NameCensus.

UK surname

Carvel

A surname possibly derived from a regional name referring to locations in France or England.

In the 1881 census there were 116 people recorded with the Carvel surname, ranking it #18,126 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 122, ranked #27,255, down from #18,126 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Greens Norton, Burton-on-Trent and Sileby. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lichfield, Mearns Village, Westacres and Greenfarm and Tamworth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Carvel is 127 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.2%.

1881 census count

116

Ranked #18,126

Modern count

122

2016, ranked #27,255

Peak year

2010

127 bearers

Map years

5

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Carvel had 116 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,126 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 122 in 2016, ranked #27,255.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 124 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Carvel surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Carvel surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Carvel 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 78 #19,840
1861 historical 124 #17,797
1881 historical 116 #18,126
1891 historical 81 #26,632
1901 historical 73 #26,069
1911 historical 62 #26,622
1997 modern 121 #24,019
1998 modern 115 #25,466
1999 modern 113 #25,913
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 110 #25,900
2002 modern 109 #26,552
2003 modern 103 #27,234
2004 modern 107 #26,899
2005 modern 107 #26,875
2006 modern 110 #26,717
2007 modern 113 #26,641
2008 modern 118 #26,212
2009 modern 124 #25,957
2010 modern 127 #26,176
2011 modern 116 #27,477
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 110 #29,028
2014 modern 120 #27,646
2015 modern 119 #27,684
2016 modern 122 #27,255

Geography

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Where Carvels are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Greens Norton, Burton-on-Trent, Sileby, Workington (Workington), Clossocks and Hanslope. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lichfield, Mearns Village, Westacres and Greenfarm, Tamworth and Camden. 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 Greens Norton Northamptonshire
2 Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire
3 Sileby Leicestershire
4 Workington (Workington), Clossocks Cumberland
5 Hanslope Buckinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lichfield 008 Lichfield
2 Mearns Village, Westacres and Greenfarm East Renfrewshire
3 Tamworth 002 Tamworth
4 Camden 004 Camden
5 Lichfield 012 Lichfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Carvel

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Carvel

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Carvel surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Carvel household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Carvel is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Carvel is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Carvel falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Carvel is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Carvel

The surname Carvel originated in France during the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "carvel," which means "a small boat or ship." This name likely referred to an occupation or someone who worked on small ships, possibly a shipbuilder or sailor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Carvel name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled "Carvill." This suggests that the name may have Norman origins, as the Normans introduced many French surnames to England during the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various records as "Carvill," "Carvile," and "Carvile." It is believed that these variations were due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

One notable bearer of the Carvel name was Sir John Carvel, a 14th-century English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was born in 1325 and died in 1380.

Another historical figure with this surname was William Carvel, a 16th-century English merchant and explorer. He was born in 1540 and is known for his travels to the West Indies and his involvement in the early colonization efforts in the Americas.

In the 17th century, the Carvel name was associated with a place called Carville in Normandy, France. This may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in some instances.

A famous bearer of the Carvel name in the 18th century was Thomas Carvel, an American businessman and entrepreneur. He was born in 1786 and is credited with establishing the first successful ice cream franchise in the United States, known as Carvel Ice Cream.

In the 19th century, the Carvel surname was found in various parts of Europe, including England, France, and Germany. One notable figure from this period was Charles Carvel, a French artist and painter born in 1825.

While the Carvel surname has evolved over centuries, its origins can be traced back to the late 12th century in France, where it likely referred to an occupation related to small ships or boats.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Carvel families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Carvel 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. Northamptonshire leads with 26 Carvels recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.82x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 26 23.82x
Cumberland 24 24.02x
Leicestershire 19 14.76x
Staffordshire 12 3.06x
Surrey 7 1.24x
Lancashire 6 0.44x
Anglesey 5 24.31x
Buckinghamshire 5 7.13x
Lanarkshire 4 1.07x
Isle of Man 3 13.92x
Derbyshire 2 1.10x
Kent 2 0.51x
Middlesex 2 0.17x
Westmorland 1 3.92x
Yorkshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cleator in Cumberland leads with 9 Carvels recorded in 1881 and an index of 216.35x.

Place Total Index
Cleator 9 216.35x
Greens Norton 8 2285.71x
Wolverhampton 8 26.56x
Battersea 7 16.39x
Sileby 7 864.20x
Misterton 6 3157.89x
Stainburn 6 6666.67x
Weddicar 6 20000.00x
Aspull 5 154.32x
Hanslope 5 793.65x
Trefdraeth 5 1388.89x
Everdon 4 1818.18x
Ratby 4 625.00x
Anslow 3 2000.00x
Barony 3 3.16x
Guilsborough 3 1034.48x
Rushen 3 205.48x
Duston 2 202.02x
Illston On The Hill 2 1666.67x
Long Buckby 2 198.02x
Milton 2 689.66x
Stowe Nine Churches 2 2000.00x
Allestree 1 434.78x
Byfield 1 312.50x
Elham 1 212.77x
Glasgow 1 1.50x
Hanbury 1 476.19x
Higham 1 188.68x
Holme 1 322.58x
Keighley 1 8.16x
Kirkdale 1 4.32x
Little Chester 1 434.78x
Northampton Priory St 1 15.27x
Plumbland 1 384.62x
Seaton 1 85.47x
Shoreditch London 1 1.99x
St George Hanover Square 1 4.89x
Weedon Beck 1 128.21x
Workington 1 17.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Elizabeth 8
Jane 8
Ann 3
Eliza 3
Emily 3
Charlotte 2
Sarah 2
Susan 2
Alice 1
Anne 1
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Charles 1
Edna 1
Eliz. 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Jessie 1
Kathleen 1
Lehannah 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Margt. 1
Rosan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 8
George 6
Joseph 5
William 5
John 4
Samuel 3
Caleb 2
Daniel 2
Edward 2
Harry 2
Thomas 2
Abel 1
Albert 1
C.W. 1
Charles 1
Elijah 1
Elijha 1
Elisha 1
Evan 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Henry 1
Hugh 1
Jno. 1
Josiah 1
Luke 1
Patrick 1

FAQ

Carvel surname: questions and answers

How common was the Carvel surname in 1881?

In 1881, 116 people were recorded with the Carvel surname. That placed it at #18,126 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Carvel surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 122 in 2016. That gives Carvel a modern rank of #27,255.

What does the Carvel surname mean?

A surname possibly derived from a regional name referring to locations in France or England.

What does the Carvel map show?

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