NameCensus.

UK surname

Joel

A Biblical name derived from the Hebrew prophet Joel, meaning "Yahweh is God."

In the 1881 census there were 672 people recorded with the Joel surname, ranking it #5,371 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 899, ranked #6,308, down from #5,371 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Christ Church Spitalfields, St Mary Whitechapel and Upton with Chalvey. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Craven, Windsor and Maidenhead and Ceredigion.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Joel is 924 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.8%.

1881 census count

672

Ranked #5,371

Modern count

899

2016, ranked #6,308

Peak year

1911

924 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Joel had 672 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,371 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 899 in 2016, ranked #6,308.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 924 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Joel surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Joel surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Joel 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 455 #5,423
1861 historical 416 #6,176
1881 historical 672 #5,371
1891 historical 708 #5,548
1901 historical 850 #5,362
1911 historical 924 #4,849
1997 modern 801 #6,532
1998 modern 837 #6,515
1999 modern 868 #6,380
2000 modern 834 #6,559
2001 modern 816 #6,543
2002 modern 835 #6,547
2003 modern 838 #6,411
2004 modern 823 #6,516
2005 modern 826 #6,443
2006 modern 852 #6,307
2007 modern 854 #6,351
2008 modern 846 #6,451
2009 modern 882 #6,367
2010 modern 895 #6,416
2011 modern 883 #6,419
2012 modern 883 #6,331
2013 modern 896 #6,362
2014 modern 920 #6,274
2015 modern 898 #6,336
2016 modern 899 #6,308

Geography

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Where Joels are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Christ Church Spitalfields, St Mary Whitechapel, Upton with Chalvey, London parishes and St Dunstan Stepney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Craven, Windsor and Maidenhead, Ceredigion and Sheffield. 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 Christ Church Spitalfields London (East Districts)
2 St Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)
3 Upton with Chalvey Buckinghamshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Craven 001 Craven
2 Windsor and Maidenhead 014 Windsor and Maidenhead
3 Ceredigion 011 Ceredigion
4 Sheffield 002 Sheffield
5 Sheffield 051 Sheffield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Joel

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Joel

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Joel is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Joel is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Joel falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Joel

The surname Joel has its origins in the Hebrew language. It is derived from the Hebrew name Yo'el, which means "Yahweh is God." The name's roots can be traced back to the biblical prophet Joel, who lived in ancient Israel around the 5th century BC.

Joel is considered a prestigious name in Jewish communities worldwide, and it has been in use for centuries. In medieval times, the name appeared in various Hebrew texts and manuscripts, including the Talmud and other Jewish religious writings.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Joel can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Ioel" or "Iohel," indicating its usage among the Jewish population in England during the Norman period.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Joel was prevalent in France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. It was also found in other parts of Europe, where Jewish communities had settled, such as Germany and Spain.

Notable individuals with the surname Joel throughout history include: 1. Georges Joel (1853-1933), a French politician and lawyer. 2. Manuel Joel (1826-1890), a Spanish-born English author and playwright. 3. Solomon Joel Raphael (1787-1828), a Dutch-Jewish scholar and poet. 4. Isaac Joel (1624-1673), a Dutch Jewish scholar and bibliographer. 5. Manasseh Ben Israel (1604-1657), a Portuguese-Dutch Jewish philosopher and writer, born Manasseh Ben Joseph Ben Israel Joele.

As the Jewish diaspora spread across the globe, the surname Joel became more widely dispersed. It is now found in various countries and regions, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Israel, among others.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Joel families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Joel 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. Middlesex leads with 259 Joels recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.93x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 259 3.93x
Yorkshire 104 1.59x
Surrey 45 1.40x
Buckinghamshire 37 9.28x
Sussex 29 2.61x
Kent 25 1.11x
Cardiganshire 24 14.92x
Northumberland 24 2.45x
Gloucestershire 21 1.62x
Durham 17 0.87x
Lancashire 17 0.22x
Essex 15 1.15x
Berkshire 8 1.62x
Warwickshire 7 0.42x
Westmorland 7 4.83x
Lanarkshire 6 0.28x
Hampshire 5 0.37x
Worcestershire 5 0.58x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.66x
Channel Islands 3 1.54x
Leicestershire 3 0.41x
Somerset 3 0.28x
Lincolnshire 2 0.19x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.95x
Argyllshire 1 0.54x
Cheshire 1 0.07x
Cumberland 1 0.18x
Monmouthshire 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nether Hallam in Yorkshire leads with 38 Joels recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.98x.

