NameCensus.

UK surname

Cabble

A rare surname possibly derived from the French word "cable" or related to occupation.

In the 1881 census there were 57 people recorded with the Cabble surname, ranking it #25,575 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 121, ranked #27,399, down from #25,575 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Somerset, Bridgend and Caerphilly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cabble is 131 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 112.3%.

1881 census count

57

Ranked #25,575

Modern count

121

2016, ranked #27,399

Peak year

2011

131 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cabble had 57 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,575 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016, ranked #27,399.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 76 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Cabble surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cabble surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cabble 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 76 #20,127
1861 historical 69 #25,057
1881 historical 57 #25,575
1891 historical 68 #28,300
1901 historical 52 #28,377
1911 historical 70 #25,853
1997 modern 122 #23,917
1998 modern 117 #25,190
1999 modern 122 #24,745
2000 modern 119 #25,072
2001 modern 117 #24,974
2002 modern 116 #25,632
2003 modern 114 #25,664
2004 modern 118 #25,317
2005 modern 114 #25,837
2006 modern 121 #25,133
2007 modern 114 #26,491
2008 modern 118 #26,212
2009 modern 120 #26,496
2010 modern 130 #25,775
2011 modern 131 #25,430
2012 modern 130 #25,559
2013 modern 128 #26,336
2014 modern 121 #27,503
2015 modern 120 #27,561
2016 modern 121 #27,399

Geography

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Where Cabbles 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 South Somerset, Bridgend, Caerphilly and The Vale of Glamorgan. 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 South Somerset 002 South Somerset
2 Bridgend 003 Bridgend
3 Caerphilly 022 Caerphilly
4 Caerphilly 019 Caerphilly
5 The Vale of Glamorgan 012 Vale of Glamorgan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cabble

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cabble

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Cabble surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Cabble household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Cabble 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

Cabble is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cabble falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cabble

The surname Cabble has its origins in England and is thought to date back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "cable" or "cabel," which referred to a rope or cable, suggesting that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked with ropes or cables.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Cabble appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a certain William Cabel is mentioned. This document provides evidence that the name was in use during the Middle Ages in northern England.

Another early reference to the name can be found in the Curia Regis Rolls of Northumberland from 1201, where a John Cabbel is listed. This record suggests that variations in the spelling of the name were already present in the early 13th century.

In the 14th century, the Cabble surname is documented in various manorial records from the county of Lincolnshire. One notable mention is of a Roger Cabble, who was listed as a freeholder in the village of Blyton in 1379.

During the 16th century, the name Cabble appears to have spread beyond its northern English origins. In 1584, a marriage record in the parish of St. Mary's, Islington, London, lists a union between Thomas Cabble and Margery Browne.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the Cabble surname. One example is Sir Edward Cabble (1564-1628), a prominent merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. Another is William Cabble (1699-1763), a renowned clockmaker from Bristol whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the gentry of the time.

In the literary world, the name Cabble is associated with the 19th-century poet and dramatist, John Cabble (1812-1891), whose works were widely acclaimed during the Victorian era. Additionally, there was a notorious highwayman named Robert Cabble (1745-1783), who terrorized the roads of Wiltshire and Somerset before being captured and hanged for his crimes.

While the surname Cabble may have evolved from humble beginnings, it has left an indelible mark on various aspects of British history, from trade and craftsmanship to literature and even criminal exploits.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cabble families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cabble 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. Somerset leads with 41 Cabbles recorded in 1881 and an index of 45.04x.

County Total Index
Somerset 41 45.04x
Devon 6 5.10x
Gloucestershire 3 2.70x
Wiltshire 3 6.00x
Glamorgan 2 2.03x
Cornwall 1 1.56x
Royal Navy 1 14.84x
Suffolk 1 1.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Keinton Mandeville in Somerset leads with 15 Cabbles recorded in 1881 and an index of 15000.00x.

Place Total Index
Keinton Mandeville 15 15000.00x
South Petherton 6 1276.60x
Stonehouse East 6 1000.00x
Bedminster 5 58.48x
Somerton 5 1351.35x
Twerton 5 531.91x
Horningsham 3 1875.00x
Wedmore 3 508.47x
Gelligaer 2 88.89x
Bristol St Paul In 1 33.78x
Falmouth 1 44.05x
Henbury 1 185.19x
Lowestoft 1 30.77x
Royal Navy 1 17.36x
Stapleton 1 47.62x
Yatton 1 285.71x
Yeovil 1 54.05x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
Charles 2
George 2
Henry 2
Thomas 2
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Egbert 1
Ernest 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Hy. 1
Hy.A. 1
Samuel 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 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 Cabble households.

FAQ

Cabble surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cabble surname in 1881?

In 1881, 57 people were recorded with the Cabble surname. That placed it at #25,575 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cabble surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016. That gives Cabble a modern rank of #27,399.

What does the Cabble surname mean?

A rare surname possibly derived from the French word "cable" or related to occupation.

What does the Cabble map show?

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