NameCensus.

UK surname

Pelling

A habitational surname referring to someone from a geographical location.

In the 1881 census there were 782 people recorded with the Pelling surname, ranking it #4,745 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,162, ranked #5,081, down from #4,745 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Preston, London parishes and Horsham, Sullington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waverley, Wealden and Swale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pelling is 1,283 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 48.6%.

1881 census count

782

Ranked #4,745

Modern count

1,162

2016, ranked #5,081

Peak year

1911

1,283 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pelling had 782 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,745 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,162 in 2016, ranked #5,081.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,283 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Pelling surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pelling surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pelling 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 390 #6,155
1861 historical 449 #5,764
1881 historical 782 #4,745
1891 historical 962 #4,297
1901 historical 1,126 #4,308
1911 historical 1,283 #3,711
1997 modern 1,232 #4,613
1998 modern 1,267 #4,673
1999 modern 1,282 #4,654
2000 modern 1,254 #4,723
2001 modern 1,235 #4,691
2002 modern 1,243 #4,747
2003 modern 1,215 #4,757
2004 modern 1,225 #4,723
2005 modern 1,182 #4,824
2006 modern 1,180 #4,842
2007 modern 1,178 #4,891
2008 modern 1,171 #4,933
2009 modern 1,203 #4,933
2010 modern 1,196 #5,057
2011 modern 1,188 #5,026
2012 modern 1,163 #5,041
2013 modern 1,202 #4,973
2014 modern 1,204 #5,003
2015 modern 1,168 #5,086
2016 modern 1,162 #5,081

Geography

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Where Pellings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Preston, London parishes, Horsham, Sullington, Brighton and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waverley, Wealden, Swale, Mid Sussex and Hastings. 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 Preston Sussex
2 London parishes London 3
3 Horsham, Sullington Sussex
4 Brighton Sussex
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waverley 013 Waverley
2 Wealden 017 Wealden
3 Swale 015 Swale
4 Mid Sussex 005 Mid Sussex
5 Hastings 003 Hastings

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pelling

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pelling

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Pelling surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Pelling household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Pelling is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Pelling 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

Pelling falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Pelling

The surname Pelling is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English words "pell" meaning a stream or brook, and "ing" indicating a place or settlement. This suggests the name originated as a locational name, identifying someone who lived near a particular stream or brook.

Pelling is believed to have originated in the county of Sussex, England, around the 11th or 12th century. Historically, the name was most prevalent in the areas surrounding the villages of Pelling and Pellingworth, both located in Sussex.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Pelling surname is in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex, dated 1195, where a Ralph de Pelling is listed as a landowner. The Pelling family name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, indicating their presence in the region during the medieval period.

In the 14th century, the surname was sometimes spelled as "Pellyng" or "Pellynge," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common before standardization. One notable bearer of the name from this era was John Pelling, a wealthy merchant from Chichester, Sussex, who lived around 1380.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, several Pelling families migrated from Sussex to other parts of England, contributing to the spread of the surname. Notable examples include William Pelling (1558-1637), a wealthy landowner and merchant from Gloucestershire, and Thomas Pelling (1608-1668), a prominent clergyman who served as Rector of Stanford Dingley in Berkshire.

In later centuries, the Pelling surname continued to be associated with various notable individuals, such as John Pelling (1768-1846), a successful businessman and philanthropist from London, and Edward Pelling (1834-1908), a renowned English architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Another individual of note was Sir John Pelling (1865-1937), a British diplomat and civil servant who served as Governor of British Guiana (now Guyana) from 1901 to 1904. Additionally, Herbert Pelling (1884-1961) was a respected British historian and author, best known for his works on British politics and social history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pelling families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pelling 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. Sussex leads with 440 Pellings recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.17x.

