066
2011 modern 205 #18,965
2012 modern 189 #19,949
2013 modern 197 #19,725
2014 modern 196 #19,961
2015 modern 202 #19,433
2016 modern 201 #19,525

Geography

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Where Boxells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Willesden, London parishes, Preston and Ealing, Chiswick. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Somerset, Cornwall, Rochford, Shepway and Wandsworth. 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 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 Preston Sussex
4 London parishes London 3
5 Ealing, Chiswick Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Somerset 024 South Somerset
2 Cornwall 018 Cornwall
3 Rochford 003 Rochford
4 Shepway 003 Shepway
5 Wandsworth 015 Wandsworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Boxell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Boxell

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Boxell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Boxell is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Boxell 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 Boxell 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 Boxell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Boxell

The surname BOXELL is of English origin, derived from the Old English words 'box' meaning a type of evergreen shrub or tree, and 'hyll' meaning a hill or elevated ground. It likely originated in the medieval period as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a hillock covered with box trees or shrubs.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1182, where a William de Boxhulle is mentioned. This spelling variation indicates the name's connection to a specific place, possibly a location now lost to history.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire as Bartholomew de Boxhulle, suggesting the family's presence in that region. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I, providing valuable insights into the distribution of surnames across England during that time.

The Boxell surname has also been associated with the village of Boxhill in Surrey, England. Although the exact connection is unclear, it is possible that some early bearers of the name hailed from or lived near this location, contributing to the surname's evolution.

One notable figure bearing the Boxell name was John Boxell, a 16th-century English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He was born around 1520 and played a prominent role in the city's trade and commerce during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another individual of note was Thomas Boxell, a 17th-century English clergyman and author. Born in 1609, he served as the rector of Combs, Suffolk, and published several religious works, including "The Practical Improvement of the Divine Perfections" in 1669.

In the 18th century, we find William Boxell, a renowned engraver and artist born in 1784. He was recognized for his intricate copperplate engravings and worked on various publications, including illustrations for literary works.

Moving into the 19th century, Sir William Boxell (1800-1879) was a prominent English lawyer and judge. He served as a Justice of the Queen's Bench and was knighted in recognition of his distinguished legal career.

Lastly, John Boxell (1876-1952) was a British architect and artist active in the early 20th century. He designed several notable buildings in London and exhibited his paintings at the Royal Academy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Boxell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Boxell 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. Sussex leads with 56 Boxells recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.36x.

County Total Index
Sussex 56 29.36x
Middlesex 31 2.74x
Yorkshire 11 0.98x
Hampshire 8 3.45x
Wiltshire 4 4.00x
Northamptonshire 2 1.88x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.46x
Kent 1 0.26x
Royal Navy 1 7.42x
Surrey 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 53 Boxells recorded in 1881 and an index of 137.70x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 53 137.70x
Falsgrave 10 606.06x
Islington London 8 7.29x
Portsea 8 17.60x
Chiswick 7 113.27x
Hackney London 6 9.46x
Tottenham 6 33.30x
Milford 4 740.74x
Hammersmith London 3 10.76x
Oving 2 312.50x
Battersea 1 2.40x
Broadwater 1 22.83x
Deptford St Paul 1 3.36x
Huddersfield 1 6.12x
Little Bowden 1 270.27x
Northampton All Sts 1 27.70x
Royal Navy 1 8.67x
St George Hanover Square 1 5.02x
Stony Stratford West 1 212.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ellen 6
Edith 4
Eliza 4
Elizabeth 4
Alice 2
Ann 2
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Esther 2
Fanny 2
Gertrude 2
Harriett 2
Julia 2
Mary 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Amelia 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Bessie 1
Catherine 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Evelyn 1
Florence 1
Henrtte.Carne. 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Maude 1
Minnie 1
Naomi 1
Tiresa 1
Winnifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 6
Thomas 6
Edward 4
Henry 4
David 3
Frederick 3
James 3
Joseph 3
Arthur 2
John 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Augustus 1
Earnest 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Geoge 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Hiram 1
Hurbert 1
Jim 1
Nathan 1
Sidney 1
Thomeson 1

FAQ

Boxell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Boxell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 115 people were recorded with the Boxell surname. That placed it at #18,230 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Boxell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 201 in 2016. That gives Boxell a modern rank of #19,525.

What does the Boxell surname mean?

A habitational name derived from a place name in England.

What does the Boxell map show?

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