NameCensus.

UK surname

Metcalf

An occupational surname for someone who worked as a harvester or mower of hay or grass.

In the 1881 census there were 6,061 people recorded with the Metcalf surname, ranking it #727 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,399, ranked #1,545, down from #727 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Preston and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ribble Valley, Northumberland and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Metcalf is 6,061 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 27.4%.

1881 census count

6,061

Ranked #727

Modern count

4,399

2016, ranked #1,545

Peak year

1881

6,061 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Metcalf had 6,061 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #727 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,399 in 2016, ranked #1,545.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,061 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Metcalf surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Metcalf surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Metcalf 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 4,563 #620
1861 historical 4,634 #616
1881 historical 6,061 #727
1891 historical 5,925 #794
1901 historical 5,808 #957
1911 historical 5,124 #1,026
1997 modern 4,455 #1,477
1998 modern 4,625 #1,469
1999 modern 4,697 #1,458
2000 modern 4,645 #1,468
2001 modern 4,534 #1,473
2002 modern 4,632 #1,470
2003 modern 4,455 #1,490
2004 modern 4,428 #1,500
2005 modern 4,348 #1,507
2006 modern 4,305 #1,519
2007 modern 4,378 #1,512
2008 modern 4,404 #1,511
2009 modern 4,528 #1,508
2010 modern 4,589 #1,521
2011 modern 4,545 #1,514
2012 modern 4,471 #1,512
2013 modern 4,561 #1,507
2014 modern 4,525 #1,527
2015 modern 4,410 #1,549
2016 modern 4,399 #1,545

Geography

Back to top

Where Metcalfs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Preston, Bradford, Blackburn and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ribble Valley, Northumberland, County Durham and Powys. 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 3
2 Preston Lancashire
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ribble Valley 004 Ribble Valley
2 Northumberland 009 Northumberland
3 County Durham 031 County Durham
4 County Durham 024 County Durham
5 Powys 014 Powys

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Metcalf

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Metcalf

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

Metcalf is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Metcalf

The surname Metcalf is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "mete" meaning food and "calf" meaning a small meadow or enclosure. It was originally an occupational name for someone who owned or worked on a farm or meadow where cattle were kept.

The name can be traced back to the 12th century, with early recordings including Willelmus Metecalfe in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1190 and Gilbert Metcalfe in the Assize Court Rolls of Lancashire in 1246. It was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Westmorland.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England, there are several listings of places with names similar to Metcalf, such as Metecalvefeld and Metecalefeld, which may have been the origin of some early bearers of the name.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Thomas Metcalfe (c. 1390-1473), a Member of Parliament for Yorkshire in the 15th century. Another notable figure was Roger Metcalf (c. 1520-1616), an English clergyman and playwright who wrote several plays performed at the court of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, John Metcalf (1717-1810), known as "Blind Jack of Knaresborough", was a remarkable road builder and engineer who constructed several roads and bridges in Yorkshire despite being blind from childhood.

Other notable individuals with the surname include James Metcalf (1789-1846), an English actor and theatre manager, and Sir Charles Metcalfe (1785-1846), a British colonial administrator who served as Governor-General of India from 1835 to 1836.

