NameCensus.

UK surname

Elwell

From the Old English elements "ēa" meaning water and "well" meaning spring, likely referring to someone living near a spring.

In the 1881 census there were 854 people recorded with the Elwell surname, ranking it #4,427 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,577, ranked #3,936, up from #4,427 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedgley, Kingswinford and Dudley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wolverhampton, Dudley and South Staffordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Elwell is 1,759 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 84.7%.

1881 census count

854

Ranked #4,427

Modern count

1,577

2016, ranked #3,936

Peak year

1998

1,759 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Elwell had 854 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,427 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,577 in 2016, ranked #3,936.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,559 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Elwell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Elwell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Elwell 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 460 #5,388
1861 historical 492 #5,307
1881 historical 854 #4,427
1891 historical 1,054 #3,979
1901 historical 1,270 #3,906
1911 historical 1,559 #3,109
1997 modern 1,698 #3,517
1998 modern 1,759 #3,528
1999 modern 1,759 #3,551
2000 modern 1,751 #3,549
2001 modern 1,697 #3,583
2002 modern 1,715 #3,627
2003 modern 1,716 #3,550
2004 modern 1,688 #3,604
2005 modern 1,669 #3,601
2006 modern 1,626 #3,695
2007 modern 1,633 #3,707
2008 modern 1,618 #3,756
2009 modern 1,646 #3,792
2010 modern 1,672 #3,815
2011 modern 1,655 #3,808
2012 modern 1,626 #3,785
2013 modern 1,625 #3,863
2014 modern 1,630 #3,877
2015 modern 1,597 #3,907
2016 modern 1,577 #3,936

Geography

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Where Elwells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedgley, Kingswinford, Dudley, Walsall and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wolverhampton, Dudley and South Staffordshire. 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 Sedgley Staffordshire
2 Kingswinford Worcestershire
3 Dudley Staffordshire
4 Walsall Staffordshire
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wolverhampton 033 Wolverhampton
2 Dudley 005 Dudley
3 South Staffordshire 013 South Staffordshire
4 Dudley 001 Dudley
5 Dudley 004 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Elwell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Elwell

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

Challenged Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger 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, Elwell 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

Elwell 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

Elwell falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Elwell

The surname Elwell has its origins in England, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from an Old English place name, possibly related to the word "awell" or "aewell," meaning a stream or spring.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which mention a Richard de Ellewelle. This suggests that the name may have originated in that county, possibly from a place name that has since been lost or changed over time.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various spellings, such as Eluell, Elwill, and Elwel, reflecting the fluidity of spelling conventions in that era. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 record a Richard de Eluell in Oxfordshire, while the Patent Rolls of 1329 mention a John Elwel from Surrey.

Elwell is also thought to have been an old place name in Somerset, where a village called Elwell existed near Taunton. This may have contributed to the spread of the surname in that region.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Elwell, a merchant and Member of Parliament for Bristol in the late 16th century (1529-1589). Another was Edward Elwell, a Puritan minister who emigrated from England to Massachusetts in the 1630s and became one of the founders of the town of Gloucester.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Visitation of Somerset in 1623, which lists a family of that name. Thomas Elwell (1621-1688) was a prominent Quaker minister and writer from Warwickshire.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Elwell surname continued to be found across England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Devon, and Gloucestershire. Notable individuals from this period include John Elwell (1743-1805), a Baptist minister and author from Gloucestershire, and Robert Elwell (1767-1847), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Elwell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Elwell 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. Staffordshire leads with 406 Elwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.44x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 406 14.44x
Worcestershire 103 9.47x
Lancashire 54 0.55x
Warwickshire 54 2.57x
Derbyshire 43 3.30x
Middlesex 26 0.31x
Surrey 26 0.64x
Yorkshire 20 0.24x
Somerset 19 1.42x
Shropshire 18 2.50x
Kent 10 0.35x
Durham 8 0.32x
Essex 8 0.49x
Gloucestershire 7 0.43x
Pembrokeshire 7 2.64x
Leicestershire 6 0.65x
Montgomeryshire 6 3.14x
Oxfordshire 6 1.17x
Wiltshire 5 0.68x
Northumberland 4 0.32x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.36x
Hampshire 3 0.18x
Lincolnshire 3 0.23x
Cardiganshire 2 0.98x
Glamorgan 2 0.14x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.20x
Cumberland 1 0.14x
Dorset 1 0.18x
Flintshire 1 0.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sedgley in Staffordshire leads with 170 Elwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 162.76x.

