NameCensus.

UK surname

Carlile

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "fort by the pool" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 440 people recorded with the Carlile surname, ranking it #7,440 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 915, ranked #6,232, up from #7,440 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Watton and Granby with Sutton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Chesterfield and North East Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Carlile is 948 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 108.0%.

1881 census count

440

Ranked #7,440

Modern count

915

2016, ranked #6,232

Peak year

1999

948 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Carlile had 440 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,440 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 915 in 2016, ranked #6,232.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 616 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Carlile surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Carlile surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Carlile 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 406 #5,963
1861 historical 414 #6,200
1881 historical 440 #7,440
1891 historical 512 #7,283
1901 historical 596 #7,109
1911 historical 616 #6,702
1997 modern 900 #5,963
1998 modern 941 #5,952
1999 modern 948 #5,955
2000 modern 938 #5,991
2001 modern 915 #6,007
2002 modern 947 #5,939
2003 modern 906 #6,055
2004 modern 887 #6,165
2005 modern 868 #6,197
2006 modern 875 #6,169
2007 modern 887 #6,154
2008 modern 891 #6,172
2009 modern 924 #6,131
2010 modern 946 #6,141
2011 modern 917 #6,239
2012 modern 924 #6,125
2013 modern 942 #6,125
2014 modern 929 #6,237
2015 modern 912 #6,268
2016 modern 915 #6,232

Geography

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Where Carliles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Watton, Granby with Sutton, Glasgow and Dalston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Chesterfield, North East Lincolnshire and East Staffordshire. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 Watton Nottinghamshire
3 Granby with Sutton Nottinghamshire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Dalston Cumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 016 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 Chesterfield 007 Chesterfield
3 North East Lincolnshire 003 North East Lincolnshire
4 Chesterfield 012 Chesterfield
5 East Staffordshire 013 East Staffordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Carlile

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Carlile

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Carlile is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Carlile is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Carlile

The surname Carlile is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "cærr" and "hyll," which together mean "hill with a rock or quarry." This indicates that the name originated in areas where rocks or quarries were present on a hill.

The name is believed to have originated in the 11th century and is thought to have referred initially to people who lived near or worked in quarries on hills. The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Carlille."

In the 12th century, the name was recorded as "Carlil" in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166. The spelling "Carlile" became more common in the 13th century, as seen in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1273.

The name was also associated with various place names, such as Carlisle in Cumbria, England, which was originally called "Caer Luel" by the Britons, meaning "fort of the rock or quarry." This suggests that the surname may have been derived from people who lived in or near the town of Carlisle.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Carlile was Sir John Carlile (c. 1270-1335), a Scottish knight and landowner. In the 16th century, Sir Hildebrand Carlile (c. 1540-1593) was a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament.

In the 17th century, Christopher Carlile (1617-1693) was an English academic and clergyman who served as the Warden of Wadham College, Oxford. Thomas Carlile (1636-1693) was an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament.

In the 19th century, Richard Carlile (1790-1843) was a notable English radical and freethinker who campaigned for freedom of the press and the rights of free speech. He was imprisoned several times for publishing works that were considered blasphemous at the time.

Throughout history, the surname Carlile has been associated with various notable individuals, reflecting its long-standing presence in England and its connections to specific locations and occupations related to quarries and rock formations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Carlile families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Carlile 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. Nottinghamshire leads with 63 Carliles recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.91x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 63 10.91x
Yorkshire 60 1.41x
Cumberland 31 8.41x
Middlesex 28 0.65x
Devon 26 2.92x
Lancashire 26 0.51x
Lincolnshire 25 3.65x
Durham 24 1.88x
Renfrewshire 20 6.03x
Cheshire 19 2.01x
Derbyshire 18 2.68x
Surrey 17 0.81x
Somerset 15 2.18x
Lanarkshire 12 0.87x
Ayrshire 9 2.81x
Fife 9 3.55x
Angus 7 1.76x
Gloucestershire 7 0.83x
Midlothian 6 1.05x
Hampshire 3 0.34x
Leicestershire 3 0.63x
Clackmannanshire 2 5.65x
Dunbartonshire 2 1.74x
Oxfordshire 2 0.76x
Wigtownshire 2 3.52x
Channel Islands 1 0.79x
Hertfordshire 1 0.34x
Staffordshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wallasey in Cheshire leads with 17 Carliles recorded in 1881 and an index of 527.95x.

