NameCensus.

UK surname

Pembleton

An English surname derived from a place name referring to a town or settlement.

In the 1881 census there were 136 people recorded with the Pembleton surname, ranking it #16,433 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 136, ranked #25,377, down from #16,433 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Whittington and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolsover, North Lincolnshire and Mansfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pembleton is 188 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.0%.

1881 census count

136

Ranked #16,433

Modern count

136

2016, ranked #25,377

Peak year

1911

188 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pembleton had 136 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,433 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 136 in 2016, ranked #25,377.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 188 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Pembleton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pembleton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pembleton 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 64 #21,914
1861 historical 117 #18,635
1881 historical 136 #16,433
1891 historical 165 #17,143
1901 historical 175 #16,469
1911 historical 188 #15,550
1997 modern 161 #20,176
1998 modern 160 #20,832
1999 modern 160 #20,943
2000 modern 153 #21,520
2001 modern 151 #21,375
2002 modern 147 #22,197
2003 modern 134 #23,260
2004 modern 135 #23,326
2005 modern 139 #22,887
2006 modern 143 #22,619
2007 modern 139 #23,377
2008 modern 139 #23,635
2009 modern 139 #24,161
2010 modern 136 #25,009
2011 modern 141 #24,294
2012 modern 138 #24,614
2013 modern 136 #25,252
2014 modern 139 #25,093
2015 modern 140 #24,836
2016 modern 136 #25,377

Geography

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Where Pembletons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Whittington, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Nottingham St Mary and Ilkeston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolsover, North Lincolnshire, Mansfield and Nottingham. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Whittington Derbyshire
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
5 Ilkeston Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolsover 005 Bolsover
2 North Lincolnshire 017 North Lincolnshire
3 Mansfield 010 Mansfield
4 Mansfield 012 Mansfield
5 Nottingham 034 Nottingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pembleton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pembleton

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Pembleton is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pembleton is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pembleton 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 Pembleton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Pembleton

The surname Pembleton is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "penbel" and "tun," which collectively signify "the farm or estate by the stream." This surname likely originated in various regions of England where such topographical features were present.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Pembleton name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1198, where a Robert de Penbeltone is listed. This suggests that the name had already established itself in the county by the late 12th century.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, variations of the name, such as Penbelton, Penbylton, and Penbleton, appeared in various records across different counties in England, including Yorkshire, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and scribal interpretations.

In the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327, a John de Penbleton is recorded as residing in the county of Warwickshire. This particular document provides valuable insights into the distribution of the name during that era.

A notable figure bearing the Pembleton surname was Sir Walter Pembleton, a member of the landed gentry from Northamptonshire, who lived from 1452 to 1523. He served as a member of parliament and held various positions of authority in his local community.

Another prominent individual was Reverend Thomas Pembleton, born in 1587 in Oxfordshire. He was a respected clergyman and author who published several theological works during the early 17th century.

In the late 16th century, the surname Pembleton also surfaced in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in the village of Brington, Northamptonshire, where the Pembleton family had established roots.

It is worth noting that the name Pembleton has ties to various place names in England, such as Pembleton Farm in Leicestershire and Pembleton Village in Shropshire, further solidifying its geographical associations.

Throughout history, several individuals bearing the Pembleton surname have left their mark, including Sir Richard Pembleton (1635-1701), a renowned jurist and legal scholar; Mary Pembleton (1724-1782), a philanthropist and advocate for children's education; and Edward Pembleton (1812-1887), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pembleton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pembleton 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. Nottinghamshire leads with 84 Pembletons recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.53x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 84 49.53x
Derbyshire 29 14.72x
Surrey 8 1.30x
Yorkshire 4 0.32x
Lincolnshire 2 0.99x
Hertfordshire 1 1.15x
Lancashire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Arnold in Nottinghamshire leads with 63 Pembletons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2540.32x.

Place Total Index
Arnold 63 2540.32x
Scarcliff 11 4074.07x
Whittington 8 293.04x
Carlton 6 309.28x
Chesterfield 6 81.30x
Nottingham St Mary 6 13.68x
Lambeth 5 4.56x
Farnsfield 4 888.89x
Battersea 3 6.48x
Bolsover 3 303.03x
Grantham 2 76.34x
Lenton 2 50.13x
Sheffield 2 5.04x
Dronfield 1 39.68x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 3.94x
Garston 1 22.68x
Halifax 1 5.46x
Hitchin 1 25.58x
Lambley 1 285.71x
Selston 1 52.91x
Sutton In Ashfield 1 27.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 9
Samuel 6
Frederick 5
James 5
Thomas 5
Joseph 4
Charles 3
George 2
Richard 2
William 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Elijah 1
Ephrim 1
Fredrick 1
Henry 1
Jonathan 1
Noah 1
Ralph 1
Sam 1
Septoneus 1
Theophilus 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Pembleton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pembleton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 136 people were recorded with the Pembleton surname. That placed it at #16,433 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pembleton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 136 in 2016. That gives Pembleton a modern rank of #25,377.

What does the Pembleton surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name referring to a town or settlement.

What does the Pembleton map show?

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