NameCensus.

UK surname

Colville

A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places called Colville in the English counties of Staffordshire or Northumberland.

In the 1881 census there were 1,018 people recorded with the Colville surname, ranking it #3,848 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,291, ranked #4,639, down from #3,848 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkcaldy Dysart and Abbotshall, Govan Combination and Arbroath and St. Vigeans. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Campbeltown, Kintyre Trail and Blair Atholl, Strathardle and Glenshee.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Colville is 1,318 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.8%.

1881 census count

1,018

Ranked #3,848

Modern count

1,291

2016, ranked #4,639

Peak year

2010

1,318 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Colville had 1,018 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,848 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,291 in 2016, ranked #4,639.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,239 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Colville surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Colville surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Colville 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 597 #4,298
1861 historical 687 #3,920
1881 historical 1,018 #3,848
1891 historical 1,162 #3,676
1901 historical 1,239 #3,993
1911 historical 420 #8,969
1997 modern 1,189 #4,743
1998 modern 1,243 #4,739
1999 modern 1,279 #4,662
2000 modern 1,279 #4,646
2001 modern 1,238 #4,677
2002 modern 1,270 #4,675
2003 modern 1,240 #4,676
2004 modern 1,240 #4,671
2005 modern 1,246 #4,612
2006 modern 1,257 #4,578
2007 modern 1,249 #4,658
2008 modern 1,244 #4,699
2009 modern 1,293 #4,632
2010 modern 1,318 #4,649
2011 modern 1,292 #4,669
2012 modern 1,251 #4,743
2013 modern 1,272 #4,747
2014 modern 1,291 #4,705
2015 modern 1,283 #4,687
2016 modern 1,291 #4,639

Geography

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Where Colvilles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkcaldy Dysart and Abbotshall, Govan Combination, Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Campbeltown, Kintyre Trail, Blair Atholl, Strathardle and Glenshee, Mearns South and Benholm and Markinch and Star. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Kirkcaldy Dysart and Abbotshall Fife
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Campbeltown Argyll and Bute
2 Kintyre Trail Argyll and Bute
3 Blair Atholl, Strathardle and Glenshee Perth and Kinross
4 Mearns South and Benholm Aberdeenshire
5 Markinch and Star Fife

Forenames

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First names often paired with Colville

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Colville

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Colville is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Colville 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

Colville falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Colville

The surname Colville originated in Normandy, France, and is derived from the Old French words "col" meaning "hill" and "ville" meaning "town." It was likely adopted by a family residing near a town situated on a hill. The name first appeared in English records following the Norman Conquest of 1066.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Coluile" and was recorded in various counties across England, including Norfolk, Suffolk, and Yorkshire.

In Scotland, the Colville family held lands in the Scottish Borders region, and the name is closely associated with the town of Culross in Fife. Sir John Colville (1480-1549) was a prominent Scottish politician and diplomat who served as Lord Justice Clerk and played a significant role in the political affairs of his time.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Charles Colville (1678-1741), a British naval officer who served as Governor of Newfoundland from 1729 to 1737. He played a crucial role in establishing British control over the region and supporting the fishing industry.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Colville surname can be found in the 17th century. Richard Colville (1625-1695) was an English settler who emigrated to Virginia in the 1640s and became a prominent landowner and politician in the colony.

John Colville (1749-1820) was a Scottish-born American soldier and politician who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and the United States House of Representatives.

Throughout its history, the Colville surname has been associated with various places, including Colville in Staffordshire, England, and Colville in Washington State, which was named after the British naval officer Andrew Colville.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Colville families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Colville 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. Fife leads with 137 Colvilles recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.15x.