County Total Index
Sussex 440 34.17x
Surrey 89 2.39x
Middlesex 70 0.92x
Kent 46 1.77x
Lancashire 39 0.43x
Lanarkshire 24 0.97x
Cheshire 14 0.83x
Essex 13 0.86x
Gloucestershire 11 0.73x
Devon 9 0.57x
Hampshire 6 0.38x
Hertfordshire 4 0.76x
Norfolk 4 0.34x
Staffordshire 3 0.12x
Berkshire 2 0.35x
Oxfordshire 2 0.42x
Yorkshire 2 0.03x
Cornwall 1 0.12x
Cumberland 1 0.15x
Leicestershire 1 0.12x
Lincolnshire 1 0.08x
Shropshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 71 Pellings recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.33x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 71 27.33x
Horsham 27 107.91x
Ashurst 23 2371.13x
Lesmahagow 23 88.06x
Newtimber 23 4035.09x
Battersea 17 6.05x
Eastbourne 17 28.69x
Lewes St Michael 17 664.06x
Hampstead London 16 13.45x
Hurstpierpoint 16 223.15x
Lambeth 15 2.25x
Preston 13 57.80x
Shoreditch London 12 3.62x
Little Horsted 11 1410.26x
Hastings St Leonards 10 52.83x
Mayfield 10 131.23x
West Grinstead 10 257.73x
Hellingly 9 208.82x
Newton 9 12.88x
Tottenham 9 7.40x
Waltham Holy Cross 9 63.88x
Westfield 9 327.27x
Framfield 8 200.50x
Habergham Eaves 8 9.66x
Putney 8 22.98x
Slinfold 8 396.04x
Barnstaple 7 28.04x
Dorking 7 28.01x
Godalming 7 29.88x
Hailsham 7 89.86x
Hove 7 12.39x
Ifield 7 130.35x
Itchingfield 7 619.47x
Keymer 7 77.01x
Laughton 7 370.37x
Meopham 7 217.39x
Portslade 7 88.95x
Pyecombe 7 777.78x
Accrington 6 7.28x
Catsfield 6 324.32x
Cuckfield 6 46.12x
Lewes St John Southover 6 69.36x
Rudgwick 6 204.08x
Shipley 6 205.48x
Ardwick 5 6.12x
Bramhall 5 71.63x
Cranleigh 5 91.74x
Ditchling 5 142.45x
Eltham 5 32.74x
Findon 5 268.82x
Fulham London 5 4.51x
Islington London 5 0.68x
Lewisham 5 3.60x
Monks Coppenhall 5 7.86x
Steyning 5 114.42x
Willingdon 5 152.91x
Brandon 4 63.39x
Bristol St Augustine 4 16.55x
Bristol St James St Paul 4 8.01x
Broadwater 4 13.54x
Chiddingly 4 172.41x
Dukinfield 4 5.13x
Greenwich 4 3.29x
Hemel Hempstead 4 16.86x
Lewes St John Under 4 227.27x
Petersfield 4 92.81x
Pulborough 4 84.57x
Queenborough 4 155.04x
Reigate Foreign 4 9.93x
Woolwich 4 4.15x
Wotton 4 220.99x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 3 2.13x
Chailey 3 75.19x
Croydon 3 1.45x
Great Little Marsden 3 7.23x
Harborne 3 3.63x
Hastings St Mary In The 3 10.92x
Hornsey 3 3.11x
Warrington 3 2.79x
West Ham 3 0.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 41
Elizabeth 30
Sarah 30
Ann 14
Ellen 14
Jane 14
Eliza 13
Emily 13
Louisa 12
Annie 11
Emma 11
Esther 8
Harriet 8
Kate 7
Ada 6
Anne 6
Caroline 6
Charlotte 6
Florence 6
Alice 5
Frances 5
Agnes 4
Edith 4
Fanny 4
Harriett 4
Lucy 4
Rose 4
Ruth 4
Susan 4
Clara 3
Margaret 3
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Anna 2
Eleanor 2
Eva 2
Flora 2
Grace 2
Hannah 2
Infant 2
Louise 2
Naomi 2
Philadelphia 2
Sophia 2
Susannah 2
Bessie 1
Betsy 1
Ernest 1
Ethel 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 56
James 35
George 30
John 30
Alfred 18
Charles 15
Thomas 15
Harry 14
Arthur 13
Henry 12
Albert 11
Richard 11
Edward 9
Ernest 8
Robert 8
Frank 6
Frederick 6
Walter 6
Edwin 5
Stephen 5
Joseph 4
Percival 4
Daniel 3
Horace 3
Levi 3
Peter 3
Dearing 2
Edgar 2
Edmond 2
Fred. 2
Herbert 2
Hugh 2
Jesse 2
Lewis 2
Wm. 2
Asher 1
Charlie 1
David 1
Elias 1
Ellis 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Georg 1
Job 1
Jonathan 1
Josh. 1
Luther 1
Martin 1
Moses 1

FAQ

Pelling surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pelling surname in 1881?

In 1881, 782 people were recorded with the Pelling surname. That placed it at #4,745 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pelling surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,162 in 2016. That gives Pelling a modern rank of #5,081.

What does the Pelling surname mean?

A habitational surname referring to someone from a geographical location.

What does the Pelling map show?

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