NameCensus.

UK surname

Cambell

In the 1881 census there were 824 people recorded with the Cambell surname, ranking it #4,559 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 408, ranked #11,711, down from #4,559 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Trotterscliffe, Toxteth Park and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sheffield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cambell is 895 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 50.5%.

1881 census count

824

Ranked #4,559

Modern count

408

2016, ranked #11,711

Peak year

1861

895 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cambell had 824 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,559 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 408 in 2016, ranked #11,711.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 895 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Cambell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cambell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cambell 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 793 #3,363
1861 historical 895 #3,091
1881 historical 824 #4,559
1891 historical 577 #6,605
1901 historical 431 #8,982
1911 historical 286 #11,810
1997 modern 327 #12,784
1998 modern 319 #13,330
1999 modern 343 #12,800
2000 modern 307 #13,717
2001 modern 303 #13,645
2002 modern 319 #13,448
2003 modern 292 #14,065
2004 modern 304 #13,783
2005 modern 294 #14,006
2006 modern 316 #13,402
2007 modern 329 #13,168
2008 modern 351 #12,661
2009 modern 387 #12,021
2010 modern 408 #11,804
2011 modern 393 #12,017
2012 modern 392 #11,898
2013 modern 402 #11,871
2014 modern 407 #11,848
2015 modern 403 #11,835
2016 modern 408 #11,711

Geography

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Where Cambells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Trotterscliffe, Toxteth Park, Edinburgh, Manchester and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sheffield. 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 Trotterscliffe Kent
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sheffield 051 Sheffield
2 Sheffield 052 Sheffield
3 Sheffield 061 Sheffield
4 Sheffield 075 Sheffield
5 Sheffield 025 Sheffield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cambell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cambell

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Cambell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Cambell 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Cambell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cambell 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

