NameCensus.

UK surname

Norville

A locational surname denoting someone from a northern village or town.

In the 1881 census there were 44 people recorded with the Norville surname, ranking it #27,447 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 250, ranked #16,792, up from #27,447 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Calderdale, Isle of Wight and Gloucester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Norville is 250 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 468.2%.

1881 census count

44

Ranked #27,447

Modern count

250

2016, ranked #16,792

Peak year

2016

250 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Norville had 44 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,447 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 250 in 2016, ranked #16,792.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 68 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Norville surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Norville surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Norville 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 17 #30,267
1861 historical 17 #31,714
1881 historical 44 #27,447
1891 historical 57 #29,533
1901 historical 68 #26,598
1911 historical 44 #28,454
1997 modern 204 #17,409
1998 modern 225 #16,846
1999 modern 223 #17,025
2000 modern 210 #17,670
2001 modern 198 #18,047
2002 modern 212 #17,651
2003 modern 205 #17,851
2004 modern 220 #17,129
2005 modern 217 #17,217
2006 modern 208 #17,835
2007 modern 207 #18,080
2008 modern 216 #17,758
2009 modern 223 #17,735
2010 modern 237 #17,368
2011 modern 229 #17,633
2012 modern 219 #18,087
2013 modern 230 #17,756
2014 modern 241 #17,338
2015 modern 242 #17,191
2016 modern 250 #16,792

Geography

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Where Norvilles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Calderdale, Isle of Wight, Gloucester and Northampton. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Calderdale 004 Calderdale
2 Isle of Wight 014 Isle of Wight
3 Gloucester 004 Gloucester
4 Isle of Wight 016 Isle of Wight
5 Northampton 031 Northampton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Norville

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Norville

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

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Norville surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Norville household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial 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, Norville 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

Norville 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

Norville falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Norville

Norville is an English surname that originated in the region of Northumberland, England during the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "norð" meaning north and "vill" meaning a farm or village. The name likely referred to someone who lived in a northern village or settlement.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland from the late 12th century, where it appeared as "Northvile" and "Norville". Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form of Norville.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, indicating that the family had spread to other regions of England. One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Norville, a knight who fought in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 during the First War of Scottish Independence.

During the 16th century, the Norville family established themselves in the county of Norfolk, where they owned land and property. A prominent member of this branch was William Norville (1525-1597), who served as a member of Parliament for Norfolk.

In the 17th century, the Norville surname can be found in the parish records of several villages in Northumberland, such as Warkworth and Felton. One notable individual was Thomas Norville (1635-1701), a merchant and landowner in the town of Alnwick.

Another significant bearer of the Norville name was Sir Henry Norville (1670-1743), a military officer who served in the British Army during the War of the Spanish Succession. He was knighted for his bravery in battle and later became a Member of Parliament for Northumberland.

As the Norville family continued to spread throughout England, there were also branches that migrated to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the American colonies. One early immigrant was John Norville (1675-1748), who settled in Virginia in the late 17th century and established a plantation there.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Norville families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Norville 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. Somerset leads with 17 Norvilles recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.61x.

County Total Index
Somerset 17 24.61x
Monmouthshire 8 25.79x
Gloucestershire 7 8.32x
Midlothian 5 8.70x
Berkshire 2 6.21x
Middlesex 2 0.47x
Cornwall 1 2.06x
Kent 1 0.68x
Lancashire 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Weston Super Mare in Somerset leads with 14 Norvilles recorded in 1881 and an index of 804.60x.

Place Total Index
Weston Super Mare 14 804.60x
Newport 6 405.41x
South Leith 5 77.28x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 3 37.88x
Westbury On Trym 3 105.26x
Banwell 2 800.00x
Reading St Mary 2 77.52x
St Pancras London 2 5.79x
St Woollos 2 57.80x
Camborne 1 50.00x
Frome 1 60.61x
Gloucester St Owen 1 1111.11x
Gravesend 1 80.65x
Withington 1 60.98x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 8
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Mary 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Annie 1
Eliza 1
Harriet 1
Jenny 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lillian 1
Miriam 1
Sasannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 2
James 2
Thomas 2
Arthur 1
Clifford 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
William 1

Top occupations

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 Norville households.

FAQ

Norville surname: questions and answers

How common was the Norville surname in 1881?

In 1881, 44 people were recorded with the Norville surname. That placed it at #27,447 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Norville surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 250 in 2016. That gives Norville a modern rank of #16,792.

What does the Norville surname mean?

A locational surname denoting someone from a northern village or town.

What does the Norville map show?

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