Place Total Index
Sedgley 170 162.76x
Dudley 47 35.54x
Kingswinford 35 34.28x
Bilston 28 51.38x
West Bromwich 28 17.39x
Birmingham 27 3.86x
Tipton 24 27.87x
Wednesfield 23 55.58x
Walsall Foreign 22 15.15x
Aston 20 3.46x
Hagley 17 482.95x
Kings Norton 17 17.43x
St Pancras London 14 2.09x
Amblecote 13 162.09x
Beverley St Mary 12 99.50x
Madeley 12 45.47x
Wednesbury 12 17.08x
Weston Super Mare 12 35.44x
Wolverhampton 11 5.09x
Deptford St Paul 10 4.56x
Morton 10 398.41x
Cheslyn Hay 9 175.44x
Lambeth 9 1.24x
Pendlebury 9 43.12x
Warrington 9 7.68x
Whittington 9 49.89x
Brightside Bierlow 8 4.94x
Checkley 8 109.59x
Rowley Regis 8 10.21x
Wollaston 8 115.94x
Harlow 7 98.73x
Tenby St Mary In 7 51.93x
Battersea 6 1.96x
Camberwell 6 1.13x
Iffley 6 138.25x
Llanllwchaiarn 6 72.55x
Barrow In Furness 5 3.72x
Chesterfield 5 10.23x
Eckington 5 15.78x
Handsworth 5 7.21x
Highworth 5 53.08x
Kirkdale 5 3.01x
Measham 5 104.38x
Whitworth 5 27.56x
Curdworth 4 208.33x
Durleigh 4 677.97x
Halliwell 4 11.12x
Kinver 4 49.32x
Leicester St Margaret 4 1.78x
Lye 4 22.10x
Newbold Dunston 4 32.26x
Nottingham St Mary 4 1.38x
Pleasley 4 121.58x
Salford 4 1.38x
Toxteth Park 4 1.20x
Tynemouth 4 6.03x
Wickwar 4 152.67x
Edgbaston 3 4.61x
Hampstead London 3 2.31x
Harborne 3 3.33x
Islington London 3 0.37x
Newington 3 0.97x
Oldbury 3 5.61x
Ryton 3 500.00x
Shifnal 3 15.35x
Aberystwith 2 11.44x
Ainsworth 2 52.22x
Bermondsey 2 0.81x
Blackburn 2 0.76x
Bristol St George 2 2.65x
Dibden 2 138.89x
Edmonton 2 2.98x
Everton 2 0.63x
Foxcote 2 1176.47x
Kidderminster Borough 2 3.14x
Liverpool 2 0.33x
Manchester 2 0.45x
Penarth 2 14.10x
St Peterin Eastgate 2 48.54x
Stourbridge 2 7.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 47
William 45
Thomas 36
Joseph 32
James 28
George 24
Benjamin 13
Alfred 12
Edward 12
Henry 12
Isaac 12
Robert 10
David 9
Samuel 9
Harry 7
Arthur 6
Job 5
Paul 5
Charles 4
Daniel 4
Enoch 4
Francis 4
Abel 3
Frederick 3
Jonah 3
Richard 3
Thos. 3
Albert 2
Clement 2
Ezekial 2
Ezekiel 2
Ezekil 2
Isiah 2
Abraham 1
Algernon 1
Benjaiman 1
Benjamine 1
Benjn. 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Elisha 1
Ernest 1
Eyabel 1
Gilbert 1
Giles 1
Harold 1
Herbert 1
Hollis 1
Wm.Edward 1

FAQ

Elwell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Elwell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 854 people were recorded with the Elwell surname. That placed it at #4,427 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Elwell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,577 in 2016. That gives Elwell a modern rank of #3,936.

What does the Elwell surname mean?

From the Old English elements "ēa" meaning water and "well" meaning spring, likely referring to someone living near a spring.

What does the Elwell map show?

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