NameCensus.

UK surname

Mundell

A Scottish locational surname derived from a place in Kinross-shire, likely meaning "moor hill" or "bare hill."

In the 1881 census there were 421 people recorded with the Mundell surname, ranking it #7,681 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 660, ranked #8,078, down from #7,681 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newchurch, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Auckland St Andrew. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Moffat, County Durham and Northern and Irvine Valley Rural.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mundell is 684 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 56.8%.

1881 census count

421

Ranked #7,681

Modern count

660

2016, ranked #8,078

Peak year

2004

684 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mundell had 421 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,681 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 660 in 2016, ranked #8,078.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 605 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mundell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mundell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mundell 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 216 #9,818
1861 historical 332 #7,673
1881 historical 421 #7,681
1891 historical 515 #7,249
1901 historical 605 #7,027
1911 historical 305 #11,307
1997 modern 628 #7,884
1998 modern 654 #7,865
1999 modern 660 #7,857
2000 modern 661 #7,833
2001 modern 649 #7,803
2002 modern 682 #7,667
2003 modern 669 #7,666
2004 modern 684 #7,544
2005 modern 674 #7,569
2006 modern 662 #7,707
2007 modern 665 #7,735
2008 modern 659 #7,830
2009 modern 671 #7,891
2010 modern 673 #8,024
2011 modern 658 #8,080
2012 modern 659 #7,987
2013 modern 667 #8,042
2014 modern 674 #8,018
2015 modern 665 #8,044
2016 modern 660 #8,078

Geography

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Where Mundells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newchurch, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Auckland St Andrew, Edinburgh and Dumfries. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Moffat, County Durham, Northern and Irvine Valley Rural, Cowal South and Annan West. 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 Newchurch Hampshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Auckland St Andrew Durham
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dumfries Dumfries

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Moffat Dumfries and Galloway
2 County Durham 057 County Durham
3 Northern and Irvine Valley Rural East Ayrshire
4 Cowal South Argyll and Bute
5 Annan West Dumfries and Galloway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mundell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mundell

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mundell, 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 Mundell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mundell 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Mundell is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mundell is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mundell falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mundell 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 Mundell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mundell

The surname Mundell has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "mund" meaning "protection" and "hyll" meaning "hill", suggesting it may have referred to someone living near a protected hill or elevated area.

Early variations of the spelling included Mundhille, Mundehille, and Mundhill. One of the earliest known references to the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1165, where a Robert de Mundhille is mentioned.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a Thomas de Mundhull is recorded. This suggests the name may have originated in or been associated with the county of Oxfordshire.

The Mundell surname is also found in Scotland, where it is believed to have been introduced by English settlers. One of the earliest recorded instances is from the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1456, which mentions a John Mundwell.

Notable individuals with the surname Mundell throughout history include:

1. Robert Mundell (1932-2021), Canadian economist and professor at Columbia University, who received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1999 for his pioneering work on currency areas and exchange rate regimes.

2. Ezekiel Mundell (1766-1850), American farmer and politician from Pennsylvania, who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1833 to 1837.

3. William Mundell (1835-1886), English-born Australian politician and member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1877 to 1886.

4. Walter Mundell (1585-1653), Scottish clergyman and theologian, known for his work "A Vindication of the Scottish Church".

5. John Mundell (1797-1857), Scottish-born American businessman and banker, who founded the Mundell & Co. bank in New York City in the early 19th century.

