NameCensus.

UK surname

Funnell

An occupational surname relating to a maker or seller of funnels.

In the 1881 census there were 1,654 people recorded with the Funnell surname, ranking it #2,594 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,165, ranked #2,988, down from #2,594 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Laughton, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew and Tunbridge, Bidborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lewes, Wealden and Tunbridge Wells.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Funnell is 2,491 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.9%.

1881 census count

1,654

Ranked #2,594

Modern count

2,165

2016, ranked #2,988

Peak year

1911

2,491 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Funnell had 1,654 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,594 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,165 in 2016, ranked #2,988.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,491 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Funnell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Funnell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Funnell 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 874 #3,123
1861 historical 868 #3,195
1881 historical 1,654 #2,594
1891 historical 1,608 #2,774
1901 historical 2,286 #2,377
1911 historical 2,491 #2,067
1997 modern 2,460 #2,551
1998 modern 2,482 #2,630
1999 modern 2,469 #2,658
2000 modern 2,440 #2,676
2001 modern 2,382 #2,679
2002 modern 2,454 #2,671
2003 modern 2,347 #2,706
2004 modern 2,328 #2,725
2005 modern 2,259 #2,761
2006 modern 2,230 #2,803
2007 modern 2,224 #2,831
2008 modern 2,223 #2,858
2009 modern 2,296 #2,839
2010 modern 2,324 #2,867
2011 modern 2,318 #2,838
2012 modern 2,241 #2,877
2013 modern 2,265 #2,891
2014 modern 2,248 #2,922
2015 modern 2,205 #2,939
2016 modern 2,165 #2,988

Geography

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Where Funnells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Laughton, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes and Lewes St John-under-the-Castle. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lewes, Wealden and Tunbridge Wells. 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 Laughton Sussex
2 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
3 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 Lewes St John-under-the-Castle Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lewes 003 Lewes
2 Wealden 020 Wealden
3 Tunbridge Wells 005 Tunbridge Wells
4 Tunbridge Wells 003 Tunbridge Wells
5 Wealden 017 Wealden

Forenames

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First names often paired with Funnell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Funnell

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

Funnell is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Funnell falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Funnell

The surname Funnell is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a place name, likely referring to someone who lived near a funnel-shaped hill or valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it appears as Funnel. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the 13th century.

Throughout the centuries, various spellings of the name have been documented, including Funell, Funnell, and Vunnell. These variations were common in earlier times due to inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects.

The name Funnell has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Sir John Funnell (1628-1683), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Ipswich in the late 17th century.

Another prominent bearer of the name was William Funnell (1705-1768), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits.

In the literary realm, the name is associated with Robert Funnell (1796-1867), an English writer and poet who published several volumes of poetry and prose works during the 19th century.

The Funnell surname has also been linked to notable figures in the military. Major General Henry Funnell (1828-1906) was a British Army officer who served in the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Additionally, the name has been connected to the world of sports. George Funnell (1896-1975) was an English professional footballer who played as a forward for several clubs, including Aston Villa and Birmingham City, in the early 20th century.

While the origins of the Funnell surname can be traced back to medieval England, it has since spread across various regions and countries, with bearers of the name contributing to various fields throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Funnell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Funnell 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. Sussex leads with 935 Funnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.37x.

