NameCensus.

UK surname

Pells

A habitational surname derived from the plural form of Pell, referring to someone from an area with hills or slopes.

In the 1881 census there were 361 people recorded with the Pells surname, ranking it #8,579 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 409, ranked #11,694, down from #8,579 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Beccles and Harwich St Nicholas. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tendring, Redcar and Cleveland and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pells is 511 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.3%.

1881 census count

361

Ranked #8,579

Modern count

409

2016, ranked #11,694

Peak year

1911

511 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pells had 361 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,579 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 409 in 2016, ranked #11,694.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 511 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pells surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pells surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pells 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 251 #8,761
1861 historical 308 #8,233
1881 historical 361 #8,579
1891 historical 408 #8,733
1901 historical 465 #8,499
1911 historical 511 #7,706
1997 modern 472 #9,716
1998 modern 473 #10,018
1999 modern 444 #10,555
2000 modern 450 #10,433
2001 modern 436 #10,500
2002 modern 431 #10,820
2003 modern 418 #10,896
2004 modern 404 #11,199
2005 modern 407 #11,041
2006 modern 404 #11,159
2007 modern 403 #11,315
2008 modern 401 #11,441
2009 modern 404 #11,636
2010 modern 413 #11,690
2011 modern 412 #11,593
2012 modern 408 #11,567
2013 modern 406 #11,790
2014 modern 404 #11,906
2015 modern 401 #11,889
2016 modern 409 #11,694

Geography

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Where Pells' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Beccles, Harwich St Nicholas, St Matthew Bethnal Green and Hempstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tendring, Redcar and Cleveland, East Riding of Yorkshire, Norwich and Waveney. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Beccles Suffolk
3 Harwich St Nicholas Essex
4 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)
5 Hempstead Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tendring 001 Tendring
2 Redcar and Cleveland 012 Redcar and Cleveland
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 040 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 Norwich 003 Norwich
5 Waveney 002 Waveney

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pells

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pells

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Pells is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Pells is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pells falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pells is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Pells

The surname Pells is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "pell," meaning a roll of parchment or a document. It is believed to have originated in the 12th century as a descriptive name for someone who worked with parchment or manuscripts.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Pells can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a person named Richard Pelle is mentioned.

Another notable early reference to the surname Pells is in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, which list a John Pelle among the taxpayers. This suggests that the name had already become established in different regions of England by the 14th century.

The surname Pells is also connected to several place names in England, such as Pelshall in Hertfordshire and Peldon in Essex. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time, including Pell, Pelle, and Pells.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Pells was John Pells (c. 1610-1685), an English mathematician and academic who served as the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge from 1661 to 1685.

Another notable figure bearing the surname Pells was Sir John Pells (1615-1685), an English lawyer and politician who served as the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1673 to 1676.

In the 18th century, John Pells (1718-1776) was a British politician and Member of Parliament for Lyme Regis from 1754 to 1768.

In the 19th century, Reverend John Pells (1810-1892) was an English clergyman and author who wrote several works on theology and church history.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Pells in recent history was Edmund Pells (1879-1964), a British architect and designer who was known for his work on several notable buildings in London and other parts of England.

These examples demonstrate the long history and diverse backgrounds of individuals bearing the surname Pells, which can be traced back to its English origins and association with the parchment trade in the Middle Ages.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pells families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pells 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. Suffolk leads with 87 Pells' recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.23x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 87 20.23x
Norfolk 69 12.71x
Middlesex 57 1.61x
Surrey 41 2.38x
Essex 27 3.87x
Dorset 20 8.63x
Durham 20 1.90x
Nottinghamshire 8 1.68x
Northumberland 7 1.33x
Yorkshire 7 0.20x
Cornwall 5 1.25x
Kent 5 0.42x
Sussex 5 0.84x
Cheshire 1 0.13x
Oxfordshire 1 0.46x
Shropshire 1 0.33x
Wiltshire 1 0.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 27 Pells' recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.60x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 27 17.60x
Beccles 17 245.66x
Harwich St Nicholas 14 260.22x
Holt 12 645.16x
Southwark St Saviour 12 66.12x
Hempstead 11 2156.86x
Ipswich St Margaret 11 75.39x
Wyke Regis 11 330.33x
Stiffkey 10 1923.08x
Coddenham 9 909.09x
Lowestoft 8 39.37x
Worksop 8 56.66x
Brightwell 7 8750.00x
East Dereham 7 102.04x
Enfield 7 30.21x
Southwark St John 7 64.81x
Barking 6 269.06x
Bermondsey 6 5.71x
Bishopwearmouth 6 6.65x
Bucklesham 6 1538.46x
Leyton Low 6 42.34x
Little Stonham 6 1621.62x
Mile End Old Town 6 10.76x
Portland 6 48.15x
Westoe 6 10.08x
Benwell 5 87.11x
Hampstead London 5 9.09x
Kelling 5 1923.08x
Landewednack 5 704.23x
Wilton In Guisbrough 5 318.47x
Battersea 4 3.08x
Ford 4 126.98x
Langham 4 1025.64x
Rushmere 4 425.53x
Thornage 4 1000.00x
Blakeney 3 309.28x
Briston 3 291.26x
Broadway 3 326.09x
Islington London 3 0.88x
Lambeth 3 0.97x
Mitcham 3 27.60x
Moorsley 3 265.49x
Newington 3 2.30x
St Luke London 3 5.30x
Sutton 3 24.10x
Bale 2 714.29x
Brightlingsea 2 50.25x
Dovercourt 2 81.63x
Frostenden 2 425.53x
Hackney London 2 1.01x
Halifax 2 3.89x
Ipswich St Mary Key 2 178.57x
Kesgrave 2 1666.67x
Minster In Sheppey 2 10.02x
Newhaven 2 41.32x
Wallsend 2 12.00x
Wickham Market 2 112.36x
Aylmerton 1 270.27x
Bow London 1 2.22x
Charlbury 1 40.82x
Chelsea London 1 0.94x
Chislehurst 1 15.48x
Cley Next Sea 1 114.94x
Eastbourne 1 3.65x
Fakenham Alethorpe 1 149.25x
Gorleston 1 9.15x
Gresham 1 217.39x
Hackford In Aylsham 1 103.09x
Ipswich St Clement 1 9.15x
Ipswich St Peter 1 17.27x
Lakenheath 1 44.05x
Selattyn 1 72.46x
Shoreditch London 1 0.65x
South Weald 1 16.75x
Stowmarket 1 20.12x
Stranton 1 2.83x
Thorpe Next Norwich 1 17.39x
West Ham 1 0.65x
Westbourne 1 33.78x
Wilton 1 45.25x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 25
William 23
Henry 13
James 13
Thomas 12
Charles 9
Robert 9
Richard 8
George 7
Frederick 5
Arthur 4
Samuel 4
Herbert 3
Walter 3
Wm. 3
Ernest 2
Jas. 2
Jno. 2
Matthew 2
Robt. 2
Abner 1
Adam 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arnest 1
Chas. 1
Cornelius 1
Earnest 1
Edward 1
Feltham 1
Frank 1
Fredk.W. 1
Harry 1
Herbt. 1
Isaac 1
Laurence 1
Lawrence 1
Nathaniel 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Victor 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Pells surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pells surname in 1881?

In 1881, 361 people were recorded with the Pells surname. That placed it at #8,579 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pells surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 409 in 2016. That gives Pells a modern rank of #11,694.

What does the Pells surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from the plural form of Pell, referring to someone from an area with hills or slopes.

What does the Pells map show?

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