NameCensus.

UK surname

Norwell

A locational surname derived from a place name referring to a northern or northerly settlement or dwelling.

In the 1881 census there were 110 people recorded with the Norwell surname, ranking it #18,695 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 204, ranked #19,320, down from #18,695 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Edinburgh, Peterborough St John the Baptist and Perth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, Douglas East and Kensington and Chelsea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Norwell is 224 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 85.5%.

1881 census count

110

Ranked #18,695

Modern count

204

2016, ranked #19,320

Peak year

2010

224 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Norwell had 110 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,695 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 204 in 2016, ranked #19,320.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 149 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Norwell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Norwell surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Norwell 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 87 #18,695
1861 historical 106 #20,147
1881 historical 110 #18,695
1891 historical 139 #19,311
1901 historical 149 #18,146
1911 historical 120 #20,447
1997 modern 183 #18,642
1998 modern 181 #19,229
1999 modern 184 #19,178
2000 modern 188 #18,916
2001 modern 183 #18,980
2002 modern 172 #20,108
2003 modern 171 #19,953
2004 modern 184 #19,183
2005 modern 198 #18,279
2006 modern 203 #18,105
2007 modern 210 #17,904
2008 modern 215 #17,809
2009 modern 217 #18,070
2010 modern 224 #18,047
2011 modern 207 #18,841
2012 modern 193 #19,665
2013 modern 205 #19,218
2014 modern 210 #19,064
2015 modern 205 #19,269
2016 modern 204 #19,320

Geography

Back to top

Where Norwells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Edinburgh, Peterborough St John the Baptist, Perth, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, Douglas East, Kensington and Chelsea, Halton and Breckland. 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 Edinburgh Edinburgh
2 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire
3 Perth Perth
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 002 Kirklees
2 Douglas East Dundee City
3 Kensington and Chelsea 014 Kensington and Chelsea
4 Halton 015 Halton
5 Breckland 002 Breckland

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Norwell

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Norwell

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Norwell, 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 Norwell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Norwell 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Norwell is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Norwell 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

Norwell falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Norwell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Norwell

The surname Norwell originated from England. It is derived from the Old English words 'nor' meaning north and 'well' meaning a spring or stream of water. The name refers to a settlement or dwelling located near a northern stream or spring.

Norwell is an ancient surname that can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as 'Norwell' and 'Norewell'. The earliest known bearer of the name was William de Norwell, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1176.

The surname is also closely associated with the village of Norwell in Nottinghamshire, England. The name of the village was first recorded as 'Northwell' in the Domesday Book, and it is believed that some of the earliest bearers of the Norwell surname originated from this area.

One notable bearer of the Norwell surname was Sir Henry de Norwell, who was a prominent English knight and landowner during the 13th century. He was born in 1230 and served as a member of the King's council during the reign of King Edward I.

Another historical figure with the Norwell surname was William Norwell, a 15th-century English clergyman and academic. He was born in Norwell, Nottinghamshire in 1390 and served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1452 to 1453.

In the 16th century, John Norwell was a renowned English poet and playwright. He was born in Norwell, Nottinghamshire in 1520 and is best known for his work "The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke", which is believed to have influenced William Shakespeare's famous play "Hamlet".

During the 17th century, Thomas Norwell was a prominent English lawyer and judge. He was born in Norwell, Nottinghamshire in 1605 and served as a Justice of the Court of King's Bench from 1660 to 1679.

Another notable bearer of the Norwell surname was Sir Edward Norwell, an English military officer and Member of Parliament. He was born in Norwell, Nottinghamshire in 1670 and served in the British Army during the War of the Spanish Succession.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Norwell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Norwell 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. Perthshire leads with 29 Norwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 63.08x.

County Total Index
Perthshire 29 63.08x
Leicestershire 24 21.13x
Nottinghamshire 15 10.86x
Midlothian 10 7.29x
Angus 5 5.27x
Hampshire 5 2.38x
Lanarkshire 5 1.51x
Middlesex 3 0.29x
Cheshire 2 0.88x
Norfolk 2 1.27x
Stirlingshire 2 5.29x
Lancashire 1 0.08x
Northumberland 1 0.66x
Rutland 1 13.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barkby in Leicestershire leads with 22 Norwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 10000.00x.

Place Total Index
Barkby 22 10000.00x
Perth St Pauls 13 1226.42x
Hucknall Torkard 9 257.14x
Kinnoull 8 661.16x
Edinburgh St Georges 6 210.53x
Nottingham St Mary 6 16.80x
Perth Middle Church 6 346.82x
Dundee 5 14.12x
Southampton All Sts 5 138.89x
Govan 3 3.66x
St George Hanover 3 22.44x
Allostock 2 1111.11x
Barony 2 2.39x
Dalkeith 2 73.80x
Edinburgh St Johns 2 229.89x
Stirling 2 42.02x
West Walton 2 666.67x
Beeby 1 2500.00x
Ketton 1 256.41x
Leicester Newarke 1 169.49x
Logierait 1 123.46x
Manchester 1 1.83x
Perth East Church 1 23.09x
Wallsend 1 20.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Sarah 3
Ann 2
Eliza 2
Elizabeth 2
Emma 2
Amelia 1
Angelina 1
Anny 1
Charity 1
George 1
Harriet 1
Jane 1
Louisa 1
Ruth 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 6
William 4
John 3
Thomas 3
Alfred 2
George 2
Samuel 2
Edward 1
Enock 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Robert 1
Ward 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 Norwell households.

FAQ

Norwell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Norwell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 110 people were recorded with the Norwell surname. That placed it at #18,695 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Norwell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 204 in 2016. That gives Norwell a modern rank of #19,320.

What does the Norwell surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name referring to a northern or northerly settlement or dwelling.

What does the Norwell map show?

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