NameCensus.

UK surname

Neeld

A locational surname originally denoting someone from Neeld, Gloucestershire.

In the 1881 census there were 72 people recorded with the Neeld surname, ranking it #23,371 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 97, ranked #31,585, down from #23,371 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Yardley and Grittleton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Birmingham, South Staffordshire and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Neeld is 107 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.7%.

1881 census count

72

Ranked #23,371

Modern count

97

2016, ranked #31,585

Peak year

2010

107 bearers

Map years

3

1861 to 2006

Key insights

  • Neeld had 72 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,371 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016, ranked #31,585.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 105 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Neeld surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Neeld surname density by area, 2006 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Neeld 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 50 #24,274
1861 historical 100 #21,103
1881 historical 72 #23,371
1891 historical 105 #23,241
1901 historical 84 #24,759
1911 historical 65 #26,343
1997 modern 77 #29,874
1998 modern 94 #28,435
1999 modern 101 #27,617
2000 modern 102 #27,425
2001 modern 97 #27,823
2002 modern 95 #28,666
2003 modern 92 #28,974
2004 modern 93 #29,065
2005 modern 96 #28,671
2006 modern 101 #28,125
2007 modern 99 #28,852
2008 modern 102 #28,664
2009 modern 104 #28,982
2010 modern 107 #29,153
2011 modern 107 #28,979
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 104 #30,076
2014 modern 106 #30,030
2015 modern 96 #31,624
2016 modern 97 #31,585

Geography

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Where Neelds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Yardley, Grittleton, London parishes and Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Birmingham, South Staffordshire and Cornwall. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Yardley Warwickshire
3 Grittleton Wiltshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Birmingham 122 Birmingham
2 South Staffordshire 003 South Staffordshire
3 Birmingham 111 Birmingham
4 Birmingham 121 Birmingham
5 Cornwall 059 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Neeld

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Neeld

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

Neeld is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Neeld falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Neeld is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Neeld

The surname Neeld originated in England. It is a locational name derived from a place called Neeld, a township in the parish of Brindle, Lancashire. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English word "neld," meaning "brook" or "stream," indicating that the original bearers of the name likely lived near a small brook or stream.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Neeld can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199, where it appears as "Neld." This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 12th century.

Throughout the medieval period, the name Neeld appeared in various records and documents, often with slight variations in spelling, such as Neld, Nealde, and Neild. One notable mention of the name is in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327, where a William Neld is listed as a taxpayer.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Neeld was John Neeld, who was born in Staffordshire in 1515. He was a prominent landowner and served as the Sheriff of Staffordshire in 1561.

Another notable figure was Samuel Neeld (1563-1624), a English clergyman who served as the Rector of Tatenhill in Staffordshire. He was known for his scholarly works and contributions to the religious literature of the time.

In the 17th century, the Neeld family gained prominence in the textile industry in the West Midlands region of England. John Neeld (1639-1711) was a successful cloth merchant and entrepreneur who established a thriving business in Wiltshire.

One of the most famous bearers of the Neeld surname was Joseph Neeld (1789-1856), a prominent banker and philanthropist from Grittleton, Wiltshire. He was a Member of Parliament and made significant contributions to the development of education and infrastructure in his local community.

Another notable individual was Walter Neeld (1778-1857), a British politician and landowner who served as the Member of Parliament for Chippenham from 1826 to 1835.

Over time, the surname Neeld has spread beyond its origins in England and can now be found in various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Neeld families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Neeld 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. Staffordshire leads with 33 Neelds recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.92x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 33 13.92x
Warwickshire 10 5.65x
Kent 7 2.92x
Middlesex 5 0.71x
Surrey 5 1.46x
Devon 4 2.74x
Cheshire 3 1.94x
Gloucestershire 3 2.18x
Hampshire 1 0.69x
Wiltshire 1 1.61x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stafford St Mary in Staffordshire leads with 12 Neelds recorded in 1881 and an index of 357.14x.

Place Total Index
Stafford St Mary 12 357.14x
Lichfield St Mary 10 1470.59x
Birmingham 8 13.55x
Wolverhampton 8 43.88x
Deptford St Paul 6 32.47x
Camberwell 5 11.15x
Tormoham 4 64.62x
Cheadle 3 101.35x
Henbury 3 447.76x
Aston 2 4.10x
Lichfield St Chad 2 377.36x
St George Hanover 2 21.81x
St Marylebone London 2 5.33x
Canterbury St Mary 1 62.11x
Grittleton 1 1428.57x
Kilmiston 1 2500.00x
Norwood 1 62.11x
Rugeley 1 58.82x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

FAQ

Neeld surname: questions and answers

How common was the Neeld surname in 1881?

In 1881, 72 people were recorded with the Neeld surname. That placed it at #23,371 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Neeld surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016. That gives Neeld a modern rank of #31,585.

What does the Neeld surname mean?

A locational surname originally denoting someone from Neeld, Gloucestershire.

What does the Neeld map show?

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