NameCensus.

UK surname

Cansdale

From the valley near a harbor or inlet.

In the 1881 census there were 191 people recorded with the Cansdale surname, ranking it #13,224 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 375, ranked #12,457, up from #13,224 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a and Birch, Easthorpe, Copford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tendring, Colchester and North East Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cansdale is 394 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 96.3%.

1881 census count

191

Ranked #13,224

Modern count

375

2016, ranked #12,457

Peak year

2009

394 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cansdale had 191 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,224 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 375 in 2016, ranked #12,457.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 356 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Cansdale surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cansdale surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cansdale 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 92 #18,050
1861 historical 127 #17,469
1881 historical 191 #13,224
1891 historical 252 #12,685
1901 historical 337 #10,735
1911 historical 356 #10,148
1997 modern 381 #11,393
1998 modern 373 #11,991
1999 modern 380 #11,907
2000 modern 374 #11,976
2001 modern 369 #11,928
2002 modern 377 #11,962
2003 modern 372 #11,881
2004 modern 370 #11,936
2005 modern 363 #12,037
2006 modern 366 #12,042
2007 modern 370 #12,073
2008 modern 375 #12,059
2009 modern 394 #11,859
2010 modern 383 #12,394
2011 modern 375 #12,438
2012 modern 371 #12,396
2013 modern 378 #12,422
2014 modern 381 #12,426
2015 modern 376 #12,446
2016 modern 375 #12,457

Geography

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Where Cansdales are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a, Birch, Easthorpe, Copford and Chapel or Pontisbright, Wakes Colne, Mount Bures. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tendring, Colchester 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a Essex
4 Birch, Easthorpe, Copford Essex
5 Chapel or Pontisbright, Wakes Colne, Mount Bures Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tendring 018 Tendring
2 Colchester 022 Colchester
3 North East Lincolnshire 003 North East Lincolnshire
4 Tendring 003 Tendring
5 Colchester 002 Colchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cansdale

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cansdale

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Cansdale surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Cansdale household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Cansdale 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

Cansdale 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

Cansdale falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cansdale

The surname Cansdale is believed to have originated from the North of England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from a combination of the Old English words "cann" meaning a can or vessel, and "dale" meaning a valley or dell, suggesting a possible connection to someone who lived in a valley near a water source.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Feet of Fines records from Lincolnshire in 1202, where a William de Cansdale is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already been established in that region by the early 13th century.

In the late 13th century, there is a record of a Robert de Cansdale being granted land in the village of Cansdale near Pickering, North Yorkshire. This place name, which is now extinct, may have been the original source of the surname.

During the 14th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of England, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in counties such as Lancashire and Yorkshire. One notable figure from this period was John Cansdale, a merchant from York who was involved in the wool trade in the 1380s.

By the 15th century, the spelling of the name had evolved to its modern form, with variations such as Cauncedale and Caunsdall appearing in records. In 1427, a Thomas Cansdale is mentioned in the Patent Rolls as being granted a pardon for his involvement in a rebellion.

Over the centuries, several individuals with the surname Cansdale have achieved notable accomplishments. In the 17th century, William Cansdale (1630-1689) was a prominent Puritan minister and author who served as the vicar of Whalley in Lancashire. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Cansdale (1765-1832), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was knighted for his service.

During the 19th century, the Cansdale family continued to be associated with various professions and trades. One example is John Cansdale (1818-1892), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Philharmonic Hall. Additionally, Elizabeth Cansdale (1838-1911) was a prominent educator and advocate for women's rights who founded several schools in Yorkshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cansdale families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cansdale 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. Essex leads with 97 Cansdales recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.23x.

County Total Index
Essex 97 27.23x
Suffolk 32 14.56x
Middlesex 30 1.66x
Lincolnshire 10 3.47x
Hampshire 8 2.16x
Lanarkshire 3 0.51x
Lancashire 3 0.14x
Cheshire 1 0.25x
Surrey 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bures St Mary in Suffolk leads with 30 Cansdales recorded in 1881 and an index of 5555.56x.

Place Total Index
Bures St Mary 30 5555.56x
Bures St Mary 12 3636.36x
Layer De La Hay 11 2619.05x
Copford 9 2195.12x
Little Canfield 9 5000.00x
Chester All Sts 8 2758.62x
Colchester St Giles 8 227.27x
Hackney London 8 7.91x
Hampstead London 7 24.91x
Witham 7 382.51x
Fordham 6 1395.35x
Mount Bures 6 3529.41x
Great Horkesley 5 1020.41x
Farnborough 4 103.09x
Kensington London 4 3.99x
St Martin Lincoln 4 149.25x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 4 98.52x
Aldham 3 1153.85x
Birch 3 517.24x
Fulham London 3 11.46x
Marks Tey 3 1200.00x
Maryhill 3 26.27x
Portsea 3 4.14x
St Botolph Aldersgate 3 144.93x
Clerkenwell London 2 4.70x
Colchester St Botolph 2 66.01x
Deeping St James 2 196.08x
Liverpool 2 1.54x
Mistley 2 208.33x
Nayland 2 357.14x
Aldershot 1 8.07x
Birkenhead 1 3.15x
Colchester Holy Trinity 1 126.58x
Great Clacton 1 82.64x
Islington London 1 0.57x
Pattiswick 1 476.19x
St George Hanover Square 1 3.15x
Stoke Newington London 1 7.11x
Stretford 1 8.49x
Sutton 1 15.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Ellen 6
Alice 5
Emily 5
Emma 5
Elizabeth 4
Sarah 4
Annie 3
Eliza 3
Florence 3
Louisa 3
Susan 3
Dorcas 2
Hannah 2
Jane 2
Jemima 2
Kate 2
Lucy 2
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Clara 1
Deborah 1
Elizath. 1
Elizth. 1
Flora 1
Frances 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Infant 1
Jenney 1
Lilian 1
Margaret 1
Marian 1
Maud 1
Myra 1
Phoebe 1
Rachael 1
Rachel 1
Roda 1
Roseannah 1
S.M. 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 15
George 11
Charles 9
Arthur 7
James 6
Henry 5
John 4
Abram 3
Robert 3
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
E.E.K. 1
Edwin 1
Elisha 1
Ethelbert 1
Ewdin 1
Frank 1
Fredrick 1
Harold 1
Henery 1
Hubert 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Samuel 1
Spelling 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Cansdale surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cansdale surname in 1881?

In 1881, 191 people were recorded with the Cansdale surname. That placed it at #13,224 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cansdale surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 375 in 2016. That gives Cansdale a modern rank of #12,457.

What does the Cansdale surname mean?

From the valley near a harbor or inlet.

What does the Cansdale map show?

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