NameCensus.

UK surname

Kimbell

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

In the 1881 census there were 156 people recorded with the Kimbell surname, ranking it #15,114 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 155, ranked #23,197, down from #15,114 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Walgrave, Hampton-in-Arden and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Daventry, Kettering and Milton Keynes.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kimbell is 219 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.6%.

1881 census count

156

Ranked #15,114

Modern count

155

2016, ranked #23,197

Peak year

1911

219 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kimbell had 156 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,114 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 155 in 2016, ranked #23,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 219 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Kimbell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kimbell surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Kimbell 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 141 #13,507
1861 historical 155 #14,881
1881 historical 156 #15,114
1891 historical 172 #16,663
1901 historical 206 #14,845
1911 historical 219 #14,136
1997 modern 171 #19,438
1998 modern 172 #19,883
1999 modern 169 #20,233
2000 modern 180 #19,425
2001 modern 175 #19,484
2002 modern 176 #19,829
2003 modern 183 #19,152
2004 modern 182 #19,306
2005 modern 173 #19,851
2006 modern 164 #20,715
2007 modern 161 #21,201
2008 modern 155 #21,956
2009 modern 144 #23,577
2010 modern 150 #23,482
2011 modern 149 #23,408
2012 modern 145 #23,780
2013 modern 148 #23,884
2014 modern 154 #23,439
2015 modern 151 #23,613
2016 modern 155 #23,197

Geography

Back to top

Where Kimbells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Walgrave, Hampton-in-Arden, London parishes, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Daventry, Kettering, Milton Keynes and Chichester. 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 Walgrave Northamptonshire
2 Hampton-in-Arden Warwickshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Daventry 002 Daventry
2 Daventry 005 Daventry
3 Kettering 011 Kettering
4 Milton Keynes 001 Milton Keynes
5 Chichester 006 Chichester

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Kimbell

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Kimbell

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

Kimbell 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

Kimbell falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Kimbell

The surname Kimbell has its origins in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "cym" meaning "entering a valley" and "bell" meaning "a hill or ridge". This suggests that the name originated from a place where people lived near a valley or ridge.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kimbell can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, dated 1195, which mention a William de Kymbel. This indicates that the name had already evolved into its modern spelling by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire, which lists a Richard de Kynebelle in 1273. This variation in spelling highlights the fluidity of surname spellings during that period.

The Kimbell name is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, where a John Kymbell is listed. This record provides evidence of the name's presence in different regions of England.

One noteworthy individual bearing the Kimbell surname was Sir Richard Kembell, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Sussex who lived in the late 15th century. He was known for his extensive property holdings and served as a Member of Parliament for Lewes in 1491.

Another prominent figure was John Kimbell, a renowned English architect who lived from 1623 to 1708. He is best known for his work on the design and construction of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a retirement home for British soldiers.

In the 18th century, William Kimbell (1735-1812) was a successful businessman and philanthropist from Liverpool. He made his fortune in the cotton trade and donated generously to various charitable causes, including the establishment of schools and hospitals.

The 19th century saw the birth of George Kimbell (1824-1892), a celebrated English poet and playwright. His works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, earning him critical acclaim during his lifetime.

Lastly, a notable figure from the 20th century was Sir Ralph Kimbell (1910-1995), a British diplomat and ambassador. He served in various diplomatic roles, including as the British Ambassador to Belgium from 1964 to 1969.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Kimbell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kimbell 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. Northamptonshire leads with 39 Kimbells recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.25x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 39 27.25x
Warwickshire 25 6.51x
Middlesex 23 1.51x
Leicestershire 19 11.26x
Sussex 18 7.02x
Buckinghamshire 13 14.13x
Oxfordshire 8 8.51x
Surrey 5 0.67x
Lancashire 2 0.11x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.98x
Gloucestershire 1 0.34x
Yorkshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Knowle in Warwickshire leads with 16 Kimbells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2025.32x.

Place Total Index
Knowle 16 2025.32x
Walgrave 12 3870.97x
Hackney London 10 11.72x
Subdeanery 10 512.82x
Birmingham 9 7.04x
Kibworth Harcourt 7 3043.48x
Burton On The Wolds 6 3157.89x
Chichester St Pancras 6 779.22x
Islington London 6 4.07x
Boughton 5 2941.18x
Northampton Priory St 5 58.21x
Worminghall 5 3125.00x
Beckley 4 2105.26x
Edlesborough 4 476.19x
Lambeth 4 3.01x
Leicester St Margaret 4 9.72x
Wellingborough 4 55.56x
Chelsea London 3 6.54x
Ickford 3 1578.95x
Long Buckby 3 227.27x
Spratton 3 697.67x
Wycombe 3 43.73x
Church Brampton 2 2222.22x
Dallington 2 238.10x
Newton In Makerfield 2 36.17x
St Pancras London 2 1.63x
Stoughton 2 606.06x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.51x
Bletchley 1 370.37x
Burrough 1 1250.00x
Caterham 1 30.49x
Cheltenham 1 4.34x
Great Oakley 1 909.09x
Kensington London 1 1.18x
Kibworth Beauchamp 1 172.41x
Kingsthorpe 1 62.89x
Leeds 1 1.17x
Northampton St Sepulchre 1 13.74x
Oxford St Martin 1 666.67x
Snenton 1 12.41x
Thorpe In Glebe 1 3333.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Emma 6
Mary 6
Sarah 6
Ada 5
Elizabeth 5
Ann 4
Fanny 4
Annie 3
Catherine 3
Frances 3
Emily 2
Hannah 2
Jane 2
Margaret 2
Alice 1
Amy 1
Barbara 1
Betsy 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Elizabeth. 1
Ellen 1
Florence 1
Georgenia 1
Harriet 1
Janet 1
Katherine 1
Lilly 1
Lizzie 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Rebecca 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Rosina 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 11
William 10
George 6
Charles 4
Henry 4
John 4
Nathan 4
Edward 3
Peter 3
Richard 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
David 2
Eaton 2
Harry 2
Jonathan 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Ambrose 1
Arthur 1
Billy 1
Chas. 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Harrold 1
Herbert 1
James 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1
Willoughbey 1

FAQ

Kimbell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kimbell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 156 people were recorded with the Kimbell surname. That placed it at #15,114 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kimbell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 155 in 2016. That gives Kimbell a modern rank of #23,197.

What does the Kimbell surname mean?

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

What does the Kimbell map show?

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