NameCensus.

UK surname

Pemble

A variant spelling of "Pembley," referring to a location in Derbyshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 222 people recorded with the Pemble surname, ranking it #12,022 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 349, ranked #13,189, down from #12,022 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ash-near-Sandwich, Margate and Birchington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dover, Tunbridge Wells and Surrey Heath.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pemble is 371 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.2%.

1881 census count

222

Ranked #12,022

Modern count

349

2016, ranked #13,189

Peak year

2010

371 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pemble had 222 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,022 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 349 in 2016, ranked #13,189.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 359 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pemble surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pemble surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pemble 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 193 #10,704
1861 historical 187 #12,690
1881 historical 222 #12,022
1891 historical 278 #11,746
1901 historical 315 #11,263
1911 historical 359 #10,084
1997 modern 353 #12,096
1998 modern 361 #12,280
1999 modern 360 #12,371
2000 modern 362 #12,264
2001 modern 352 #12,318
2002 modern 363 #12,296
2003 modern 345 #12,549
2004 modern 337 #12,818
2005 modern 335 #12,795
2006 modern 321 #13,258
2007 modern 329 #13,168
2008 modern 341 #12,958
2009 modern 346 #13,075
2010 modern 371 #12,679
2011 modern 366 #12,667
2012 modern 351 #12,942
2013 modern 359 #12,917
2014 modern 356 #13,098
2015 modern 355 #13,033
2016 modern 349 #13,189

Geography

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Where Pembles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ash-near-Sandwich, Margate, Birchington, Maidstone, Linton, Loddington and Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dover, Tunbridge Wells, Surrey Heath and Thanet. 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 Ash-near-Sandwich Kent
2 Margate Kent
3 Birchington Kent
4 Maidstone, Linton, Loddington Kent
5 Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dover 002 Dover
2 Dover 001 Dover
3 Tunbridge Wells 004 Tunbridge Wells
4 Surrey Heath 001 Surrey Heath
5 Thanet 001 Thanet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pemble

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pemble

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

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Pemble 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

Pemble 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

Pemble falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Pemble

The surname Pemble is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word 'pembl', meaning a small stream or brook. The name likely originated in areas where such streams were prevalent, such as the counties of Devon and Somerset.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Pemble'. This entry suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, various spellings of the name emerged, including Pembell, Penbel, and Penbill. These variations reflect the regional dialects and the evolving nature of English orthography at the time.

In the 16th century, the Pemble family had a significant presence in the county of Devon. Richard Pemble (c. 1540-1618) was a prominent figure, serving as the Rector of Battersea and the Archdeacon of Wilts. His son, William Pemble (1592-1623), was a celebrated Puritan theologian and author.

Another noteworthy individual bearing the Pemble name was Thomas Pemble (1609-1697), who was a renowned English nonconformist minister and author. He played a crucial role in the religious debates of the 17th century.

Moving into the 18th century, the name Pemble was also found in the village of Pemble, located in the parish of Stoke Fleming, Devon. This place name likely derived from the same Old English root as the surname, further solidifying the connection between the name and the local geography.

Among the notable figures of the 19th century was John Pemble (1797-1859), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy.

William Pemble (1856-1937), born in Somerset, was a distinguished English cricketer who played for Somerset County Cricket Club and represented the English national team in two Test matches against Australia in the 1880s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pemble families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pemble 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. Kent leads with 184 Pembles recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.25x.

County Total Index
Kent 184 25.25x
Gloucestershire 7 1.67x
Middlesex 7 0.33x
Surrey 6 0.58x
Sussex 5 1.39x
Herefordshire 4 4.57x
Hampshire 2 0.46x
Worcestershire 2 0.72x
Staffordshire 1 0.14x
Warwickshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birchington in Kent leads with 34 Pembles recorded in 1881 and an index of 3333.33x.

Place Total Index
Birchington 34 3333.33x
Ash Next Sandwich 25 1552.80x
Chatham 11 54.86x
Margate St John Baptist 11 82.40x
Acrise 10 6250.00x
Folkestone 8 56.58x
Newington In Milton 8 1052.63x
Birling 7 1076.92x
Hartpury 7 1186.44x
Wye 7 619.47x
Canterbury St Mildred 6 346.82x
Rochester St Margaret 6 78.02x
Capel 5 1219.51x
Gillingham 5 33.27x
Maidstone 4 18.42x
Ross 4 114.94x
St Lawrence 4 79.84x
Tonbridge 4 15.21x
Elmstone 3 7500.00x
Paddington London 3 3.82x
Salehurst 3 192.31x
Whitstable 3 84.03x
Willesborough 3 153.06x
Barham 2 270.27x
Bethnal Green London 2 2.16x
Boxley 2 178.57x
Buckland In Dover 2 82.64x
Croydon 2 3.46x
East Malling 2 114.94x
Frindsbury 2 72.73x
Lambeth 2 1.07x
Portsea 2 2.33x
Sibertswold 2 526.32x
The Hill 2 111.73x
Aston 1 0.67x
Barfreston 1 1111.11x
Battle 1 41.15x
Beckley 1 111.11x
Bermondsey 1 1.57x
Boughton Under Blean 1 81.97x
Canterbury St Alphage 1 128.21x
Kensington London 1 0.84x
Marden 1 58.48x
Reigate Foreign 1 8.87x
St Marylebone London 1 0.88x
St Peters 1 29.67x
West Malling 1 60.98x
Wolverhampton 1 1.80x
Woodnesborough 1 149.25x
Woolwich 1 3.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Sarah 9
Elizabeth 8
Alice 5
Ellen 5
Emily 5
Harriett 5
Jane 5
Ann 3
Eliza 3
Frances 3
Martha 3
Annie 2
Charlotte 2
Emma 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Harriot 2
Kate 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Sophia 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Augusta 1
Bertha 1
Caroline 1
Edith 1
Elizth.R. 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Hannah 1
Harriott 1
Henrietta 1
Katey 1
Kezia 1
Laura 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Mercy 1
Milly 1
Nelly 1
Philadelphia 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 15
Thomas 14
John 11
George 9
James 9
Henry 7
Edward 5
Robert 5
Alfred 4
Charles 4
Albert 3
Frederick 2
Isaac 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Arther 1
Arthur 1
Doccherty 1
Earnest 1
Frank 1
Henery 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Joseph 1
Leicester 1
Leonard 1
Percival 1
Ruben 1
Stephen 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Pemble surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pemble surname in 1881?

In 1881, 222 people were recorded with the Pemble surname. That placed it at #12,022 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pemble surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 349 in 2016. That gives Pemble a modern rank of #13,189.

What does the Pemble surname mean?

A variant spelling of "Pembley," referring to a location in Derbyshire, England.

What does the Pemble map show?

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