NameCensus.

UK surname

Horwell

In the 1881 census there were 229 people recorded with the Horwell surname, ranking it #11,784 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 419, ranked #11,445, up from #11,784 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolstanton, Torbryan, Denbury, Highweek and St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, York and Hinckley and Bosworth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Horwell is 467 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 83.0%.

1881 census count

229

Ranked #11,784

Modern count

419

2016, ranked #11,445

Peak year

1999

467 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Horwell had 229 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,784 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 419 in 2016, ranked #11,445.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 293 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Horwell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Horwell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Horwell 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 130 #14,314
1861 historical 191 #12,467
1881 historical 229 #11,784
1891 historical 193 #15,335
1901 historical 208 #14,760
1911 historical 293 #11,650
1997 modern 414 #10,729
1998 modern 458 #10,267
1999 modern 467 #10,179
2000 modern 442 #10,597
2001 modern 436 #10,500
2002 modern 460 #10,248
2003 modern 457 #10,156
2004 modern 443 #10,442
2005 modern 432 #10,531
2006 modern 438 #10,469
2007 modern 449 #10,350
2008 modern 435 #10,735
2009 modern 441 #10,875
2010 modern 445 #11,002
2011 modern 450 #10,790
2012 modern 443 #10,796
2013 modern 459 #10,682
2014 modern 457 #10,767
2015 modern 442 #10,977
2016 modern 419 #11,445

Geography

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Where Horwells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolstanton, Torbryan, Denbury, Highweek, St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles, Buckfastleigh and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, York and Hinckley and Bosworth. 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 Wolstanton Staffordshire
2 Torbryan, Denbury, Highweek Devon
3 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding
4 Buckfastleigh Devon
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 003 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 057 Cornwall
3 York 005 York
4 Cornwall 004 Cornwall
5 Hinckley and Bosworth 014 Hinckley and Bosworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Horwell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Horwell

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Horwell is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Horwell is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Horwell 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 Horwell 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 Horwell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Horwell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Horwell 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. Devon leads with 57 Horwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.26x.

County Total Index
Devon 57 12.26x
Staffordshire 50 6.63x
Yorkshire 33 1.49x
Middlesex 19 0.85x
Cornwall 17 6.72x
Cheshire 12 2.43x
Lincolnshire 11 3.08x
Surrey 11 1.01x
Nottinghamshire 8 2.66x
Kent 5 0.66x
Hertfordshire 2 1.30x
Lancashire 2 0.08x
Dorset 1 0.68x
Somerset 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 34 Horwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.53x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 34 42.53x
Chulmleigh 11 1037.74x
Stoke Climsland 11 683.23x
Burslem 10 46.30x
Plymouth St Andrew 10 27.92x
Nottingham St Mary 8 10.27x
Weston In Nantwich 8 2000.00x
Wilberfoss 8 2500.00x
Langton By Spilsby 7 4117.65x
Newington 7 8.48x
Gate Fulford 6 116.05x
Newton Abbot St Mary 6 153.85x
Redruth 6 83.92x
Shobrooke 6 1224.49x
York St Mary Bshpshl 6 15000.00x
Shoreditch London 5 5.16x
Tormoham 5 25.42x
Whitestone 5 1428.57x
Greenwich 4 11.25x
Leeds 4 3.20x
Sculcoates 4 11.40x
Wolstanton 4 17.47x
Bromley London 3 6.11x
Lambeth 3 1.54x
Louth 3 36.63x
St George Hanover Square 3 7.62x
St Marylebone London 3 2.52x
St Pancras London 3 1.67x
Stoke Damerel 3 9.22x
Sutton In Macclesfield 3 58.59x
Wolborough 3 51.02x
York St George 3 172.41x
Bideford 2 40.16x
Buckfastleigh 2 93.02x
Hemel Hempstead 2 28.82x
Payhembury 2 606.06x
Toxteth Park 2 2.23x
Bath St James 1 26.67x
Battersea 1 1.22x
Bradpole 1 83.33x
Charterhouse London 1 95.24x
Great Grimsby 1 4.41x
Hampstead London 1 2.87x
Highweek 1 60.24x
Hilderstone 1 333.33x
Macclesfield 1 4.56x
Minster In Sheppey 1 7.92x
Newton On Derwent 1 666.67x
Okehampton 1 57.14x
Trentham 1 15.60x
Wombwell 1 15.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 21
Elizabeth 10
Emma 9
Sarah 9
Florence 4
Alice 3
Ann 3
Emily 3
Jane 3
Ada 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Hannah 2
Harriett 2
Kate 2
Martha 2
Susan 2
Annie 1
Bessie 1
Betty 1
Caroline 1
Clementine 1
Edith 1
Elizabh. 1
Elzth. 1
Ena 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Henrietta 1
Julia 1
Lavinia 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
M.J. 1
Maria 1
Mariam 1
Matilda 1
Maud 1
Miriam 1
Nanny 1
Naomi 1
Rosa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 24
John 13
Thomas 13
James 9
George 5
Arthur 4
Joseph 4
Albert 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Abraham 1
Constantine 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Fredk.G. 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Jas. 1
Leonard 1
Levi 1
Nicholas 1
Rich. 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Titus 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Horwell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Horwell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 229 people were recorded with the Horwell surname. That placed it at #11,784 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Horwell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 419 in 2016. That gives Horwell a modern rank of #11,445.

What does the Horwell map show?

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