NameCensus.

UK surname

Kail

A surname of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "coil" meaning "wood" or "forest."

In the 1881 census there were 114 people recorded with the Kail surname, ranking it #18,324 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 151, ranked #23,615, down from #18,324 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Poole St James, London parishes and Portsmouth, Portsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bristol, Chichester and Basingstoke and Deane.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kail is 169 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.5%.

1881 census count

114

Ranked #18,324

Modern count

151

2016, ranked #23,615

Peak year

1998

169 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kail had 114 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,324 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 151 in 2016, ranked #23,615.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 140 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Kail surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kail surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Kail 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 72 #20,720
1861 historical 97 #21,503
1881 historical 114 #18,324
1891 historical 140 #19,193
1901 historical 124 #20,163
1911 historical 128 #19,664
1997 modern 153 #20,868
1998 modern 169 #20,104
1999 modern 166 #20,458
2000 modern 165 #20,501
2001 modern 165 #20,199
2002 modern 169 #20,307
2003 modern 157 #21,026
2004 modern 154 #21,432
2005 modern 151 #21,667
2006 modern 152 #21,721
2007 modern 152 #22,022
2008 modern 144 #23,037
2009 modern 148 #23,141
2010 modern 151 #23,377
2011 modern 153 #22,996
2012 modern 152 #23,069
2013 modern 154 #23,210
2014 modern 156 #23,231
2015 modern 153 #23,413
2016 modern 151 #23,615

Geography

Back to top

Where Kails are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Poole St James, London parishes, Portsmouth, Portsea, Blandford Town, Pimperne and St Giles Camberwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bristol, Chichester, Basingstoke and Deane, Portsmouth and Haringey. 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 Poole St James Dorset
2 London parishes London 3
3 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
4 Blandford Town, Pimperne Dorset
5 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bristol 018 Bristol, City of
2 Chichester 013 Chichester
3 Basingstoke and Deane 020 Basingstoke and Deane
4 Portsmouth 021 Portsmouth
5 Haringey 020 Haringey

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Kail

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Kail

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

Baseline UK

Group

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Kail surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Kail 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 many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kail is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Kail is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kail 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 Kail is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Kail

The surname Kail originated in Scotland, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "cail," meaning "cabbage," which was likely used as a nickname for someone who cultivated or sold cabbages.

One of the earliest known references to the name Kail can be found in the records of the Burgh of Rothesay, Isle of Bute, Scotland, where a person named John Kail is mentioned in 1597. In the same region, the Kail family is also recorded as landowners in the 17th century, with their estate being located near the village of Kingarth.

The name Kail appears to have been particularly prevalent in the Scottish Lowlands and the Borders region. In the 17th and 18th centuries, several notable individuals bore this surname, including James Kail (1619-1683), a Scottish minister and scholar who served as the Principal of the University of Edinburgh.

Another prominent figure was William Kail (1638-1705), a Scottish philosopher and academic who held the position of Professor of Ecclesiastical History at the University of St. Andrews. His work, "A Short Essay on the Reason and Ground of Christian Religion," published in 1701, was widely influential in its time.

In the 19th century, James Kail (1808-1867) was a distinguished Scottish architect known for his work on several churches and other notable buildings in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas. His legacy includes the design of the iconic St. Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh, completed in 1879.

The surname Kail also made its way across the Atlantic, with several bearers of the name contributing to the development of the United States. One such individual was John Kail (1794-1872), a Scottish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, from 1856 to 1858.

Another notable figure was George Kail (1823-1899), a Scottish-born American businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the steel industry. He was a prominent figure in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and his contributions included the establishment of the Kail Literary Institute, which provided educational opportunities for working-class students.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Kail families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kail 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. Dorset leads with 53 Kails recorded in 1881 and an index of 71.98x.

County Total Index
Dorset 53 71.98x
Hampshire 19 8.26x
Middlesex 12 1.07x
Surrey 11 2.01x
Durham 6 1.80x
Lancashire 6 0.45x
Berkshire 2 2.38x
Wiltshire 2 2.02x
Gloucestershire 1 0.45x
Kent 1 0.26x
Royal Navy 1 7.48x
Yorkshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blandford Forum in Dorset leads with 14 Kails recorded in 1881 and an index of 965.52x.

Place Total Index
Blandford Forum 14 965.52x
Pimperne 14 8750.00x
Camberwell 7 9.77x
Hursley 6 1132.08x
Newton In Makerfield 6 147.06x
Stockton On Tees 6 37.29x
Wimborne 6 674.16x
Bethnal Green London 4 8.21x
Holdenhurst 4 66.34x
Portsea 4 8.88x
Streatham 4 48.08x
Bow London 3 21.01x
Hinton Martel 3 2000.00x
Longfleet 3 352.94x
Christchurch 2 40.08x
Cookham 2 76.05x
Iwerne Courtnay 2 400.00x
Milborne St Andrew 2 909.09x
Potterne 2 454.55x
Southampton St Mary 2 13.83x
St George Hanover Square 2 10.12x
St Luke London 2 11.12x
Tollard Farnham 2 2857.14x
Wareham Lady St Mary 2 350.88x
Wimborne Minster 2 168.07x
Bristol St Augustine 1 28.17x
Deptford St Paul 1 3.39x
Huddersfield 1 6.17x
Long Critchell 1 1666.67x
Minstead 1 303.03x
Poole St James 1 36.10x
Royal Navy 1 8.75x
Steeple 1 909.09x
Westminster St Margaret 1 18.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Sarah 6
Ann 4
Eliza 4
Jane 4
Emma 3
Annie 2
Charlotte 2
Elizabeth 2
Emily 2
Fanny 2
Susan 2
Alice 1
Besse 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Georgianna 1
Harriet 1
Horitia 1
Jemima 1
Katie 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Mariah 1
Nelley 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Kail surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kail surname in 1881?

In 1881, 114 people were recorded with the Kail surname. That placed it at #18,324 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kail surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 151 in 2016. That gives Kail a modern rank of #23,615.

What does the Kail surname mean?

A surname of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "coil" meaning "wood" or "forest."

What does the Kail map show?

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