NameCensus.

UK surname

Kiel

A toponymic surname derived from the German city of Kiel, indicating an individual's origin or association with the place.

In the 1881 census there were 54 people recorded with the Kiel surname, ranking it #26,009 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 118, ranked #27,873, down from #26,009 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to -, Christ Church Spitalfields and Hull Holy Trinity. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire and Suffolk Coastal.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kiel is 118 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 118.5%.

1881 census count

54

Ranked #26,009

Modern count

118

2016, ranked #27,873

Peak year

2016

118 bearers

Map years

3

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kiel had 54 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,009 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016, ranked #27,873.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 110 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Kiel surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kiel surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Kiel 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 42 #25,706
1861 historical 64 #25,747
1881 historical 54 #26,009
1891 historical 95 #24,694
1901 historical 110 #21,604
1911 historical 77 #25,106
1997 modern 98 #27,179
1998 modern 95 #28,303
1999 modern 94 #28,593
2000 modern 101 #27,555
2001 modern 96 #27,976
2002 modern 97 #28,383
2003 modern 99 #27,871
2004 modern 99 #28,136
2005 modern 101 #27,854
2006 modern 100 #28,283
2007 modern 107 #27,557
2008 modern 107 #27,844
2009 modern 110 #27,991
2010 modern 112 #28,336
2011 modern 116 #27,477
2012 modern 117 #27,394
2013 modern 111 #28,856
2014 modern 117 #28,109
2015 modern 117 #27,982
2016 modern 118 #27,873

Geography

Back to top

Where Kiels are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around -, Christ Church Spitalfields, Hull Holy Trinity, Walthamstow, Low Leyton and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire and Suffolk Coastal. 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 - City Of London
2 Christ Church Spitalfields London (East Districts)
3 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
4 Walthamstow, Low Leyton Essex
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kingston upon Hull 021 Kingston upon Hull, City of
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 029 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Kingston upon Hull 026 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 Suffolk Coastal 006 Suffolk Coastal
5 Kingston upon Hull 020 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Kiel

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Kiel

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Kiel is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kiel is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kiel falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Kiel

The surname KIEL is of German origin, derived from the Old Low German word "kil," meaning "channel" or "strait." It is believed to have originated in the city of Kiel, located in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, which is situated at the head of a fjord on the southwestern shore of the Baltic Sea.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname KIEL can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, dating back to the 13th century. The name was likely adopted by individuals who resided near or worked in proximity to the waterways and channels around the city of Kiel.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname KIEL was Johannes Kiel (c. 1550-1616), a German composer and organist who served as the director of music at the court of Gottorp in Schleswig-Holstein. His compositions for organ and choral works were widely admired during his lifetime and contributed to the development of the North German organ tradition.

Another prominent individual with the surname KIEL was Frederica Kiel (1768-1853), a German writer and poet who was born in Braunschweig. She published several collections of poetry and plays, and her work was well-received by literary circles in Germany during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

In the 19th century, Carl Friedrich Kiel (1784-1857), a German painter and engraver, gained recognition for his landscapes and architectural scenes. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden and was appointed as a court painter to the King of Saxony.

The name KIEL is also associated with the city of Kiel itself, which has been an important maritime center and naval base since the Middle Ages. The city's name is derived from the Old Norse word "kil," meaning "strait" or "fjord," reflecting its geographical location at the head of the Kieler Förde, a large fjord-like bay.

During the 20th century, one notable individual with the surname KIEL was Walter Kiel (1914-1997), a German businessman and entrepreneur who founded the Kiel Group, a successful construction and real estate company based in Hamburg. He played a significant role in the reconstruction and development of many cities in Germany after World War II.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Kiel families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kiel 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. Middlesex leads with 15 Kiels recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.80x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 15 2.80x
Morayshire 8 96.04x
Lancashire 6 0.94x
Cheshire 4 3.38x
Fife 4 12.60x
Gloucestershire 4 3.80x
Hampshire 3 2.73x
Dorset 2 5.68x
Lanarkshire 2 1.15x
Northumberland 2 2.51x
Aberdeenshire 1 2.01x
Channel Islands 1 6.29x
Essex 1 0.94x
Royal Navy 1 15.65x
Wiltshire 1 2.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Knockando in Morayshire leads with 8 Kiels recorded in 1881 and an index of 2352.94x.

Place Total Index
Knockando 8 2352.94x
Fulwood 5 724.64x
St Luke London 5 58.14x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 4 40.40x
Dunfermline 4 81.97x
St George In East London 4 79.37x
Stockport 4 65.68x
Clerkenwell London 3 23.70x
Govan 2 4.66x
Jesmond 2 178.57x
Sunbury 2 312.50x
Chorlton Cum Hardy 1 238.10x
Colchester St Botolph 1 111.11x
Devizes St James 1 158.73x
Fordington 1 131.58x
Havant 1 178.57x
Islington London 1 1.92x
Newhills 1 98.04x
Portland 1 52.91x
Royal Navy 1 18.32x
Southampton St Mary 1 14.47x
St Peter Colebrook 1 666.67x
St Peter Port 1 34.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Harriett 2
Lucy 2
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Elizabeth 1
Ethel 1
J. 1
Maggie 1
Margaret 1
May 1
Sarah 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 4
Charles 2
Daniel 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Richard 2
Benjn.Jno. 1
David 1
E. 1
Ernest 1
Harry 1
James 1
John 1
Kaspar 1
Samuel 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Kiel households.

FAQ

Kiel surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kiel surname in 1881?

In 1881, 54 people were recorded with the Kiel surname. That placed it at #26,009 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kiel surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016. That gives Kiel a modern rank of #27,873.

What does the Kiel surname mean?

A toponymic surname derived from the German city of Kiel, indicating an individual's origin or association with the place.

What does the Kiel map show?

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