NameCensus.

UK surname

Carless

Of English derivation, indicating one who does not own or have access to a car.

In the 1881 census there were 794 people recorded with the Carless surname, ranking it #4,688 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,133, ranked #5,200, down from #4,688 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington and Coppenhall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Staffordshire, Redcar and Cleveland and Birmingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Carless is 1,235 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.7%.

1881 census count

794

Ranked #4,688

Modern count

1,133

2016, ranked #5,200

Peak year

1998

1,235 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Carless had 794 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,688 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,133 in 2016, ranked #5,200.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,133 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Carless surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Carless surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Carless 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 439 #5,600
1861 historical 425 #6,043
1881 historical 794 #4,688
1891 historical 883 #4,664
1901 historical 956 #4,913
1911 historical 1,133 #4,111
1997 modern 1,166 #4,837
1998 modern 1,235 #4,763
1999 modern 1,228 #4,822
2000 modern 1,207 #4,877
2001 modern 1,181 #4,866
2002 modern 1,202 #4,896
2003 modern 1,172 #4,903
2004 modern 1,148 #5,006
2005 modern 1,124 #5,044
2006 modern 1,113 #5,096
2007 modern 1,105 #5,167
2008 modern 1,109 #5,183
2009 modern 1,169 #5,052
2010 modern 1,192 #5,076
2011 modern 1,189 #5,022
2012 modern 1,128 #5,173
2013 modern 1,145 #5,196
2014 modern 1,142 #5,229
2015 modern 1,134 #5,217
2016 modern 1,133 #5,200

Geography

Back to top

Where Carless' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington, Coppenhall, Walsall and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Staffordshire, Redcar and Cleveland, Birmingham and Ashfield. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington Staffordshire
3 Coppenhall Cheshire
4 Walsall Staffordshire
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Staffordshire 002 South Staffordshire
2 Redcar and Cleveland 022 Redcar and Cleveland
3 Birmingham 011 Birmingham
4 Birmingham 014 Birmingham
5 Ashfield 001 Ashfield

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Carless

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Carless

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Carless, 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 Carless surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Carless household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Carless 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

Carless is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Carless

The surname Carless originated in England during the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "cær" meaning "without" and "læs" meaning "pasture" or "meadow." The name likely referred to someone who lived in an area that lacked pastureland or meadows, perhaps indicating a residential location near a town or village.

One of the earliest known references to the Carless name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1273, which mentions a Robert Carles. This spelling variation highlights the fluid nature of surnames during that era, as standardized spellings were not yet established.

In the 14th century, the Carless surname appeared in various records across England, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which listed a William Carlesse. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1332 also contained an entry for a John Carles.

The Carless name has a strong connection to Derbyshire, where it was particularly prevalent. One notable figure from this region was William Carless (1617-1689), a clergyman who served as the vicar of Ashbourne in Derbyshire during the 17th century.

Another famous bearer of the Carless surname was Henry Carless (1753-1823), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of Vice Admiral and was knighted for his military service.

In the literary world, Beatrice Carless (1870-1943) was a notable English author and poet who wrote several volumes of poetry and novels, including "The Cuckoo's Nest" and "The Green Tent."

The Carless name also had connections to the legal profession. Sir John Carless (1825-1908) was a prominent English barrister and judge who served as a Justice of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice.

