NameCensus.

UK surname

Cassel

A toponymic surname derived from any of various places named Cassel, meaning "castle" in Old French.

In the 1881 census there were 83 people recorded with the Cassel surname, ranking it #21,808 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 104, ranked #30,317, down from #21,808 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Trafford, Tunbridge Wells and South Bucks.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cassel is 104 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.3%.

1881 census count

83

Ranked #21,808

Modern count

104

2016, ranked #30,317

Peak year

2016

104 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cassel had 83 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,808 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016, ranked #30,317.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 87 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Cassel surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cassel surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cassel 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 49 #24,448
1861 historical 87 #22,681
1881 historical 83 #21,808
1891 historical 81 #26,632
1901 historical 82 #25,019
1911 historical 81 #24,719
1997 modern 53 #32,329
1998 modern 63 #31,639
1999 modern 65 #31,605
2000 modern 66 #31,553
2001 modern 68 #31,195
2002 modern 80 #30,387
2003 modern 69 #31,587
2004 modern 81 #30,569
2005 modern 79 #30,950
2006 modern 78 #31,385
2007 modern 80 #31,527
2008 modern 85 #31,247
2009 modern 90 #31,094
2010 modern 94 #31,111
2011 modern 88 #31,801
2012 modern 85 #32,395
2013 modern 96 #31,381
2014 modern 102 #30,714
2015 modern 103 #30,444
2016 modern 104 #30,317

Geography

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Where Cassels are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Trafford, Tunbridge Wells, South Bucks, Ryedale and Wycombe. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Trafford 017 Trafford
2 Tunbridge Wells 008 Tunbridge Wells
3 South Bucks 001 South Bucks
4 Ryedale 007 Ryedale
5 Wycombe 004 Wycombe

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cassel

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cassel

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Cassel surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Cassel household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Cassel 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

Cassel 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

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

Meaning and origin of Cassel

The surname Cassel is of German origin, derived from the word "Kassel," which is the name of a city in the central region of Germany. The name likely arose as a locational surname, given to individuals who hailed from or lived in the city of Kassel.

The city of Kassel dates back to the 8th century, and the name itself is believed to have its roots in the Old Germanic words "Cas" and "sala," which together mean "a place to live." This suggests that the name Cassel was associated with a settlement or dwelling place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cassel can be found in the Codex Traditionum Corbeiensium, a medieval manuscript from the 9th century that documents land transactions and property ownership in the region around Kassel.

In the 12th century, a notable figure named Heinrich von Cassel was mentioned in the Annals of Saxony, a historical chronicle that recorded events in the region during that period. Heinrich von Cassel was a knight and landowner in the area surrounding the city of Kassel.

During the 16th century, a prominent individual named Johannes Cassel (1516-1592) was a German theologian and reformer who played a role in the Protestant Reformation. He was born in Kassel and became a prominent figure in the Lutheran Church.

In the 18th century, a notable person with the surname Cassel was Sir Philip Cassel (1707-1777), a British merchant and banker who was involved in the financial affairs of the East India Company. Although born in England, his family roots can be traced back to the German city of Kassel.

Another notable figure with the surname Cassel was Ernst Cassel (1852-1921), a Swedish economist and sociologist who made significant contributions to the field of economics. He was born in Germany but later immigrated to Sweden, where he became a prominent academic and writer.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the surname Cassel, which can be traced back to the German city of Kassel and its Old Germanic roots.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cassel families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cassel 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 14 Cassels recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.33x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 14 1.33x
Middlesex 12 1.35x
Berkshire 10 15.01x
Channel Islands 8 30.42x
Gloucestershire 8 4.60x
Yorkshire 8 0.91x
Surrey 7 1.62x
Kent 6 1.98x
Sussex 6 4.01x
Staffordshire 4 1.34x
Northamptonshire 2 2.40x
Cheshire 1 0.51x
Dorset 1 1.72x
Essex 1 0.57x
Fife 1 1.90x
Shropshire 1 1.30x
Wiltshire 1 1.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mortimer in Berkshire leads with 10 Cassels recorded in 1881 and an index of 3125.00x.

Place Total Index
Mortimer 10 3125.00x
St Brelade 7 1029.41x
Boughton Under Blean 5 980.39x
Brighton 5 16.56x
Manchester 5 10.56x
Paddington London 5 15.32x
Bethnal Green London 4 10.38x
Rixton With Glazebrook 4 1481.48x
Saddleworth 4 59.00x
Gloucester St John Baptist 3 267.86x
Mitcham 3 109.89x
Pelsall 3 337.08x
Ashby St Ledgers 2 2500.00x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 8.69x
Lambeth 2 2.58x
Leeds 2 4.03x
Oldham 2 5.88x
Willersey 2 1666.67x
Winchcomb 2 232.56x
Batley 1 11.96x
Bishops Cannings 1 344.83x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 11.96x
Bourton 1 400.00x
Broadwater 1 29.15x
Camberwell 1 1.76x
Edgware 1 400.00x
Epping 1 140.85x
Falkland 1 120.48x
Marple 1 74.63x
Oswestry Town 1 40.65x
Sherborne 1 588.24x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 5.60x
St George Hanover Square 1 6.39x
St Peter 1 131.58x
Tonbridge 1 9.16x
Walsall Foreign 1 6.46x
Wentworth 1 185.19x
Westminster St James 1 10.96x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Elizabeth 4
Lucy 3
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Martha 2
Sarah 2
A.M.Maude 1
Adele 1
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Ann 1
Anna 1
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Deborah 1
Dora 1
Emily 1
Harriett 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Lavina 1
Lilian 1
Louise 1
Maria 1
Maude 1
Minnie 1
Phoebe 1
Rosana 1
Susan 1
Winnefred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 6
William 6
John 4
Henry 3
James 3
David 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
George 2
Arthur 1
Chas.Wm. 1
Daniel 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Felix 1
Frank 1
Geo.E. 1
Harry 1
Matthew 1
Solomon 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Cassel surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cassel surname in 1881?

In 1881, 83 people were recorded with the Cassel surname. That placed it at #21,808 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cassel surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016. That gives Cassel a modern rank of #30,317.

What does the Cassel surname mean?

A toponymic surname derived from any of various places named Cassel, meaning "castle" in Old French.

What does the Cassel map show?

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