NameCensus.

UK surname

Nyland

An English place name derived from the Old English words "niwe" meaning new and "land."

In the 1881 census there were 100 people recorded with the Nyland surname, ranking it #19,750 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 233, ranked #17,625, up from #19,750 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Bedminster and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, County Durham and Rochdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nyland is 256 in 2008. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 133.0%.

1881 census count

100

Ranked #19,750

Modern count

233

2016, ranked #17,625

Peak year

2008

256 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nyland had 100 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,750 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 233 in 2016, ranked #17,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 152 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Nyland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nyland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nyland 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 29 #28,082
1861 historical 34 #29,685
1881 historical 100 #19,750
1891 historical 89 #25,542
1901 historical 144 #18,505
1911 historical 152 #17,712
1997 modern 243 #15,556
1998 modern 237 #16,272
1999 modern 244 #16,052
2000 modern 243 #16,053
2001 modern 235 #16,147
2002 modern 234 #16,543
2003 modern 229 #16,601
2004 modern 247 #15,821
2005 modern 234 #16,388
2006 modern 244 #16,011
2007 modern 246 #16,086
2008 modern 256 #15,817
2009 modern 247 #16,549
2010 modern 246 #16,975
2011 modern 234 #17,383
2012 modern 242 #16,886
2013 modern 241 #17,202
2014 modern 233 #17,707
2015 modern 228 #17,899
2016 modern 233 #17,625

Geography

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Where Nylands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Bedminster, Gateshead, Brancepeth and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, County Durham, Rochdale, Tewkesbury and Thurrock. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Bedminster Somerset
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Brancepeth Durham
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 008 Forest of Dean
2 County Durham 038 County Durham
3 Rochdale 010 Rochdale
4 Tewkesbury 007 Tewkesbury
5 Thurrock 013 Thurrock

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nyland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nyland

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Nyland surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Nyland household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Nyland 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

Nyland is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Nyland

The surname Nyland originated in Norway during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old Norse words "ny" meaning new and "land" meaning land or territory. The name likely referred to someone who settled on newly cultivated or acquired land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nyland can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of Norwegian diplomatic documents from the 12th century. In this collection, a person named Thorstein Nyland is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction in the year 1187.

During the Viking Age, many Norwegians ventured to other parts of Europe and the British Isles, including individuals bearing the name Nyland. In the Domesday Book, a medieval census commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there is a reference to a landowner named Radulfus de Niuland in the county of Yorkshire, England.

In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Erling Nyland served as a member of the royal council under King Haakon IV of Norway. Erling is recorded as having played a significant role in the negotiations that led to the Treaty of Perth in 1266, which resolved territorial disputes between Norway and Scotland.

Another notable individual with the surname Nyland was Ingrid Nyland, a Norwegian noblewoman who lived in the 14th century. She was the wife of Baron Hartvig Krummedike, a powerful landowner and military commander in Denmark.

In the 16th century, a renowned scholar and theologian named Hans Nyland was born in Bergen, Norway (c. 1520 - 1595). He studied at the University of Copenhagen and later became a professor of theology at the University of Copenhagen, making significant contributions to the reformation movement in Scandinavia.

Throughout history, variations of the name Nyland have been recorded, such as Niuland, Nyeland, and Nylande. These variations often reflect regional spelling differences or adaptations to different languages.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nyland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nyland 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. Lancashire leads with 42 Nylands recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.63x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 42 3.63x
Staffordshire 9 2.73x
Surrey 9 1.89x
Yorkshire 9 0.93x
Dunbartonshire 7 26.71x
Durham 7 2.41x
Glamorgan 7 4.12x
Derbyshire 2 1.31x
Middlesex 2 0.21x
Cheshire 1 0.46x
Flintshire 1 3.81x
Hampshire 1 0.50x
Northumberland 1 0.69x
Renfrewshire 1 1.32x
Warwickshire 1 0.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 21 Nylands recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.87x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 21 29.87x
Lambeth 8 9.41x
Dumbarton 7 191.78x
Loughor 7 777.78x
Wolstanton Oldcott 7 588.24x
Brandon Byshottles 6 164.84x
Ashton Under Lyne 5 19.76x
Oldham 3 8.03x
Pennington In Leigh 3 135.14x
Widnes 3 35.93x
Claylane 2 94.34x
Doncaster 2 28.33x
Kimberworth 2 37.31x
Manchester 2 3.84x
Prescot 2 95.69x
Stoke Upon Trent 2 5.73x
Aldershot 1 14.93x
Aston 1 1.48x
Barnsley 1 10.03x
Birkdale 1 34.13x
Chertsey 1 32.57x
Crumpsall 1 36.63x
Hawarden 1 48.54x
Keighley 1 9.71x
Kirkdale 1 5.14x
Mearns 1 75.76x
Middlesbrough 1 7.94x
Middridge 1 344.83x
North Shields 1 34.48x
Sheffield 1 3.25x
St George In East 1 15.08x
Thirsk 1 89.29x
Weston In Runcorn 1 178.57x
Willesden 1 10.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Margaret 5
Ellen 4
Sarah 4
Ann 3
Alice 2
Catherine 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Bridget 1
Cath 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Elizabeth 1
Eva 1
Hannah 1
Honoria 1
Jane 1
Louisa 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
Patrick 7
Thomas 7
Michael 4
James 3
Agust 1
Albert 1
And. 1
Charles 1
Dominick 1
Jno.H. 1
Joseph 1
K.G. 1
Martin 1
Micheal 1
Michel 1
Stephen 1
Timothy 1
Trevira 1
William 1

FAQ

Nyland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nyland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 100 people were recorded with the Nyland surname. That placed it at #19,750 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nyland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 233 in 2016. That gives Nyland a modern rank of #17,625.

What does the Nyland surname mean?

An English place name derived from the Old English words "niwe" meaning new and "land."

What does the Nyland map show?

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