NameCensus.

UK surname

Carling

A locational surname of English origin referring to someone from a place called Carleton.

In the 1881 census there were 752 people recorded with the Carling surname, ranking it #4,902 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,246, ranked #4,792, up from #4,902 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Bees, Gateshead and Warsill, Ripon (Newby-with-Mulwith, Ripon). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hambleton, Harrogate and Sunderland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Carling is 1,335 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.7%.

1881 census count

752

Ranked #4,902

Modern count

1,246

2016, ranked #4,792

Peak year

2010

1,335 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Carling had 752 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,902 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,246 in 2016, ranked #4,792.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,047 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Carling surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Carling surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Carling 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 377 #6,334
1861 historical 557 #4,727
1881 historical 752 #4,902
1891 historical 828 #4,904
1901 historical 937 #4,983
1911 historical 1,047 #4,389
1997 modern 1,148 #4,890
1998 modern 1,178 #4,959
1999 modern 1,220 #4,851
2000 modern 1,205 #4,887
2001 modern 1,178 #4,887
2002 modern 1,204 #4,892
2003 modern 1,161 #4,942
2004 modern 1,166 #4,935
2005 modern 1,173 #4,852
2006 modern 1,182 #4,835
2007 modern 1,215 #4,760
2008 modern 1,220 #4,782
2009 modern 1,265 #4,731
2010 modern 1,335 #4,584
2011 modern 1,301 #4,637
2012 modern 1,237 #4,791
2013 modern 1,266 #4,775
2014 modern 1,262 #4,814
2015 modern 1,248 #4,813
2016 modern 1,246 #4,792

Geography

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Where Carlings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Bees, Gateshead, Warsill, Ripon (Newby-with-Mulwith, Ripon), Preston and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hambleton, Harrogate, Sunderland, Stockton-on-Tees and Middlesbrough. 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 St Bees Cumberland
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Warsill, Ripon (Newby-with-Mulwith, Ripon) Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Preston Lancashire
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hambleton 006 Hambleton
2 Harrogate 004 Harrogate
3 Sunderland 021 Sunderland
4 Stockton-on-Tees 021 Stockton-on-Tees
5 Middlesbrough 010 Middlesbrough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Carling

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Carling

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Carling surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Carling household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Carling is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Carling 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

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

Meaning and origin of Carling

The surname Carling originated in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "cærling" or "carling," which meant "a freeman or peasant farmer." The name was likely adopted as a surname by individuals who worked as farmers or held land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Carling can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mentions a person named "Willelmus Carling." This suggests that the surname was already established in parts of northern England by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "Carlynge" and "Carlinge," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common during that time. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a "Robertus Carlinge" in Oxfordshire.

During the medieval period, the Carling surname was also associated with certain place names. For example, there was a village called "Carlinghow" in Yorkshire, which may have influenced the surname's development in that region.

Notable individuals with the surname Carling include:

1. Thomas Carling (c. 1636-1717), an English brewer and founder of the Carling Brewery in London. 2. John Carling (1758-1837), a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Nottingham. 3. Sir John Carling (1828-1911), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a Cabinet minister and founded the Carling Brewery in London, Ontario. 4. William Carling (1849-1919), a Canadian politician and businessman, son of Sir John Carling and president of the Carling Brewery. 5. Nellie Carling (1877-1962), an English actress and singer who performed in various stage productions and films.

While the Carling surname has its roots in England, it eventually spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond, as individuals with this name migrated and settled in different regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Carling families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Carling 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. Yorkshire leads with 312 Carlings recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.30x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 312 4.30x
Durham 150 6.88x
Middlesex 86 1.17x
Lancashire 42 0.48x
Surrey 31 0.87x
Cumberland 14 2.22x
Essex 12 0.83x
Hertfordshire 10 1.98x
Bedfordshire 9 2.37x
Devon 8 0.52x
Hampshire 8 0.53x
Stirlingshire 8 2.96x
Kent 7 0.28x
Northamptonshire 7 1.02x
Glamorgan 6 0.47x
Angus 5 0.74x
Cambridgeshire 5 1.08x
Perthshire 5 1.52x
Norfolk 4 0.36x
Lanarkshire 3 0.13x
Lincolnshire 3 0.26x
Oxfordshire 3 0.66x
Warwickshire 3 0.16x
Cheshire 2 0.12x
Gloucestershire 2 0.14x
Sussex 2 0.16x
Northumberland 1 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.10x
Somerset 1 0.08x
Suffolk 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. Middlesbrough in Yorkshire leads with 34 Carlings recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.96x.

Place Total Index
Middlesbrough 34 35.96x
Bishopwearmouth 28 14.97x
High Low Bishopside 19 295.03x
St Giles 17 125.00x
Islington London 16 2.25x
Monk Hesleden 14 230.64x
Preston 14 6.02x
Whitehaven 14 41.64x
Ripon 13 77.20x
Upper Stonebeck 13 1830.99x
Clerkenwell London 12 6.94x
Great Driffield 12 80.54x
Leeds 12 2.93x
North Stainley Cum 11 1067.96x
Shipley 11 29.20x
Aldfield 10 3125.00x
Hitchin 10 43.88x
Laverton 10 1315.79x
Witton Le Wear 10 161.81x
Bethnal Green London 9 2.83x
Bradford 9 5.12x
Chelsea London 9 4.08x
Chiswick 9 22.48x
Newton 9 13.43x
Castle Eden 8 361.99x
Crathorne 8 1250.00x
Auckland St Andrew 7 121.53x
Bingley 7 15.14x
Guildford St Mary 7 159.45x
Linthorpe 7 16.16x
Northampton St Sepulchre 7 19.97x
Tanfield 7 27.01x
Azerley 6 346.82x
Camberwell 6 1.28x
Holbeck 6 12.47x
Hunton 6 582.52x
Hunwick Helmington 6 114.72x
Kensington London 6 1.47x
Patrck Brmptn Newton 6 461.54x
Rookwith 6 4615.38x
Ryhope 6 39.66x
Southcoates 6 14.89x
Stoke 6 35.63x
Stonebeck Down 6 722.89x
Whitcliffe Cum Thorpe 6 909.09x
Willington 6 47.66x
Bedale 5 189.39x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 5 5.30x
Helmington Row 5 49.26x
Horton In Bradford 5 4.41x
Hunderthwaite 5 704.23x
Lewisham 5 3.75x
Manningham 5 5.59x
Ormesby 5 25.63x
Rawdon 5 58.48x
South Shields 5 25.76x
St Andrewthe Less 5 9.43x
St Mary Kalendar 5 159.74x
Stirling 5 14.68x
Thornley 5 63.37x
West Ham 5 1.57x
Wintringham 5 617.28x
Barrow In Furness 4 3.38x
Burton On Ure 4 1052.63x
Croydon 4 2.02x
Dundee 4 1.58x
Hammersmith London 4 2.22x
Hinderwell 4 64.52x
Melbourne 4 344.83x
Monzie 4 211.64x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 3.41x
Roath 4 6.90x
Shoreditch London 4 1.26x
West Rainton 4 59.26x
Westoe 4 3.24x
Wortley In Bramley 4 6.96x
Bedford St Paul 3 11.53x
Holy Trinity 3 1.72x
St Pancras London 3 0.51x
Stranton 3 4.09x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Carling surname: questions and answers

How common was the Carling surname in 1881?

In 1881, 752 people were recorded with the Carling surname. That placed it at #4,902 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Carling surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,246 in 2016. That gives Carling a modern rank of #4,792.

What does the Carling surname mean?

A locational surname of English origin referring to someone from a place called Carleton.

What does the Carling map show?

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