Place Total Index
Nether Hallam 38 42.98x
Ecclesall Bierlow 29 21.82x
Whitechapel London 28 43.08x
Brighton 27 12.04x
Spitalfields London 22 44.35x
Mile End Old Town London 21 14.96x
Upton Cum Chalvey 21 132.16x
Islington London 20 3.13x
Eton 15 165.93x
Ruislip 15 457.32x
West Ham 15 5.22x
Jesmond 13 94.13x
St Pancras London 13 2.45x
Hackney London 12 3.25x
Milton In Gravesend 12 35.57x
Pinner 12 207.61x
Llanbadarn Fawr 11 516.43x
Siddington 11 1009.17x
St Katherine Creechurch 11 964.91x
Acton 10 25.87x
Newington 10 4.11x
Shoreditch London 10 3.50x
Clerkenwell London 9 5.78x
Lambeth 9 1.57x
Crook Billy Row 8 31.85x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 7 11.50x
Conside Knitsley 7 45.90x
Coventry St Michael 7 13.10x
Hay Hutton In Hay 7 1458.33x
Kensington London 7 1.91x
New Windsor 7 42.07x
Ratcliffe London 7 19.22x
Staines 7 67.05x
Wandsworth 7 11.03x
Bethnal Green London 6 2.09x
Bow London 6 7.15x
Coxlodge 6 80.43x
Stoke Newington London 6 11.68x
Streatham 6 12.26x
Aberystwith 5 36.10x
Glasgow 5 1.32x
Kings Norton 5 6.48x
Llanbadarny Croyddin 5 500.00x
Norwood 5 33.16x
Sedbergh 5 207.47x
Sheffield 5 2.40x
St Botolph Aldgate London 5 36.82x
Swanscombe 5 49.46x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 4 3.50x
Ardwick 4 5.67x
Brightside Bierlow 4 3.12x
Bristol St Paul In 4 11.61x
Camberwell 4 0.95x
Linthorpe 4 10.26x
North Meols 4 5.22x
Portsea 4 1.51x
Tonbridge 4 4.93x
Cheetham 3 5.14x
Duntisbourne Abbotts 3 461.54x
Hammersmith London 3 1.85x
Hampstead London 3 2.92x
Hillingdon 3 14.27x
Leeds 3 0.81x
Middlesbrough 3 3.53x
Mitcham 3 14.77x
Rotherham 3 8.14x
St Peter 3 53.19x
Winford 3 140.19x
Woodhouse 3 103.09x
Chatham 2 3.23x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 1.61x
Croydon 2 1.12x
Llancynfelin 2 97.56x
Maiseyhampton 2 263.16x
Manchester 2 0.57x
Moss Side 2 4.86x
Paddington London 2 0.82x
Richmond 2 4.44x
St George In East London 2 3.22x
Tottenham 2 1.90x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 31
John 28
Henry 22
George 20
Samuel 13
Thomas 11
Isaac 10
Edward 8
James 8
Alfred 7
David 7
Solomon 7
Charles 6
Joseph 6
Harry 5
Jacob 5
Robert 5
Abraham 4
Albert 4
Jason 4
Joel 4
Lewis 4
Walter 4
Arthur 3
Daniel 3
Edwin 3
Herbert 3
Hugh 3
Alexander 2
Coleman 2
Earnest 2
Ernest 2
Mark 2
Michael 2
Morris 2
Moses 2
Moss 2
Soloman 2
Danny 1
Eugine 1
Frances 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Fredvick 1
Jonathon 1
Josy 1
Zuse 1

FAQ

Joel surname: questions and answers

How common was the Joel surname in 1881?

In 1881, 672 people were recorded with the Joel surname. That placed it at #5,371 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Joel surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 899 in 2016. That gives Joel a modern rank of #6,308.

What does the Joel surname mean?

A Biblical name derived from the Hebrew prophet Joel, meaning "Yahweh is God."

What does the Joel map show?

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