NameCensus.

UK surname

Myall

An English surname derived from the Middle English word "mayo" meaning a sort of acacia tree.

In the 1881 census there were 380 people recorded with the Myall surname, ranking it #8,249 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 572, ranked #9,025, down from #8,249 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Stower Provost and Wrentham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Southend-on-Sea, Kirklees and Salford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Myall is 663 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.5%.

1881 census count

380

Ranked #8,249

Modern count

572

2016, ranked #9,025

Peak year

1911

663 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Myall had 380 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,249 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 572 in 2016, ranked #9,025.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 663 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Myall surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Myall surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Myall 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 238 #9,120
1861 historical 361 #7,076
1881 historical 380 #8,249
1891 historical 469 #7,813
1901 historical 544 #7,583
1911 historical 663 #6,337
1997 modern 617 #7,988
1998 modern 650 #7,904
1999 modern 627 #8,187
2000 modern 656 #7,883
2001 modern 644 #7,852
2002 modern 663 #7,826
2003 modern 637 #7,940
2004 modern 619 #8,152
2005 modern 593 #8,342
2006 modern 601 #8,277
2007 modern 590 #8,464
2008 modern 567 #8,761
2009 modern 584 #8,761
2010 modern 596 #8,831
2011 modern 605 #8,639
2012 modern 584 #8,773
2013 modern 598 #8,775
2014 modern 597 #8,832
2015 modern 580 #8,953
2016 modern 572 #9,025

Geography

Back to top

Where Myalls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Stower Provost, Wrentham and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Southend-on-Sea, Kirklees, Salford and West Dorset. 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 Stower Provost Dorset
3 London parishes London 3
4 Wrentham Suffolk
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Southend-on-Sea 006 Southend-on-Sea
2 Kirklees 034 Kirklees
3 Kirklees 058 Kirklees
4 Salford 014 Salford
5 West Dorset 007 West Dorset

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Myall

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Myall

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Myall, 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 Myall surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Myall 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Myall is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Myall is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Myall falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Myall

The surname Myall is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Northumberland, during the late Middle Ages. Derived from the Old English word "mygel," meaning "mugwort" or "wild plant," it likely referred to someone who lived near an area overgrown with these plants.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a Richard Myghell is mentioned as residing in the village of Pickering. The variant spelling "Mygell" also appears in various 15th-century records from the same region.

In the 16th century, the name took on the more modern spelling of "Myall," as evidenced by the baptismal record of John Myall in the parish registers of Guisborough, Yorkshire, in 1563. Around this time, the surname also began appearing in nearby counties such as Durham and Northumberland.

A notable early bearer of the name was William Myall, a merchant and landowner from the town of Hartlepool, who was recorded in the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1666. Another was John Myall, a yeoman farmer from Gateshead, mentioned in the Northumberland County Records of 1673.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name continued to be predominantly found in the northern counties of England, particularly in the areas around Newcastle upon Tyne and the River Tyne. Some examples include Robert Myall (1642-1714), a shipwright from South Shields, and Elizabeth Myall (1712-1789), a landowner from Whickham, Durham.

As migration patterns shifted in the 19th century, the surname began to spread to other parts of England and beyond. One notable figure was George Myall (1786-1855), a pioneer settler in New South Wales, Australia, who established one of the first farms in the Hunter Valley region.

Other individuals bearing the surname include John Myall (1834-1903), a British architect known for his work on several churches and public buildings in London, and Sir Alfred Myall (1863-1941), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Chertsey.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Myall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Myall 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 87 Myalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.05x.

County Total Index
Essex 87 12.05x
Dorset 68 28.33x
Middlesex 50 1.37x
Suffolk 44 9.88x
Sussex 25 4.05x
Norfolk 22 3.91x
Surrey 17 0.95x
Kent 12 0.96x
Hampshire 10 1.33x
Staffordshire 10 0.81x
Lancashire 8 0.18x
Wiltshire 6 1.85x
Warwickshire 5 0.54x
Gloucestershire 3 0.42x
Herefordshire 2 1.33x
Somerset 2 0.34x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.45x
Cornwall 1 0.24x
Oxfordshire 1 0.44x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Prittlewell in Essex leads with 34 Myalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 339.66x.

