NameCensus.

UK surname

Isle

A toponymic surname derived from someone who lived on an island or came from an isle.

In the 1881 census there were 131 people recorded with the Isle surname, ranking it #16,824 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 238, ranked #17,361, down from #16,824 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hatfield, Fishlake, Thorne, Crowle (Eastoft), Doncaster (Langthwaite-with-Tilts , Long Sandall with Wheatley), Adwick-le-Street (Adwick-le-Street) and Crowle. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, East Riding of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Isle is 255 in 2007. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 81.7%.

1881 census count

131

Ranked #16,824

Modern count

238

2016, ranked #17,361

Peak year

2007

255 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Isle had 131 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,824 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016, ranked #17,361.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 199 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Isle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Isle surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Isle 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 121 #15,049
1861 historical 175 #13,409
1881 historical 131 #16,824
1891 historical 160 #17,555
1901 historical 169 #16,824
1911 historical 199 #15,016
1997 modern 221 #16,565
1998 modern 222 #16,969
1999 modern 230 #16,685
2000 modern 227 #16,792
2001 modern 224 #16,716
2002 modern 238 #16,378
2003 modern 234 #16,343
2004 modern 225 #16,882
2005 modern 236 #16,286
2006 modern 241 #16,139
2007 modern 255 #15,687
2008 modern 250 #16,065
2009 modern 250 #16,421
2010 modern 251 #16,749
2011 modern 246 #16,833
2012 modern 243 #16,839
2013 modern 237 #17,423
2014 modern 239 #17,429
2015 modern 236 #17,477
2016 modern 238 #17,361

Geography

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Where Isles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hatfield, Fishlake, Thorne, Crowle (Eastoft), Doncaster (Langthwaite-with-Tilts , Long Sandall with Wheatley), Adwick-le-Street (Adwick-le-Street), Crowle, Snaith and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, East Riding of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. 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 Hatfield, Fishlake, Thorne, Crowle (Eastoft) Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Doncaster (Langthwaite-with-Tilts , Long Sandall with Wheatley), Adwick-le-Street (Adwick-le-Street) Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Crowle Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Snaith Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 006 Doncaster
2 Doncaster 003 Doncaster
3 Doncaster 001 Doncaster
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 041 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 North Lincolnshire 006 North Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Isle

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Isle

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Isle surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Isle household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Isle is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Isle 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

Isle 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 Isle is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Isle

The surname Isle originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English word "iæland," meaning "island." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name likely lived on an island or near an island.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Isle surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was present in England before the Norman Conquest.

The Isle surname is closely associated with the Isle of Wight, an island off the southern coast of England. It is likely that some of the earliest bearers of this name were residents or landowners on the Isle of Wight or in nearby coastal areas.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Isle. One such person was John Isle (c. 1470-1538), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the Reformation for refusing to accept the supremacy of King Henry VIII over the Church.

Another prominent figure with the Isle surname was Sir Roger L'Isle (c. 1326-1361), an English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. He was a close companion of Edward, the Black Prince, and participated in several notable battles, including the Battle of Poitiers in 1356.

In the 16th century, William Isle (c. 1520-1599) was an English mathematician and astronomer. He is known for his work on navigational techniques and for publishing a treatise on the use of the quadrant, a navigational instrument.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Sir Henry Isle (1604-1661) was a Royalist commander who fought for King Charles I against the Parliamentarian forces. He was knighted for his service and played a significant role in several battles.

In more recent times, Sir Daniel Isle (1825-1899) was a British businessman and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the textile industry and was known for his charitable contributions, including the founding of a technical college in his hometown of Bradford.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Isle. The name's origins as a locational name derived from the Old English word for "island" highlight its deep roots in English history and geography.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Isle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Isle 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. Yorkshire leads with 109 Isles recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.61x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 109 8.61x
Lincolnshire 12 5.87x
Middlesex 4 0.31x
Nottinghamshire 2 1.16x
Gloucestershire 1 0.40x
Hampshire 1 0.38x
Lancashire 1 0.07x
Wiltshire 1 0.88x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Crowle in Yorkshire leads with 34 Isles recorded in 1881 and an index of 2741.94x.

Place Total Index
Crowle 34 2741.94x
Thorne 16 1019.11x
Hatfield In Thorne 8 1012.66x
York St Mary 8 152.67x
Goole 7 330.19x
Horncastle 7 331.75x
Bradford 4 13.05x
Hirst Courtney 4 8000.00x
Manningham 4 25.64x
Hook 3 107.53x
Kirk Sandall 3 3000.00x
Leeds 3 4.20x
Epworth 2 210.53x
Islington London 2 1.61x
Luddington 2 769.23x
Misson 2 666.67x
Reedness 2 909.09x
Sculcoates 2 9.96x
Swinefleet 2 363.64x
West Stockwith 2 689.66x
Bentley Cum Arksey 1 151.52x
Birkdale 1 26.04x
Brinkworth 1 196.08x
Cheltenham 1 5.17x
Ellerton Priory 1 833.33x
Great Grimsby 1 7.71x
Hampstead London 1 5.03x
Hessle In Sculcoates 1 89.29x
Holdenhurst 1 14.56x
Kensington London 1 1.41x
Sunk Island 1 555.56x
Sutton Stoneferry 1 27.62x
Wheatley 1 227.27x
Whitgift 1 625.00x

FAQ

Isle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Isle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 131 people were recorded with the Isle surname. That placed it at #16,824 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Isle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016. That gives Isle a modern rank of #17,361.

What does the Isle surname mean?

A toponymic surname derived from someone who lived on an island or came from an isle.

What does the Isle map show?

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