NameCensus.

UK surname

Call

An English occupational surname referring to someone who announces or proclaims, such as a town crier or herald.

In the 1881 census there were 383 people recorded with the Call surname, ranking it #8,212 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 207, ranked #19,118, down from #8,212 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dorking, London parishes and Clifton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Horsham, Teignbridge and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Call is 589 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 46.0%.

1881 census count

383

Ranked #8,212

Modern count

207

2016, ranked #19,118

Peak year

1861

589 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Call had 383 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,212 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 207 in 2016, ranked #19,118.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 589 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Call surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Call surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Call 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 317 #7,308
1861 historical 589 #4,487
1881 historical 383 #8,212
1891 historical 484 #7,621
1901 historical 359 #10,242
1911 historical 293 #11,650
1997 modern 189 #18,267
1998 modern 198 #18,224
1999 modern 189 #18,862
2000 modern 190 #18,806
2001 modern 188 #18,652
2002 modern 184 #19,275
2003 modern 183 #19,152
2004 modern 197 #18,368
2005 modern 188 #18,866
2006 modern 193 #18,675
2007 modern 198 #18,600
2008 modern 191 #19,195
2009 modern 205 #18,722
2010 modern 211 #18,774
2011 modern 205 #18,965
2012 modern 205 #18,909
2013 modern 205 #19,218
2014 modern 216 #18,705
2015 modern 215 #18,659
2016 modern 207 #19,118

Geography

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Where Calls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dorking, London parishes, Clifton and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Horsham, Teignbridge, Bradford, Waverley and North East Lincolnshire. 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 Dorking Surrey
2 London parishes London 1
3 Clifton Gloucestershire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Horsham 005 Horsham
2 Teignbridge 004 Teignbridge
3 Bradford 059 Bradford
4 Waverley 013 Waverley
5 North East Lincolnshire 018 North East Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Call

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Call

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Call, 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 Call surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Call 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Call is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Call is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Call falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Call

The surname CALL is of English origin, originating from an occupational name for a person who was a crier or messenger in the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "calian," meaning "to call out" or "to summon."

The name CALL can be traced back to the early 13th century, with records showing individuals bearing this surname in various parts of England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1208, where a certain Roger le Calle is mentioned.

In the medieval era, town criers or messengers were important figures responsible for making public announcements and conveying information to the local populace. The surname CALL likely originated as a descriptive name for individuals employed in this role, reflecting their occupation of "calling out" or summoning people.

The name CALL is also associated with several place names in England, such as Call Green in Yorkshire and Call End in Bedfordshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname or vice versa, as surnames often derived from the locations where families resided.

Historically, the surname CALL has been recorded with various spellings, including Calle, Cale, Cayle, and Kale, reflecting the regional dialects and phonetic variations of the time. One notable historical figure bearing this surname was John Call, a 17th-century English clergyman and author, born in 1598 and died in 1663.

Another significant person with the surname CALL was Sir John Call, a prominent English jurist and legal writer who lived from 1604 to 1670. He served as a judge and published several influential works on English law.

In the literary world, Henry Call, an English poet and playwright, was born in 1615 and is known for his contributions to the 17th-century English Renaissance theater.

Moving to the 19th century, Wilkinson Call, an American politician and lawyer, served as the 13th Governor of Florida from 1835 to 1839. He played a crucial role in the early development of the state.

Additionally, John Kittrell Call, an American military officer and politician, fought in the War of 1812 and later served as a territorial governor of Florida from 1836 to 1839.

While the surname CALL has its roots in England and the medieval period, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and has been adopted by individuals from various cultural backgrounds.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Call families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Call 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. Yorkshire leads with 77 Calls recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.13x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 77 2.13x
Middlesex 51 1.40x
Lancashire 32 0.74x
Kent 30 2.41x
Devon 25 3.29x
Sussex 24 3.90x
Surrey 20 1.13x
Durham 13 1.20x
Gloucestershire 11 1.54x
Inverness-shire 11 10.10x
Hampshire 9 1.20x
Lanarkshire 8 0.68x
Worcestershire 8 1.68x
Wiltshire 6 1.86x
Cheshire 4 0.50x
Cumberland 4 1.27x
Dunbartonshire 4 4.08x
Northamptonshire 4 1.17x
Northumberland 4 0.74x
West Lothian 4 7.28x
Stirlingshire 3 2.23x
Warwickshire 3 0.33x
Dorset 2 0.84x
Fife 2 0.93x
Norfolk 2 0.36x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.41x
Ayrshire 1 0.37x
Banffshire 1 1.32x
East Lothian 1 2.07x
Essex 1 0.14x
Flintshire 1 1.02x
Glamorgan 1 0.16x
Lincolnshire 1 0.17x
Midlothian 1 0.20x
Monmouthshire 1 0.38x
Renfrewshire 1 0.35x
Staffordshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bowling in Yorkshire leads with 18 Calls recorded in 1881 and an index of 50.27x.

