NameCensus.

UK surname

Carswell

From an English place name meaning "spring by a marsh," or from a lost village of that name.

In the 1881 census there were 1,098 people recorded with the Carswell surname, ranking it #3,617 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,431, ranked #4,278, down from #3,617 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Greenock and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Crosshouse, Gatehead and Kilmaurs Rural, Sandwell and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Carswell is 1,516 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.3%.

1881 census count

1,098

Ranked #3,617

Modern count

1,431

2016, ranked #4,278

Peak year

2002

1,516 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Carswell had 1,098 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,617 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,431 in 2016, ranked #4,278.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,368 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Carswell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Carswell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Carswell 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 763 #3,493
1861 historical 788 #3,500
1881 historical 1,098 #3,617
1891 historical 1,183 #3,622
1901 historical 1,368 #3,672
1911 historical 614 #6,717
1997 modern 1,446 #4,034
1998 modern 1,498 #4,053
1999 modern 1,485 #4,119
2000 modern 1,462 #4,143
2001 modern 1,440 #4,116
2002 modern 1,516 #4,033
2003 modern 1,466 #4,073
2004 modern 1,457 #4,096
2005 modern 1,430 #4,128
2006 modern 1,418 #4,153
2007 modern 1,423 #4,176
2008 modern 1,441 #4,164
2009 modern 1,498 #4,127
2010 modern 1,486 #4,216
2011 modern 1,469 #4,208
2012 modern 1,425 #4,242
2013 modern 1,443 #4,272
2014 modern 1,459 #4,261
2015 modern 1,449 #4,246
2016 modern 1,431 #4,278

Geography

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Where Carswells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Greenock, Glasgow, Pontesbury and Paisley Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Crosshouse, Gatehead and Kilmaurs Rural, Sandwell, Shropshire, Forth, Braehead and Auchengray and Rotherham. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Greenock Renfrew
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Pontesbury Shropshire
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Crosshouse, Gatehead and Kilmaurs Rural East Ayrshire
2 Sandwell 039 Sandwell
3 Shropshire 023 Shropshire
4 Forth, Braehead and Auchengray South Lanarkshire
5 Rotherham 031 Rotherham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Carswell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Carswell

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

Carswell is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Carswell falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Carswell 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 Carswell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Carswell

The surname Carswell originated in Scotland, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "carr" meaning rock or crag, and "well" meaning a spring or stream, suggesting that the name was likely given to someone who lived near a rocky stream or spring.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Carswell can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a series of parchment rolls that recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence. These rolls mention a "John de Carswelle" from the county of Ayrshire.

The Carswell name was also present in the famous Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book mentions a "Radulfus de Carswell" who held lands in the county of Berkshire.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Carswell name was John Carswell (c. 1520-1572), a Scottish clergyman and scholar who is best known for his translation of the Book of Common Order into Scottish Gaelic, making it one of the earliest printed works in that language.

Another notable Carswell was Robert Carswell (1793-1857), a Scottish physician and writer who is credited with introducing the stethoscope to Scotland and publishing one of the earliest textbooks on pathological anatomy.

Sir Robert Carswell (1718-1809), a Scottish politician and landowner, served as Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1770 to 1772 and was instrumental in the city's expansion and development during the Industrial Revolution.

In the literary world, Catherine Carswell (1879-1946) was a Scottish biographer and novelist known for her works on Robert Burns and D.H. Lawrence, among others.

The Carswell name has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Carswell in Ayrshire and Carswell in Aberdeenshire, further reinforcing its Scottish origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Carswell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Carswell 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. Lanarkshire leads with 227 Carswells recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.57x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 227 6.57x
Renfrewshire 153 18.48x
Ayrshire 85 10.63x
Lancashire 65 0.51x
Fife 59 9.33x
Argyllshire 57 19.17x
Kent 53 1.45x
Shropshire 42 4.55x
Kirkcudbrightshire 41 26.52x
Dunbartonshire 30 10.45x
Cheshire 29 1.23x
Middlesex 27 0.25x
Essex 26 1.23x
Midlothian 24 1.68x
Angus 20 2.02x
Buteshire 20 30.90x
Staffordshire 20 0.55x
Perthshire 18 3.75x
Durham 16 0.50x
Yorkshire 16 0.15x
Stirlingshire 11 2.79x
Cumberland 9 0.98x
Warwickshire 8 0.30x
Sussex 7 0.39x
Devon 6 0.27x
Suffolk 5 0.38x
Hampshire 4 0.18x
Northumberland 3 0.19x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.21x
Surrey 3 0.06x
Berwickshire 2 1.55x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.85x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.10x
Cornwall 1 0.08x
Morayshire 1 0.60x
Sutherland 1 1.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 68 Carswells recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.96x.

