NameCensus.

UK surname

Maunsell

A locational surname likely from a place named Mannesfield or Maunesfeld.

In the 1881 census there were 77 people recorded with the Maunsell surname, ranking it #22,617 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 175, ranked #21,383, up from #22,617 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Bedford St Paul and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Trafford, Hastings and Sheffield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Maunsell is 192 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 127.3%.

1881 census count

77

Ranked #22,617

Modern count

175

2016, ranked #21,383

Peak year

1998

192 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Maunsell had 77 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,617 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 175 in 2016, ranked #21,383.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 113 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Maunsell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Maunsell surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Maunsell 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 33 #27,390
1861 historical 47 #28,023
1881 historical 77 #22,617
1891 historical 93 #24,965
1901 historical 113 #21,296
1911 historical 101 #22,589
1997 modern 182 #18,693
1998 modern 192 #18,561
1999 modern 176 #19,722
2000 modern 173 #19,889
2001 modern 170 #19,838
2002 modern 173 #20,043
2003 modern 179 #19,416
2004 modern 172 #20,008
2005 modern 164 #20,552
2006 modern 159 #21,148
2007 modern 157 #21,546
2008 modern 150 #22,429
2009 modern 166 #21,469
2010 modern 173 #21,327
2011 modern 177 #20,874
2012 modern 167 #21,598
2013 modern 174 #21,401
2014 modern 175 #21,477
2015 modern 174 #21,449
2016 modern 175 #21,383

Geography

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Where Maunsells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Bedford St Paul, St Pancras and Pinner. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Trafford, Hastings, Sheffield, Bradford and Southampton. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Bedford St Paul Bedfordshire
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Pinner Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Trafford 007 Trafford
2 Hastings 005 Hastings
3 Sheffield 016 Sheffield
4 Bradford 002 Bradford
5 Southampton 001 Southampton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Maunsell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Maunsell

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

Outer Suburbs

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Maunsell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Maunsell 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

Maunsell falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Maunsell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Maunsell

The surname Maunsell originates from Normandy in northern France, deriving from the old French word "mancelle", meaning a native of Le Mans. This region, located in the former province of Maine, is where the name first emerged during the early Middle Ages.

The Maunsell name is believed to have been introduced to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, which surveyed much of England and Wales. One of the earliest recorded instances is Mansel de Baiocis, a Norman landowner who held estates in Lincolnshire.

Throughout the medieval period, the name appeared in various spellings, including Maunsell, Maunsel, Mauncel, Mauncel, and Maunselle, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings at the time. These variations often corresponded to different locations or branches of the family.

In the 13th century, a notable figure was Sir John Maunsell (c.1190-1265), a prominent clergyman who served as the Lord Chancellor of England under King Henry III. Another historical figure was Sir Thomas Maunsell (c.1370-1437), a landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Henry V.

During the 16th century, the Maunsell family established themselves in Oxfordshire, where they held the manor of Musgrave. One member, Sir Robert Maunsell (c.1535-1597), served as Lieutenant of the Tower of London under Queen Elizabeth I.

In Ireland, the Maunsell name can be traced back to the Anglo-Norman invasion in the late 12th century. Notable figures include Sir Thomas Maunsell (c.1520-1601), an English-born judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, and Sir John Maunsell (c.1550-1625), a landowner and Member of Parliament for County Limerick.

Other historical individuals with the Maunsell surname include Andrew Maunsell (c.1590-1663), an English clergyman and author, and Richard Loane Maunsell (1889-1975), a civil engineer who designed several bridges in Ireland, including the Maunsell Sea Bridge in County Wexford.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Maunsell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Maunsell 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 19 Maunsells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.67x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 19 2.67x
Somerset 10 8.73x
Caernarfonshire 8 27.79x
Northamptonshire 8 11.95x
Cornwall 7 8.68x
Gloucestershire 5 3.58x
Bedfordshire 4 10.85x
Surrey 3 0.86x
Hampshire 2 1.37x
Herefordshire 2 6.85x
Kent 2 0.82x
Berkshire 1 1.87x
Lancashire 1 0.12x
Sussex 1 0.83x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Pinner in Middlesex leads with 10 Maunsells recorded in 1881 and an index of 1612.90x.

Place Total Index
Pinner 10 1612.90x
Blisworth 7 2692.31x
St Levan 7 4666.67x
Bettws Garmon 6 15000.00x
Walcot 5 81.97x
Bathwick 4 314.96x
Cheltenham 4 37.14x
Sharnbrook 3 1500.00x
St George Hanover 3 32.29x
Bangor 2 71.94x
Kensington London 2 5.05x
Paddington London 2 7.64x
Ross 2 172.41x
St Pancras London 2 3.49x
Aldershot 1 20.45x
Bedford St Paul 1 39.53x
Brighton 1 4.13x
Charlton 1 62.11x
Clevedon 1 84.03x
Clewer 1 45.66x
Cranleigh 1 196.08x
Egham 1 46.95x
Everton 1 3.71x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 6.98x
Thorpe Malsor 1 3333.33x
Tonbridge 1 11.42x
Westbury On Trym 1 21.14x
Wymering 1 416.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Isabella 2
Letitia 2
Louisa 2
Amy 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Auguste 1
Beatrice 1
Caroline 1
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Cicily 1
Dorothea 1
Ednor 1
Edwarda 1
Eleanor 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizbth. 1
Elizth.J. 1
Ellen 1
Eugene 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Henrietta 1
Ida 1
Isabel 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Kathleen 1
Liela 1
M.A.F. 1
Marianne 1
Mary 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 3
Richard 3
Cecil 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Alfred 1
Delonnaire 1
Ellen 1
Ernest 1
Geo.Ed.L. 1
George 1
Harry 1
Horatio 1
John 1
Lucius 1
Octavias 1
Philip 1
Reginald 1
Robert 1
Roland 1
T.Cockayne 1
Thomas 1
William 1

FAQ

Maunsell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Maunsell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 77 people were recorded with the Maunsell surname. That placed it at #22,617 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Maunsell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 175 in 2016. That gives Maunsell a modern rank of #21,383.

What does the Maunsell surname mean?

A locational surname likely from a place named Mannesfield or Maunesfeld.

What does the Maunsell map show?

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