NameCensus.

UK surname

Kellow

A surname derived from a Cornish place name meaning "grove" or "wood".

In the 1881 census there were 518 people recorded with the Kellow surname, ranking it #6,583 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 528, ranked #9,603, down from #6,583 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Dennis, St Teath and Truro St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kellow is 598 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.9%.

1881 census count

518

Ranked #6,583

Modern count

528

2016, ranked #9,603

Peak year

1901

598 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kellow had 518 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,583 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 528 in 2016, ranked #9,603.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 598 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Kellow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kellow surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Kellow 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 464 #5,343
1861 historical 285 #8,826
1881 historical 518 #6,583
1891 historical 548 #6,901
1901 historical 598 #7,094
1911 historical 592 #6,912
1997 modern 557 #8,579
1998 modern 573 #8,643
1999 modern 569 #8,746
2000 modern 555 #8,883
2001 modern 557 #8,718
2002 modern 576 #8,674
2003 modern 537 #8,997
2004 modern 547 #8,897
2005 modern 536 #8,968
2006 modern 521 #9,193
2007 modern 530 #9,144
2008 modern 522 #9,328
2009 modern 519 #9,578
2010 modern 519 #9,768
2011 modern 530 #9,541
2012 modern 522 #9,575
2013 modern 543 #9,432
2014 modern 550 #9,395
2015 modern 539 #9,477
2016 modern 528 #9,603

Geography

Back to top

Where Kellows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Dennis, St Teath, Truro St Mary, London parishes and Gwennap. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall and Wiltshire. 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 St Dennis Cornwall
2 St Teath Cornwall
3 Truro St Mary Cornwall
4 London parishes London 3
5 Gwennap Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 042 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 050 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 043 Cornwall
4 Wiltshire 054 Wiltshire
5 Cornwall 024 Cornwall

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Kellow

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Kellow

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kellow 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

Kellow is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kellow 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 Kellow 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 Kellow, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Kellow

The surname Kellow is of English origin, derived from a place name. It is believed to have originated in the county of Devon, England, during the medieval period.

The name Kellow is thought to be derived from the Old English word "calu," meaning "callow" or "bare," and the word "hyll," meaning "hill." This suggests that the name may have referred to a person who lived near a bare or treeless hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Kellow can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Calughille," which is likely an early spelling variation.

In the 13th century, the name Kellow appeared in various records and manuscripts, such as the Feet of Fines for Devon, where it was spelled "Kalughull" and "Kalughylle." These variations highlight the fluid nature of surname spellings during that time.

Notable individuals with the surname Kellow throughout history include:

1. Sir John Kellow (c. 1480 - 1546), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Devon during the reign of Henry VIII. 2. Thomas Kellow (c. 1550 - 1612), an English clergyman and author who wrote a treatise on theology. 3. William Kellow (c. 1620 - 1695), a merchant and landowner in Devon who was involved in the local tin trade. 4. Elizabeth Kellow (c. 1670 - 1744), a prominent philanthropist in Devon who donated funds for the construction of schools and almshouses. 5. Richard Kellow (1796 - 1875), a Cornish engineer and mining expert who worked in various mines across England and Wales.

It is worth noting that the surname Kellow is also associated with several place names in Devon, such as Kellowtown and Kellow Grange, which may have influenced the development and distribution of the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Kellow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kellow 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. Cornwall leads with 227 Kellows recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.23x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 227 39.23x
Wiltshire 78 17.25x
Surrey 49 1.97x
Middlesex 34 0.67x
Devon 26 2.44x
Sussex 15 1.74x
Hampshire 14 1.34x
Kent 10 0.57x
Merionethshire 8 8.55x
Channel Islands 6 3.96x
Somerset 6 0.73x
Derbyshire 5 0.62x
Fife 5 1.65x
Glamorgan 5 0.56x
Gloucestershire 5 0.50x
Lancashire 5 0.08x
Hertfordshire 4 1.14x
Inverness-shire 4 2.62x
Angus 3 0.63x
Monmouthshire 3 0.81x
Berkshire 2 0.52x
Essex 2 0.20x
Midlothian 2 0.29x
Warwickshire 2 0.16x
Norfolk 1 0.13x
Staffordshire 1 0.06x
Suffolk 1 0.16x
Yorkshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Austell in Cornwall leads with 34 Kellows recorded in 1881 and an index of 171.89x.

