NameCensus.

UK surname

Kivell

A surname derived from a Cornish place name meaning "ridge, bank, or hillock."

In the 1881 census there were 68 people recorded with the Kivell surname, ranking it #23,950 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 136, ranked #25,377, down from #23,950 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) and Wolfardisworthy. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stockport, Cornwall and Blaenau Gwent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kivell is 159 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 100.0%.

1881 census count

68

Ranked #23,950

Modern count

136

2016, ranked #25,377

Peak year

1911

159 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kivell had 68 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,950 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 136 in 2016, ranked #25,377.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 159 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Kivell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kivell surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kivell 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 76 #20,127
1861 historical 48 #27,896
1881 historical 68 #23,950
1891 historical 114 #22,006
1901 historical 125 #20,061
1911 historical 159 #17,219
1997 modern 144 #21,660
1998 modern 154 #21,316
1999 modern 149 #21,924
2000 modern 153 #21,520
2001 modern 150 #21,482
2002 modern 155 #21,431
2003 modern 146 #22,069
2004 modern 150 #21,830
2005 modern 153 #21,490
2006 modern 148 #22,111
2007 modern 143 #22,924
2008 modern 139 #23,635
2009 modern 144 #23,577
2010 modern 153 #23,175
2011 modern 141 #24,294
2012 modern 141 #24,258
2013 modern 140 #24,779
2014 modern 141 #24,855
2015 modern 137 #25,226
2016 modern 136 #25,377

Geography

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Where Kivells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), Wolfardisworthy, Bideford and Holsworthy. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stockport, Cornwall, Blaenau Gwent and Torridge. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) Devon
3 Wolfardisworthy Devon
4 Bideford Devon
5 Holsworthy Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stockport 019 Stockport
2 Cornwall 001 Cornwall
3 Blaenau Gwent 001 Blaenau Gwent
4 Torridge 004 Torridge
5 Torridge 008 Torridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kivell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kivell

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Kivell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Kivell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Kivell 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

Kivell is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Kivell

The surname Kivell has its origins in the Cornwall region of England. It is believed to have derived from the Cornish word 'kevel', meaning a ridge or hill. The name likely referred to someone who lived on or near a prominent ridge or hilltop.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Assize Rolls of Cornwall from the year 1284, where a Johannes Kevel is mentioned. This suggests the name was already in use by the late 13th century in Cornwall.

The Kivell surname is also found in various Cornish parish records from the 16th and 17th centuries, often with variations in spelling such as Kevill, Kevell, and Kyvell. These variations reflect the regional dialects and inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

A notable early bearer of the name was Richard Kivell, who was born in Redruth, Cornwall, in 1597. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the area, and his descendants continued to play a role in local affairs for generations.

Another historically significant individual with the Kivell surname was James Kivell (1761-1838), a Cornish engineer and mining expert. He made significant contributions to the development of mining techniques and was instrumental in the growth of the Cornish mining industry during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

In the 19th century, the name appears to have spread beyond Cornwall as members of the Kivell family migrated to other parts of England and even further afield. One such individual was William Kivell (1825-1901), who was born in Cornwall but later settled in Australia, where he became a successful businessman and landowner.

Other notable bearers of the Kivell surname include John Kivell (1855-1932), a British architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in London, and Robert Kivell (1874-1945), a New Zealand politician and farmer who served as a member of parliament for the Dunedin North electorate.

While the Kivell surname is not among the most common in England or elsewhere, it has a rich history rooted in the Cornish landscape and culture, with bearers of the name making contributions in various fields over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kivell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kivell 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. Devon leads with 46 Kivells recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.05x.

County Total Index
Devon 46 29.05x
Lancashire 15 1.66x
Isle of Man 10 70.77x
Glamorgan 4 3.02x
Yorkshire 2 0.27x
Cornwall 1 1.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bideford in Devon leads with 18 Kivells recorded in 1881 and an index of 1058.82x.

Place Total Index
Bideford 18 1058.82x
Heaton Norris 7 136.19x
Pyworthy 7 5384.62x
Malew 5 406.50x
Cardiff St John 4 92.38x
Frithelstock 4 2666.67x
Manchester 4 9.85x
Onchan 4 98.28x
Hartland 3 612.24x
Much Woolton 3 245.90x
Crediton 2 133.33x
Exeter St Sidwell 2 55.10x
Leeds 2 4.70x
Merton 2 1333.33x
Barton Upon Irwell 1 14.71x
Buckland Brewer 1 526.32x
Douglas 1 500.00x
Egloshayle 1 250.00x
Exeter St Leonard 1 232.56x
Great Torrington 1 111.11x
Holsworthy 1 222.22x
Langtree 1 526.32x
Lapford 1 666.67x
Shebbear 1 416.67x
Witheridge 1 370.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 8
Robert 5
Henry 3
Edward 2
George 2
Michael 2
Richard 2
William 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Edwin 1
Enst. 1
Fernly 1
Ht. 1
Hubert 1
James 1
Mary 1
Partrick 1
S. 1
Thomas 1
Warlter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Kivell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kivell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 68 people were recorded with the Kivell surname. That placed it at #23,950 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kivell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 136 in 2016. That gives Kivell a modern rank of #25,377.

What does the Kivell surname mean?

A surname derived from a Cornish place name meaning "ridge, bank, or hillock."

What does the Kivell map show?

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