NameCensus.

UK surname

Eling

A surname derived from a place name meaning "meadow by the brook".

In the 1881 census there were 68 people recorded with the Eling surname, ranking it #23,950 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 87, ranked #32,476, down from #23,950 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tunbridge, Bidborough, St Werburgh and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, Cornwall and Ryedale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Eling is 130 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.9%.

1881 census count

68

Ranked #23,950

Modern count

87

2016, ranked #32,476

Peak year

1911

130 bearers

Map years

1

1911 to 1911

Key insights

  • Eling had 68 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,950 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 87 in 2016, ranked #32,476.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 130 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Eling surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Eling surname density by area, 1911 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Eling 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 50 #24,274
1861 historical 91 #22,206
1881 historical 68 #23,950
1891 historical 74 #27,538
1901 historical 81 #25,130
1911 historical 130 #19,504
1997 modern 101 #26,774
1998 modern 97 #28,054
1999 modern 100 #27,757
2000 modern 101 #27,555
2001 modern 91 #28,670
2002 modern 91 #29,181
2003 modern 87 #29,615
2004 modern 89 #29,623
2005 modern 87 #29,966
2006 modern 86 #30,425
2007 modern 88 #30,515
2008 modern 85 #31,247
2009 modern 89 #31,235
2010 modern 95 #31,000
2011 modern 90 #31,564
2012 modern 84 #32,502
2013 modern 88 #32,349
2014 modern 90 #32,309
2015 modern 88 #32,421
2016 modern 87 #32,476

Geography

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Where Elings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tunbridge, Bidborough, St Werburgh, Sheffield, Luton and Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, Cornwall, Ryedale and North Somerset. 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 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
2 St Werburgh Derbyshire
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Luton Bedfordshire
5 Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 006 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 045 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Cornwall 029 Cornwall
4 Ryedale 008 Ryedale
5 North Somerset 022 North Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Eling

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Eling

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

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Eling surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Eling household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Eling 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

Eling is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Eling falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Eling

The surname ELING has its origins in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. The name is believed to be derived from various place names in England, such as Ealing in Middlesex or Eling in Hampshire. These place names are thought to have originated from Old English words like "ēa" meaning "river" or "ēaling" meaning "place of the dwellers by the river."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the ELING surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and populations conducted in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname were present in England during the Norman conquest and subsequent Norman rule.

In the 13th century, records show individuals named Walter de Eling and Roger de Eling residing in Hertfordshire and Surrey, respectively. These early spellings, with the prefix "de" indicating "of" or "from," further solidify the connection between the surname and place names.

During the 14th century, the ELING surname appeared in various historical documents, including court rolls and tax records. One notable figure from this era was John Eling, a landowner in Oxfordshire who was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of 1377.

In the 16th century, the ELING surname gained prominence with individuals like Richard Eling, a merchant and alderman of London, who lived from 1525 to 1599. Another notable figure was William Eling, a clergyman and author who was born in 1568 and served as the rector of Woodford, Essex.

The 17th century saw the ELING surname spread across England, with individuals such as Edward Eling (1603-1674), a prominent Puritan minister and author from Kent, and John Eling (1623-1687), a Member of Parliament representing Guildford in Surrey.

In the 18th century, the ELING surname continued to be associated with notable individuals, including Thomas Eling (1717-1788), a renowned English clockmaker from London, and William Eling (1744-1814), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Gloucestershire.

As time progressed, the ELING surname was carried to various parts of the world through migration and exploration, with individuals bearing this name making their mark in various fields and professions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Eling families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Eling 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. Warwickshire leads with 15 Elings recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.97x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 15 8.97x
Yorkshire 12 1.83x
Derbyshire 11 10.60x
Kent 8 3.54x
Bedfordshire 6 17.47x
Glamorgan 4 3.46x
Herefordshire 3 11.03x
Middlesex 3 0.45x
Surrey 3 0.93x
Sussex 2 1.79x
Oxfordshire 1 2.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 15 Elings recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.91x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 15 26.91x
Sheffield 12 57.36x
Litchurch 9 215.31x
Tonbridge 7 85.78x
Luton 6 101.01x
Swansea Town 4 42.24x
Nortonwith 3 2307.69x
Shere 2 512.82x
St Marylebone London 2 5.65x
Uckfield 2 408.16x
Denby 1 312.50x
Derby St Werburgh 1 16.69x
Plumstead 1 13.26x
Richmond 1 22.08x
St George Hanover Square 1 8.56x
Swyncombe 1 1250.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 4
Ann 3
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Emma 2
Jane 2
Julia 2
Mary 2
Ada 1
Adelaide 1
Ellen 1
Florance 1
Florence 1
James 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Phoebe 1
Rachel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 5
Thomas 5
Henry 4
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
George 2
John 2
Saml. 2
Walter 2
William 2
Albert 1
Alfd. 1
Edwin 1
Fred 1
Fredk.H. 1
Joseph 1
Robert 1
Stephen 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Eling surname: questions and answers

How common was the Eling surname in 1881?

In 1881, 68 people were recorded with the Eling surname. That placed it at #23,950 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Eling surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 87 in 2016. That gives Eling a modern rank of #32,476.

What does the Eling surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name meaning "meadow by the brook".

What does the Eling map show?

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