County Total Index
Sussex 935 34.37x
Kent 265 4.81x
Surrey 154 1.96x
Middlesex 114 0.71x
Norfolk 49 1.98x
Essex 20 0.63x
Hampshire 19 0.57x
Suffolk 12 0.61x
Bedfordshire 11 1.32x
Warwickshire 8 0.20x
Yorkshire 8 0.05x
Berkshire 7 0.58x
Leicestershire 7 0.39x
Somerset 7 0.27x
Northamptonshire 6 0.40x
Cheshire 5 0.14x
Lincolnshire 4 0.16x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.31x
Derbyshire 3 0.12x
Dorset 3 0.28x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.14x
Oxfordshire 3 0.30x
Hertfordshire 2 0.18x
Devon 1 0.03x
Northumberland 1 0.04x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.20x
Shropshire 1 0.07x
Staffordshire 1 0.02x
Wiltshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 170 Funnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.98x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 170 30.98x
Laughton 48 1203.01x
Ripe 44 2046.51x
Tonbridge 40 20.15x
Barcombe 38 581.93x
Eastbourne 34 27.16x
Chiddingly 32 653.06x
Preston 28 58.95x
Cliffe 25 272.03x
Hellingly 24 263.45x
Reigate Foreign 24 28.20x
Ringmer 24 312.91x
St Pancras London 24 1.85x
Lewes St John Southover 22 120.42x
Peasmarsh 22 476.19x
Hastings St Mary 21 31.02x
Croydon 20 4.58x
Pembury 18 230.77x
Ticehurst 18 108.11x
Rotherhithe 17 8.53x
Cranbrook 16 68.61x
Framfield 16 189.80x
Lower Beeding 15 207.47x
Ashford 14 26.11x
Beddingham 13 526.32x
Bethnal Green London 13 1.85x
Folkestone 13 12.17x
Maresfield 13 113.34x
Newington 13 2.18x
Gillingham 12 10.57x
Hailsham 12 72.90x
Ifield 12 105.82x
Lewisham 12 4.09x
Rottingdean 12 129.03x
St George Hanover Square 12 4.22x
Frant 11 57.08x
Greenwich 11 4.28x
Hove 11 9.22x
Lambeth 11 0.78x
Luton 11 7.61x
Warbleton 11 135.64x
West Hoathly 11 128.81x
Westham 11 198.56x
Islington London 10 0.64x
Mile End Old Town London 10 2.91x
Southampton St Mary 10 4.81x
Arlington 9 277.78x
Battersea 9 1.52x
Bidborough 9 584.42x
Dorking 9 17.05x
East Hoathly 9 190.27x
Hastings St Mary In The 9 15.51x
Kensington London 9 1.00x
Keymer 9 46.85x
Lewes St Ann 9 97.19x
Lewes St John Under 9 242.59x
Orpington 9 53.38x
Salehurst 9 76.40x
South Malling 9 222.77x
Street 9 891.09x
Bermondsey 8 1.67x
Chatham 8 5.28x
Chislehurst 8 27.10x
Erith 8 14.75x
Horsted Keynes 8 126.18x
Isfield 8 321.29x
Leigh 8 276.82x
Little Clacton 8 236.69x
Newick 8 133.78x
Rendham 8 394.09x
St Marylebone London 8 0.93x
Warwick St Nicholas 8 26.81x
Acton 7 7.40x
Deal 7 14.91x
Fletching 7 57.52x
Hadlow 7 51.28x
Lewes All Sts 7 64.58x
Newhaven 7 31.67x
Southwick 7 48.64x
Wokingham 7 25.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 95
Elizabeth 53
Sarah 43
Alice 32
Ellen 32
Emily 30
Ann 26
Annie 22
Eliza 22
Jane 22
Caroline 20
Emma 20
Fanny 18
Harriett 18
Charlotte 16
Harriet 16
Louisa 14
Lucy 14
Martha 13
Edith 12
Esther 12
Kate 12
Frances 11
Anne 10
Ruth 9
Ada 8
Hannah 8
Helen 6
Amelia 5
Florence 5
Matilda 5
Mercy 5
Minnie 5
Rose 5
Selina 5
Sophia 5
Susannah 5
Clara 4
Ethel 4
Lydia 4
Margaret 4
Maria 4
Philadelphia 4
Rosina 4
Amy 3
Beatrice 3
Catherine 3
Eleanor 3
Julia 3
Lois 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 79
John 70
George 56
James 50
Henry 47
Charles 44
Thomas 44
Alfred 32
Edward 28
Frederick 27
Walter 23
Albert 19
Arthur 19
Richard 17
Harry 15
Robert 15
Ernest 14
David 11
Frank 11
Isaac 9
Jesse 8
Samuel 8
Edwin 7
Horace 7
Mark 7
Francis 6
Herbert 6
Joseph 6
Stephen 6
Daniel 5
Trayton 5
Ebenezer 4
Fred 4
Owen 4
Percy 4
Amos 3
Edmund 3
Fredrick 3
Job 3
Reuben 3
Tom 3
Benjamin 2
Clement 2
Fredk. 2
Jack 2
Leonard 2
Louis 2
Noah 2
Peter 2
Robinson 2

FAQ

Funnell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Funnell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,654 people were recorded with the Funnell surname. That placed it at #2,594 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Funnell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,165 in 2016. That gives Funnell a modern rank of #2,988.

What does the Funnell surname mean?

An occupational surname relating to a maker or seller of funnels.

What does the Funnell map show?

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