NameCensus.

UK surname

Cale

An English toponymic surname derived from a place of residence near a cale, meaning a cabbage field.

In the 1881 census there were 621 people recorded with the Cale surname, ranking it #5,686 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 743, ranked #7,347, down from #5,686 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick and Hucknall Torkard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cale is 1,141 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.6%.

1881 census count

621

Ranked #5,686

Modern count

743

2016, ranked #7,347

Peak year

1861

1,141 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cale had 621 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,686 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 743 in 2016, ranked #7,347.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,141 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cale surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cale surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cale 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 578 #4,409
1861 historical 1,141 #2,461
1881 historical 621 #5,686
1891 historical 1,010 #4,115
1901 historical 727 #6,096
1911 historical 842 #5,265
1997 modern 756 #6,844
1998 modern 754 #7,064
1999 modern 759 #7,078
2000 modern 781 #6,908
2001 modern 772 #6,831
2002 modern 783 #6,896
2003 modern 776 #6,825
2004 modern 792 #6,733
2005 modern 787 #6,689
2006 modern 775 #6,801
2007 modern 780 #6,830
2008 modern 786 #6,856
2009 modern 803 #6,865
2010 modern 803 #7,003
2011 modern 789 #7,033
2012 modern 739 #7,312
2013 modern 758 #7,282
2014 modern 766 #7,238
2015 modern 745 #7,341
2016 modern 743 #7,347

Geography

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Where Cales are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick, Hucknall Torkard, Ledbury (except for Parkhold), Donnington and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Leeds and Monmouthshire. 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 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick Worcestershire
3 Hucknall Torkard Nottinghamshire
4 Ledbury (except for Parkhold), Donnington Herefordshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 019 Herefordshire, County of
2 Rhondda Cynon Taf 031 Rhondda Cynon Taf
3 Leeds 071 Leeds
4 Herefordshire 009 Herefordshire, County of
5 Monmouthshire 005 Monmouthshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cale

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cale

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

Cale 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

Cale falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cale

The surname Cale is believed to have originated in France, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "cal," meaning "bald" or "hairless," possibly referring to a distinguishing physical characteristic of an early bearer of the name.

One of the earliest recorded references to the Cale surname can be found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a medieval cartulary from the Saint-Père Abbey in Chartres, France. The document, dated around 1150, mentions a person named "Gislebertus Cale."

In England, the Cale surname appears to have been introduced during the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many French nobles and their followers settled in the country. The Domesday Book, a detailed survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, records several individuals with variations of the name, such as "Cale" and "Calley."

Notable individuals with the surname Cale include John Cale, a Welsh musician and founding member of the influential rock band Velvet Underground, born in 1942. Another prominent figure is Noel Cale, an English footballer who played for Tottenham Hotspur in the 1960s and 1970s, born in 1944.

In literature, one can find references to the Cale surname in works such as "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer, where a character named "Cale" is mentioned. Additionally, the name appears in various historical records and documents throughout the centuries, such as the "Calendar of the Patent Rolls" from the reign of King Edward III, which mentions a "John Cale" in 1348.