Place Total Index
Wallasey 17 527.95x
Granby Sutton 16 2758.62x
Clee With Weelsby 15 100.07x
Dalston Buckabank 15 2000.00x
Widnes 15 40.93x
Sculcoates 14 20.81x
Brixham 10 96.81x
Caythorpe 10 2272.73x
St Marylebone London 10 4.37x
Bonsall 9 452.26x
Thoroton 9 4090.91x
West Teignmouth 9 131.96x
Barony 8 2.28x
Blackburn 8 5.92x
Girvan 8 99.50x
Paisley Middle Church 8 41.41x
Sunderland 8 35.56x
Sunk Island 8 1290.32x
Abbey 7 13.83x
Aslockton 7 1186.44x
Bedminster 7 10.81x
Clifton 7 16.49x
Croydon 7 6.04x
Dundee 7 4.73x
Inverkeithing 7 183.25x
Nottingham St Mary 7 4.69x
Richmond 7 23.94x
South Normanton 7 148.62x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 2.60x
Leeds 6 2.50x
Mansfield 6 30.05x
Monkwearmouth Shore 6 24.13x
Poplar London 6 7.42x
Keighley 5 11.05x
Scarborough 5 12.97x
Dalston 4 140.35x
Holy Trinity 4 3.92x
St Luke London 4 5.82x
Wellington 4 42.78x
Barton St Peter 3 95.54x
Cathcart 3 16.71x
Cornsay 3 87.46x
Falsgrave 3 48.00x
Goole 3 42.19x
High Ireby 3 1875.00x
Lanchester 3 128.21x
Modbury 3 131.58x
Portsea 3 1.74x
Redmile 3 416.67x
Scalby In Scarborough 3 340.91x
Taunton St James 3 29.85x
Waverton 3 422.54x
West Linton 3 461.54x
Westerton 3 441.18x
Basford 2 7.52x
Beath 2 24.97x
Bermondsey 2 1.57x
Colaton Raleigh 2 181.82x
Dollar 2 54.64x
Epperstone 2 312.50x
Govan 2 0.58x
Grantham 2 22.42x
Hampstead London 2 3.00x
Hook 2 21.44x
Inch 2 36.10x
New Monkland 2 4.89x
Old Kilpatrick 2 14.71x
Oxford St Ebbe 2 25.71x
Scunthorpe 2 64.94x
St George Hanover Square 2 2.65x
St Giles Cripplegate 2 35.21x
Suffield Cum Everley 2 1000.00x
Clapham 1 1.87x
Kensington London 1 0.42x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 29.41x
Smalley 1 84.03x
St Peter Port 1 4.26x
Stockport 1 2.06x
Tintwistle 1 19.80x
Wakefield 1 3.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 26
Thomas 19
William 16
George 15
James 8
Charles 6
Robert 6
Edward 5
Joseph 5
Samuel 5
Arthur 4
Henry 4
Walter 4
Frederick 3
Richard 3
Albert 2
Christopher 2
Fletcher 2
Harrison 2
Matthew 2
Willie 2
Willm. 2
Wm. 2
Abraham 1
Allen 1
Daniel 1
David 1
E.H. 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Jas. 1
Lyall 1
Percy 1
Reuben 1
Sam 1
Sam. 1
Sydney 1
Thos.Hy. 1
Vernon 1
Victor 1
Watson 1
Wilson 1

FAQ

Carlile surname: questions and answers

How common was the Carlile surname in 1881?

In 1881, 440 people were recorded with the Carlile surname. That placed it at #7,440 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Carlile surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 915 in 2016. That gives Carlile a modern rank of #6,232.

What does the Carlile surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "fort by the pool" in Old English.

What does the Carlile map show?

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