Place Total Index
Prittlewell 34 339.66x
Provost Stour 19 3958.33x
Little Dunmow 13 3095.24x
Blandford Forum 11 232.07x
Todbere 11 5238.10x
Chelsea London 10 9.07x
Islington London 9 2.54x
Preston 8 74.28x
Wimbledon 8 39.98x
Ashmore 7 2058.82x
Gillingham 7 169.49x
Hornsey 7 15.13x
Sotterley 7 2121.21x
Swaffham 7 152.84x
Tollesbury 7 386.74x
Wrentham 7 564.52x
Bungay Holy Trinity 6 262.01x
Ditchingham 6 444.44x
East Stour 6 1071.43x
Redenhall 6 275.23x
West Ham 6 3.76x
Accrington 5 12.67x
Aston 5 1.97x
Brampton 5 1351.35x
Brentwood 5 113.64x
Chelmsford 5 40.36x
Framlingham 5 158.23x
Kensington London 5 2.46x
Newcastle Under Lyme 5 22.88x
Pewsham 5 1041.67x
Stoke Upon Trent 5 3.82x
Chichester St Pancras 4 217.39x
Eastbourne 4 14.09x
Henstead 4 597.01x
Kingston On Thames 4 9.34x
Portsea 4 2.72x
St Thomas Winchester 4 75.61x
Barton Upon Irwell 3 9.18x
Beccles 3 41.84x
Brighton 3 2.41x
Chichester All Sts 3 731.71x
Folkestone 3 12.39x
Hackney London 3 1.46x
Lambeth 3 0.94x
Mayland 3 967.74x
Tottenham 3 5.15x
Twinstead 3 1200.00x
Acton 2 9.33x
Aldershot 2 7.96x
Belchamp Otten 2 476.19x
Bexley 2 18.13x
Chatham 2 5.83x
Erith 2 16.26x
Hampstead London 2 3.51x
Leiston 2 65.36x
Marnhull 2 114.29x
Rodborough 2 57.80x
Shoreditch London 2 1.26x
St Luke London 2 3.41x
Subdeanery 2 42.74x
Walthamstow 2 7.70x
West Stour 2 952.38x
Weston Under Penyard 2 190.48x
Barnby 1 303.03x
Bowood 1 833.33x
Camberwell 1 0.43x
Cann 1 142.86x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.16x
Cobham 1 86.96x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.04x
Hacheston 1 185.19x
Horsington 1 106.38x
Longfleet 1 35.97x
Madron Penzance 1 6.64x
Paddington London 1 0.74x
Penge 1 4.28x
Redisham 1 434.78x
Sheffield 1 0.87x
Stour Provost 1 232.56x
Stoven 1 625.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Elizabeth 13
Sarah 12
Eliza 10
Ann 9
Maria 7
Emma 6
Edith 5
Emily 5
Alice 4
Ellen 4
Jane 4
Kate 4
Louisa 4
Annie 3
Harriet 3
Susan 3
Susanna 3
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Florence 2
Harriett 2
Henrietta 2
Jemima 2
Lucy 2
Martha 2
Maud 2
May 2
Sophia 2
Agnes 1
Alma 1
Amelia 1
Augusta 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Bessie 1
Catherine 1
Elisabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.A. 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Georgeanna 1
Huldah 1
Katie 1
Leonora 1
Lillian 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Thursa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 21
George 18
Charles 15
James 12
John 11
Henry 9
Thomas 9
Edward 8
Alfred 7
Robert 7
Joseph 6
Albert 5
Arthur 5
Frederick 5
Herbert 5
Harry 4
Richard 3
Wm. 3
Ambrose 2
Elias 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Hubert 2
Percy 2
Sydney 2
Walter 2
Archelous 1
Chas. 1
Dan 1
Eli 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Geo.D. 1
Hedley 1
Hezekial 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
Joshua 1
Leonard 1
Louis 1
Mark 1
Moses 1
Obadiah 1
Oliver 1
Onslow 1
Richd. 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Myall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Myall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 380 people were recorded with the Myall surname. That placed it at #8,249 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Myall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 572 in 2016. That gives Myall a modern rank of #9,025.

What does the Myall surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Middle English word "mayo" meaning a sort of acacia tree.

What does the Myall map show?

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