NameCensus.

UK surname

Newell

From English origins, referring to someone who lived near a yew tree or near a new hall or building.

In the 1881 census there were 4,733 people recorded with the Newell surname, ranking it #936 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,809, ranked #842, up from #936 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Halifax and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wycombe, South Holland and Walsall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Newell is 8,369 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.0%.

1881 census count

4,733

Ranked #936

Modern count

7,809

2016, ranked #842

Peak year

1998

8,369 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Newell had 4,733 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #936 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,809 in 2016, ranked #842.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,087 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Newell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Newell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Newell 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 2,945 #985
1861 historical 2,869 #1,013
1881 historical 4,733 #936
1891 historical 5,141 #914
1901 historical 6,425 #865
1911 historical 7,087 #732
1997 modern 8,025 #793
1998 modern 8,369 #788
1999 modern 8,315 #807
2000 modern 8,268 #808
2001 modern 8,058 #808
2002 modern 8,206 #812
2003 modern 8,045 #808
2004 modern 7,982 #812
2005 modern 7,831 #815
2006 modern 7,794 #818
2007 modern 7,853 #822
2008 modern 7,912 #818
2009 modern 8,091 #823
2010 modern 8,252 #825
2011 modern 8,162 #819
2012 modern 7,855 #837
2013 modern 8,013 #833
2014 modern 8,038 #832
2015 modern 7,905 #838
2016 modern 7,809 #842

Geography

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Where Newells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Halifax, Lambeth and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wycombe, South Holland, Walsall and Hounslow. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wycombe 004 Wycombe
2 South Holland 001 South Holland
3 Walsall 038 Walsall
4 Hounslow 022 Hounslow
5 Wycombe 001 Wycombe

Forenames

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First names often paired with Newell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Newell

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

Newell is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Newell

The surname Newell is of English origin, and it can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "niwe" and "feld," which together mean "new field" or "new clearing." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a newly cleared area of land or a recently established settlement.

The name Newell is believed to have first appeared in the medieval records of Derbyshire, a county in the East Midlands of England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1199, where a certain William Newell is mentioned.

In the Domesday Book, a great survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are several place names that may have contributed to the development of the surname Newell. These include Newelle in Herefordshire and Neuuill in Lincolnshire.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name Newell began to appear more frequently in various records across England. For instance, a William Newell was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, while a John Newell was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1344.

One notable individual with the surname Newell was Thomas Newell, a theologian and Puritan minister who lived from 1593 to 1670. He was born in Hertfordshire and served as the rector of Berkhampstead and Tiddington.

Another significant figure was Robert Newell, an English mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1636 to 1689. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society and made important contributions to the study of comets and planetary orbits.

In the 18th century, John Newell was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Radcliffe Camera in Oxford, completed in 1749.

William A. Newell, born in 1820, was an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Representative from New Jersey from 1879 to 1881.

