NameCensus.

UK surname

Engel

A German and Jewish surname meaning "angel," likely referring to a person with angelic qualities or a connection to angels.

In the 1881 census there were 78 people recorded with the Engel surname, ranking it #22,500 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 336, ranked #13,583, up from #22,500 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George Bloomsbury, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hackney, Barnet and Bromley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Engel is 336 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 330.8%.

1881 census count

78

Ranked #22,500

Modern count

336

2016, ranked #13,583

Peak year

2016

336 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Engel had 78 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,500 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 336 in 2016, ranked #13,583.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 186 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Engel surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Engel surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Engel 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 27 #28,467
1861 historical 22 #31,140
1881 historical 78 #22,500
1891 historical 104 #23,388
1901 historical 143 #18,570
1911 historical 186 #15,643
1997 modern 276 #14,290
1998 modern 286 #14,318
1999 modern 298 #14,026
2000 modern 281 #14,567
2001 modern 269 #14,776
2002 modern 266 #15,156
2003 modern 281 #14,443
2004 modern 280 #14,530
2005 modern 274 #14,663
2006 modern 289 #14,234
2007 modern 292 #14,313
2008 modern 288 #14,537
2009 modern 301 #14,386
2010 modern 322 #14,034
2011 modern 312 #14,230
2012 modern 300 #14,505
2013 modern 318 #14,160
2014 modern 328 #13,951
2015 modern 330 #13,774
2016 modern 336 #13,583

Geography

Back to top

Where Engels are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George Bloomsbury, London parishes, St Pancras and St James Westminster. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hackney, Barnet and Bromley. 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 St George Bloomsbury London (Central Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 St James Westminster London (West Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hackney 006 Hackney
2 Hackney 008 Hackney
3 Barnet 038 Barnet
4 Bromley 012 Bromley
5 Hackney 001 Hackney

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Engel

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Engel

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Engel surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Engel 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Engel 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

Engel is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Engel falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Engel is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Engel

The surname Engel is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "engel," which means "angel." This surname likely emerged in the medieval period, possibly as an occupational name for someone who played the role of an angel in religious plays or ceremonies, or as a nickname for someone perceived as having angelic qualities.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Engel can be found in various German regions, such as Bavaria and Saxony, dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. In some cases, the name may have originated from place names like Engelskirchen, a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, or Engelsdorf, a village in Saxony.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Engel was Hans Engel, a German painter and engraver who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. His works, including religious paintings and woodcuts, can be found in various German museums and collections.

Another notable figure with the surname Engel was Samuel Engel, a Swiss philosopher and writer who lived from 1702 to 1784. He was known for his works on aesthetics and was a prominent figure in the Enlightenment movement.

In the 19th century, Johann Jakob Engel (1741-1802) was a prominent German playwright and literary critic. He played a significant role in the development of German drama and was a influential figure in the Sturm und Drang movement.

The surname Engel also has connections to the world of science. Ernst Engel (1821-1896) was a German statistician and economist who formulated the Engel curve, a principle related to household expenditure patterns.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Johann Friedrich Engel (1765-1827), a German writer and historian who wrote extensively on the history of philosophy and literature.

While these are just a few examples, the surname Engel has been present throughout various periods of German history, and its bearers have made significant contributions in fields such as art, literature, philosophy, and science.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Engel families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Engel 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. Middlesex leads with 54 Engels recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.10x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 54 7.10x
Sussex 4 3.12x
Lanarkshire 3 1.22x
Lancashire 3 0.33x
Surrey 3 0.81x
Yorkshire 3 0.40x
Durham 2 0.88x
Hertfordshire 2 3.81x
Kent 2 0.77x
Midlothian 2 1.96x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 11 Engels recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.97x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 11 17.97x
Hackney London 8 18.76x
Westminster St James 8 102.30x
Islington London 6 8.14x
St George Bloomsbury 6 137.61x
Brighton 4 15.46x
St George In East London 4 55.87x
Govan 3 4.93x
Leeds 3 7.05x
Chipping Barnet 2 217.39x
Kensington London 2 4.73x
Lambeth 2 3.02x
St George Hanover Square 2 14.93x
St Marylebone London 2 4.92x
Toxteth Park 2 6.54x
Whitechapel London 2 26.67x
East Peckham 1 185.19x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 47.39x
Elton 1 32.05x
Epsom 1 55.25x
Fulham London 1 9.07x
Hadlow 1 156.25x
Hammersmith London 1 5.34x
South Leith 1 8.72x
St Botolph Aldgate London 1 63.69x
Stranton 1 13.12x
Sunderland 1 25.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 4
Alice 2
Anna 2
Charlotte 2
Emily 2
Kate 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Dora 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Eva 1
Jane 1
Josephine 1
Lilly 1
Lottie 1
Louis 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Mary 1
Nellie 1
Nelly 1
Nina 1
Pauline 1
Pristina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 5
Henry 3
Carl 2
Charles 2
Leo 2
Otto 2
Peter 2
William 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
August 1
Bernard 1
Clemens 1
Dallon 1
Davis 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Hans 1
Henrich 1
Joseph 1
Justin 1
Laurence 1
Leon 1
Nicolaus 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Samuel 1

FAQ

Engel surname: questions and answers

How common was the Engel surname in 1881?

In 1881, 78 people were recorded with the Engel surname. That placed it at #22,500 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Engel surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 336 in 2016. That gives Engel a modern rank of #13,583.

What does the Engel surname mean?

A German and Jewish surname meaning "angel," likely referring to a person with angelic qualities or a connection to angels.

What does the Engel map show?

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