NameCensus.

UK surname

Carlyon

A locational surname derived from the town of Charlton in Cornwall, England.

In the 1881 census there were 380 people recorded with the Carlyon surname, ranking it #8,249 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 549, ranked #9,292, down from #8,249 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Keverne, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside and Illogan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Carlyon is 549 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.5%.

1881 census count

380

Ranked #8,249

Modern count

549

2016, ranked #9,292

Peak year

2016

549 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Carlyon had 380 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,249 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 549 in 2016, ranked #9,292.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 388 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Carlyon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Carlyon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Carlyon 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 322 #7,215
1861 historical 323 #7,888
1881 historical 380 #8,249
1891 historical 347 #9,894
1901 historical 388 #9,685
1911 historical 381 #9,635
1997 modern 479 #9,615
1998 modern 487 #9,794
1999 modern 483 #9,932
2000 modern 481 #9,916
2001 modern 467 #9,965
2002 modern 492 #9,741
2003 modern 469 #9,940
2004 modern 489 #9,652
2005 modern 484 #9,659
2006 modern 504 #9,432
2007 modern 500 #9,562
2008 modern 494 #9,738
2009 modern 509 #9,712
2010 modern 538 #9,523
2011 modern 543 #9,373
2012 modern 525 #9,526
2013 modern 539 #9,497
2014 modern 548 #9,418
2015 modern 543 #9,419
2016 modern 549 #9,292

Geography

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Where Carlyons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Keverne, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Illogan, Breage and Wendron. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall and County Durham. 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 Keverne Cornwall
2 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
3 Illogan Cornwall
4 Breage Cornwall
5 Wendron Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 047 Cornwall
2 County Durham 009 County Durham
3 Cornwall 040 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 046 Cornwall
5 County Durham 004 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Carlyon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Carlyon

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Carlyon is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Carlyon is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Carlyon

The surname CARLYON is of English origin, and it first appeared in the county of Cornwall in the southwest of England during the medieval period.

The name CARLYON is derived from the Cornish placename "Carlyon", which itself comes from the Cornish words "kar" meaning "fort" and "lyon" meaning "shelter" or "enclosure". This suggests that the name originated from a location that was a fortified enclosure or shelter.

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname CARLYON can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Cornwall from the year 1201, where a person named Richard de Carlyon is mentioned. This suggests that the surname was already well-established by the early 13th century.

In the 16th century, the CARLYON family held lands and property in the parish of St. Austell in Cornwall. Notable members of the family from this period include John Carlyon (c.1540-1610), who served as a Member of Parliament for Truro in 1597.

The CARLYON surname is also associated with the village of Charlynch in Somerset, which was formerly known as "Carlyon's Inch" or "Carlyon's Island", referring to a landholding owned by a family of that name in the 13th century.

Other notable figures bearing the CARLYON surname include Sir Clement Carlyon (1777-1857), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Richard Carlyon (1853-1937), a Cornish mining engineer and author.

In the 19th century, members of the CARLYON family were among the early settlers in Australia, with several individuals bearing the surname arriving in the colony of South Australia in the 1830s and 1840s.

While the CARLYON surname is relatively uncommon, it has a long and distinguished history, particularly in the county of Cornwall where it originated from a fortified place or enclosure.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Carlyon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Carlyon 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. Cornwall leads with 275 Carlyons recorded in 1881 and an index of 65.36x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 275 65.36x
Devon 21 2.71x
Middlesex 17 0.46x
Cambridgeshire 10 4.25x
Lancashire 8 0.18x
Hampshire 7 0.92x
Kent 6 0.47x
Cumberland 5 1.56x
Gloucestershire 5 0.69x
Somerset 5 0.84x
Caernarfonshire 4 2.66x
Durham 4 0.36x
Shropshire 4 1.25x
Yorkshire 4 0.11x
Essex 2 0.27x
Channel Islands 1 0.91x
Cheshire 1 0.12x
Glamorgan 1 0.15x
Surrey 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camborne in Cornwall leads with 31 Carlyons recorded in 1881 and an index of 178.78x.