Finally, one of the most celebrated individuals with the surname Newell was Jane Newell, an English novelist and playwright who lived from 1804 to 1861. She wrote several popular works, including "The Twins" and "The Tutor's Ward."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Newell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Newell 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. Middlesex leads with 683 Newells recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.48x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 683 1.48x
Yorkshire 537 1.17x
Surrey 352 1.57x
Lancashire 337 0.62x
Hampshire 290 3.07x
Norfolk 238 3.35x
Staffordshire 203 1.30x
Buckinghamshire 191 6.84x
Cambridgeshire 169 5.78x
Warwickshire 158 1.36x
Essex 150 1.65x
Oxfordshire 131 4.60x
Kent 125 0.79x
Worcestershire 104 1.73x
Northamptonshire 97 2.23x
Sussex 84 1.08x
Hertfordshire 77 2.42x
Berkshire 71 2.05x
Bedfordshire 58 2.43x
Suffolk 58 1.03x
Leicestershire 56 1.09x
Durham 45 0.33x
Montgomeryshire 42 3.97x
Derbyshire 40 0.55x
Cheshire 37 0.36x
Midlothian 32 0.52x
Nottinghamshire 27 0.43x
Lincolnshire 25 0.34x
Cumberland 24 0.60x
Shropshire 23 0.58x
Caernarfonshire 22 1.18x
Glamorgan 21 0.26x
Monmouthshire 18 0.54x
Lanarkshire 17 0.11x
Merionethshire 17 2.01x
Somerset 16 0.22x
Dorset 14 0.46x
Ayrshire 13 0.38x
Huntingdonshire 13 1.42x
Denbighshire 12 0.69x
Flintshire 12 0.97x
Gloucestershire 12 0.13x
Cornwall 9 0.17x
Fife 9 0.33x
Royal Navy 8 1.45x
Cardiganshire 7 0.62x
Brecknockshire 6 0.65x
Dunbartonshire 6 0.48x
Radnorshire 6 1.61x
Wiltshire 6 0.15x
Angus 5 0.12x
Devon 4 0.04x
Herefordshire 3 0.16x
Isle of Man 2 0.23x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 0.30x
Roxburghshire 2 0.24x
Sutherland 2 0.56x
Anglesey 1 0.12x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.10x
Northumberland 1 0.01x
Westmorland 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 80 Newells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.06x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 80 2.06x
Lambeth 77 1.91x
Stansfield 77 45.74x
Islington London 75 1.68x
Hackney London 58 2.24x
Aston 53 1.65x
Wadsworth 49 65.82x
Kensington London 46 1.79x
Portsea 46 2.48x
Liverpool 44 1.32x
Camberwell 43 1.46x
Warblington 42 111.91x
West Ham 42 2.09x
Chelveston Cum Caldecott 41 613.77x
Hammersmith London 41 3.61x
Horton In Bradford 41 5.74x
Michelmersh 41 223.56x
St Pancras London 41 1.10x
Leeds 38 1.47x
Wolverhampton 38 3.17x
Bethnal Green London 37 1.85x
Stanhoe 37 530.85x
Bermondsey 36 2.62x
Todmorden Walsden 36 24.53x
Bradford 34 3.07x
Bowling 33 7.28x
Aldershot 30 9.47x
Brighton 30 1.91x
Deptford St Paul 30 2.47x
Downham Market 30 61.53x
Farnham 30 17.15x
Littleport 29 51.92x
Stokenchurch 29 113.73x
Haddenham 28 101.86x
St George In East 27 8.60x
Wycombe 27 12.98x
Chelsea London 25 1.80x
Clerkenwell London 24 2.20x
Stanton St John 24 276.82x
Ambrosden 23 203.00x
Battersea 23 1.35x
Berkhampstead 22 30.76x
Walsall Foreign 22 2.73x
West Derby 22 1.37x
Everton 21 1.20x
Paddington London 20 1.18x
Pudsey 20 8.18x
Bledlow 19 112.36x
Keighley 19 3.90x
Edgbaston 18 4.99x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 18 0.72x
Reading St Giles 18 5.30x
Romsey Extra 18 31.99x
Spotland 18 2.96x
West Bromwich 18 2.02x
West Wycombe 18 47.54x
Whittlesey St Mary St 18 17.63x
Great Malvern 17 13.52x
Heston 17 11.09x
Rushall 17 18.54x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 16 29.31x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 16 15.16x
Derby St Peter 16 6.95x
Drighlington 16 24.01x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 16 12.55x
Harborne 16 3.20x
Irthlingborough 16 37.59x
Shoreditch London 16 0.80x
St Luke London 16 2.16x
East Bedfont 15 65.47x
Hughenden 15 52.65x
Peterborough 15 4.77x
Sowerby In Halifax 15 10.03x
Towyn 15 28.23x
Woolwich 15 2.58x
Burnham 14 39.36x
Leicester St Mary 14 3.39x
Nottingham St Mary 14 0.87x
Radnage 14 207.41x
Warrington 14 2.16x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 283
Sarah 182
Elizabeth 162
Ann 90
Emma 86
Eliza 77
Jane 76
Ellen 74
Alice 70
Emily 66
Annie 64
Hannah 49
Martha 49
Charlotte 37
Harriet 33
Edith 32
Caroline 27
Florence 27
Louisa 27
Margaret 27
Maria 26
Susan 26
Clara 24
Fanny 24
Kate 24
Ada 23
Anne 21
Rebecca 17
Catherine 16
Frances 16
Esther 15
Harriett 14
Lucy 14
Rose 14
Amy 13
Matilda 12
Agnes 11
Bertha 11
Gertrude 11
Grace 11
Lydia 11
Minnie 10
Rosa 10
Elizth. 9
Isabella 9
Julia 9
Anna 8
Eleanor 8
Ruth 8
Sophia 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 293
John 250
James 162
George 159
Thomas 154
Henry 105
Charles 80
Joseph 80
Alfred 66
Arthur 54
Edward 48
Richard 38
Samuel 37
Walter 37
Frederick 36
Harry 35
Robert 35
Herbert 30
Albert 27
Ernest 24
Francis 24
David 21
Frank 20
Fred 14
Wm. 12
Stephen 11
Benjamin 10
Edwin 10
Thos. 10
Geo. 9
Abraham 8
Oliver 8
Fredk. 7
Daniel 6
Nathaniel 6
Percy 6
Sam 6
Alexander 5
Amos 5
Eli 5
Jacob 5
Jonathan 5
Mark 5
Robt. 5
Chas. 4
Fredrick 4
Isaac 4
Joshua 4
Josiah 4
Levi 4

FAQ

Newell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Newell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,733 people were recorded with the Newell surname. That placed it at #936 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Newell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,809 in 2016. That gives Newell a modern rank of #842.

What does the Newell surname mean?

From English origins, referring to someone who lived near a yew tree or near a new hall or building.

What does the Newell map show?

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