Other notable individuals with the Cale surname include Robert Cale, an English painter and engraver active in the 17th century, and John Cale, a British actor and playwright who lived from 1889 to 1981. The name has also been associated with various place names, such as Cale Green in Cheshire, England, and Cale Lane in Virginia, USA.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cale families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cale 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. Warwickshire leads with 93 Cales recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.17x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 93 6.17x
Middlesex 84 1.40x
Herefordshire 82 33.44x
Worcestershire 75 9.60x
Lancashire 40 0.56x
Gloucestershire 39 3.33x
Staffordshire 28 1.39x
Nottinghamshire 27 3.35x
Surrey 26 0.89x
Pembrokeshire 22 11.58x
Kent 17 0.83x
Essex 11 0.93x
Caernarfonshire 9 3.72x
Durham 8 0.45x
Yorkshire 7 0.12x
Glamorgan 6 0.58x
Lincolnshire 6 0.63x
Hampshire 5 0.41x
Sussex 5 0.50x
Monmouthshire 4 0.93x
Northamptonshire 4 0.71x
Cheshire 2 0.15x
Derbyshire 2 0.21x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.28x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.26x
Cornwall 1 0.15x
Dorset 1 0.25x
Midlothian 1 0.12x
Northumberland 1 0.11x
Royal Navy 1 1.40x
Shropshire 1 0.19x
Somerset 1 0.10x
Suffolk 1 0.14x
Wiltshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 51 Cales recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.15x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 51 10.15x
Ledbury 35 415.68x
Hucknall Torkard 27 132.09x
Aston 24 5.78x
Claines 16 74.66x
Hereford All Sts 15 133.57x
Hackney London 14 4.18x
Chatham 12 21.38x
Hempstead 11 769.23x
Pembroke St Mary 11 44.95x
St Marylebone London 11 3.45x
Cheltenham 10 11.05x
Alcester 9 181.09x
Bangor 9 38.59x
Much Cowarne 9 882.35x
Ashton Under Lyne 8 5.16x
Grimley 8 544.22x
Lambeth 8 1.53x
St Luke London 8 8.34x
Worcester St John 8 85.74x
Worcester St Peter 8 54.13x
Barking 7 20.27x
Handsworth 7 14.07x
Westbury On Severn East 7 26.41x
Bermondsey 6 3.37x
Cheetham 6 11.34x
Islington London 6 1.04x
Toxteth Park 6 2.50x
Wolverhampton 6 3.87x
Bosbury 5 247.52x
Clee With Weelsby 5 23.89x
Hammersmith London 5 3.39x
Inkberrow 5 158.23x
Kirkdale 5 4.19x
Manchester 5 1.57x
Shoreditch London 5 1.93x
Solihull 5 46.13x
St Pancras London 5 1.04x
Walsall Foreign 5 4.80x
Westminster St John 5 6.87x
Winslow 5 588.24x
Alvechurch 4 120.48x
Awre 4 165.29x
Bethnal Green London 4 1.54x
Brixworth 4 165.98x
Burton 4 209.42x
Colwall 4 131.58x
Darlington 4 5.82x
Hampstead London 4 4.30x
Hulme 4 2.70x
Llanwonno 4 10.69x
Oldbury 4 10.41x
Paddington London 4 1.82x
Rowley Regis 4 7.11x
Streatham 4 9.02x
Usworth 4 42.33x
Worcester St Nicholas 4 108.11x
Ashton In Makerfield 3 14.85x
Dorking 3 15.34x
Erith 3 14.93x
Feckenham 3 33.56x
Kippax 3 57.58x
Lichfield St Michael 3 47.32x
Portsea 3 1.25x
St George Martyr London 3 24.77x
West Ham 3 1.15x
Yapton 3 263.16x
Bromsgrove 2 7.61x
Buxted 2 50.63x
Cosheston 2 172.41x
Eggleton 2 769.23x
Hereford St John 2 71.43x
Ipsley 2 72.20x
Lamphey 2 317.46x
Newland 2 434.78x
Northfield 2 13.50x
Ross 2 20.51x
St Giles In Fields London 2 6.82x
Tibberton 2 270.27x
Tipton 2 3.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 42
Elizabeth 26
Sarah 17
Emma 15
Alice 14
Ellen 13
Eliza 12
Emily 12
Jane 12
Ann 10
Annie 8
Edith 8
Hannah 7
Fanny 6
Caroline 4
Catherine 4
Charlotte 4
Elizth. 4
Harriet 4
Margaret 4
Susan 4
Amy 3
Clara 3
Florence 3
Frances 3
Julia 3
Kate 3
Lydia 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Esther 2
Ethel 2
Helen 2
Jessie 2
Laura 2
Lily 2
Martha 2
Matilda 2
Nellie 2
Rosa 2
Rose 2
Susannah 2
Adeline 1
Angelina 1
Betsy 1
C.M.W. 1
Ida 1
Infant 1
Issabell 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 47
John 31
Thomas 21
George 15
Henry 14
James 13
Charles 10
Alfred 9
Joseph 9
Richard 9
Edward 7
Frederick 7
Walter 7
Robert 6
Edwin 5
Albert 4
Francis 4
Frank 4
Arthur 3
Benjamin 3
Ernest 3
Harry 3
Enoch 2
Fredrick 2
Reuben 2
Wm. 2
Andrew 1
Bernard 1
Clement 1
Collin 1
Edmund 1
F. 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Geo. 1
Henery 1
Jas. 1
Jas.W. 1
Joesph 1
Leonard 1
Maggie 1
Martin 1
Moses 1
Oliver 1
Owen 1
Patrick 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Phillip 1
Wm.Ernest 1

FAQ

Cale surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cale surname in 1881?

In 1881, 621 people were recorded with the Cale surname. That placed it at #5,686 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cale surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 743 in 2016. That gives Cale a modern rank of #7,347.

What does the Cale surname mean?

An English toponymic surname derived from a place of residence near a cale, meaning a cabbage field.

What does the Cale map show?

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