NameCensus.

UK surname

Carroll

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname "Cearbhal," meaning "fierce in battle," from the Celtic root "car," meaning "cart."

In the 1881 census there were 6,003 people recorded with the Carroll surname, ranking it #733 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 19,467, ranked #307, up from #733 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Knowsley, Manchester and Flintshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Carroll is 19,851 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 224.3%.

1881 census count

6,003

Ranked #733

Modern count

19,467

2016, ranked #307

Peak year

2010

19,851 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Carroll had 6,003 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #733 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 19,467 in 2016, ranked #307.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,119 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Carroll surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Carroll surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Carroll 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 2,206 #1,330
1861 historical 2,667 #1,098
1881 historical 6,003 #733
1891 historical 6,297 #735
1901 historical 8,108 #660
1911 historical 8,119 #617
1997 modern 18,396 #316
1998 modern 19,136 #315
1999 modern 19,299 #313
2000 modern 19,099 #314
2001 modern 18,677 #313
2002 modern 19,114 #313
2003 modern 18,692 #313
2004 modern 18,614 #314
2005 modern 18,349 #315
2006 modern 18,430 #312
2007 modern 18,642 #309
2008 modern 18,828 #307
2009 modern 19,384 #306
2010 modern 19,851 #306
2011 modern 19,451 #307
2012 modern 19,051 #307
2013 modern 19,477 #307
2014 modern 19,667 #307
2015 modern 19,544 #305
2016 modern 19,467 #307

Geography

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Where Carrolls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Knowsley, Manchester, Flintshire and Drumry East. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Knowsley 010 Knowsley
2 Manchester 003 Manchester
3 Flintshire 003 Flintshire
4 Drumry East Glasgow City
5 Knowsley 005 Knowsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Carroll

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Carroll

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Carroll, 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 Carroll surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Carroll 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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Carroll 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

Carroll is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Carroll 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 Carroll is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Carroll, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Carroll

The surname Carroll has its origins in the Gaelic Irish name O'Cearbhaill, which was derived from the personal name Cearbhall. This name has a meaning related to "fierce in battle" or "warlike". The Carroll surname originated in Ireland, particularly in the areas of County Offaly and County Tipperary, where the Gaelic name O'Cearbhaill was most prevalent.

In the 12th century, the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland led to many Irish names being anglicized. The name O'Cearbhaill evolved into various spellings, such as Carrol, Carrell, and eventually the more commonly used Carroll. Some of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in medieval Irish annals and manuscripts.

One notable early reference to the name is in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of Irish history compiled in the 17th century. It mentions several individuals with the surname Carroll or variations of it, such as Maelmordha O'Carrol, who was the King of Ely (a region in County Offaly) in the 11th century.

The Carroll surname also has a connection to several notable figures throughout history. One of the most famous individuals with this name is Lewis Carroll, the English writer and mathematician born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832-1898), best known for his works "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass".

Another prominent Carroll was Charles Carroll (1737-1832), an American politician and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He was the only Catholic signer and the longest-lived of all the signers.

The name is also associated with John Carroll (1735-1815), an American prelate who was the first Catholic bishop and archbishop in the United States. He founded Georgetown University in 1789.

In the field of literature, there was Sydney Carroll (1830-1909), an English writer and author of several novels, including "The Life of Lewis Carroll" and "A Memoir of Lewis Carroll".

