NameCensus.

UK surname

Drabble

In the 1881 census there were 997 people recorded with the Drabble surname, ranking it #3,910 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,104, ranked #5,323, down from #3,910 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Ecclesfield and Stockport. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include High Peak, Bassetlaw and Sheffield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Drabble is 1,451 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10.7%.

1881 census count

997

Ranked #3,910

Modern count

1,104

2016, ranked #5,323

Peak year

1911

1,451 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Drabble had 997 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,910 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,104 in 2016, ranked #5,323.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,451 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Drabble surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Drabble surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Drabble 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 632 #4,111
1861 historical 648 #4,145
1881 historical 997 #3,910
1891 historical 1,092 #3,870
1901 historical 1,335 #3,749
1911 historical 1,451 #3,325
1997 modern 1,246 #4,570
1998 modern 1,248 #4,728
1999 modern 1,258 #4,733
2000 modern 1,250 #4,739
2001 modern 1,225 #4,723
2002 modern 1,226 #4,810
2003 modern 1,199 #4,808
2004 modern 1,185 #4,863
2005 modern 1,142 #4,968
2006 modern 1,139 #4,976
2007 modern 1,145 #5,002
2008 modern 1,151 #5,019
2009 modern 1,190 #4,970
2010 modern 1,187 #5,094
2011 modern 1,155 #5,165
2012 modern 1,102 #5,284
2013 modern 1,125 #5,279
2014 modern 1,140 #5,237
2015 modern 1,117 #5,287
2016 modern 1,104 #5,323

Geography

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Where Drabbles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Ecclesfield, Stockport, Manchester and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to High Peak, Bassetlaw and Sheffield. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Ecclesfield Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Stockport Cheshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 High Peak 013 High Peak
2 High Peak 011 High Peak
3 High Peak 012 High Peak
4 Bassetlaw 016 Bassetlaw
5 Sheffield 062 Sheffield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Drabble

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Drabble

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Drabble, 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 Drabble surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Drabble 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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Drabble 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

Drabble is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Drabble falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Drabble is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Drabble families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Drabble 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 397 Drabbles recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.12x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 397 4.12x
Derbyshire 197 12.94x
Nottinghamshire 113 8.62x
Lancashire 109 0.94x
Cheshire 98 4.56x
Middlesex 38 0.39x
Surrey 14 0.30x
Kent 8 0.24x
Angus 4 0.44x
Midlothian 4 0.31x
West Lothian 4 2.73x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.51x
Lincolnshire 2 0.13x
Rutland 2 2.80x
Sussex 2 0.12x
Hampshire 1 0.05x
Northamptonshire 1 0.11x
Wiltshire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 109 Drabbles recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.53x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 109 35.53x
Bradfield 60 161.51x
Bollington In 40 209.31x
Ecclesall Bierlow 38 19.38x
Nether Hallam 38 29.14x
Cheadle 29 70.73x
Brightside Bierlow 22 11.64x
Ecclesfield 20 28.30x
Buxton 19 147.40x
Eckington 19 51.37x
Carlton In Lindrick 18 517.24x
Rotherham 15 27.61x
Matlock 14 68.49x
Chesterfield 13 22.78x
Pennington In Leigh 13 58.72x
Foolow 12 1621.62x
Hulme 12 4.98x
Mansfield Woodhouse 12 137.61x
Harthill Cum Woodall 11 298.10x
Heaton Norris 11 16.75x
Swinton In Rotherham 11 43.17x
Brampton 10 46.99x
Caunton 10 740.74x
Hartington Upper 10 137.74x
Stockport 10 9.05x
Tideswell 10 151.29x
Bolsover 9 117.96x
Ealing 9 10.35x
Kensington London 9 1.66x
Manchester 9 1.73x
Stanton 9 354.33x
Westleigh 9 34.34x
Barlow 8 261.44x
Elmton 8 465.12x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 7 7.80x
Bermondsey 7 2.42x
Chester St Oswald 7 18.01x
Darfield 7 79.82x
Doncaster 7 9.94x
Fairfield 7 68.76x
Hucknall Under 7 103.55x
Kirklington 7 958.90x
St Marylebone London 7 1.35x
Ashton Under Lyne 6 2.38x
Bilsthorpe 6 923.08x
Clapham 6 4.93x
Hyde 6 9.47x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 6 24.68x
Pendlebury 6 24.62x
Thrybergh 6 869.57x
Toxteth Park 6 1.54x
Whitby 6 18.47x
Worksop 6 15.43x
Conisbrough 5 55.31x
Greasley 5 16.90x
Heeley 5 17.07x
Holloway 5 265.96x
Northen Etchells 5 198.41x
Oswaldtwistle 5 12.26x
Rowsley Great 5 526.32x
Rufford 5 450.45x
Sundridge 5 90.42x
Burnley 4 4.12x
Darley 4 65.04x
Dundee 4 1.19x
Edmonton 4 5.10x
Everton 4 1.09x
Eyam 4 94.12x
Linlithgow 4 21.30x
Mexborough 4 20.91x
North Collingham 4 129.45x
North Wingfield 4 58.82x
Nottingham St Mary 4 1.18x
Rusholme 4 13.00x
Southcoates 4 7.48x
Staveley 4 14.80x
Winthorpe 4 470.59x
Wuerdle Wardle 4 11.42x
Great Bolton 3 1.96x
Litton 3 123.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 58
John 51
George 47
James 34
Joseph 21
Thomas 21
Charles 18
Henry 18
Robert 13
Frederick 12
Samuel 12
Harry 11
Walter 11
Albert 10
Arthur 10
Alfred 6
Benjamin 6
Edwin 6
Frank 6
Fred 6
Wm. 6
Edward 5
Herbert 5
Ernest 4
Francis 4
Peter 4
Geo. 3
Richard 3
Adolphus 2
Alexander 2
Chas. 2
Edd. 2
Edwd. 2
Fredk. 2
Fredric 2
Harold 2
Jno. 2
Jonathan 2
Thos. 2
Vincent 2
Clement 1
David 1
Enoch 1
F. 1
Fergus 1
Fred. 1
Fredk.Samuel 1
Hugh 1
Joe 1
Wm.W. 1

FAQ

Drabble surname: questions and answers

How common was the Drabble surname in 1881?

In 1881, 997 people were recorded with the Drabble surname. That placed it at #3,910 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Drabble surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,104 in 2016. That gives Drabble a modern rank of #5,323.

What does the Drabble map show?

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