NameCensus.

UK surname

Callis

Derived from a place name meaning "pebble" in French, or from a given name meaning "faithful" in Latin.

In the 1881 census there were 374 people recorded with the Callis surname, ranking it #8,364 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 479, ranked #10,308, down from #8,364 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Markfield, Charley, Newton Linford, Broadgate and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Charnwood, Harborough and Hinckley and Bosworth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Callis is 520 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.1%.

1881 census count

374

Ranked #8,364

Modern count

479

2016, ranked #10,308

Peak year

1999

520 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Callis had 374 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,364 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 479 in 2016, ranked #10,308.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 462 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Callis surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Callis surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Callis 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 254 #8,683
1861 historical 323 #7,888
1881 historical 374 #8,364
1891 historical 461 #7,937
1901 historical 459 #8,577
1911 historical 462 #8,329
1997 modern 494 #9,384
1998 modern 510 #9,448
1999 modern 520 #9,379
2000 modern 511 #9,468
2001 modern 504 #9,413
2002 modern 506 #9,545
2003 modern 494 #9,572
2004 modern 490 #9,639
2005 modern 475 #9,804
2006 modern 483 #9,722
2007 modern 497 #9,615
2008 modern 498 #9,664
2009 modern 501 #9,843
2010 modern 505 #9,985
2011 modern 488 #10,135
2012 modern 469 #10,348
2013 modern 488 #10,211
2014 modern 495 #10,145
2015 modern 483 #10,264
2016 modern 479 #10,308

Geography

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Where Callis' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Markfield, Charley, Newton Linford, Broadgate, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Mears Ashby and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Charnwood, Harborough, Hinckley and Bosworth and Wellingborough. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Markfield, Charley, Newton Linford, Broadgate Leicestershire
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 Mears Ashby Northamptonshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Charnwood 021 Charnwood
2 Harborough 009 Harborough
3 Hinckley and Bosworth 004 Hinckley and Bosworth
4 Wellingborough 009 Wellingborough
5 Charnwood 009 Charnwood

Forenames

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First names often paired with Callis

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Callis

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

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Callis is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Callis is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Callis falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Callis is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Callis

The surname Callis originated in England during the late medieval period, deriving from the Old English word "cald" meaning cold or chilly. It likely referred to someone who lived in a cold or exposed area, or may have been a nickname for someone with a cold or reserved demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a Robert Calcle is mentioned in Berkshire. Variations in spelling such as Calkcle, Caulkle, and Caulkwell were common in these early records due to inconsistencies in scribal practices and regional dialects.

The Callis surname is also found in medieval records from the counties of Devon, Somerset, and Gloucestershire, suggesting it originated in the West Country region of England. Some genealogists have proposed a connection to the village of Callice in Somerset, though this has not been definitively established.

Notable individuals bearing the Callis surname include John Callis (c.1655-1725), an English lawyer and author of the influential legal treatise "Reading upon the Statute of Sewers." Another early bearer of the name was Thomas Callis (c.1600-1679), a member of the English Parliament during the Commonwealth period.

In the 17th century, the Callis family established itself in Virginia, with William Callis (c.1622-1686) becoming a prominent landowner and member of the House of Burgesses. His descendants played significant roles in the colonial and revolutionary eras of American history.

Other notable individuals with the Callis surname include Robert Callis (1648-1719), an English Catholic priest and writer; and John Callis (1766-1823), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.

Throughout its history, the Callis name has been associated with various professions and backgrounds, from legal scholars and politicians to military figures and landowners, reflecting the diverse origins and paths of those who bore this distinctive English surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Callis families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Callis 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. Leicestershire leads with 95 Callis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.42x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 95 23.42x
Yorkshire 66 1.82x
Middlesex 46 1.26x
Lancashire 32 0.74x
Surrey 27 1.51x
Northamptonshire 26 7.56x
Oxfordshire 22 9.74x
Berkshire 15 5.46x
Warwickshire 12 1.30x
Norfolk 11 1.96x
Durham 10 0.92x
Worcestershire 3 0.63x
Hampshire 2 0.27x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.41x
Staffordshire 2 0.16x
Berwickshire 1 2.26x
Cheshire 1 0.12x
Derbyshire 1 0.17x
Essex 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Markfield in Leicestershire leads with 30 Callis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1492.54x.