Additionally, Earl Carroll (1892-1948) was an American producer and entrepreneur who is credited with popularizing the modern revue, a type of theatrical entertainment consisting of various skits and musical performances.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Carroll families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Carroll 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. Lancashire leads with 2,191 Carrolls recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.15x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2,191 3.15x
Yorkshire 676 1.16x
Middlesex 620 1.06x
Durham 337 1.93x
Lanarkshire 326 1.72x
Surrey 254 0.89x
Cheshire 231 1.78x
Staffordshire 157 0.79x
Kent 117 0.58x
Warwickshire 82 0.55x
Angus 79 1.45x
Renfrewshire 70 1.54x
Hampshire 65 0.54x
Northumberland 63 0.72x
Midlothian 57 0.73x
Glamorgan 48 0.47x
Derbyshire 47 0.51x
Gloucestershire 47 0.41x
Cumberland 37 0.73x
Essex 35 0.30x
Ayrshire 33 0.75x
Northamptonshire 33 0.60x
Sussex 30 0.30x
Devon 28 0.23x
Somerset 28 0.30x
Buckinghamshire 24 0.68x
Worcestershire 23 0.30x
Nottinghamshire 21 0.27x
Bedfordshire 19 0.63x
Monmouthshire 18 0.42x
Royal Navy 17 2.43x
Pembrokeshire 15 0.80x
Wigtownshire 13 1.67x
Caernarfonshire 12 0.51x
Dorset 12 0.31x
Berkshire 10 0.23x
Cornwall 9 0.14x
Stirlingshire 9 0.42x
Dunbartonshire 8 0.51x
Hertfordshire 8 0.20x
Isle of Man 8 0.73x
Aberdeenshire 7 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 7 0.19x
Flintshire 7 0.44x
Merionethshire 7 0.65x
Suffolk 7 0.10x
Lincolnshire 6 0.06x
Huntingdonshire 5 0.43x
Denbighshire 4 0.18x
Inverness-shire 4 0.23x
Leicestershire 4 0.06x
Cardiganshire 3 0.21x
Dumfriesshire 3 0.23x
Norfolk 3 0.03x
West Lothian 3 0.34x
Channel Islands 2 0.12x
East Lothian 2 0.26x
Fife 2 0.06x
Herefordshire 2 0.08x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.15x
Perthshire 2 0.08x
Shropshire 2 0.04x
Wiltshire 2 0.04x
Anglesey 1 0.10x
Berwickshire 1 0.14x
Brecknockshire 1 0.09x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.21x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.12x
Morayshire 1 0.11x
Oxfordshire 1 0.03x
Roxburghshire 1 0.09x
Rutland 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 485 Carrolls recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.48x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 485 11.48x
Manchester 286 9.14x
Bradford 127 9.03x
Salford 115 5.62x
Leeds 114 3.47x
Barony 100 2.08x
Hulme 95 6.54x
West Derby 80 3.93x
Govan 79 1.68x
Everton 78 3.52x
Glasgow 76 2.26x
Toxteth Park 75 3.18x
Islington London 73 1.28x
Birmingham 57 1.16x
Lambeth 50 0.98x
St Marylebone London 49 1.56x
Ashton Under Lyne 48 3.16x
Birkenhead 48 4.65x
St Pancras London 47 1.00x
Horton In Bradford 45 4.96x
Oldham 45 2.00x
Kirkdale 44 3.76x
Little Bolton 44 4.92x
Preston 44 2.36x
Deptford St Paul 40 2.59x
Dundee 40 1.97x
Blackburn 39 2.11x
Widnes 38 7.57x
Wigan 37 3.80x
Bermondsey 36 2.06x
Mile End Old Town London 36 2.88x
Ardwick 32 5.10x
Bishopwearmouth 32 2.14x
Chorlton On Medlock 32 2.89x
Stockport 31 4.65x
St George In East London 29 5.26x
Stoke Upon Trent 29 1.38x
Brandon Byshottles 28 12.81x
Burnley 28 4.78x
Bury 28 3.52x
Kensington London 28 0.86x
Conside Knitsley 27 19.90x
West Greenock 27 3.31x
Middlesbrough 26 3.44x
Bowling 25 4.34x
Camberwell 25 0.67x
Dukinfield 25 4.18x
Brighton 24 1.20x
Halifax 24 2.81x
Northowram 24 5.89x
Newton In Ashton Under 23 18.01x
Northampton Priory St 23 6.95x
Shoreditch London 23 0.90x
Prescot 22 17.48x
Chelsea London 21 1.19x
Great Bolton 21 2.28x
Pendleton In Salford 21 2.53x
Spotland 21 2.71x
Blantyre 20 10.13x
Eccleston In Prescot 20 5.72x
Liff Benvie 20 2.42x
Newington 20 0.92x
Southwark St George Martyr 20 1.69x
Wardleworth 20 5.03x
Aston 19 0.47x
Barrow In Furness 18 1.90x
Bootle Cum Linacre 18 3.26x
Chesterfield 18 5.23x
Gorton 18 2.75x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 18 2.38x
Stafford St Mary 18 6.42x
Warrington 18 2.18x
Battersea 17 0.79x
Clerkenwell London 17 1.23x
Hartlepool 17 6.86x
Holy Trinity 17 1.22x
Kilmarnock 17 3.25x
Normanby In 17 10.94x
Southwark Christchurch 17 6.19x
Willenhall 17 4.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 565
Margaret 164
Elizabeth 163
Catherine 161
Ellen 132
Ann 118
Bridget 112
Sarah 111
Jane 90
Annie 64
Alice 51
Kate 51
Eliza 45
Emma 40
Julia 40
Maria 40
Martha 32
Rose 32
Hannah 28
Agnes 27
Anne 23
Lucy 22
Emily 19
Margt. 19
Susan 18
Charlotte 16
Caroline 14
Fanny 14
Florence 14
Frances 13
Louisa 13
Ada 12
Harriet 12
Catharine 11
Winifred 11
Johanna 10
Maggie 10
Jessie 9
Margret 9
Clara 8
Elizth. 8
Harriett 8
Sophia 8
Susannah 8
Amy 7
Cathrine 7
Esther 7
Isabella 7
Theresa 7
Amelia 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 476
James 307
William 247
Thomas 236
Patrick 156
Michael 131
Joseph 82
Edward 74
George 63
Peter 53
Charles 50
Henry 47
Robert 46
Richard 38
Daniel 33
Martin 26
Francis 24
Dennis 18
Timothy 18
Walter 18
Arthur 16
Bernard 16
Hugh 15
Andrew 14
David 14
Matthew 14
Thos. 13
Alfred 12
Anthony 12
Frederick 12
Albert 11
Owen 11
Lawrence 10
Luke 10
Wm. 10
Mathew 9
Denis 7
Harry 7
Jeremiah 7
Stephen 7
Christopher 6
Ernest 6
Frank 6
Edwin 5
Jas. 5
Nicholas 5
Phillip 5
Isaac 4
Jno. 4
W. 4

FAQ

Carroll surname: questions and answers

How common was the Carroll surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,003 people were recorded with the Carroll surname. That placed it at #733 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Carroll surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 19,467 in 2016. That gives Carroll a modern rank of #307.

What does the Carroll surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname "Cearbhal," meaning "fierce in battle," from the Celtic root "car," meaning "cart."

What does the Carroll map show?

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