NameCensus.

UK surname

Kempshall

In the 1881 census there were 139 people recorded with the Kempshall surname, ranking it #16,228 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 127, ranked #26,566, down from #16,228 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dorking, London parishes and Horley, Leigh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dover, Salford and Brighton and Hove.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kempshall is 188 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 8.6%.

1881 census count

139

Ranked #16,228

Modern count

127

2016, ranked #26,566

Peak year

1901

188 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kempshall had 139 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,228 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016, ranked #26,566.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 188 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Kempshall surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kempshall surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kempshall 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 133 #14,106
1861 historical 83 #23,189
1881 historical 139 #16,228
1891 historical 131 #20,073
1901 historical 188 #15,742
1911 historical 172 #16,408
1997 modern 136 #22,398
1998 modern 150 #21,665
1999 modern 154 #21,455
2000 modern 151 #21,684
2001 modern 145 #21,951
2002 modern 148 #22,087
2003 modern 138 #22,823
2004 modern 148 #22,000
2005 modern 132 #23,623
2006 modern 130 #24,053
2007 modern 135 #23,824
2008 modern 137 #23,883
2009 modern 136 #24,485
2010 modern 137 #24,907
2011 modern 132 #25,303
2012 modern 129 #25,705
2013 modern 132 #25,789
2014 modern 136 #25,452
2015 modern 133 #25,729
2016 modern 127 #26,566

Geography

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Where Kempshalls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dorking, London parishes, Horley, Leigh, Newdigate and Horsham, Sullington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dover, Salford, Brighton and Hove and Harlow. 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 Dorking Surrey
2 London parishes London 3
3 Horley, Leigh Surrey
4 Newdigate Surrey
5 Horsham, Sullington Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dover 004 Dover
2 Salford 021 Salford
3 Brighton and Hove 017 Brighton and Hove
4 Harlow 008 Harlow
5 Brighton and Hove 003 Brighton and Hove

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kempshall

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kempshall

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

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Kempshall surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Kempshall household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Kempshall is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

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Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kempshall is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Kempshall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kempshall 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. Sussex leads with 71 Kempshalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.06x.

County Total Index
Sussex 71 31.06x
Surrey 40 6.05x
Lincolnshire 14 6.46x
Middlesex 8 0.59x
Essex 4 1.49x
Hampshire 1 0.36x
Kent 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Horsham in Sussex leads with 31 Kempshalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 698.20x.

Place Total Index
Horsham 31 698.20x
Newdigate 14 4516.13x
Hamsey 10 3846.15x
Leigh 10 4166.67x
Charlwood 8 1269.84x
Henfield 8 909.09x
Brighton 7 15.18x
Slaugham 5 675.68x
South Common Lincoln 5 4545.45x
Pulborough 4 476.19x
Reigate Borough 4 263.16x
Sudbrooke 4 13333.33x
West Ham 4 6.77x
Reigate Foreign 3 41.96x
West Grinstead 3 434.78x
Broadwater 1 19.08x
Cammeringham 1 1428.57x
Chelsea London 1 2.45x
Fulham London 1 5.09x
Ifield 1 105.26x
Islington London 1 0.76x
Lambeth 1 0.85x
Moulton 1 96.15x
Norwood 1 32.26x
Petersfield 1 131.58x
Shoreditch London 1 1.70x
Spalding 1 23.26x
St George Hanover Square 1 4.19x
St Maryle Wigford 1 59.52x
St Pancras London 1 0.92x
St Swithin Lincoln 1 29.33x
Sunbury 1 61.35x
Ulcombe 1 333.33x
West Chiltington 1 333.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Sarah 7
Ann 5
Kate 5
Alice 4
Annie 4
Ellen 4
Elizth. 3
Emily 3
Jane 3
Anne 2
Elizabeth 2
Emma 2
Harriet 2
Minnie 2
Abigael 1
Ada 1
Amelia 1
C. 1
Caroline 1
Edith 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
L. 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 9
James 9
Henry 5
John 4
Walter 4
William 4
Charles 3
Edwin 3
Albert 2
David 2
Peter 2
Richard 2
Sidney 2
Thomas 2
Alfred 1
Charlie 1
Chas 1
Edward 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Jethro 1
Joseph 1
Josh. 1
Percy 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
W. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Kempshall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kempshall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 139 people were recorded with the Kempshall surname. That placed it at #16,228 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kempshall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016. That gives Kempshall a modern rank of #26,566.

What does the Kempshall map show?

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