NameCensus.

UK surname

Isles

A surname originally referring to someone from an island or islands.

In the 1881 census there were 805 people recorded with the Isles surname, ranking it #4,631 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 674, ranked #7,950, down from #4,631 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Calverley, London parishes and Halifax. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wyre, Leeds and Fylde.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Isles is 860 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 16.3%.

1881 census count

805

Ranked #4,631

Modern count

674

2016, ranked #7,950

Peak year

1901

860 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Isles had 805 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,631 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 674 in 2016, ranked #7,950.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 860 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Isles surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Isles surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Isles 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 482 #5,171
1861 historical 474 #5,489
1881 historical 805 #4,631
1891 historical 809 #4,991
1901 historical 860 #5,316
1911 historical 730 #5,868
1997 modern 694 #7,298
1998 modern 704 #7,445
1999 modern 704 #7,479
2000 modern 706 #7,441
2001 modern 673 #7,587
2002 modern 704 #7,474
2003 modern 682 #7,548
2004 modern 711 #7,305
2005 modern 680 #7,516
2006 modern 676 #7,576
2007 modern 690 #7,507
2008 modern 703 #7,457
2009 modern 715 #7,519
2010 modern 718 #7,631
2011 modern 717 #7,557
2012 modern 682 #7,772
2013 modern 702 #7,705
2014 modern 696 #7,807
2015 modern 677 #7,932
2016 modern 674 #7,950

Geography

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Where Isles' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Calverley, London parishes, Halifax and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wyre, Leeds, Fylde and Arun. 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 Calverley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 London parishes London 1
3 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
4 London parishes London 3
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wyre 004 Wyre
2 Leeds 076 Leeds
3 Fylde 001 Fylde
4 Wyre 013 Wyre
5 Arun 017 Arun

Forenames

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First names often paired with Isles

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Isles

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Isles surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Isles 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Isles is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Isles is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Isles 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 Isles 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Isles

The surname "Isles" is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "igland," meaning island or isle. It first appeared in the late 11th century, after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The name likely referred to someone who lived on an island or near the coast.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Isles" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and their estates in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Ilse," "Ile," and "Yle."

During the Middle Ages, the surname "Isles" was primarily concentrated in coastal regions of England, particularly in the counties of Cornwall, Devon, and Dorset. Some notable bearers of the name from this period include Sir John Isles, a prominent landowner in Cornwall who lived in the late 13th century, and Robert de Isles, a merchant from Bristol who was mentioned in records from the early 14th century.

As the centuries passed, the surname "Isles" spread across England and even to other parts of the British Isles. In the 16th century, a family by the name of Isles settled in Scotland, where they became landowners in the Highlands. One notable member of this Scottish branch was Alexander Isles, a soldier who fought in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms during the 17th century.

In the 18th century, the surname "Isles" also found its way to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances was John Isles, who was born in England in 1720 and later immigrated to Virginia, where he became a prosperous farmer and landowner.

Throughout history, the surname "Isles" has been associated with various occupations and professions. In addition to the landowners and merchants mentioned earlier, there have been Isles who were clergymen, soldiers, artists, and even explorers. One notable figure was Sir Daniel Isles, a British naval officer who participated in several voyages of exploration in the Pacific Ocean in the late 18th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname "Isles" include William Isles (1770-1857), an English artist renowned for his landscape paintings, and Sir John Isles (1839-1912), a British politician and member of Parliament who served as the Governor of New Zealand in the late 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Isles families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Isles 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 219 Isles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.80x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 219 2.80x
Middlesex 89 1.13x
Angus 77 10.53x
Lancashire 75 0.80x
Surrey 50 1.30x
Gloucestershire 46 2.97x
Hampshire 45 2.78x
Perthshire 36 10.16x
Kent 24 0.89x
Monmouthshire 20 3.51x
Fife 18 3.85x
Midlothian 18 1.70x
Staffordshire 12 0.45x
Glamorgan 10 0.73x
Lanarkshire 9 0.35x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.66x
Somerset 7 0.55x
Durham 6 0.26x
Wiltshire 6 0.86x
Berkshire 5 0.84x
Dorset 5 0.97x
Essex 5 0.32x
Worcestershire 5 0.49x
Lincolnshire 4 0.32x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.63x
Royal Navy 2 2.13x
Devon 1 0.06x
Northumberland 1 0.09x
Shropshire 1 0.15x
Sussex 1 0.08x
Warwickshire 1 0.05x
Westmorland 1 0.58x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 40 Isles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.66x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 40 14.66x
Pilling 40 909.09x
Calverley Cum Farsley 38 171.17x
Bristol St George 26 36.32x
Liff Benvie 25 22.53x
Halifax 21 18.29x
Faccombe 18 3000.00x
Limehouse London 18 20.78x
Bingley 15 30.12x
Northowram 15 27.36x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 14 3.29x
Pudsey 14 33.49x
Clerkenwell London 12 6.44x
Deptford St Paul 12 5.78x
Wolverhampton 12 5.86x
Longforgan 11 219.56x
Thorpe 11 650.89x
Bedwellty 10 9.93x
Burntisland 10 76.57x
Heaton 10 119.05x
Millbrook 10 24.55x
Bradford 9 4.75x
Bramley In Bramley 9 30.06x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 9 6.18x
Chelsea London 9 3.78x
Battersea 8 2.76x
Great Eccleston 8 470.59x
Hook 8 46.51x
Kilspindie 8 427.81x
Lower Llanvrechva 8 142.86x
Ovenden 8 22.99x
Tangley 8 1355.93x
Aberdare 7 7.42x
Cupar 7 34.45x
Out Rawcliffe 7 313.90x
Portsea 7 2.21x
Scone 7 111.29x
Chilton 6 81.86x
Clapham 6 6.08x
Clevely 6 4285.71x
Farnley In Bramley 6 61.48x
Frome 6 19.75x
Holy Trinity 6 3.19x
Kettins 6 244.90x
Paddington London 6 2.07x
Skircoat 6 19.46x
Stoke D Abernon 6 535.71x
Bole 5 892.86x
Buckhorn Weston 5 354.61x
Govan 5 0.79x
Great Driffield 5 31.15x
Hackney London 5 1.13x
Lockwood 5 17.77x
Newington 5 1.72x
Poplar London 5 3.36x
St George In East London 5 6.74x
Woodmansey Cum Beverley 5 340.14x
Acton 4 8.65x
Clifton In York 4 24.45x
Croydon 4 1.87x
Eccleshill 4 21.02x
Hammersmith London 4 2.06x
Lytham 4 27.97x
Richmond 4 7.42x
Swindon 4 7.39x
Westminster St Margaret 4 10.51x
Ashby 3 75.95x
Blairgowrie 3 21.41x
Broughton In Salford 3 3.50x
Colchester St Botolph 3 22.64x
Coupar Angus 3 43.35x
Cudworth 3 106.38x
Howden Thorpe In 3 357.14x
Lee 3 7.67x
Lewisham 3 2.09x
Madresfield 3 416.67x
Neath 3 10.73x
Westminster St John 3 3.12x
Wexham 3 625.00x
St Marylebone London 2 0.47x

FAQ

Isles surname: questions and answers

How common was the Isles surname in 1881?

In 1881, 805 people were recorded with the Isles surname. That placed it at #4,631 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Isles surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 674 in 2016. That gives Isles a modern rank of #7,950.

What does the Isles surname mean?

A surname originally referring to someone from an island or islands.

What does the Isles map show?

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