NameCensus.

UK surname

Peel

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "hill" or "peak" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 5,398 people recorded with the Peel surname, ranking it #823 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,130, ranked #1,105, down from #823 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Ribble Valley and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Peel is 6,912 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.6%.

1881 census count

5,398

Ranked #823

Modern count

6,130

2016, ranked #1,105

Peak year

1911

6,912 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Peel had 5,398 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #823 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,130 in 2016, ranked #1,105.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,912 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Peel surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Peel surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Peel 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 3,146 #921
1861 historical 3,114 #928
1881 historical 5,398 #823
1891 historical 5,503 #857
1901 historical 6,114 #911
1911 historical 6,912 #749
1997 modern 6,356 #1,036
1998 modern 6,525 #1,045
1999 modern 6,553 #1,052
2000 modern 6,559 #1,042
2001 modern 6,419 #1,039
2002 modern 6,519 #1,048
2003 modern 6,373 #1,049
2004 modern 6,367 #1,051
2005 modern 6,228 #1,059
2006 modern 6,153 #1,066
2007 modern 6,219 #1,062
2008 modern 6,200 #1,069
2009 modern 6,355 #1,066
2010 modern 6,433 #1,079
2011 modern 6,352 #1,078
2012 modern 6,141 #1,090
2013 modern 6,252 #1,093
2014 modern 6,273 #1,095
2015 modern 6,189 #1,097
2016 modern 6,130 #1,105

Geography

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Where Peels are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, London parishes, Gateshead, Birstall and Nottingham St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Ribble Valley, County Durham and Kirklees. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 038 Northumberland
2 Ribble Valley 003 Ribble Valley
3 County Durham 008 County Durham
4 Northumberland 039 Northumberland
5 Kirklees 002 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Peel

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Peel

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

Peel 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

Peel 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 Peel 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.

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Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Peel

The surname Peel originated from the Anglo-Saxon regions of Britain, specifically in areas that were part of the former Kingdom of Northumbria. It likely derives from the Old English word 'peel', which referred to a small area of land or an isolated hill.

The name Peel can be traced back to the 11th century, with records indicating its presence in the Domesday Book of 1086. This comprehensive survey, commissioned by William the Conqueror, documented landowners and tenants throughout England.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms, such as Peile, Peyle, and Pele. These variations may have been influenced by local dialects and spelling conventions of the time.

Several notable individuals have borne the surname Peel throughout history. One of the earliest recorded instances is Sir Robert Peel (1599-1668), a notable English landowner and parliamentarian during the English Civil War.

Another prominent figure was Sir Robert Peel (1788-1850), a British statesman who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He is credited with establishing the modern police force, known as "Bobbies" or "Peelers" in his honor.

Other notable individuals include John Peel (1939-2004), a highly influential British radio DJ and broadcaster, and Walter Peel (1888-1945), a Canadian politician and Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan.

The surname Peel has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Peel on the Isle of Man, Peel in Lancashire, and Peel Forest in Staffordshire.

It is worth noting that the surname Peel has been documented in various historical records, including parish registers, tax rolls, and court proceedings, providing insights into its evolution and geographical distribution over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Peel families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Peel 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. Yorkshire leads with 1,942 Peels recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.74x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,942 3.74x
Lancashire 1,003 1.61x
Durham 310 1.99x
Middlesex 248 0.47x
Cumberland 208 4.61x
Northumberland 175 2.24x
Nottinghamshire 168 2.38x
Surrey 124 0.49x
Kent 101 0.56x
Shropshire 100 2.21x
Leicestershire 98 1.69x
Derbyshire 85 1.04x
Lincolnshire 85 1.01x
Cheshire 75 0.65x
Norfolk 69 0.86x
Hampshire 63 0.59x
Warwickshire 62 0.47x
Cambridgeshire 50 1.51x
Essex 33 0.32x
Staffordshire 33 0.19x
Sussex 26 0.29x
Hertfordshire 24 0.66x
Lanarkshire 24 0.14x
Somerset 22 0.26x
Worcestershire 21 0.31x
Glamorgan 19 0.21x
Carmarthenshire 18 0.81x
Gloucestershire 18 0.18x
Huntingdonshire 18 1.73x
Berkshire 16 0.41x
Denbighshire 15 0.76x
Westmorland 15 1.30x
Midlothian 14 0.20x
Devon 13 0.12x
Cornwall 11 0.19x
Northamptonshire 10 0.20x
Orkney 9 1.56x
Ayrshire 7 0.18x
Rutland 6 1.56x
Herefordshire 5 0.23x
Caernarfonshire 4 0.19x
Royal Navy 4 0.64x
Bedfordshire 3 0.11x
Oxfordshire 3 0.09x
Anglesey 2 0.22x
Brecknockshire 2 0.19x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.17x
Morayshire 2 0.25x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.12x
Suffolk 2 0.03x
Angus 1 0.02x
Berwickshire 1 0.16x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.03x
Flintshire 1 0.07x
Monmouthshire 1 0.03x
Stirlingshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Elland Cum Greetland in Yorkshire leads with 139 Peels recorded in 1881 and an index of 59.39x.

