NameCensus.

UK surname

Challacombe

A surname derived from the village of Challacombe in Devon, England.

In the 1881 census there were 126 people recorded with the Challacombe surname, ranking it #17,245 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 179, ranked #21,086, down from #17,245 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Morthoe, Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Devon and Swansea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Challacombe is 219 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.1%.

1881 census count

126

Ranked #17,245

Modern count

179

2016, ranked #21,086

Peak year

2002

219 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Challacombe had 126 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,245 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 179 in 2016, ranked #21,086.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 213 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Challacombe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Challacombe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Challacombe 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 119 #15,247
1861 historical 124 #17,797
1881 historical 126 #17,245
1891 historical 139 #19,311
1901 historical 155 #17,704
1911 historical 213 #14,379
1997 modern 194 #17,978
1998 modern 201 #18,047
1999 modern 204 #18,021
2000 modern 209 #17,723
2001 modern 209 #17,469
2002 modern 219 #17,288
2003 modern 215 #17,286
2004 modern 196 #18,438
2005 modern 194 #18,512
2006 modern 193 #18,675
2007 modern 204 #18,251
2008 modern 206 #18,300
2009 modern 215 #18,179
2010 modern 205 #19,140
2011 modern 204 #19,040
2012 modern 191 #19,802
2013 modern 187 #20,436
2014 modern 185 #20,739
2015 modern 182 #20,856
2016 modern 179 #21,086

Geography

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Where Challacombes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Morthoe, Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton, London parishes, Ilfracombe and Combmartin. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Devon and Swansea. 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 Morthoe Devon
2 Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton Devon
3 London parishes London 3
4 Ilfracombe Devon
5 Combmartin Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Devon 001 North Devon
2 North Devon 004 North Devon
3 North Devon 010 North Devon
4 Swansea 014 Swansea
5 North Devon 003 North Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Challacombe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Challacombe

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Challacombe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Challacombe household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Challacombe is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

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

Challacombe is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Challacombe

The surname Challacombe is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the place name Challacombe, a village located in the county of Devon, England. The name itself has roots in the Old English words "ceald" meaning "cold" and "cumb" meaning "valley" or "hollow," suggesting the area was a chilly valley or hollow.

Challacombe was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Caldecoma." This vital census record from the time of William the Conqueror shows the earliest known mention of the place name and, consequently, the surname's origins. Over time, the spelling evolved to its current form, Challacombe.

One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this surname was John de Challacombe, who lived in the late 13th century. He was a landowner and appeared in historical records related to property holdings in the village of Challacombe.

In the 15th century, a notable figure named William Challacombe (c.1420-1492) was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Exeter, Devon. His successful business dealings and civic involvement brought recognition to the Challacombe name during this period.

Moving forward to the 16th century, Sir Thomas Challacombe (1530-1604) was a respected lawyer and judge who served as a Justice of the Court of King's Bench during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another individual of note was Sir Edward Challacombe (1670-1744), who served as a member of parliament for the borough of Lyme Regis in the early 18th century. His political involvement further elevated the Challacombe family's status in the region.

In more recent history, the Reverend John Challacombe (1825-1892) was a well-known clergyman and author who wrote extensively on theological subjects and served as the vicar of Challacombe parish for many years.

While the Challacombe surname originated in a specific geographic area, it has since spread throughout England and beyond, carried by families and individuals who trace their roots back to the picturesque Devon village that gave rise to this distinctive name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Challacombe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Challacombe 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. Devon leads with 79 Challacombes recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.88x.

County Total Index
Devon 79 30.88x
Glamorgan 15 7.01x
Surrey 11 1.84x
Buckinghamshire 10 13.46x
Gloucestershire 9 3.73x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.88x
Kent 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ilfracombe in Devon leads with 32 Challacombes recorded in 1881 and an index of 1216.73x.

Place Total Index
Ilfracombe 32 1216.73x
Combmartin 15 2678.57x
Morthoe 9 5000.00x
Swansea Town 9 51.31x
Wolborough 9 278.64x
Bishops Tawton 6 750.00x
Dorking 6 149.25x
Amersham 5 476.19x
Clifton 5 41.02x
Great Missenden 5 543.48x
Neath 4 91.95x
Newton St Cyres 3 833.33x
Devonport 2 68.03x
Lambeth 2 1.87x
Oystermouth 2 120.48x
Reigate Foreign 2 30.86x
Westbury On Trym 2 24.48x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 4.21x
Bristol St George 1 8.97x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 12.44x
Camberwell 1 1.27x
Exeter Allhallows Onthe 1 833.33x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 17.06x
Lewisham 1 4.47x
Stoke Damerel 1 5.59x

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 14
John 11
Thomas 7
Edwin 4
Arthur 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
George 2
A. 1
Albert 1
Charles 1
Edgar 1
Fred 1
Fredk 1
Henry 1
Hurcley 1
Hy. 1
Hy.Thos. 1
Isaac 1
James 1
Margaret 1
Philip 1
Sydney 1

FAQ

Challacombe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Challacombe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 126 people were recorded with the Challacombe surname. That placed it at #17,245 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Challacombe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 179 in 2016. That gives Challacombe a modern rank of #21,086.

What does the Challacombe surname mean?

A surname derived from the village of Challacombe in Devon, England.

What does the Challacombe map show?

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