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

1881 census detail

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Cambell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cambell 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. Lancashire leads with 164 Cambells recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.72x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 164 1.72x
Middlesex 69 0.86x
Surrey 62 1.58x
Durham 44 1.84x
Lanarkshire 42 1.61x
Yorkshire 42 0.53x
Cheshire 27 1.52x
Sussex 25 1.84x
Cumberland 24 3.46x
Renfrewshire 24 3.85x
Kent 23 0.84x
Northumberland 19 1.59x
Hampshire 18 1.09x
Midlothian 18 1.67x
Perthshire 15 4.15x
Ayrshire 14 2.32x
Inverness-shire 13 5.41x
Warwickshire 13 0.64x
Aberdeenshire 12 1.61x
Kirkcudbrightshire 12 10.30x
Angus 10 1.34x
Worcestershire 10 0.95x
Essex 9 0.57x
Dunbartonshire 8 3.70x
Staffordshire 8 0.29x
Wiltshire 8 1.12x
Gloucestershire 7 0.44x
Caithness 6 5.45x
Dumfriesshire 6 3.38x
Glamorgan 6 0.43x
Monmouthshire 6 1.03x
Dorset 5 0.95x
Fife 5 1.05x
Morayshire 4 3.20x
Stirlingshire 4 1.35x
Westmorland 4 2.26x
Argyllshire 3 1.34x
Lincolnshire 3 0.23x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.28x
Shropshire 3 0.43x
Suffolk 3 0.31x
Herefordshire 2 0.61x
Hertfordshire 2 0.36x
Norfolk 2 0.16x
Banffshire 1 0.60x
Bedfordshire 1 0.24x
Berkshire 1 0.17x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.20x
Clackmannanshire 1 1.50x
Cornwall 1 0.11x
Devon 1 0.06x
Flintshire 1 0.46x
Isle of Man 1 0.67x
Kincardineshire 1 1.02x
Leicestershire 1 0.11x
Merionethshire 1 0.68x
Radnorshire 1 1.54x
Ross-shire 1 0.45x
Royal Navy 1 1.04x
Shetland 1 1.22x
West Lothian 1 0.83x
Wigtownshire 1 0.94x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 38 Cambells recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.55x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 38 6.55x
Lambeth 20 2.85x
Shotts 18 57.78x
Manchester 16 3.73x
West Greenock 16 14.29x
Kirkdale 15 9.34x
Kensington London 14 3.13x
Brightside Bierlow 13 8.31x
Newington 12 4.04x
Bermondsey 11 4.59x
Birmingham 11 1.63x
Aberdeen Old Machar 10 6.43x
Salford 10 3.56x
Brighton 9 3.29x
Harris 9 74.50x
Lancaster 9 15.84x
Perth East Church 9 26.43x
Ryhope 9 54.15x
West Derby 9 3.22x
Glasgow 8 1.73x
Littlehampton 8 73.87x
Parton 8 406.09x
Aldershot 7 12.67x
Altrincham 7 22.55x
Barton Upon Irwell 7 9.74x
Benwell 7 53.48x
Dudley 7 5.48x
Hyde 7 13.35x
New Kilpatrick 7 34.03x
Paddington London 7 2.37x
Sculcoates 7 5.54x
Wolverhampton 7 3.35x
Ardwick 6 6.97x
Camberwell 6 1.17x
Deptford St Paul 6 2.83x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 1.38x
Hampstead London 6 4.79x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 5.79x
Little Clifton 6 508.47x
Lochmaben 6 77.02x
Oldham 6 1.95x
Scone 6 93.46x
St Mary Within 6 69.28x
St Marylebone London 6 1.40x
St Quivox 6 29.47x
Swindon 6 10.87x
Upper Llanvrechva 6 66.37x
Usworth 6 47.21x
Bradford 5 11.19x
Bristol St Paul In 5 11.89x
Bromley London 5 2.82x
Broughton In Salford 5 5.73x
Edinburgh Canongate 5 18.22x
Everton 5 1.64x
Glencorse 5 120.77x
Leeds 5 1.11x
New Monkland 5 6.50x
Stair 5 194.55x
Toxteth Park 5 1.55x
West Ham 5 1.43x
Westgate 5 6.74x
Ashton Under Lyne 4 1.92x
Croydon 4 1.84x
East Greenock 4 6.79x
Forfar 4 9.91x
Gilcrux 4 283.69x
Hetton Le Hole 4 13.18x
Inverkip 4 27.21x
Kelton 4 41.80x
Ormesby 4 18.67x
Poplar London 4 2.63x
Portsea 4 1.24x
Shoreditch London 4 1.15x
Skelmersdale 4 25.14x
Southampton St Mary 4 3.86x
Westleigh 4 18.44x
Woolwich 4 3.94x
Halkirk 3 40.27x
Sleat 3 52.45x
St Ninians 3 10.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 39
Sarah 22
Elizabeth 16
Margaret 16
Jane 15
Ann 13
Annie 12
Catherine 12
Eliza 12
Martha 10
Ellen 9
Agnes 4
Emily 4
Emma 4
Florence 4
Anne 3
Caroline 3
Charlotte 3
Eleanor 3
Esther 3
Harriet 3
Isabella 3
Jessie 3
Lucy 3
Rebecca 3
Agness 2
Alice 2
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Christina 2
Ethel 2
Evelina 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Georgina 2
Gertrude 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Maggie 2
Matilda 2
Susan 2
Betsey 1
Betsy 1
Edith 1
Elizath. 1
Elizh 1
Elizth. 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Wilhelmina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 55
William 33
James 32
Thomas 21
Charles 17
George 16
Edward 11
Robert 10
Henry 8
Walter 8
Alexander 6
Alfred 6
Joseph 5
Patrick 5
Samuel 4
Archibald 3
David 3
Hugh 3
Louis 3
Arthur 2
Duncan 2
Frank 2
H. 2
Jarcy 2
Michael 2
Peter 2
Thos. 2
Allan 1
Antony 1
Bernard 1
C. 1
Chas.D. 1
Daniel 1
Danl. 1
Donald 1
Douglas 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Geo.Howard 1
Gordon 1
Graham 1
Harold 1
Jas.Alexander 1
Laurence 1
Lewis 1
Martin 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Neil 1

FAQ

Cambell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cambell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 824 people were recorded with the Cambell surname. That placed it at #4,559 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cambell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 408 in 2016. That gives Cambell a modern rank of #11,711.

What does the Cambell map show?

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