Place Total Index
Markfield 30 1492.54x
Leicester St Margaret 14 14.16x
Battersea 12 8.92x
Blackburn 12 10.39x
Kegworth 11 407.41x
Leeds 11 5.37x
Leicester St Nicholas 11 478.26x
Loughborough 11 59.78x
Brightside Bierlow 10 14.07x
Mears Ashby 10 1587.30x
Camberwell 9 3.85x
Heigham 9 29.81x
Kensington London 9 4.43x
Rotherfield Greys 9 376.57x
Caversham 8 176.99x
Ford 8 245.40x
Ecclesall Bierlow 7 9.49x
Holy Trinity 7 8.03x
Leicester St Mary 7 21.36x
Liverpool 7 2.66x
Speen 7 155.90x
Wales 7 244.76x
Acton 6 27.99x
Atherstone 6 127.39x
Great Bolton 6 10.44x
Harringworth 6 1304.35x
Heston 6 49.38x
Newton 6 6000.00x
Newtown Linford 6 983.61x
Edgbaston 5 17.48x
Hammersmith London 5 5.55x
Holy Trinity St Mary 5 90.58x
Mexborough 5 69.54x
Barmbrough 4 300.75x
Checkendon 4 833.33x
Earley 4 87.53x
Melton Mowbray 4 54.87x
St Pancras London 4 1.36x
Islington London 3 0.85x
Oldbury 3 12.77x
Richmond 3 12.01x
Weedon Beck 3 121.46x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 2.11x
Calton 2 666.67x
Chiswick 2 10.01x
Doncaster 2 7.55x
Everton 2 1.45x
Fulham London 2 3.77x
Great Yarmouth 2 4.29x
Gringley On Hill 2 192.31x
Newbury 2 22.75x
Paddington London 2 1.49x
Ramsgreave 2 666.67x
Sheffield 2 1.73x
Southampton St Mary 2 4.24x
St George Hanover Square 2 3.10x
Stranton 2 5.46x
Swinton In Rotherham 2 20.88x
Westminster St James 2 5.32x
Braintree 1 15.43x
Bray 1 12.39x
Countesthorpe 1 72.46x
Cranleigh 1 38.31x
Dunse 1 23.81x
Ealing 1 3.06x
Ecclesfield 1 3.76x
Horton In Bradford 1 1.77x
Kingston On Thames 1 2.34x
Lower Darwen 1 17.54x
Marston Upon Dove 1 54.35x
Monks Coppenhall 1 3.28x
Nuneaton 1 9.35x
Oxford St Martin 1 270.27x
Poplar London 1 1.45x
Reading St Mary 1 4.55x
Sculcoates 1 1.74x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.36x
St Marylebone London 1 0.51x
Thorne 1 22.22x
Wellingborough 1 5.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 22
Sarah 18
Elizabeth 11
Ellen 11
Annie 8
Eliza 7
Emma 7
Frances 6
Ann 5
Caroline 5
Emily 5
Hannah 5
Maria 5
Amy 4
Clara 4
Edith 4
Florence 4
Jane 4
Martha 3
Ruth 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Anne 2
Bertha 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Rachel 2
Rose 2
Adelaide 1
Alvina 1
Annette 1
Betsy 1
Catherine 1
Elizth. 1
Ellena 1
Ermina 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Jenny 1
Josphine 1
Julia 1
Katherine 1
Lilly 1
Lois 1
Lucietea 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 19
William 16
Thomas 11
Charles 10
George 9
Joseph 9
Samuel 8
Frederick 7
James 7
Albert 5
Edward 5
Henry 5
Richard 5
Alfred 4
Arthur 4
Walter 4
Ellis 3
Robert 3
Arnold 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Fredk. 2
Herbert 2
A. 1
Alec 1
Chas. 1
Cuthbert 1
Earnest 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fredk.W. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Geo.A. 1
Henery 1
Hubert 1
J. 1
Jarvis 1
Jos. 1
Lewes 1
Marmaduke 1
Mary 1
Nathan 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Richmond 1
Thos. 1
Williams 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Callis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Callis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 374 people were recorded with the Callis surname. That placed it at #8,364 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Callis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 479 in 2016. That gives Callis a modern rank of #10,308.

What does the Callis surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "pebble" in French, or from a given name meaning "faithful" in Latin.

What does the Callis map show?

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