NameCensus.

UK surname

Nowland

A locational surname originating in England, derived from "new land" or recently cultivated fields.

In the 1881 census there were 116 people recorded with the Nowland surname, ranking it #18,126 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 152, ranked #23,516, down from #18,126 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds and Stevenage.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nowland is 224 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.0%.

1881 census count

116

Ranked #18,126

Modern count

152

2016, ranked #23,516

Peak year

1851

224 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nowland had 116 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,126 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 152 in 2016, ranked #23,516.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 224 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Nowland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nowland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nowland 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 224 #9,534
1861 historical 165 #14,112
1881 historical 116 #18,126
1891 historical 128 #20,393
1901 historical 147 #18,270
1911 historical 162 #17,003
1997 modern 160 #20,259
1998 modern 177 #19,523
1999 modern 184 #19,178
2000 modern 186 #19,055
2001 modern 183 #18,980
2002 modern 188 #19,012
2003 modern 180 #19,347
2004 modern 169 #20,206
2005 modern 156 #21,221
2006 modern 164 #20,715
2007 modern 154 #21,804
2008 modern 153 #22,132
2009 modern 155 #22,438
2010 modern 157 #22,800
2011 modern 158 #22,473
2012 modern 146 #23,681
2013 modern 151 #23,529
2014 modern 150 #23,864
2015 modern 151 #23,613
2016 modern 152 #23,516

Geography

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Where Nowlands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds and Stevenage. 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 London parishes London 1
3 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 075 Leeds
2 Leeds 092 Leeds
3 Stevenage 002 Stevenage
4 Leeds 040 Leeds
5 Leeds 088 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nowland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nowland

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Nowland surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Nowland 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Nowland is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Nowland 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

Nowland falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Nowland

The surname Nowland is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "nowan" and "land," which together mean "new land" or "newly cultivated land." This name likely originated in medieval England during the 12th or 13th century when landowners and farmers were beginning to clear and cultivate previously uncultivated areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nowland can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a William Nowland is listed. The name also appears in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327, indicating that it was present in various parts of England during that time period.

In the 14th century, the name was sometimes spelled as "Newland" or "Newelond," reflecting the various ways in which the Old English words were pronounced and written. These variations likely contributed to the eventual standardization of the spelling as "Nowland."

A notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Nowland, a wealthy merchant and alderman in the City of London during the 15th century. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1483 and was a prominent figure in the city's commercial and political life.

Another significant individual with the surname Nowland was Robert Nowland, an English composer and organist who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He served as the organist at the Chapel Royal in London and composed various sacred and secular works during his lifetime.

During the 17th century, the Nowland family had a presence in the county of Gloucestershire, where they held lands and estates. One member, Richard Nowland, was a Justice of the Peace and a prominent landowner in the area during the 1600s.

In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was Captain John Nowland, a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He commanded several ships in the Royal Navy and participated in various battles against the American colonies.

Another individual of note was Thomas Nowland, a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in recognition of his work.

As the centuries passed, the Nowland surname continued to be found throughout various regions of England, as well as in parts of Scotland and Ireland, reflecting the migration patterns of families bearing this name over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nowland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nowland 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 33 Nowlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.92x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 33 2.92x
Yorkshire 32 2.85x
Surrey 14 2.54x
Gloucestershire 8 3.61x
Kent 7 1.81x
Staffordshire 7 1.83x
Cheshire 6 2.40x
Lancashire 5 0.37x
Cornwall 2 1.56x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.66x
Sussex 1 0.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 16 Nowlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.27x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 16 25.27x
Poplar London 12 56.21x
Bermondsey 9 26.72x
Bristol St Peter 8 1012.66x
Holbeck 8 107.67x
Mile End Old Town 8 44.79x
Leek Lowe 7 137.80x
Tilston 6 4285.71x
Liverpool 4 4.91x
Southwark St John 4 115.61x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 4 250.00x
Chatham 3 28.25x
Hackney London 3 4.73x
Hunslet 3 17.16x
Islington London 3 2.74x
Richmond 3 171.43x
Erith 2 52.63x
St Gluvias Penryn 2 194.17x
St Stephen Walbrook 2 5000.00x
Bethnal Green London 1 2.03x
Bridlington 1 38.91x
Cromwell 1 1666.67x
Croydon 1 3.27x
Eastbourne 1 11.39x
Gillingham 1 12.56x
Leavening 1 666.67x
Milton In Gravesend 1 17.27x
Walton On Hill 1 13.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Ann 7
Elizabeth 7
Hannah 4
Caroline 3
Emma 2
Sarah 2
Selina 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Clara 1
Eleanor 1
Elizabet. 1
Ellen 1
Elzh. 1
Emily 1
Eunice 1
Florence 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Hilda 1
Jane 1
Johanna 1
Julia 1
Juliar 1
Lavinia 1
Louisa 1
Margaretta 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1
Nora 1
Rachel 1
Ruth 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 8
George 5
Henry 4
John 4
Charles 3
Joseph 3
Stephen 3
Thomas 3
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Frederick 2
James 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Chs. 1
Chs.Edwin 1
Dennis 1
Earnest 1
Edward 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Levi 1
Lewis 1
Michael 1
Richard 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Nowland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nowland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 116 people were recorded with the Nowland surname. That placed it at #18,126 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nowland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 152 in 2016. That gives Nowland a modern rank of #23,516.

What does the Nowland surname mean?

A locational surname originating in England, derived from "new land" or recently cultivated fields.

What does the Nowland map show?

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