NameCensus.

UK surname

Murrells

In the 1881 census there were 243 people recorded with the Murrells surname, ranking it #11,294 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 197, ranked #19,777, down from #11,294 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes and Sudbury All Saints, Sudbury St Gregory, Sudbury St Peter, Sudbury St Bartholomew. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Woking, Tunbridge Wells and Broxbourne.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Murrells is 297 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 18.9%.

1881 census count

243

Ranked #11,294

Modern count

197

2016, ranked #19,777

Peak year

1911

297 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Murrells had 243 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,294 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 197 in 2016, ranked #19,777.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 297 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Murrells surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Murrells surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Murrells 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 200 #10,403
1861 historical 131 #17,052
1881 historical 243 #11,294
1891 historical 236 #13,278
1901 historical 272 #12,440
1911 historical 297 #11,524
1997 modern 227 #16,267
1998 modern 234 #16,404
1999 modern 235 #16,458
2000 modern 245 #15,955
2001 modern 226 #16,620
2002 modern 217 #17,388
2003 modern 209 #17,620
2004 modern 201 #18,168
2005 modern 195 #18,458
2006 modern 199 #18,357
2007 modern 190 #19,088
2008 modern 185 #19,589
2009 modern 184 #20,079
2010 modern 188 #20,235
2011 modern 197 #19,483
2012 modern 201 #19,147
2013 modern 207 #19,093
2014 modern 200 #19,713
2015 modern 195 #19,909
2016 modern 197 #19,777

Geography

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Where Murrells' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes, Sudbury All Saints, Sudbury St Gregory, Sudbury St Peter, Sudbury St Bartholomew, Colchester St Leonard and Tillingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Woking, Tunbridge Wells and Broxbourne. 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 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 Sudbury All Saints, Sudbury St Gregory, Sudbury St Peter, Sudbury St Bartholomew Suffolk
4 Colchester St Leonard Essex
5 Tillingham Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Woking 011 Woking
2 Tunbridge Wells 006 Tunbridge Wells
3 Broxbourne 013 Broxbourne
4 Tunbridge Wells 005 Tunbridge Wells
5 Tunbridge Wells 003 Tunbridge Wells

Forenames

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First names often paired with Murrells

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Murrells

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Murrells surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Murrells household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Murrells 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

Murrells is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Murrells falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Murrells families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Murrells 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. Essex leads with 97 Murrells' recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.73x.

County Total Index
Essex 97 20.73x
Suffolk 72 24.94x
Middlesex 23 0.97x
Kent 22 2.72x
Norfolk 9 2.47x
Surrey 5 0.43x
Hertfordshire 4 2.45x
Sussex 4 1.00x
Northumberland 3 0.85x
Yorkshire 2 0.09x
Leicestershire 1 0.38x
Lincolnshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sudbury St Peter in Suffolk leads with 31 Murrells' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1962.03x.

Place Total Index
Sudbury St Peter 31 1962.03x
Tillingham 19 2289.16x
Sudbury St Gregory 18 779.22x
Colchester St Leonard 12 794.70x
Tonbridge 11 37.71x
Bradwell 8 1000.00x
Brentwood 8 280.70x
Earls Colne 8 620.16x
Halstead 8 146.52x
Heigham 8 40.90x
Charing 7 642.20x
Vange 7 5384.62x
Ipswich St Margaret 6 61.22x
Shoreditch London 6 5.84x
Somerton 6 6666.67x
Eastwood 5 1219.51x
Shenfield 5 413.22x
Bethnal Green London 4 3.88x
Eastbourne 4 21.75x
Hitchin 4 54.27x
Berwick Upon Tweed 3 40.16x
Chevington 3 666.67x
Dedham 3 211.27x
Ipswich St Peter 3 77.12x
Kensington London 3 2.28x
Little Totham 3 1153.85x
Colchester St Giles 2 43.29x
Hundon 2 277.78x
Islington London 2 0.87x
Skircoat 2 21.60x
St George Martyr 2 50.00x
St Marylebone London 2 1.58x
West Ham 2 1.94x
Wonersh 2 138.89x
Barking 1 7.30x
Battersea 1 1.15x
Caterham 1 19.57x
Chelmsford 1 12.45x
Colchester Holy Trinity 1 96.15x
Colchester St Mary At 1 60.24x
Counthorpe 1 1666.67x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.60x
Goodnestone In Eastry 1 303.03x
Hackney London 1 0.75x
High Ongar 1 116.28x
Hintlesham 1 217.39x
Kibworth Beauchamp 1 109.89x
Maidstone 1 4.15x
Norwich St George Tombland 1 156.25x
Reigate Foreign 1 7.99x
Rochester St Margaret 1 11.72x
St Andrew Holborn 1 12.44x
St George Bloomsbury 1 7.35x
St Pancras London 1 0.52x
Stratford St Mary 1 243.90x
Sturmere 1 333.33x
Witham 1 41.49x
Wrentham 1 125.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Elizabeth 7
Sarah 7
Alice 6
Annie 6
Ellen 6
Hannah 6
Emily 5
Eliza 4
Emma 4
Kate 4
Anna 3
Charlotte 3
Edith 3
Eva 3
Harriett 3
Jane 3
Bridget 2
Caroline 2
Ethel 2
Florence 2
Louisa 2
Maud 2
Selina 2
Ada 1
Agness 1
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Bessie 1
Bethia 1
Catherine 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Henry 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Lillie 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
Marie 1
Martha 1
May 1
Rosa 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Sussaneh 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
William 11
George 8
Charles 6
Frederick 6
Harry 6
Henry 6
James 6
Arthur 4
Joseph 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Edward 2
Jas. 2
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Thomas 2
Willie 2
Wm. 2
Ambrose 1
Ca...ies 1
Chester 1
Claude 1
F.K. 1
Frederic 1
Fredk 1
Geo. 1
Harold 1
Herbert 1
Jesse 1
Josiah 1
Leonard 1
Mark 1
Oliver 1
Stephen 1

FAQ

Murrells surname: questions and answers

How common was the Murrells surname in 1881?

In 1881, 243 people were recorded with the Murrells surname. That placed it at #11,294 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Murrells surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 197 in 2016. That gives Murrells a modern rank of #19,777.

What does the Murrells map show?

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