UK surname
From an Old French surname meaning "nephew" or "grandchild."
In the 1881 census there were 94 people recorded with the Nevil surname, ranking it #20,467 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6, ranked #38,110, down from #20,467 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to South Hanningfield, East Hanningfield, Runwell, Rettendon, Downham, Wickford, Marlow, Little and Coker, East. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nevil is 208 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 93.6%.
1881 census count
94
Ranked #20,467
Modern count
6
2016, ranked #38,110
Peak year
1851
208 bearers
Map years
2
1851 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Nevil surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Nevil surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 208 | #10,107 |
| 1861 | historical | 142 | #15,982 |
| 1881 | historical | 94 | #20,467 |
| 1891 | historical | 49 | #30,349 |
| 1901 | historical | 27 | #31,057 |
| 1911 | historical | 17 | #31,675 |
| 1997 | modern | 2 | #38,557 |
| 1998 | modern | 5 | #37,861 |
| 1999 | modern | 6 | #37,696 |
| 2000 | modern | 6 | #37,624 |
| 2001 | modern | 6 | #37,456 |
| 2002 | modern | 5 | #37,723 |
| 2003 | modern | 5 | #37,750 |
| 2004 | modern | 6 | #37,655 |
| 2005 | modern | 7 | #37,581 |
| 2006 | modern | 10 | #37,224 |
| 2007 | modern | 11 | #37,217 |
| 2008 | modern | 9 | #37,473 |
| 2009 | modern | 6 | #37,953 |
| 2010 | modern | 10 | #37,517 |
| 2011 | modern | 8 | #37,737 |
| 2012 | modern | 5 | #38,167 |
| 2013 | modern | 4 | #38,359 |
| 2014 | modern | 4 | #38,376 |
| 2015 | modern | 5 | #38,221 |
| 2016 | modern | 6 | #38,110 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around South Hanningfield, East Hanningfield, Runwell, Rettendon, Downham, Wickford, Marlow, Little, Coker, East, Colchester St Leonard and St Giles-in-the-Fields. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Hanningfield, East Hanningfield, Runwell, Rettendon, Downham, Wickford | Essex |
| 2 | Marlow, Little | Buckinghamshire |
| 3 | Coker, East | Somerset |
| 4 | Colchester St Leonard | Essex |
| 5 | St Giles-in-the-Fields | London (Central Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Nevil surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Nevil, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Nevil surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Nevil household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Nevil is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Nevil is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Nevil, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname NEVIL originated from the Old French Nevil, which itself derived from the place name Neuville in Normandy, France. This toponymic surname dates back to the early medieval period, around the 11th-12th centuries.
The name NEVIL is an Anglo-Norman territorial surname that arose after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It refers to someone who came from one of the several places called Neuville or Neville in Normandy. The earliest recorded spelling variants include Nevile, Nevyle, and de Nevill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name NEVIL can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a Roger de Nevill as a tenant-in-chief in Lincolnshire. This suggests that the NEVIL family held lands and titles in England shortly after the Norman Conquest.
Geoffrey de Nevill (c. 1193-1285) was a prominent English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor and Lord High Treasurer under King Henry III. He was also one of the principal actors during the Second Barons' War against the King.
Ralph Neville (c. 1364-1425), 1st Earl of Westmorland, was an English nobleman and military leader who fought in the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of the Roses. He was a major supporter of the House of Lancaster during the dynastic struggle.
Richard Neville (1428-1471), known as the "Kingmaker," was a powerful English nobleman who played a crucial role in the Wars of the Roses. He was instrumental in deposing two kings, Henry VI and Edward IV, and briefly controlled the throne.
Edmund Nevill (1519-1576) was an English scholar and clergyman who served as the Bishop of Rochester from 1568 until his death. He was a noted translator and author, publishing works on theology and church history.
