NameCensus.

UK surname

Cantwell

Derived from a place name meaning "spring on a riverbank" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 344 people recorded with the Cantwell surname, ranking it #8,864 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,181, ranked #5,032, up from #8,864 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Oxford City: St Giles, London parishes and Coggs, Wilcote. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Oxford, South Oxfordshire and Neath Port Talbot.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cantwell is 1,209 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 243.3%.

1881 census count

344

Ranked #8,864

Modern count

1,181

2016, ranked #5,032

Peak year

1999

1,209 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cantwell had 344 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,864 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,181 in 2016, ranked #5,032.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 508 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cantwell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cantwell surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Cantwell 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 191 #10,808
1861 historical 202 #11,906
1881 historical 344 #8,864
1891 historical 387 #9,122
1901 historical 493 #8,133
1911 historical 508 #7,747
1997 modern 1,109 #5,038
1998 modern 1,189 #4,927
1999 modern 1,209 #4,901
2000 modern 1,192 #4,935
2001 modern 1,165 #4,939
2002 modern 1,182 #4,960
2003 modern 1,165 #4,928
2004 modern 1,162 #4,951
2005 modern 1,144 #4,964
2006 modern 1,132 #5,006
2007 modern 1,139 #5,026
2008 modern 1,135 #5,090
2009 modern 1,169 #5,052
2010 modern 1,168 #5,155
2011 modern 1,169 #5,095
2012 modern 1,146 #5,102
2013 modern 1,189 #5,030
2014 modern 1,197 #5,030
2015 modern 1,180 #5,048
2016 modern 1,181 #5,032

Geography

Back to top

Where Cantwells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Oxford City: St Giles, London parishes, Coggs, Wilcote, Standlake and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Oxford, South Oxfordshire, Neath Port Talbot, Stockport and South Kesteven. 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 Oxford City: St Giles Oxfordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Coggs, Wilcote Oxfordshire
4 Standlake Oxfordshire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Oxford 017 Oxford
2 South Oxfordshire 007 South Oxfordshire
3 Neath Port Talbot 011 Neath Port Talbot
4 Stockport 002 Stockport
5 South Kesteven 016 South Kesteven

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Cantwell

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Cantwell

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Cantwell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Cantwell is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cantwell falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cantwell

The surname Cantwell has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Old English words 'cante' meaning steep or precipitous and 'well' denoting a spring or stream. Collectively, Cantwell referred to a settlement near a steep well or spring.

The name is believed to have emerged in the counties of Essex and Suffolk, where several villages and hamlets bore the name Cantwell or variations like Cantley. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled 'Cantewell'.

In the 13th century, records show a Robert de Cantwell owning lands in Norfolk. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a William de Cantewell from Essex. During this period, the name was also found in other regions like Cambridgeshire and Kent, often spelled as Cantewell, Cantewelle, or Cantweleygh.

Notable individuals bearing the Cantwell surname include Sir Robert Cantwell (c.1550-1627), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1616. John Cantwell (1663-1722) was an Irish Catholic bishop who played a significant role in establishing schools and churches in the Diocese of Meath.

In the 18th century, Edward Cantwell (1718-1788) was an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. Samuel Cantwell (1804-1863) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Senator from Illinois in the 1840s.

One of the most renowned individuals with this surname was Sir James Cantwell (1825-1905), a British businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Cantwell Shipping Company and donated generously to educational and charitable causes in his hometown of Liverpool.

While the Cantwell surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Ireland, America, and Australia, due to migration and the dispersal of families over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Cantwell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cantwell 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. Middlesex leads with 72 Cantwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.14x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 72 2.14x
Oxfordshire 57 27.43x
Lancashire 45 1.13x
Kent 36 3.14x
Surrey 27 1.65x
Yorkshire 27 0.81x
Lincolnshire 14 2.60x
Cheshire 13 1.75x
Essex 6 0.90x
Lanarkshire 6 0.55x
Monmouthshire 6 2.47x
Durham 5 0.50x
Glamorgan 5 0.85x
Angus 4 1.28x
Hampshire 4 0.58x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.88x
Gloucestershire 3 0.45x
Northumberland 2 0.40x
Sussex 2 0.35x
Cornwall 1 0.26x
Cumberland 1 0.35x
Dorset 1 0.45x
Dumfriesshire 1 1.35x
Inverness-shire 1 1.00x
Leicestershire 1 0.27x
Royal Navy 1 2.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Coggs in Oxfordshire leads with 25 Cantwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 3125.00x.

