NameCensus.

UK surname

Johal

A surname from the Punjab region, derived from an occupational term referring to carriers or transporters.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sandwell, Ealing and Oadby and Wigston.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Johal is 4,813 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

4,516

2016, ranked #1,502

Peak year

2010

4,813 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,516 in 2016, ranked #1,502.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Johal surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Johal surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Johal 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
1861 historical 1 #34,435
1901 historical 3 #34,063
1997 modern 3,164 #2,032
1998 modern 3,338 #2,004
1999 modern 3,454 #1,964
2000 modern 3,580 #1,895
2001 modern 3,551 #1,867
2002 modern 3,822 #1,776
2003 modern 3,930 #1,681
2004 modern 4,013 #1,645
2005 modern 4,156 #1,568
2006 modern 4,215 #1,550
2007 modern 4,355 #1,522
2008 modern 4,463 #1,496
2009 modern 4,578 #1,496
2010 modern 4,813 #1,447
2011 modern 4,781 #1,442
2012 modern 4,541 #1,487
2013 modern 4,606 #1,495
2014 modern 4,620 #1,498
2015 modern 4,556 #1,504
2016 modern 4,516 #1,502

Geography

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Where Johals are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sandwell, Ealing, Oadby and Wigston and Derby. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sandwell 023 Sandwell
2 Ealing 026 Ealing
3 Ealing 023 Ealing
4 Oadby and Wigston 009 Oadby and Wigston
5 Derby 021 Derby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Johal

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Johal

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Johal surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Johal household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Johal is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Johal 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

Johal 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 Johal 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
Asian - Indian

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

Meaning and origin of Johal

The surname Johal has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the Punjab region of northern India and eastern Pakistan. It is thought to have derived from the ancient Sanskrit word "johar," which means "warrior" or "brave person." This connection suggests that the name may have initially been given to individuals who displayed valor and bravery in battles or conflicts.

During the medieval period, the Johal surname was prevalent among the Jat community, an agrarian and landowning group found primarily in the Punjab region. The Jats were known for their martial traditions and played a significant role in the region's history, serving as soldiers and warriors in various armies and kingdoms.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Johal name can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This document contains records of land grants and revenue assignments, and it lists several individuals with the Johal surname, indicating their presence and influence in the region during that era.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Johal surname gained prominence as members of this community participated in the military campaigns and uprisings against the Mughal Empire and later the British colonial rule in India. Notable figures from this period include Sardar Baghel Singh Johal (1755-1844), a prominent Sikh warrior and chieftain who fought against the Afghan rulers and later joined the forces of Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh Empire.

Another historically significant individual with the Johal surname was Sardar Hari Singh Johal (1822-1865), a military leader and administrator who served as the Governor of Multan under the Sikh Empire. He played a crucial role in the Anglo-Sikh Wars and was eventually exiled to Burma (present-day Myanmar) by the British after the Second Anglo-Sikh War.

In more recent times, the Johal surname has been carried by several prominent individuals, such as Gurdial Singh Johal (1916-2002), a renowned Punjabi writer and novelist who received the Sahitya Akademi Award, India's highest literary honor, in 1988. Additionally, Ajay Johal (born 1974) is a Canadian entrepreneur and business leader who co-founded the Creative Destruction Lab, a seed-stage program for massively scalable science and technology companies.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Johal surname: questions and answers

How common is the Johal surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,516 in 2016. That gives Johal a modern rank of #1,502.

What does the Johal surname mean?

A surname from the Punjab region, derived from an occupational term referring to carriers or transporters.

What does the Johal map show?

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