NameCensus.

UK surname

Kelway

In the 1881 census there were 134 people recorded with the Kelway surname, ranking it #16,602 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 97, ranked #31,585, down from #16,602 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lincoln St Swithin, Phillack and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Devon, South Kesteven and Torridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kelway is 191 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 27.6%.

1881 census count

134

Ranked #16,602

Modern count

97

2016, ranked #31,585

Peak year

1901

191 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2006

Key insights

  • Kelway had 134 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,602 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016, ranked #31,585.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 191 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Kelway surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kelway surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kelway 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 93 #17,946
1861 historical 65 #25,618
1881 historical 134 #16,602
1891 historical 166 #17,077
1901 historical 191 #15,579
1911 historical 178 #16,073
1997 modern 130 #23,021
1998 modern 134 #23,202
1999 modern 125 #24,366
2000 modern 127 #24,121
2001 modern 119 #24,733
2002 modern 118 #25,358
2003 modern 108 #26,486
2004 modern 103 #27,503
2005 modern 106 #27,044
2006 modern 100 #28,283
2007 modern 102 #28,351
2008 modern 96 #29,654
2009 modern 103 #29,127
2010 modern 102 #29,930
2011 modern 104 #29,424
2012 modern 97 #30,798
2013 modern 102 #30,415
2014 modern 99 #31,186
2015 modern 95 #31,749
2016 modern 97 #31,585

Geography

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Where Kelways are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lincoln St Swithin, Phillack, London parishes, Falmouth Town and Hawkinge, Folkestone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Devon, South Kesteven, Torridge, Plymouth and Thurrock. 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 Lincoln St Swithin Lincolnshire
2 Phillack Cornwall
3 London parishes London 3
4 Falmouth Town Cornwall
5 Hawkinge, Folkestone Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Devon 005 West Devon
2 South Kesteven 001 South Kesteven
3 Torridge 007 Torridge
4 Plymouth 006 Plymouth
5 Thurrock 003 Thurrock

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kelway

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kelway

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Kelway is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kelway is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kelway falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kelway is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Kelway families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kelway 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 45 Kelways recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.96x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 45 29.96x
Kent 21 4.64x
Lincolnshire 13 6.13x
Somerset 13 6.09x
Devon 12 4.35x
Nottinghamshire 6 3.36x
Pembrokeshire 5 11.86x
Worcestershire 5 2.89x
Dorset 3 3.45x
Gloucestershire 3 1.15x
Warwickshire 3 0.90x
Lancashire 2 0.13x
Sussex 2 0.89x
Glamorgan 1 0.43x
Royal Navy 1 6.33x
Yorkshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Falmouth in Cornwall leads with 35 Kelways recorded in 1881 and an index of 657.89x.

Place Total Index
Falmouth 35 657.89x
St Swithin Lincoln 13 390.39x
Bishopsteignton 7 1346.15x
Herne 7 350.00x
Phillack 7 360.82x
Folkestone 6 68.34x
Langport 6 6000.00x
Newark Upon Trent 6 93.31x
Hubberston 5 806.45x
Peopleton 5 4166.67x
Birmingham 3 2.69x
Cockington 3 1875.00x
Provost Stour 3 1764.71x
Canterbury St Mary 2 65.79x
Everton 2 3.99x
Huish Episcopi 2 666.67x
Hythe St Leonard 2 125.00x
Lancing 2 327.87x
Mylor 2 198.02x
Upton St Leonards 2 303.03x
Wells St Cuthbert 2 136.99x
Wells St Cuthbert In 2 606.06x
Aberdare 1 6.31x
Charing 1 163.93x
Greenwich 1 4.73x
Holy Trinity 1 3.16x
Littleworth 1 400.00x
Paignton 1 47.62x
Plymouth Charles The 1 8.22x
Reculver 1 714.29x
Royal Navy 1 7.40x
Sancreed 1 232.56x
Tonbridge 1 6.13x
Walcot 1 8.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 15
William 10
George 8
Robert 4
Henry 3
James 3
Reginald 3
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Richard 2
Thomas 2
Willie 2
Albert 1
Alwyn 1
Charles 1
D'ARCY 1
Edmund 1
Frederick 1
Jno.Barry 1
Joseph 1
Leonard 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Kelway surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kelway surname in 1881?

In 1881, 134 people were recorded with the Kelway surname. That placed it at #16,602 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kelway surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016. That gives Kelway a modern rank of #31,585.

What does the Kelway map show?

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