County Total Index
Fife 137 23.15x
Angus 132 14.25x
Lanarkshire 119 3.68x
Lancashire 62 0.52x
Midlothian 60 4.48x
Argyllshire 52 18.68x
Middlesex 51 0.51x
Northumberland 42 2.82x
Kent 34 1.00x
Ayrshire 33 4.41x
Renfrewshire 26 3.36x
Banffshire 22 10.61x
Glamorgan 19 1.09x
Nottinghamshire 19 1.41x
Durham 18 0.61x
Kincardineshire 17 13.96x
Surrey 17 0.35x
Dunbartonshire 13 4.84x
Norfolk 13 0.85x
Perthshire 13 2.90x
Sussex 13 0.77x
Stirlingshire 12 3.25x
Cumberland 9 1.05x
Hampshire 9 0.44x
Cheshire 7 0.32x
Selkirkshire 7 7.74x
Staffordshire 7 0.21x
Yorkshire 7 0.07x
Clackmannanshire 6 7.27x
Wiltshire 6 0.68x
Buteshire 5 8.25x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.43x
Berkshire 4 0.53x
Essex 4 0.20x
Shropshire 4 0.46x
Devon 3 0.14x
Kinross-shire 3 11.87x
Royal Navy 3 2.52x
Channel Islands 2 0.68x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.63x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.45x
Inverness-shire 1 0.33x
Isle of Man 1 0.54x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.69x
Lincolnshire 1 0.06x
Oxfordshire 1 0.16x
Roxburghshire 1 0.55x
Suffolk 1 0.08x
Warwickshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 57 Colvilles recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.48x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 57 16.48x
Campbeltown 51 151.88x
Barony 47 5.74x
Govan 36 4.50x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 35 6.49x
Markinch 22 109.51x
Liff Benvie 19 13.51x
Dysart 18 45.16x
Abbotshall 16 72.33x
Dunfermline 15 16.48x
Ystradyfodwg 14 9.17x
Auchterderran 12 80.65x
Arbroath 11 35.83x
Brechin 11 30.22x
Cramond 10 98.52x
Glasgow 10 1.74x
Kilmarnock 10 11.23x
Marykirk 10 199.20x
St Vigeans 10 20.00x
Carluke 9 30.65x
Dumbarton 9 24.06x
Ellingham 9 1168.83x
Falkland 9 96.67x
Fordyce 9 60.32x
Islington London 9 0.93x
Ochiltree 9 174.76x
St Ninians 9 24.62x
Westoe 9 5.34x
Bow London 8 6.28x
Byker 8 10.88x
Chatton 8 175.05x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 8 17.33x
St Fergus 8 152.67x
Abbey 7 5.92x
Battersea 7 1.90x
Eccleston In Prescot 7 11.75x
Everton 7 1.85x
Greenwich 7 4.40x
Melrose 7 30.74x
Rye 7 43.70x
Swanscombe 7 45.66x
Tonbridge 7 5.69x
Alloa 6 14.99x
Basford 6 9.66x
Biggar 6 82.08x
Blairgowrie 6 33.80x
Bramcote 6 233.46x
Dairsie 6 250.00x
Dalmellington 6 27.27x
Great Crosby 6 18.55x
Kensington London 6 1.08x
Kirkdale 6 3.01x
Paisley Middle Church 6 13.30x
Tipton 6 5.81x
Wandsworth 6 6.23x
Auchtermuchty 5 62.89x
Brighton 5 1.47x
Collessie 5 73.42x
East Broughton 5 147.93x
Llanwonno 5 7.99x
Longbenton 5 7.94x
Neilston 5 12.85x
Newhall In Nantwich 5 204.92x
Radford 5 7.30x
Rochester St Margaret 5 13.90x
Rothesay 5 17.04x
Shoreditch London 5 1.15x
Trowbridge 5 12.79x
Workington 5 10.14x
Bothwell 4 4.56x
Duddingston 4 14.88x
Edinburgh St Georges 4 14.39x
Erskine 4 71.05x
Monimail 4 137.93x
Nigg 4 39.72x
Shrewsbury St Chad 4 13.19x
St Anne Soho London 4 7.01x
Temple 4 75.05x
Walton On Hill 4 6.22x
West Ham 4 0.92x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 19
William 18
Robert 15
George 13
Charles 9
James 9
David 8
Henry 7
Edward 6
Frank 5
Samuel 5
Frederick 4
Hugh 4
Richard 4
Thomas 4
Joseph 3
Alexander 2
Alfred 2
Edwin 2
Fiennes 2
Herbert 2
Hubert 2
Peter 2
Thos. 2
Albert 1
Algernon 1
Allen 1
Archie 1
G. 1
Gordon 1
Harry 1
Hy. 1
Ira 1
Jno. 1
Lancelot 1
Leonard 1
Malcolm 1
Marmaduke 1
Reginald 1
Stanley 1
W. 1
Walter 1
Willie 1
Wm.Geo. 1
Wm.R. 1

FAQ

Colville surname: questions and answers

How common was the Colville surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,018 people were recorded with the Colville surname. That placed it at #3,848 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Colville surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,291 in 2016. That gives Colville a modern rank of #4,639.

What does the Colville surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places called Colville in the English counties of Staffordshire or Northumberland.

What does the Colville map show?

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