The surname Metcalf has also been found in various spellings over the centuries, including Metcalfe, Metcalf, Mettcalfe, and Mettcalf, reflecting the changing pronunciations and regional variations in different parts of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Metcalf families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Metcalf 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. Yorkshire leads with 1,972 Metcalfs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.36x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,972 3.36x
Lancashire 1,207 1.72x
Durham 839 4.77x
Middlesex 296 0.50x
Northumberland 186 2.11x
Lincolnshire 173 1.83x
Cumberland 152 2.98x
Surrey 145 0.50x
Norfolk 124 1.36x
Nottinghamshire 121 1.52x
Westmorland 98 7.54x
Warwickshire 80 0.54x
Cheshire 70 0.54x
Derbyshire 63 0.68x
Essex 62 0.53x
Suffolk 51 0.71x
Staffordshire 45 0.23x
Sussex 42 0.42x
Kent 33 0.16x
Aberdeenshire 31 0.57x
Cambridgeshire 24 0.64x
Herefordshire 22 0.91x
Banffshire 20 1.63x
Devon 17 0.14x
Huntingdonshire 17 1.45x
Lanarkshire 17 0.09x
Hampshire 15 0.12x
Gloucestershire 14 0.12x
Hertfordshire 13 0.32x
Denbighshire 12 0.54x
Selkirkshire 12 2.24x
Leicestershire 10 0.15x
Shropshire 10 0.20x
Angus 8 0.15x
Flintshire 8 0.50x
Midlothian 7 0.09x
Berkshire 6 0.14x
Pembrokeshire 6 0.32x
Isle of Man 5 0.46x
Peeblesshire 4 1.44x
Ayrshire 3 0.07x
Merionethshire 3 0.28x
Oxfordshire 3 0.08x
Royal Navy 3 0.43x
Cardiganshire 2 0.14x
Monmouthshire 2 0.05x
Wiltshire 2 0.04x
Worcestershire 2 0.03x
Bedfordshire 1 0.03x
Channel Islands 1 0.06x
East Lothian 1 0.13x
Kincardineshire 1 0.14x
Northamptonshire 1 0.02x
Roxburghshire 1 0.09x
Rutland 1 0.23x
Somerset 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 142 Metcalfs recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.29x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 142 4.29x
Bishopwearmouth 118 7.81x
Preston 108 5.75x
Blackburn 85 4.55x
Bradford 72 5.07x
Manningham 55 7.61x
Monkwearmouth Shore 52 15.13x
Toxteth Park 51 2.15x
Nottingham St Mary 50 2.42x
Everton 49 2.19x
Islington London 49 0.85x
Manchester 45 1.43x
Bingley 43 11.52x
Hunslet 42 4.59x
Liverpool 42 0.99x
St Pancras London 42 0.88x
Padiham 41 24.17x
Stockton On Tees 40 4.71x
Altham 39 487.50x
Bury 38 4.74x
Linthorpe 37 10.58x
Middlesbrough 37 4.85x
Westoe 37 3.71x
Castleton 36 5.13x
Sunderland 35 11.26x
Wortley In Bramley 34 7.32x
Elswick 33 4.70x
West Derby 33 1.61x
Darlington 31 4.56x
Gateshead 31 2.35x
Lambeth 31 0.60x
Mallerstang 31 564.66x
Salford 30 1.45x
Bedlington 29 9.87x
Heigham 29 5.94x
Bowes 26 191.04x
Horton In Bradford 26 2.84x
Camberwell 25 0.66x
Ashton Under Lyne 24 1.56x
Aston 24 0.58x
Holy Trinity 24 1.70x
Bridekirk 23 56.52x
Broughton 23 86.83x
Dewsbury 23 3.83x
Great Grimsby 23 3.83x
Hulme 23 1.57x
Sculcoates 23 2.47x
York St Mary 23 9.47x
Hartlepool 22 8.79x
Stranton 22 3.71x
West Auckland 22 34.18x
Accrington 21 3.29x
Batley 21 3.77x
Bowling 21 3.62x
Bramley In Bramley 21 9.36x
Carlton 21 23.08x
Habergham Eaves 21 3.27x
Sutton Stoneferry 21 12.52x
Fearby 20 444.44x
Lockton 20 246.91x
Azerley 19 136.20x
Oldham 19 0.84x
Ardwick 18 2.84x
Barnard Castle 18 20.69x
Barnoldswick 18 21.99x
Hetton Le Hole 18 8.07x
St Marylebone London 18 0.57x
Helmsley 17 54.09x
Kirkdale 17 1.44x
St George In East 17 4.22x
St Giles 17 15.47x
Wilsden 17 28.23x
Wingate 17 14.09x
Chesterfield 16 4.61x
Ebberston 16 133.44x
Govan 16 0.34x
Millom 16 10.25x
Newton Upon Ouse 16 133.67x
St Cuthbert W O 16 6.44x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 15 1.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 424
Elizabeth 304
Sarah 228
Jane 168
Ann 138
Margaret 121
Annie 103
Hannah 100
Alice 93
Ellen 93
Eliza 57
Emma 57
Isabella 57
Emily 51
Martha 45
Ada 37
Agnes 27
Frances 27
Harriet 26
Edith 25
Louisa 24
Fanny 23
Anne 22
Clara 22
Maria 22
Lucy 21
Charlotte 20
Dorothy 19
Florence 19
Kate 19
Catherine 16
Harriett 13
Esther 12
Jessie 12
Susannah 12
Caroline 11
Lydia 11
Sophia 11
Susan 11
Rachel 10
Rose 10
Ruth 10
Selina 10
Betsy 9
Margt. 9
Rebecca 9
Eleanor 8
Matilda 8
Nancy 8
Betsey 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 434
William 364
Thomas 255
George 227
James 197
Joseph 129
Robert 114
Henry 112
Charles 88
Richard 60
Edward 50
Alfred 42
Arthur 40
Frederick 33
Walter 29
Christopher 28
Harry 26
Francis 25
Frank 25
Albert 24
Matthew 24
Samuel 23
Thos. 22
Herbert 20
Benjamin 18
Ernest 18
David 17
Edwin 13
Anthony 12
Leonard 12
Wm. 12
Fred 10
Stephen 10
Isaac 9
Peter 8
Daniel 7
Geo. 7
Mathew 7
Tom 7
Edgar 6
Jno. 6
Jonathan 6
Joshua 6
Cuthbert 5
Edmund 5
Michael 5
Philip 5
Reuben 5
Simon 5
Douglas 4

FAQ

Metcalf surname: questions and answers

How common was the Metcalf surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,061 people were recorded with the Metcalf surname. That placed it at #727 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Metcalf surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,399 in 2016. That gives Metcalf a modern rank of #1,545.

What does the Metcalf surname mean?

An occupational surname for someone who worked as a harvester or mower of hay or grass.

What does the Metcalf map show?

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