NameCensus.

UK surname

Nettle

A surname derived from the stinging plant, nettle.

In the 1881 census there were 311 people recorded with the Nettle surname, ranking it #9,470 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 197, ranked #19,777, down from #9,470 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, St Agnes and Redruth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolsover, Wiltshire and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nettle is 311 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 36.7%.

1881 census count

311

Ranked #9,470

Modern count

197

2016, ranked #19,777

Peak year

1881

311 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nettle had 311 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,470 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 311 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Nettle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nettle surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nettle 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 220 #9,671
1861 historical 185 #12,799
1881 historical 311 #9,470
1891 historical 235 #13,316
1901 historical 291 #11,893
1911 historical 278 #12,038
1997 modern 224 #16,392
1998 modern 228 #16,706
1999 modern 220 #17,160
2000 modern 223 #16,978
2001 modern 214 #17,211
2002 modern 215 #17,487
2003 modern 207 #17,746
2004 modern 210 #17,644
2005 modern 204 #17,893
2006 modern 201 #18,226
2007 modern 202 #18,359
2008 modern 207 #18,243
2009 modern 216 #18,120
2010 modern 215 #18,551
2011 modern 202 #19,154
2012 modern 191 #19,802
2013 modern 191 #20,124
2014 modern 194 #20,097
2015 modern 200 #19,567
2016 modern 197 #19,777

Geography

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Where Nettles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, St Agnes, Redruth, Illogan and Gwennap. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolsover, Wiltshire, Cornwall, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 St Agnes Cornwall
3 Redruth Cornwall
4 Illogan Cornwall
5 Gwennap Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolsover 007 Bolsover
2 Wiltshire 053 Wiltshire
3 Cornwall 013 Cornwall
4 Neath Port Talbot 019 Neath Port Talbot
5 Swansea 002 Swansea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nettle

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nettle

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Nettle surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Nettle household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Nettle is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Nettle 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

Nettle 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 Nettle 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 Nettle, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Nettle

The surname Nettle is of English origin, derived from the Old English word 'netele', meaning stinging plant. It likely originated as a nickname or a descriptive name for someone who lived near a patch of nettles or had a prickly personality.

The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the late 12th century in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, where a person named Robert Nettle was listed. The name also appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, referring to a Thomas Nettle.

Variations of the spelling include Nettell, Nettill, and Nettles. It is related to the place name Nettlebed in Oxfordshire, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Nettlebede'.

One notable bearer of the name was John Nettle, a 16th-century English poet and playwright. He was born around 1540 and is known for his works "The Praise of Suffolk Ale" and "The Nettle's Tragedy".

Another person of historical significance was Sir Thomas Nettle (1570-1631), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire in the early 17th century.

In the 17th century, Reverend John Nettle (1619-1686) was a prominent Puritan minister and author from Norfolk, England. He wrote several religious treatises, including "The Glorious Progress of the Gospel" and "The Christian's Defence against Popery".

William Nettle (1722-1798) was an English silversmith and engraver during the Georgian era, known for his intricate designs and craftsmanship.

Additionally, in the 19th century, Joseph Nettle (1838-1912) was a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nettle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nettle 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. Cornwall leads with 168 Nettles recorded in 1881 and an index of 48.60x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 168 48.60x
Middlesex 24 0.79x
Surrey 22 1.48x
Glamorgan 21 3.95x
Gloucestershire 15 2.51x
Lancashire 15 0.41x
Devon 9 1.42x
Staffordshire 9 0.87x
Yorkshire 6 0.20x
Derbyshire 5 1.05x
Essex 5 0.83x
Hampshire 5 0.80x
Cheshire 2 0.30x
Montgomeryshire 2 2.86x
Warwickshire 2 0.26x
Durham 1 0.11x
Royal Navy 1 2.75x
Worcestershire 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Illogan in Cornwall leads with 37 Nettles recorded in 1881 and an index of 404.37x.

Place Total Index
Illogan 37 404.37x
Redruth 29 296.52x
Camborne 22 154.49x
St Blazey 14 462.05x
Margam 13 219.22x
Gwennap 11 168.71x
St Agnes 11 227.27x
Lambeth 10 3.76x
Clapham 9 23.58x
Tywardreath 8 360.36x
Clerkenwell London 7 9.71x
Everton 7 6.06x
Leek Lowe 7 51.06x
Bitton 6 115.16x
Bristol St George 6 21.67x
Kea 6 232.56x
Manningham 6 16.10x
St Ive 6 270.27x
Aberavon 5 102.25x
Barking 5 28.36x
Christchurch 5 36.85x
Kirkdale 5 8.20x
Limehouse London 5 14.92x
Repton 5 276.24x
St Austell 5 42.34x
Callington 4 199.01x
Westminster St John 4 10.76x
Calstock 3 44.25x
Cirencester 3 36.99x
Feock 3 138.89x
Liverpool 3 1.36x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 6.13x
Aston 2 0.94x
Bermondsey 2 2.20x
Castle Caereinion 2 317.46x
Clase 2 10.12x
Creed 2 800.00x
Fawfieldhead 2 303.03x
Liskeard 2 34.60x
St Tudy 2 370.37x
Stoke Damerel 2 4.50x
Westminster St James 2 6.37x
Willesden 2 6.95x
Bow London 1 2.57x
Dartmouth St Petrox 1 108.70x
Devonport 1 13.70x
Gateshead 1 1.47x
Hackney London 1 0.58x
Kensington London 1 0.59x
Luxulyan 1 86.96x
Mottram St Andrew 1 263.16x
Neath 1 9.24x
Newington 1 0.89x
Royal Navy 1 3.22x
St Clement 1 27.70x
St George Hanover 1 2.51x
St Stithians 1 52.36x
Tavistock 1 13.81x
Timperley 1 42.74x
Wolborough 1 12.45x
Yardley 1 9.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 27
William 26
James 13
Richard 10
Edward 7
George 7
Charles 6
Thomas 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Edwin 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Mathew 2
Richd. 2
Samuel 2
Sydney 2
Arthur 1
Charlie 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Ed.John 1
Edman 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Israel 1
Jabez 1
Jos. 1
Levi 1
Matthew 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Phillip 1
Prince 1
Reuben 1
Thos.H. 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Nettle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nettle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 311 people were recorded with the Nettle surname. That placed it at #9,470 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nettle surname today?

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

What does the Nettle surname mean?

A surname derived from the stinging plant, nettle.

What does the Nettle map show?

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