Henry Neville (1620-1694) was an English author, politician, and diplomat who served as a Member of Parliament and as an ambassador to France. He was a prominent republican and critic of the monarchy during the English Civil War and Interregnum period.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nevil surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 14 Nevils recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.54x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire | 14 | 1.54x |
| Surrey | 9 | 2.01x |
| Wigtownshire | 9 | 73.95x |
| Nottinghamshire | 8 | 6.47x |
| Lancashire | 7 | 0.64x |
| Warwickshire | 6 | 2.60x |
| Ayrshire | 5 | 7.29x |
| Durham | 5 | 1.83x |
| Essex | 5 | 2.76x |
| Middlesex | 5 | 0.55x |
| Suffolk | 4 | 3.58x |
| Cheshire | 3 | 1.48x |
| Angus | 2 | 2.35x |
| Cornwall | 2 | 1.93x |
| Gloucestershire | 2 | 1.11x |
| Lanarkshire | 2 | 0.67x |
| Staffordshire | 2 | 0.65x |
| Dumfriesshire | 1 | 4.94x |
| Hampshire | 1 | 0.53x |
| Kent | 1 | 0.32x |
| Perthshire | 1 | 2.43x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dewsbury in Yorkshire leads with 13 Nevils recorded in 1881 and an index of 139.49x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Dewsbury | 13 | 139.49x |
| Langwith | 8 | 6666.67x |
| Stoneykirk | 8 | 919.54x |
| High Roothing | 5 | 3571.43x |
| Merrington | 5 | 961.54x |
| Rotherhithe | 5 | 44.13x |
| Tarbolton | 5 | 442.48x |
| Stratford St Mary | 4 | 2500.00x |
| Wootton Wawen | 4 | 547.95x |
| Dukinfield | 3 | 32.09x |
| Eccleston In Prescot | 3 | 54.95x |
| Barony | 2 | 2.67x |
| Battersea | 2 | 5.93x |
| Dundee | 2 | 6.31x |
| Leamington Priors | 2 | 35.15x |
| Rame | 2 | 740.74x |
| Wimbledon | 2 | 39.84x |
| Windle | 2 | 32.68x |
| Bristol St James In | 1 | 37.88x |
| Chelsea London | 1 | 3.62x |
| Clifton | 1 | 11.00x |
| Deptford St Paul | 1 | 4.15x |
| Dunning | 1 | 196.08x |
| Haydock | 1 | 53.48x |
| Inch | 1 | 84.03x |
| Kensington London | 1 | 1.96x |
| Langholm | 1 | 68.49x |
| Lichfield St Chad | 1 | 142.86x |
| Lichfield St Mary | 1 | 112.36x |
| Liverpool | 1 | 1.51x |
| Paddington London | 1 | 2.97x |
| Portsea | 1 | 2.72x |
| Sculcoates | 1 | 6.94x |
| Spitalfields London | 1 | 14.49x |
| St Martin In Fields | 1 | 18.21x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Nevil surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Nevil surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Nevil households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 13 |
| Coal Miner | 7 |
| Schollar | 5 |
| Machine Feeder | 2 |
| Accts Clerk | 1 |
| Ag Lab | 1 |
| Annuity | 1 |
| Barge Man | 1 |
| Brewers Laborer | 1 |
| Carter | 1 |
| Coachman | 1 |
| Cotton Weaver Unemployed | 1 |
| Dressmaker | 1 |
| Farm Labourer | 1 |
| Gardener (7) | 1 |
| Geneal Serev | 1 |
| Labourer | 1 |
| Labourer Chemical | 1 |
| Laundress | 1 |
| Mason | 1 |
| Pensioner (Admiralty) | 1 |
| Polisher At Glass Works | 1 |
| Private Scots Guards | 1 |
| Publican | 1 |
| Seaman R N | 1 |
| Serv Domestic | 1 |
| Servant | 1 |
| Servant (...?) | 1 |
| Waiting Room Attendant (... Serv) | 1 |
| Willeyer Wollen Mill | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 94 people were recorded with the Nevil surname. That placed it at #20,467 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 6 in 2016. That gives Nevil a modern rank of #38,110.
From an Old French surname meaning "nephew" or "grandchild."
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Nevil bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.