NameCensus.

UK surname

Kessell

A locational surname derived from a place name in Hertfordshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 249 people recorded with the Kessell surname, ranking it #11,103 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 272, ranked #15,832, down from #11,103 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Columb Major, London parishes and Gluvias. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kessell is 306 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9.2%.

1881 census count

249

Ranked #11,103

Modern count

272

2016, ranked #15,832

Peak year

1911

306 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kessell had 249 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,103 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 272 in 2016, ranked #15,832.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 306 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Kessell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kessell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kessell 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 176 #11,489
1861 historical 115 #18,880
1881 historical 249 #11,103
1891 historical 237 #13,242
1901 historical 277 #12,281
1911 historical 306 #11,281
1997 modern 278 #14,210
1998 modern 289 #14,208
1999 modern 288 #14,346
2000 modern 276 #14,724
2001 modern 271 #14,691
2002 modern 275 #14,819
2003 modern 276 #14,604
2004 modern 281 #14,489
2005 modern 275 #14,624
2006 modern 285 #14,361
2007 modern 280 #14,694
2008 modern 274 #15,063
2009 modern 282 #15,059
2010 modern 287 #15,195
2011 modern 284 #15,174
2012 modern 274 #15,498
2013 modern 283 #15,401
2014 modern 279 #15,661
2015 modern 271 #15,881
2016 modern 272 #15,832

Geography

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Where Kessells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Columb Major, London parishes, Gluvias and Kenwyn, Tregavethan. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall. 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 Columb Major Cornwall
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gluvias Cornwall
5 Kenwyn, Tregavethan Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 066 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 061 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 045 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 057 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 019 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kessell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kessell

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Kessell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Kessell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Kessell is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Kessell is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kessell falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kessell 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 Kessell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Kessell

The surname Kessell is of German origin, derived from the Old German word "kezzel" or "kessel," which means "cauldron" or "kettle." It is believed to have been an occupational name given to those who made or sold cauldrons or kettles during medieval times.

The earliest recorded instances of the Kessell surname date back to the 13th century in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony in Germany. In some old records, the name was spelled as "Kessel," "Kessell," or "Kessler," which was a variant form.

The name Kessell is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. This suggests that the name was already well-established in that region during that time period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Kessell surname was Johannes Kessell, a blacksmith who lived in the town of Nuremberg, Germany, in the late 14th century. Another notable figure was Hans Kessell, a merchant and trader from Leipzig, Germany, who lived in the early 16th century.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Kessell name spread to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands, where it was sometimes spelled as "Kessel" or "Kessel." During this period, Pieter Kessel (1565-1642), a Dutch painter and engraver, gained recognition for his biblical and mythological scenes.

The Kessell name also made its way to England, where it was sometimes anglicized as "Kessell" or "Kessill." One notable bearer of this name was John Kessill (1684-1751), an English clergyman and author who published several works on theology and philosophy.

Another significant figure with the Kessell surname was Johann Kessell (1767-1842), a German composer and organist who served as the court organist in Weimar, Germany, during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Over time, the Kessell surname has spread to various parts of the world, including North America and Australia, due to immigration patterns. However, it remains most prevalent in Germany, the Netherlands, and other regions of Western Europe.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kessell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kessell 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 147 Kessells recorded in 1881 and an index of 52.20x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 147 52.20x
Devon 52 10.04x
Surrey 26 2.15x
Middlesex 8 0.32x
Channel Islands 5 6.78x
Hampshire 5 0.98x
Northamptonshire 4 1.71x
Cumberland 2 0.93x
Northumberland 2 0.54x
Yorkshire 2 0.08x
Berkshire 1 0.54x
Royal Navy 1 3.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Madron Penzance in Cornwall leads with 29 Kessells recorded in 1881 and an index of 283.20x.

Place Total Index
Madron Penzance 29 283.20x
Plymouth St Andrew 24 60.18x
Stoke Damerel 19 52.43x
St Gluvias 14 886.08x
Probus 11 956.52x
St Gluvias Penryn 11 486.73x
Battersea 10 10.93x
Roche 10 699.30x
Southwark St Saviour 10 78.25x
Mawgan In Pyder 8 1333.33x
St Columb Major 8 341.88x
Kea 7 333.33x
Islington London 6 2.49x
St Austell 6 62.31x
St Erth 6 350.88x
Newington 5 5.44x
St Helier 5 20.84x
Gulval 4 220.99x
Kenwyn 4 54.35x
North Molton 4 396.04x
Perranzabuloe 4 164.61x
Peterborough 4 23.61x
Portsmouth 4 34.07x
St Issey 4 689.66x
St Merryn 4 869.57x
Antony 3 110.29x
St Agnes 3 76.14x
St Enoder 3 312.50x
Tormoham 3 13.69x
Chirton 2 23.87x
Redruth 2 25.09x
Whitehaven 2 17.53x
Bray 1 18.21x
Calbourne 1 181.82x
Devonport 1 16.81x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 1.99x
Egloshayle 1 75.76x
Farnham 1 10.62x
Hampstead London 1 2.58x
Leeds 1 0.72x
Ludgvan 1 44.64x
Madron 1 44.05x
Paddington London 1 1.09x
Plymouth Charles The 1 4.38x
Royal Navy 1 3.95x
St Breock 1 65.79x
St Mewan 1 114.94x
St Veep 1 217.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Elizabeth 7
Eliza 6
Ellen 6
Annie 5
Emma 5
Jane 5
Louisa 5
Edith 4
Alice 3
Ann 3
Catherine 3
Harriet 3
Jessie 3
Kate 3
Margaret 3
Minnie 3
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Emily 2
Florence 2
Laura 2
Selina 2
Sotilda 2
Amanda 1
Cerdelia 1
Charlotte 1
Constance 1
Edna 1
Elizth. 1
Eva 1
Evelyn 1
Fanny 1
Grace 1
Harriett 1
Isabella 1
Janie 1
Juleta 1
Kezia 1
Lavenia 1
Leah 1
Lillian 1
Lily 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Mable 1
Martha 1
Matild 1
Maud 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 28
John 12
Charles 11
Thomas 10
Frederick 4
James 4
Edward 3
George 3
Robert 3
Samuel 3
Daniel 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
Nicholas 2
Philip 2
Richard 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Almond 1
Arthur 1
Bertie 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Fras.C. 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Joseph 1
Martain 1
Martin 1
Michael 1
Phillip 1
Samuell 1
Sidney 1
Soloman 1
Sydney 1
Thos.H. 1
Walter 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Kessell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kessell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 249 people were recorded with the Kessell surname. That placed it at #11,103 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kessell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 272 in 2016. That gives Kessell a modern rank of #15,832.

What does the Kessell surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in Hertfordshire, England.

What does the Kessell map show?

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