NameCensus.

UK surname

Miguel

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Michael, meaning "Who is like God?"

In the 1881 census there were 1 people recorded with the Miguel surname, ranking it #34,027 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 355, ranked #13,020, up from #34,027 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Camden, Merton and Westminster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Miguel is 355 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35400.0%.

1881 census count

1

Ranked #34,027

Modern count

355

2016, ranked #13,020

Peak year

2016

355 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Miguel had 1 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #34,027 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 355 in 2016, ranked #13,020.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 9 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Miguel surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Miguel surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Miguel 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 9 #32,724
1881 historical 1 #34,027
1901 historical 9 #33,154
1911 historical 4 #33,595
1997 modern 96 #27,490
1998 modern 109 #26,273
1999 modern 121 #24,855
2000 modern 119 #25,072
2001 modern 116 #25,089
2002 modern 127 #24,267
2003 modern 138 #22,823
2004 modern 156 #21,261
2005 modern 179 #19,467
2006 modern 207 #17,892
2007 modern 216 #17,575
2008 modern 231 #16,973
2009 modern 243 #16,742
2010 modern 282 #15,410
2011 modern 258 #16,284
2012 modern 325 #13,720
2013 modern 335 #13,604
2014 modern 345 #13,396
2015 modern 349 #13,189
2016 modern 355 #13,020

Geography

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Where Miguels 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 Camden, Merton, Westminster, Manchester and New Forest. 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 Camden 012 Camden
2 Merton 005 Merton
3 Westminster 005 Westminster
4 Manchester 006 Manchester
5 New Forest 014 New Forest

Forenames

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First names often paired with Miguel

These lists show first names that appear often with the Miguel 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 Miguel

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Miguel surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Miguel 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Miguel 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

Miguel 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

Miguel 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 Miguel 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Miguel

The surname Miguel has its origins in Spain and Portugal, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is a patronymic name derived from the given name Miguel, which in turn comes from the Hebrew name Michael, meaning "who is like God?"

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Miguel can be found in medieval Spanish and Portuguese documents, such as birth records, land deeds, and tax rolls. It was particularly prevalent in regions like Galicia, Castile, and Andalusia, where the name's roots can be traced back to the 12th and 13th centuries.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Miguel surname was Juan Miguel, a nobleman who lived in the Kingdom of Aragon during the 13th century. He was a prominent figure in the court of King James I of Aragon and played a crucial role in the Reconquista, the campaign to drive the Moors out of the Iberian Peninsula.

In the 14th century, the Miguel surname appeared in the records of the city of Seville, where a family of merchants and landowners bearing the name was documented. This family was known for their involvement in the lucrative trade between Spain and the Americas during the Age of Exploration.

Another notable figure in the history of the Miguel surname was Félix Miguel, a Spanish soldier and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to conquer Mexico in the early 16th century. Miguel played a pivotal role in the fall of the Aztec Empire and later served as a governor in the newly established Spanish colonies.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Miguel surname spread across the Spanish Empire, with bearers of the name settling in various parts of the Americas, including Mexico, Peru, and the Caribbean islands. One notable example is Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, the renowned Spanish novelist and playwright, best known for his masterpiece Don Quixote, published in the early 17th century.

As the centuries passed, the Miguel surname continued to be prominent in Spain and Portugal, as well as in their former colonial territories. Notable figures bearing the name include Miguel de Unamuno, a renowned Spanish philosopher and writer of the 20th century, and Miguel Ángel Asturias, a Guatemalan novelist and diplomat who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1967.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Miguel families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Miguel 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 1 Miguels recorded in 1881 and an index of 50.51x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 1 50.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Southampton St Mary in Hampshire leads with 1 Miguels recorded in 1881 and an index of 833.33x.

Place Total Index
Southampton St Mary 1 833.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Amelia 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 Miguel households.

FAQ

Miguel surname: questions and answers

How common was the Miguel surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1 people were recorded with the Miguel surname. That placed it at #34,027 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Miguel surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 355 in 2016. That gives Miguel a modern rank of #13,020.

What does the Miguel surname mean?

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Michael, meaning "Who is like God?"

What does the Miguel map show?

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