NameCensus.

UK surname

Darrell

A habitational name referring to a place called Darrell.

In the 1881 census there were 240 people recorded with the Darrell surname, ranking it #11,410 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 320, ranked #14,096, down from #11,410 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, London parishes and Wakefield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Scarborough, Ryedale and Wolverhampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Darrell is 330 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.3%.

1881 census count

240

Ranked #11,410

Modern count

320

2016, ranked #14,096

Peak year

2014

330 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Darrell had 240 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,410 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 320 in 2016, ranked #14,096.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 314 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Darrell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Darrell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Darrell 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 111 #16,006
1861 historical 195 #12,263
1881 historical 240 #11,410
1891 historical 298 #11,167
1901 historical 314 #11,285
1911 historical 249 #12,951
1997 modern 283 #14,037
1998 modern 289 #14,208
1999 modern 275 #14,789
2000 modern 272 #14,868
2001 modern 257 #15,236
2002 modern 287 #14,402
2003 modern 279 #14,506
2004 modern 286 #14,312
2005 modern 266 #15,007
2006 modern 274 #14,769
2007 modern 275 #14,888
2008 modern 293 #14,364
2009 modern 296 #14,557
2010 modern 291 #15,050
2011 modern 278 #15,390
2012 modern 297 #14,607
2013 modern 309 #14,451
2014 modern 330 #13,889
2015 modern 325 #13,927
2016 modern 320 #14,096

Geography

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Where Darrells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, London parishes, Wakefield, Cannock and Wye. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Scarborough, Ryedale, Wolverhampton 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Cannock Staffordshire
5 Wye Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Scarborough 014 Scarborough
2 Ryedale 002 Ryedale
3 Wolverhampton 004 Wolverhampton
4 Rotherham 001 Rotherham
5 Rotherham 002 Rotherham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Darrell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Darrell

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Darrell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Darrell 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Darrell is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Darrell is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Darrell 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 Darrell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Darrell

The surname Darrell originated in England and is derived from an Old French personal name, likely from the Latin word "darellus" which meant "favored" or "beloved." It is believed to have originated as a Norman name, brought to England by the Norman conquerors in the 11th century.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Darrell can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a record of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as Derelle, Derellius, and Darrell.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Norman Darrell, who lived in the late 12th century and was a prominent landowner in Buckinghamshire, England. Another notable figure was Sir Ralph Darrell, who served as a member of parliament for Somerset in the 14th century.

The Darrell family had strong ties to the county of Berkshire, where they held lands and manors, including the manor of Littlecote. Sir Edward Darrell (1535-1589), a prominent member of the family, is remembered for his involvement in the Littlecote House Scandal, a notorious case of murder and alleged witchcraft.

In the 16th century, the name Darrell was also associated with the English Civil War. Sir Sampson Darrell (1575-1641) was a Royalist commander who fought for King Charles I, while his cousin, William Darrell (1597-1668), was a Parliamentarian who opposed the King.

Other notable individuals with the surname Darrell include Sir Thomas Darrell (1612-1678), an English politician and landowner, and Sir Lionel Darrell (1620-1683), a Royalist commander during the English Civil War.

Throughout its history, the surname Darrell has been closely associated with the counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Somerset in England, where the family held significant land and influence over several centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Darrell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Darrell 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. Yorkshire leads with 50 Darrells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.16x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 50 2.16x
Middlesex 44 1.88x
Staffordshire 24 3.04x
Kent 20 2.50x
Warwickshire 19 3.22x
Hampshire 13 2.71x
Surrey 12 1.05x
Northumberland 11 3.16x
Lancashire 10 0.36x
Gloucestershire 9 1.96x
Shropshire 8 3.96x
Sussex 6 1.52x
Ayrshire 5 2.85x
Bedfordshire 3 2.48x
Buckinghamshire 2 1.41x
Angus 1 0.46x
Northamptonshire 1 0.45x
Suffolk 1 0.35x
Wiltshire 1 0.48x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 14 Darrells recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.61x.