Place Total Index
Elland Cum Greetland 139 59.39x
Leeds 114 3.89x
Gomersal 86 35.46x
Nottingham St Mary 81 4.43x
Bradford 79 6.28x
Morley 72 26.65x
Cleckheaton 71 37.10x
Bowling 69 13.41x
Keighley 67 12.10x
Skelmanthorpe 59 105.19x
North Bierley 58 20.68x
Blackburn 55 3.32x
Heckmondwike 54 32.31x
Oldham 54 2.69x
Horton In Bradford 51 6.29x
Dewsbury 41 7.69x
St George Hanover 38 5.55x
Beeston 35 43.10x
Sutton 35 16.77x
Salford 34 1.86x
Batley 33 6.68x
Leicester St Margaret 32 2.26x
Lancaster 31 8.37x
Liverpool 31 0.82x
South Shields 31 22.31x
Burnley 30 5.73x
Derby St Alkmund 30 12.19x
Arthuret 29 61.60x
Birmingham 29 0.66x
Higher Booths 29 25.86x
Wymondham 27 32.76x
Chorlton On Medlock 26 2.63x
Habergham Eaves 26 4.57x
Westoe 26 2.94x
Gateshead 25 2.14x
Hordley 25 480.77x
Manningham 25 3.91x
St Marylebone London 25 0.89x
Great Little Marsden 24 8.42x
Holbeck 24 6.97x
Hunslet 23 2.84x
Liversedge 23 9.94x
Portsea 23 1.09x
Prestwich 23 14.82x
Dalton In Huddersfield 22 18.90x
Hulme 22 1.69x
Idle 22 9.13x
Longbenton 22 6.66x
Ashton Under Lyne 21 1.54x
Baildon 21 21.47x
Camberwell 21 0.63x
Heanor 21 17.11x
Pudsey 21 7.56x
Workington 21 8.12x
Aston 20 0.55x
Bedlington 20 7.68x
Bermondsey 20 1.28x
Bethnal Green London 20 0.88x
Bingley 20 6.04x
Langrigg Mealrigg 20 402.41x
Pemberton 20 8.06x
St Pancras London 20 0.47x
West Derby 20 1.10x
Barrowby 19 131.22x
Middlesbrough 19 2.81x
Newington 19 0.98x
Thruscross 19 335.10x
Brightside Bierlow 18 1.77x
Chorley 18 5.16x
Kensington London 18 0.62x
Newchurch 18 3.54x
Pendleton In Clitheroe 18 76.43x
Pendleton In Salford 18 2.43x
Accrington 17 3.01x
Broughton In Salford 17 2.99x
Croydon 17 1.20x
Islington London 17 0.33x
Seaton Delaval 17 24.81x
West Ham 17 0.74x
Wigan 17 1.96x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 401
Sarah 238
Elizabeth 237
Ann 119
Jane 108
Annie 88
Alice 86
Margaret 83
Hannah 80
Ellen 74
Eliza 64
Emma 64
Martha 61
Emily 58
Clara 35
Ada 29
Isabella 29
Maria 28
Louisa 27
Harriet 26
Catherine 25
Florence 23
Charlotte 21
Grace 20
Rebecca 20
Caroline 18
Edith 17
Frances 17
Nancy 17
Anne 16
Agnes 15
Fanny 14
Lucy 14
Susannah 14
Eleanor 13
Esther 13
Gertrude 13
Ruth 13
Harriett 11
Amelia 10
Rose 10
Sophia 10
Bertha 9
Betsy 9
Betty 9
Elizth. 9
Susan 9
Julia 8
Lydia 8
Minnie 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 341
William 326
Thomas 170
Robert 164
George 132
James 129
Joseph 116
Edward 68
Henry 68
Arthur 51
Samuel 51
Richard 47
Charles 46
Alfred 37
Frederick 34
Walter 33
Albert 31
Harry 28
Herbert 24
Fred 23
David 20
Frank 20
Wm. 19
Benjamin 18
Edmund 16
Thos. 16
Tom 15
Sam 14
Francis 13
Jonathan 13
Joshua 11
Edwin 10
Abraham 8
Ernest 8
Isaac 8
Mark 8
Jeremiah 7
Peter 7
Robt. 7
Joe 6
Sidney 6
Andrew 5
Ephraim 5
Hugh 5
Jonas 5
Lawrence 5
Roger 5
Solomon 5
Willie 5
Harold 4

FAQ

Peel surname: questions and answers

How common was the Peel surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,398 people were recorded with the Peel surname. That placed it at #823 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Peel surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,130 in 2016. That gives Peel a modern rank of #1,105.

What does the Peel surname mean?

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "hill" or "peak" in Old English.

What does the Peel map show?

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