Additionally, the Carless surname can be found in historical records from other parts of the British Isles, such as Scotland and Ireland, although it was most prevalent in England, particularly in the Midlands and Northern regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Carless families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Carless 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. Staffordshire leads with 225 Carless' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.59x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 225 8.59x
Warwickshire 86 4.40x
Lancashire 71 0.77x
Herefordshire 59 18.55x
Cheshire 43 2.51x
Worcestershire 40 3.95x
Middlesex 37 0.48x
Surrey 24 0.64x
Cambridgeshire 23 4.68x
Gloucestershire 22 1.45x
Durham 20 0.87x
Nottinghamshire 17 1.63x
Kent 16 0.60x
Shropshire 15 2.24x
Monmouthshire 13 2.32x
Essex 10 0.65x
Yorkshire 10 0.13x
Glamorgan 9 0.67x
Hampshire 9 0.57x
Lanarkshire 8 0.32x
Northumberland 6 0.52x
Wiltshire 6 0.87x
Radnorshire 5 7.99x
Somerset 5 0.40x
Lincolnshire 4 0.32x
Suffolk 4 0.42x
Derbyshire 2 0.16x
Hertfordshire 2 0.37x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.21x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.56x
Oxfordshire 1 0.21x
Sussex 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. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 63 Carless' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.67x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 63 9.67x
Walsall Foreign 57 42.15x
Wolverhampton 40 19.87x
Stafford St Mary 31 83.65x
Kingswinford 25 26.30x
Oldbury 25 50.17x
Aston 20 3.71x
West Bromwich 18 12.01x
Barrow In Furness 14 11.19x
Hereford St John 14 385.67x
Ledbury 14 128.21x
Lambeth 12 1.77x
Macclesfield 12 15.77x
Sandbach 12 82.19x
Hoveringham 11 1264.37x
Dymock 10 275.48x
Congleton 9 30.43x
Over 9 308.22x
Richmond 9 17.00x
Shoreditch London 9 2.68x
Thruxton 9 5625.00x
Barony 8 1.26x
Hopton Coton 8 216.22x
St Woollos 8 12.79x
Warrington 8 7.33x
West Derby 8 2.97x
Ashford 7 27.16x
Aspull 7 32.33x
Haddenham 7 151.52x
Rushall 7 45.45x
Stockton On Tees 7 6.29x
Brandon Byshottles 6 20.76x
Broughton In Salford 6 7.13x
Cardiff St John 6 13.60x
Devizes St John 6 116.50x
Hereford All Sts 6 41.18x
Monks Coppenhall 6 9.29x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 6 8.71x
Poplar London 6 4.10x
Woolhope 6 303.03x
Beckington 5 203.25x
Berrington 5 190.11x
Blackley 5 31.00x
East Ham 5 17.60x
Knighton 5 98.81x
Leeds 5 1.15x
Llanvihangel Pontymoile 5 505.05x
Oldham 5 1.68x
Portsmouth 5 13.66x
Romford 5 20.66x
Shrewsbury St Mary 5 18.91x
Wednesfield 5 12.98x
Bethnal Green London 4 1.19x
Brewood Featherstone 4 769.23x
Darlaston 4 11.06x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 4 14.37x
Kings Norton 4 4.40x
Much Cowarne 4 303.03x
St George Hanover Square 4 2.93x
St Giles Cambridge 4 63.09x
Worcester St Nicholas 4 83.33x
Cannock 3 6.57x
Castle Church 3 19.07x
Caxton 3 198.68x
Gateshead 3 1.74x
Goodworth Clatford 3 225.56x
Helmington Row 3 27.91x
Over Darwen 3 4.08x
St Maryle Wigford 3 31.15x
St Marylebone London 3 0.72x
St Pancras London 3 0.48x
Stafford St Chad 3 247.93x
Stanton Lacy 3 51.81x
Tettenhall 3 18.75x
West Stockwith 3 170.45x
Greenwich 2 1.62x
Guildford Holy Trinity 2 27.78x
Mile End Old Town London 2 1.21x
Radford 2 3.77x
Woolwich 2 2.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 56
Sarah 36
Elizabeth 28
Emma 22
Jane 20
Ann 18
Eliza 15
Ellen 13
Alice 12
Catherine 10
Harriet 8
Louisa 8
Ada 7
Florence 7
Martha 7
Annie 6
Hannah 6
Margaret 6
Fanny 5
Amelia 4
Beatrice 4
Clara 4
Harriett 4
Kate 4
Lucy 4
Maria 4
Rose 4
Susan 4
Agnes 3
Caroline 3
Edith 3
Eleanor 3
Elizth. 3
Esther 3
Frances 3
Henrietta 3
Julia 3
Minnie 3
Anne 2
Ellan 2
Emily 2
Flora 2
Helena 2
Jemima 2
Jessie 2
Laura 2
Lizzie 2
Matilda 2
Phoebe 2
Phoeby 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 45
William 39
George 38
Thomas 36
James 29
Edward 15
Henry 14
Charles 13
Joseph 11
Walter 9
Frederick 8
Benjamin 7
Richard 7
Robert 7
Alfred 6
Francis 5
Arthur 4
Frank 4
Samuel 4
Albert 3
Herbert 3
Wm. 3
David 2
Fredk. 2
Harry 2
Percy 2
Peter 2
Reginald 2
Rowland 2
Alexander 1
Andrew 1
Cornelius 1
Ebenezer 1
Edgar 1
Elisha 1
Elizha 1
Elkana 1
Enoch 1
Fred 1
Fredr.John 1
Fredric 1
Howard 1
Isaac 1
Isaiah 1
Israel 1
Joe 1
Leonard 1
Luke 1
Michael 1
Plaxton 1

FAQ

Carless surname: questions and answers

How common was the Carless surname in 1881?

In 1881, 794 people were recorded with the Carless surname. That placed it at #4,688 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Carless surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,133 in 2016. That gives Carless a modern rank of #5,200.

What does the Carless surname mean?

Of English derivation, indicating one who does not own or have access to a car.

What does the Carless map show?

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