Place Total Index
Aston 14 8.61x
Handsworth 12 61.60x
Portsea 12 12.76x
West Ayton 11 2972.97x
Wye 9 725.81x
Chislehurst 8 186.92x
Fretherne 8 4210.53x
Bromley London 7 13.59x
Cannock 7 50.76x
Paddington London 7 8.13x
Longbenton 6 40.68x
Lt Wenlock 6 1363.64x
Southwark Christchurch 6 54.69x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 5 24.04x
Skircoat 5 54.64x
St Marylebone London 5 4.00x
St Quivox 5 84.46x
Stockton On Forest 5 1388.89x
Templenewsam 5 297.62x
Westbourne 5 255.10x
Fulham London 4 11.78x
Hindley 4 33.78x
Middlesbrough 4 13.24x
Shoreditch London 4 3.94x
St George Hanover Square 4 9.70x
St Pancras London 4 2.12x
Birmingham 3 1.52x
Dunstable 3 80.65x
Halifax 3 8.81x
Islington London 3 1.32x
York St Peter The 3 1153.85x
Edgbaston 2 10.93x
Holy Trinity 2 3.58x
Mile End Old Town London 2 4.01x
North Cave Drewton 2 219.78x
Swinton In Rotherham 2 32.63x
Whitechapel London 2 8.67x
Withington 2 22.35x
Wolverhampton 2 3.29x
Wykeham 2 434.78x
Arbroath 1 13.91x
Brighton 1 1.26x
Bungay St Mary 1 70.92x
Cheltenham 1 2.82x
Chesham 1 19.16x
Clifford Cum Boston 1 47.85x
Droxford 1 54.64x
Folkestone 1 6.46x
Greenwich 1 2.68x
Hackney London 1 0.76x
Kingswinford 1 3.49x
Lambeth 1 0.49x
Leeds 1 0.76x
Liverpool 1 0.59x
Lympne 1 222.22x
Madeley 1 13.48x
Manningham 1 3.50x
Milford 1 90.09x
Moss Side 1 6.84x
Newington 1 1.16x
Newton 1 4.67x
Northallerton 1 33.78x
Northampton St Sepulchre 1 8.93x
Quatt Jervis 1 625.00x
Reigate Foreign 1 8.10x
Sedgley 1 3.41x
St George Bloomsbury 1 7.45x
Streatham 1 5.76x
Sutton 1 12.12x
Swillington 1 151.52x
Thornton In Craven 1 53.76x
Warrington 1 3.04x
Wednesfield 1 8.60x
Wimbledon 1 7.81x
Wycombe 1 9.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 12
Mary 10
Emily 6
Jane 6
Annie 5
Emma 5
Martha 5
Sarah 5
Alice 4
Ann 3
Charlotte 3
Louisa 3
Beatrice 2
Catherine 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Ethel 2
Eva 2
Evelyn 2
Maria 2
Ada 1
Anne 1
Cecilia 1
Clara 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Isabel 1
Johana 1
Kate 1
Lilly 1
Lizzie 1
M.E. 1
Maggie 1
Margurita 1
Marrana 1
Matilda 1
Maud 1
Minnie 1
Nellie 1
Rachel 1
Rhoda 1
Ruth 1
Susannah 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 17
William 8
Charles 7
Henry 6
Thomas 6
George 5
James 5
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Joseph 3
Samuel 3
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Chas. 2
Daniel 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Jacob 2
Lionel 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Stephen 2
Christopher 1
Claud 1
Edmond 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Freman 1
Geo 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Jame 1
Jno 1
Levi 1
Llewellyn 1
Loinel 1
Mark 1
Owen 1
Percy 1
Soloman 1
Solomon 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1
Timothy 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Darrell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Darrell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 240 people were recorded with the Darrell surname. That placed it at #11,410 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Darrell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 320 in 2016. That gives Darrell a modern rank of #14,096.

What does the Darrell surname mean?

A habitational name referring to a place called Darrell.

What does the Darrell map show?

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