While the surname Mundell is not one of the most common in England or Scotland, it has a rich history dating back to medieval times, and has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including economics, politics, religion, and business.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mundell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mundell 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. Lanarkshire leads with 70 Mundells recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.28x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 70 5.28x
Dumfriesshire 67 74.03x
Hampshire 49 5.84x
Durham 39 3.20x
Lancashire 30 0.62x
Yorkshire 28 0.69x
Cumberland 20 5.67x
Midlothian 19 3.46x
Kirkcudbrightshire 15 25.29x
Inverness-shire 11 8.99x
Argyllshire 9 7.89x
Perthshire 9 4.89x
Middlesex 7 0.17x
Ross-shire 7 6.22x
Surrey 7 0.35x
Peeblesshire 6 31.14x
Isle of Man 4 5.26x
Ayrshire 3 0.98x
Royal Navy 3 6.15x
Cheshire 2 0.22x
Dorset 2 0.74x
Hertfordshire 2 0.71x
Northumberland 2 0.33x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.36x
Berkshire 1 0.33x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.40x
Fife 1 0.41x
Glamorgan 1 0.14x
Shetland 1 2.39x
Stirlingshire 1 0.66x
Westmorland 1 1.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 21 Mundells recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.93x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 21 8.93x
Govan 19 5.80x
Leeds 17 7.42x
Mouswald 15 1923.08x
Barony 14 4.18x
Newport 13 285.71x
Bishop Auckland 12 73.39x
Toxteth Park 10 6.07x
Hulme 9 8.87x
Kilcalmonell 9 348.84x
Ryde 9 49.89x
Cadder 8 81.72x
Kirkcudbright 8 162.93x
Lochmaben 8 201.51x
Perth East Church 8 46.14x
Auckland St Helen 7 546.88x
North Leith 7 27.56x
Pollards Land 7 813.95x
Walton On Hill 7 26.58x
Caldewgate 6 31.04x
Dores 6 368.10x
Holdenhurst 6 27.24x
Hutton 6 526.32x
Johnstone 6 425.53x
Lochbroom 6 102.21x
Portsea 6 3.65x
Tinwald 6 495.87x
Willington 6 85.23x
Brading 5 44.80x
Douglas 5 130.89x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 2.26x
Glencorse 5 236.97x
Kirkmichael 5 416.67x
Middlesbrough 5 9.46x
Northwood 5 41.81x
St Cuthbert W O 5 29.09x
Camberwell 4 1.53x
Moffat 4 96.85x
Onchan 4 18.25x
St Mungo 4 430.11x
Troqueer 4 51.41x
Kirkpatrick Juxta 3 202.70x
Manningham 3 6.00x
Newlands 3 260.87x
Petty 3 139.53x
Rickergate 3 40.21x
Annan 2 25.74x
Battersea 2 1.33x
Colvend 2 111.11x
Crawfordjohn 2 169.49x
Cummertrees 2 130.72x
Everton 2 1.29x
Gateshead 2 2.19x
Glenelg 2 88.89x
Hartlepool 2 11.55x
Longfleet 2 64.31x
Nottingham St Mary 2 1.40x
Rickmansworth 2 25.74x
Royal Navy 2 4.79x
St Pancras London 2 0.61x
Stanwix 2 69.93x
Stranton 2 4.87x
Tweedsmuir 2 645.16x
Anlaby 1 113.64x
Blackford 1 44.44x
Castley 1 833.33x
Chelsea London 1 0.81x
Duddingston 1 9.07x
Dumfries 1 11.20x
Haydon 1 30.03x
Kells 1 73.53x
Kilmarnock 1 2.74x
Low Holme 1 50.25x
St Cuthbert Within 1 24.45x
St Faith Winchester 1 25.58x
Taplow 1 67.11x
Unst 1 32.68x
Urray 1 28.65x
Wreay 1 384.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Elizabeth 13
Jane 5
Clara 4
Isabella 4
Louisa 4
Sarah 4
Annie 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Matilda 3
Ann 2
Emily 2
Jessie 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Barbara 1
Catherine 1
Clementine 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Janet 1
Kate 1
Lousie 1
Lucy 1
Margery 1
Margret 1
Marion 1
Maude 1
May 1
Mina 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 16
James 15
William 11
George 10
Frederick 5
Robert 5
Charles 4
Joseph 3
Stephen 3
Thomas 3
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Edward 2
Frank 2
Geo. 2
Henry 2
Richard 2
Attewell 1
Fred 1
Harry 1
Jesse 1
Martin 1
Robt. 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Simon 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Mundell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mundell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 421 people were recorded with the Mundell surname. That placed it at #7,681 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mundell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 660 in 2016. That gives Mundell a modern rank of #8,078.

What does the Mundell surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname derived from a place in Kinross-shire, likely meaning "moor hill" or "bare hill."

What does the Mundell map show?

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