NameCensus.

UK surname

Ennals

An English locational surname derived from the place name meaning "the valley of the heathen people".

In the 1881 census there were 70 people recorded with the Ennals surname, ranking it #23,670 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 100, ranked #31,123, down from #23,670 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Louth, Stowmarket and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torbay, Camden and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ennals is 121 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.9%.

1881 census count

70

Ranked #23,670

Modern count

100

2016, ranked #31,123

Peak year

1911

121 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ennals had 70 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,670 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 100 in 2016, ranked #31,123.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 121 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Ennals surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ennals surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ennals 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 34 #27,194
1861 historical 29 #30,287
1881 historical 70 #23,670
1891 historical 84 #26,229
1901 historical 86 #24,508
1911 historical 121 #20,336
1997 modern 116 #24,688
1998 modern 121 #24,677
1999 modern 116 #25,487
2000 modern 119 #25,072
2001 modern 116 #25,089
2002 modern 121 #24,984
2003 modern 109 #26,361
2004 modern 103 #27,503
2005 modern 106 #27,044
2006 modern 111 #26,565
2007 modern 101 #28,505
2008 modern 93 #30,123
2009 modern 95 #30,393
2010 modern 98 #30,540
2011 modern 98 #30,384
2012 modern 93 #31,409
2013 modern 98 #31,078
2014 modern 98 #31,370
2015 modern 93 #31,972
2016 modern 100 #31,123

Geography

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Where Ennals' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Louth, Stowmarket, London parishes, St Neots and Polstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torbay, Camden, Cornwall, West Dorset and Broadland. 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 Louth Lincolnshire
2 Stowmarket Suffolk
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Neots Huntingdonshire
5 Polstead Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torbay 001 Torbay
2 Camden 018 Camden
3 Cornwall 061 Cornwall
4 West Dorset 011 West Dorset
5 Broadland 001 Broadland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ennals

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ennals

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Ennals surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Ennals household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Ennals is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ennals 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

Ennals falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Ennals

The surname ENNALS is believed to have originated in England, likely in the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational surname, derived from a place name such as Enalls or Ennals, although the exact location has not been definitively identified.

One theory suggests that the name may have its roots in the Old English words "ęną" meaning "one" and "halh" meaning "nook" or "corner." This could indicate that the name was initially given to someone living in a remote or secluded area.

Early records of the name are sparse, but it is mentioned in some historical documents from the 16th century onwards. For instance, the parish records of St. Giles Cripplegate in London contain an entry for the marriage of John Ennals in 1585.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Richard Ennals, who was born in Huntingdonshire, England, around 1620. He later emigrated to the American colonies and settled in Maryland, where he is recorded as a landowner in 1658.

In the 19th century, the ENNALS name gained some prominence with the birth of John Ennals (1818-1894), a British civil engineer and architect. He is credited with designing several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Michael and All Angels in Shoreditch.

Another notable figure was William Ennals (1884-1949), an English cricketer who played for Middlesex County Cricket Club in the early 20th century. He was a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper, and participated in several first-class matches between 1903 and 1914.

Across the Atlantic, one of the most prominent ENNALS was Benjamin Ennals (1832-1906), an American businessman and politician from Maryland. He served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates and was later appointed as the United States Consul in Tenerife, Canary Islands.

In more recent times, the ENNALS surname has been carried by individuals such as Peter Ennals (1922-2018), a British businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the charity Childline. He was also the chairman of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) from 1986 to 1992.

While the ENNALS name may not be among the most common surnames, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, spanning multiple centuries and continents.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ennals families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ennals 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. Suffolk leads with 21 Ennals' recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.25x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 21 25.25x
Essex 10 7.42x
Huntingdonshire 10 73.75x
Devon 7 4.93x
Gloucestershire 7 5.23x
Lincolnshire 7 6.41x
Cambridgeshire 4 9.25x
Warwickshire 2 1.16x
Bedfordshire 1 2.83x
Middlesex 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Neots in Huntingdonshire leads with 9 Ennals' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1216.22x.

Place Total Index
St Neots 9 1216.22x
Rayleigh 8 2580.65x
Bury St Edmunds St James 7 315.32x
Honiton 7 886.08x
Louth 7 280.00x
Stowmarket 6 625.00x
Longborough 4 2666.67x
Cockfield 3 1363.64x
Great Shelford 3 1304.35x
Great Welnetham 3 3000.00x
Naunton 2 1666.67x
Stratford On Avon 2 210.53x
West Ham 2 6.72x
Bedford St Mary 1 109.89x
Didbrook 1 2000.00x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 1 52.91x
Great Paxton 1 1666.67x
Polstead 1 526.32x
Semer 1 1250.00x
St Pancras London 1 1.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Alice 2
Annie 2
Catherine 2
Henrietta 2
Kate 2
Sarah 2
Ann 1
Clarisia 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Hilda 1
Jane 1
Jemima 1
Kezia 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Pheobe 1

Top male names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Ennals households.

FAQ

Ennals surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ennals surname in 1881?

In 1881, 70 people were recorded with the Ennals surname. That placed it at #23,670 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ennals surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 100 in 2016. That gives Ennals a modern rank of #31,123.

What does the Ennals surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from the place name meaning "the valley of the heathen people".

What does the Ennals map show?

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