NameCensus.

UK surname

Mahal

An Arabic surname meaning magnificent or great.

In the 1881 census there were 6 people recorded with the Mahal surname, ranking it #32,926 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 742, ranked #7,354, up from #32,926 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ealing, Oadby and Wigston and Hounslow.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mahal is 761 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12266.7%.

1881 census count

6

Ranked #32,926

Modern count

742

2016, ranked #7,354

Peak year

2013

761 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mahal had 6 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,926 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 742 in 2016, ranked #7,354.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Mahal surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mahal surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mahal 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
1861 historical 4 #33,628
1881 historical 6 #32,926
1891 historical 3 #34,257
1901 historical 1 #34,548
1911 historical 3 #33,789
1997 modern 478 #9,627
1998 modern 543 #9,010
1999 modern 540 #9,107
2000 modern 579 #8,611
2001 modern 561 #8,672
2002 modern 592 #8,537
2003 modern 604 #8,283
2004 modern 611 #8,234
2005 modern 627 #7,994
2006 modern 617 #8,111
2007 modern 639 #7,976
2008 modern 631 #8,096
2009 modern 679 #7,828
2010 modern 725 #7,579
2011 modern 744 #7,358
2012 modern 743 #7,281
2013 modern 761 #7,257
2014 modern 738 #7,476
2015 modern 735 #7,438
2016 modern 742 #7,354

Geography

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Where Mahals are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ealing, Oadby and Wigston and Hounslow. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ealing 029 Ealing
2 Ealing 026 Ealing
3 Oadby and Wigston 009 Oadby and Wigston
4 Hounslow 016 Hounslow
5 Ealing 023 Ealing

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mahal

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mahal

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Mahal surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Mahal household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Mahal is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mahal 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

Mahal 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 Mahal 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
Asian - Indian

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mahal, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mahal

The surname MAHAL originates from India, specifically from the northern regions of the subcontinent. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th to 15th centuries. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "mahal," which means "palace" or "grand residence."

In ancient India, the term "mahal" was often associated with royal residences and the households of influential nobility or wealthy merchants. It is possible that the surname MAHAL was initially adopted by individuals who worked or resided within such grand establishments, or by those who were closely associated with the ruling elites or affluent families.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MAHAL can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This administrative manual mentions several individuals bearing the surname MAHAL, suggesting its use during the Mughal era.

Notably, the renowned Mughal empress Nur Jahan, who ruled as the chief consort of Emperor Jahangir from 1611 to 1627, was born with the name Mehrunnisa and later given the title "Nur Mahal" (Light of the Palace) upon her marriage. This association with royalty further solidifies the connection between the surname MAHAL and its historical ties to prominent households and palaces.

In the 18th century, the MAHAL surname appeared in various records from the northern Indian regions, particularly in present-day Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. One notable figure from this period was Mirza Rafi' Sauda (1713-1781), a renowned Urdu poet who hailed from Delhi and was associated with the court of the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah.

Another prominent individual bearing the MAHAL surname was Raja Hamir Mahal (1786-1854), a ruler of the princely state of Karauli in Rajasthan. His descendants continued to carry the MAHAL surname, and some of them played significant roles in the political and cultural spheres of the region.

During the 19th century, the MAHAL surname gained recognition beyond the Indian subcontinent. One example is Bibi Hajer Mahal (1805-1879), who was a Turkic-Indian woman and the second wife of the Nizam of Hyderabad, a prominent Muslim ruler in the Deccan region.

As the MAHAL surname spread across different regions of India, it also evolved into various spellings and variations, such as Mahal, Mahaal, and Mahall, reflecting local linguistic influences and regional dialects.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mahal families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mahal 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. Hampshire leads with 3 Mahals recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.04x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 3 25.04x
Lancashire 3 4.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aldershot in Hampshire leads with 3 Mahals recorded in 1881 and an index of 750.00x.

Place Total Index
Aldershot 3 750.00x
Oldham 3 133.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 3
Ann 1
Eliza 1
Margret 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 Mahal households.

FAQ

Mahal surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mahal surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6 people were recorded with the Mahal surname. That placed it at #32,926 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mahal surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 742 in 2016. That gives Mahal a modern rank of #7,354.

What does the Mahal surname mean?

An Arabic surname meaning magnificent or great.

What does the Mahal map show?

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