Place Total Index
Bowling 18 50.27x
Ore 18 393.01x
Lambeth 12 3.77x
Inverness 11 40.15x
Poplar London 11 15.97x
Bradford 9 10.28x
Headingley Cum Burley 9 38.68x
Dudley 8 13.81x
Over Hulton 8 650.41x
Everton 7 5.07x
Exeter St David 7 107.86x
Hackney London 7 3.42x
Hunslet 7 12.42x
North Tawton 7 300.43x
Portsea 7 4.78x
Ramsgate 7 34.45x
Clifton 6 16.59x
Dorking 6 50.25x
Rodbourne Cheney 6 240.96x
Shoreditch London 6 3.79x
St Pancras London 6 2.04x
Tonbridge 6 13.37x
Warehorne 6 909.09x
Bishop Auckland 5 34.34x
Brede 5 387.60x
Burton Leonard 5 925.93x
Cambusnethan 5 19.08x
Kirkleatham 5 102.46x
Leeds 5 2.45x
Liverpool 5 1.90x
Paddington London 5 3.73x
Shotton 5 186.57x
St Marylebone London 5 2.57x
Kirkdale 4 5.49x
Maidstone 4 10.79x
Row 4 31.55x
Campsie 3 40.65x
Exeter St Sidwell 3 17.25x
Kirkliston 3 93.75x
Shadwell London 3 29.38x
Tenterden 3 68.34x
Wellingborough 3 17.39x
West Derby 3 2.37x
Westbury On Trym 3 12.38x
Workington 3 16.69x
Barony 2 0.67x
Calverley Cum Farsley 2 19.47x
Chilfrome 2 1666.67x
Dunfermline 2 6.02x
East Teignmouth 2 64.31x
Ecclesfield 2 7.54x
Gateshead 2 2.46x
Great Crosby 2 16.95x
Honley 2 31.60x
Kensington London 2 0.99x
Murton 2 357.14x
Nantwich 2 21.37x
Nottingham St Mary 2 1.57x
Plymouth Charles The 2 5.98x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 3.42x
Birmingham 1 0.33x
Boness 1 13.21x
Clayton 1 11.30x
Colinton 1 18.35x
East Ham 1 7.49x
Fillongley 1 76.34x
Gainsborough 1 7.27x
Hampstead London 1 1.76x
Hastings St Leonards 1 11.06x
Islington London 1 0.28x
Kingston On Thames 1 2.34x
Leftwich 1 27.93x
Lockwood 1 7.69x
Mold Bistree 1 62.89x
Portsmouth 1 5.81x
Redcar 1 34.84x
Southampton St Michael 1 40.65x
Sutton Coldfield 1 10.34x
Thorngumbald 1 303.03x
Wavertree 1 7.22x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Elizabeth 17
Sarah 10
Annie 6
Alice 5
Ellen 5
Jane 5
Maria 5
Ann 4
Eliza 4
Emily 4
Emma 4
Edith 3
Fanny 3
Margaret 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Anne 2
Blanche 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Ethel 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Lydia 2
Martha 2
Ruth 2
Betsy 1
C. 1
Caroline 1
Charles 1
Dorothy 1
E. 1
Eliz. 1
Elizth. 1
Florence 1
Georgina 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Jeanette 1
Julia 1
Lillian 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Maboth 1
Maley 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 22
George 16
John 13
James 10
Joseph 8
Albert 7
Edward 7
Thomas 7
Henry 6
Arthur 5
Charles 5
Harry 5
Robert 5
Samuel 5
Ernest 4
Alfred 3
Benjamin 3
David 3
Walter 3
Edwin 2
Herbert 2
Richard 2
Sidney 2
Sydney 2
Willie 2
Corneilous 1
Ed. 1
F. 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Hamilton 1
Harold 1
Isaac 1
Jas.Hy. 1
Jesse 1
Jessie 1
Jonathon 1
Leon 1
Louis 1
Marmaduke 1
Martin 1
Mary 1
Nelson 1
Peter 1
Ralph 1
Simpson 1
Solomon 1
Stanford 1
Stephen 1

FAQ

Call surname: questions and answers

How common was the Call surname in 1881?

In 1881, 383 people were recorded with the Call surname. That placed it at #8,212 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Call surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 207 in 2016. That gives Call a modern rank of #19,118.

What does the Call surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to someone who announces or proclaims, such as a town crier or herald.

What does the Call map show?

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