Place Total Index
Govan 68 7.96x
Glasgow 55 8.97x
Neilston 37 89.05x
Barony 36 4.12x
Cambusnethan 26 33.89x
Dalry 26 69.11x
Pontesbury 23 204.99x
Cathcart 22 49.12x
Urr 22 109.40x
Dundee 19 5.14x
Liverpool 19 2.47x
Abbey 18 14.25x
Charlton 18 74.38x
Buittle 17 468.32x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 17 2.95x
Auchtermuchty 16 188.46x
Paisley High Church 16 24.28x
Brentwood 15 116.64x
Kilmarnock 15 15.77x
Rothesay 15 47.86x
Paisley Low Church 14 53.44x
Shotts 14 33.87x
Glassary 13 81.15x
Colmonell 12 149.25x
Dunoon Kilmun 12 51.75x
Islington London 12 1.16x
West Greenock 12 8.08x
Bonhill 11 23.87x
Condover 11 169.23x
Lyminge 10 319.49x
New Monkland 10 9.79x
Old Monkland 10 7.29x
Cupar 9 32.73x
Elham 9 206.90x
Largs 9 47.80x
Logie 9 629.37x
Airth 8 159.68x
Ashton On Mersey 8 65.63x
Brandon And Bretford 8 503.14x
Broughton In Salford 8 6.90x
Burntwood Edial 8 34.74x
Crosscanonby 8 26.31x
Everton 8 1.98x
Old Kilpatrick 8 23.58x
Stranton 8 7.48x
Butley 7 346.53x
Chorlton On Medlock 7 3.48x
Dunoon 7 114.38x
Kilfinan 7 88.27x
Leeds 7 1.17x
Mearns 7 48.28x
Paisley Middle Church 7 14.53x
Stewarton 7 44.25x
West Bromwich 7 3.39x
Ardchattan Muckairn 6 81.63x
Arrochar 6 317.46x
Birkenhead 6 3.19x
Carnwath 6 28.09x
Glenorchy Inishail 6 174.93x
Kilbarchan 6 23.87x
Kilmany 6 258.62x
Leuchars 6 75.00x
Perth West Church 6 26.37x
Rochester St Margaret 6 15.61x
St Quivox 6 22.20x
Adlington 5 158.23x
Bute North 5 114.16x
East Greenock 5 6.40x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 5 3.63x
Hutton 5 303.03x
Ipswich St Margaret 5 11.33x
Pendleton In Salford 5 3.31x
Tibbermore 5 72.78x
Totnes 5 38.43x
West Ham 5 1.07x
Brightside Bierlow 4 1.93x
Burntisland 4 22.62x
Ceres 4 52.63x
Edinburgh Greenside 4 21.15x
St Andrews 4 13.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Elizabeth 13
Margaret 13
Annie 8
Eliza 8
Ann 7
Sarah 7
Agnes 6
Jane 6
Alice 5
Ada 3
Catherine 3
Ellen 3
Emily 3
Frances 3
Harriet 3
Jean 3
Jessie 3
Lizzie 3
Martha 3
Agness 2
Bertha 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Edith 2
Emma 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Susannah 2
Clara 1
Eda 1
Ellie 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Harriot 1
Janet 1
Joanna 1
Katie 1
Mabel 1
Maggie 1
Margret 1
Margt. 1
Marian 1
Marrian 1
Thomasina 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Carswell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Carswell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,098 people were recorded with the Carswell surname. That placed it at #3,617 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Carswell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,431 in 2016. That gives Carswell a modern rank of #4,278.

What does the Carswell surname mean?

From an English place name meaning "spring by a marsh," or from a lost village of that name.

What does the Carswell map show?

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