Place Total Index
Coggs 25 3125.00x
Islington London 21 6.44x
Croydon 17 18.68x
Standlake 15 1829.27x
St Peters 14 263.65x
Liverpool 12 4.95x
Boston 11 67.36x
Clerkenwell London 11 13.85x
Stockport 11 28.77x
Toxteth Park 10 7.39x
Oxford St Giles 9 90.73x
Pendleton In Salford 9 18.92x
Southwark St George Martyr 8 11.81x
St Pancras London 8 2.95x
Ramsgate 7 37.35x
St Anne Soho London 7 36.42x
Leeds 6 3.19x
Oxford St Thomas 6 61.86x
St Woollos 6 22.10x
Barrow In Furness 5 9.21x
Cheriton 5 106.84x
Llantwit Vairdre 5 75.87x
Manningham 5 12.17x
Minster In Thanet 5 209.21x
New Monkland 5 15.54x
Northowram 5 21.39x
Saffron Hill London 5 694.44x
St Martin In Fields 5 24.81x
Westminster St James 5 14.45x
Westminster St Margaret 5 30.81x
Bowling 4 12.11x
Dundee 4 3.44x
Gateshead 4 5.34x
Nottingham St Mary 4 3.41x
Cheltenham 3 5.89x
Horncastle 3 54.05x
Southampton St Michael 3 132.16x
West Ham 3 2.05x
Blackburn 2 1.88x
Brighton 2 1.75x
Brightside Bierlow 2 3.06x
Longbenton 2 9.43x
Manchester 2 1.11x
Reddish 2 36.36x
Sutton 2 16.86x
Westminster St John 2 4.88x
Aldershot 1 4.33x
Armley 1 6.80x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 1.15x
Bodmin 1 15.87x
Brinnington 1 14.41x
Chatham 1 3.17x
Cowley 1 15.41x
Culcheth 1 38.17x
Dumfries 1 13.64x
Ealing 1 3.32x
Eastham 1 101.01x
Folkestone 1 4.49x
Gorbals 1 15.48x
Kilmonivaig 1 44.84x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 37.45x
Lewisham 1 1.63x
Leyton 1 8.74x
Margate St John Baptist 1 4.76x
Oxford St Michael 1 116.28x
Paull 1 158.73x
Portland 1 8.42x
Prittlewell 1 10.86x
Rochford 1 51.81x
Royal Navy 1 2.92x
Salford 1 0.85x
St Cuthbert W O 1 7.08x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.69x
St Marylebone London 1 0.56x
Sunderland 1 5.66x
Templenewsam Thorpe 1 144.93x
Wakefield 1 3.91x
Whitwick 1 21.10x
Woolwich 1 2.36x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 24
Thomas 12
William 11
Charles 10
James 8
Patrick 7
Richard 6
Arthur 5
Joseph 5
Henry 4
Herbert 4
Isaac 4
Michael 4
Albert 3
Edward 3
Frank 3
Peter 3
Stephen 3
Alfred 2
Earnest 2
George 2
Matthew 2
Robert 2
Alonza 1
Anthony 1
Edwin 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
G. 1
Harold 1
Jas 1
Jas. 1
Josiah 1
Leonard 1
Morris 1
Nicholas 1
Oliver 1
Raymond 1
Reginald 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Cantwell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cantwell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 344 people were recorded with the Cantwell surname. That placed it at #8,864 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cantwell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,181 in 2016. That gives Cantwell a modern rank of #5,032.

What does the Cantwell surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "spring on a riverbank" in Old English.

What does the Cantwell map show?

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