Place Total Index
St Austell 34 171.89x
Lambeth 25 5.61x
St Teath 20 573.07x
Truro St Mary 19 390.95x
Gwennap 18 164.84x
St Kew 16 829.02x
St Dennis 15 694.44x
St Stephen In Brannel 14 265.15x
Kenwyn 12 79.31x
St Pancras London 12 2.92x
Cubert 11 1692.31x
Wandsworth 10 20.32x
Crowan 9 196.51x
Dinton 9 1125.00x
Salisbury The Close 9 810.81x
Fisherton Anger 8 95.58x
Kea 8 185.61x
Llanfrothen 8 432.43x
Islington London 7 1.41x
Milton In Gravesend 7 26.77x
Newhaven 7 100.00x
Newton Abbot St Mary 7 78.39x
St Mabyn 7 786.52x
Stockbridge 7 457.52x
Battersea 6 3.19x
Bishops Fonthill 6 1764.71x
Britford 6 201.34x
Linkinhorne 6 148.88x
Maddington 6 845.07x
Netherhampton 6 1875.00x
Orcheston St George 6 1764.71x
St Erth 6 170.94x
St Peter Port 6 21.41x
Teffont Magna 6 1176.47x
Totnes 6 96.46x
Wiveliscombe 6 130.72x
Aberdare 5 8.18x
Brighton 5 2.88x
Hampstead London 5 6.28x
Ince In Makerfield 5 17.72x
Kensington London 5 1.76x
Leuchars 5 130.55x
Liskeard 5 51.65x
Steeple Langford 5 543.48x
Sturston 5 378.79x
Ardersier 4 109.29x
Bermondsey 4 2.63x
Bodmin 4 41.80x
Cheltenham 4 5.17x
Hackney London 4 1.40x
Ware 4 39.60x
Alverstoke 3 7.91x
Andover 3 30.30x
Chichester St Andrew 3 333.33x
Lanteglos 3 111.94x
Liff Benvie 3 4.17x
Shrewton 3 254.24x
St Tudy 3 329.67x
Upper Llanvrechva 3 52.26x
Broad Clist 2 54.50x
Chilmark 2 206.19x
Clarendon Park 2 526.32x
Edinburgh St Marys 2 15.03x
Feock 2 55.25x
Michaelstow 2 512.82x
Plymouth Charles The 2 4.27x
St Endellion 2 99.50x
Swanscombe 2 25.51x
Tywardreath 2 53.76x
Warminster 2 20.18x
West Ham 2 0.90x
Aston 1 0.28x
Brotton 1 15.13x
Clifton 1 1.97x
East Teignmouth 1 22.99x
Kew 1 68.97x
Newington 1 0.53x
Romsey Extra 1 16.05x
Salisbury St Thomas 1 27.93x
St Cleer 1 19.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 48
Elizabeth 23
Ann 16
Sarah 14
Eliza 12
Jane 12
Annie 8
Ellen 7
Emily 7
Edith 5
Elizth. 5
Emma 5
Florence 5
Harriet 5
Maria 5
Laura 4
Louisa 4
Susan 4
Hannah 3
Julia 3
Kate 3
Martha 3
Rebecca 3
Alice 2
Anne 2
Beatrice 2
Bridget 2
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Eleanor 2
Emely 2
Frances 2
Grace 2
Lilian 2
Lydia 2
Matilda 2
Minnie 2
Anna 1
Bessie 1
Carolene 1
Caroline 1
Dinah 1
Elisa 1
Elizabth. 1
Emeline 1
Isabella 1
Jenny 1
Joannah 1
Johanna 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 47
William 31
Thomas 17
George 16
James 13
Charles 12
Richard 11
Frederick 10
Henry 9
Joseph 7
Albert 4
Alfred 4
Frank 4
Robert 4
Ernest 3
Samuel 3
Willm. 3
Edward 2
Elijah 2
Enos 2
Fred 2
Herbert 2
Josiah 2
Moses 2
Nicholas 2
Stephen 2
Abraham 1
Arthur 1
Benjamn. 1
Ch 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Harry 1
Jethro 1
Mark 1
Oliver 1
Paul 1
Peter 1
Richd. 1
Saml. 1
Sampon 1
Sampson 1
Tom 1
W. 1
Wallace 1
Walter 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Kellow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kellow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 518 people were recorded with the Kellow surname. That placed it at #6,583 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kellow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 528 in 2016. That gives Kellow a modern rank of #9,603.

What does the Kellow surname mean?

A surname derived from a Cornish place name meaning "grove" or "wood".

What does the Kellow map show?

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