Place Total Index
Camborne 31 178.78x
Breage 30 781.25x
St Keverne 25 1077.59x
Illogan 24 215.44x
Kenwyn 15 136.36x
Wendron 15 256.85x
Chelsea London 14 12.50x
Helston 12 274.60x
Sithney 11 258.82x
St Austell 10 69.54x
Falmouth 9 60.44x
Cury 8 1454.55x
Mylor 8 283.69x
Lanreath 7 972.22x
St Buryan 7 402.30x
St Gluvias 7 296.61x
Dibden 6 937.50x
Mawgan In Meneage 6 545.45x
Barnstaple 5 41.19x
Egremont 5 65.53x
Habergham Eaves 5 12.40x
Leverington 5 322.58x
Newton Abbot St Mary 5 77.04x
Stoke Damerel 5 9.24x
Westbury On Trym 5 20.25x
Denio 4 113.64x
Duloe 4 325.20x
St Blazey 4 108.40x
St Martin In Meneage 4 784.31x
Talland 4 404.04x
Wellington 4 22.16x
Wisbech St Mary 4 148.15x
Bath St James 3 48.08x
Crowan 3 90.09x
Dover St James 3 53.96x
Kea 3 95.54x
St Just In Roseland 3 163.04x
Walmer 3 54.45x
Brotton 2 41.58x
East Stonehouse 2 13.12x
Liskeard 2 28.41x
Madron Penzance 2 13.07x
St Agnes 2 33.96x
St Ewe 2 157.48x
St Ive 2 74.07x
St Merryn 2 289.86x
St Mewan 2 153.85x
St Pinnock 2 312.50x
Toxteth Park 2 1.34x
Walton In Gordano 2 312.50x
West Rainton 2 58.48x
All Saints Cambridge 1 60.61x
Bermondsey 1 0.90x
Bodmin 1 14.37x
Budock 1 31.55x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.14x
Constantine 1 40.82x
Dedham 1 44.84x
Devonport 1 11.25x
Felstead 1 39.84x
Great Crosby 1 8.32x
Halifax 1 1.85x
Harberton 1 56.82x
Harrow On The Hill 1 13.48x
Harton 1 22.88x
Islington London 1 0.28x
Ladock 1 84.03x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 1.61x
Morestead 1 555.56x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 1.68x
Redruth 1 8.40x
Settle 1 35.46x
St Clement 1 22.78x
St Gluvias Penryn 1 29.67x
St Helier 1 2.79x
Tanfield 1 7.60x
Tormoham 1 3.06x
Tranmere 1 3.32x
Truro St Mary 1 28.25x
Tywardreath 1 37.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 32
Mary 17
Jane 13
Eliza 8
Grace 7
Annie 6
Caroline 6
Ellen 6
Sarah 6
Louisa 5
Margaret 5
Ann 4
Julia 4
Ada 3
Alice 3
Emily 3
Harriet 3
Lucy 3
Mabel 3
Martha 3
Thomasine 3
Bessie 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Dorothy 2
Elizth. 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Francis 2
Isabella 2
Kate 2
Laura 2
Lillian 2
Mable 2
Priscilla 2
Rosa 2
Augusta 1
Betsy 1
Cecil 1
Cecily 1
Elizth.M. 1
Ellenear 1
Fannie 1
Flarinda 1
Hester 1
Jessie 1
Joanne 1
Julian 1
Katherine 1
Kezia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 29
John 26
Thomas 15
Richard 14
Edward 13
Charles 7
Henry 6
James 4
Clement 3
Albert 2
Alexander 2
Alfred 2
Edmund 2
Joseph 2
Philip 2
Sampson 2
W.J. 2
Alexand 1
Christopher 1
Claude 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Fredenram 1
Frederick 1
Gage 1
Geo. 1
Geoffrey 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Horatio 1
Hugh 1
Hunable 1
Mathew 1
Orlando 1
Paul 1
Renneson 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Thos.Henry 1
Tredenham 1
Tristrem 1
W.H. 1
Walter 1
Will. 1
Wilmet 1
Winstanley 1
Wm.James 1

FAQ

Carlyon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Carlyon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 380 people were recorded with the Carlyon surname. That placed it at #8,249 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Carlyon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 549 in 2016. That gives Carlyon a modern rank of #9,292.

What does the Carlyon surname mean?

A locational surname derived from the town of Charlton in Cornwall, England.

What does the Carlyon map show?

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