NameCensus.

UK surname

Pestell

In the 1881 census there were 405 people recorded with the Pestell surname, ranking it #7,903 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 615, ranked #8,539, down from #7,903 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hempstead (incl. Eccles), London parishes and EIstow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Norfolk, North Hertfordshire and Daventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pestell is 667 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.9%.

1881 census count

405

Ranked #7,903

Modern count

615

2016, ranked #8,539

Peak year

2010

667 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pestell had 405 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,903 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 615 in 2016, ranked #8,539.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 663 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pestell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pestell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pestell 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 228 #9,418
1861 historical 255 #9,699
1881 historical 405 #7,903
1891 historical 477 #7,705
1901 historical 562 #7,419
1911 historical 663 #6,337
1997 modern 620 #7,967
1998 modern 635 #8,050
1999 modern 634 #8,118
2000 modern 644 #7,990
2001 modern 640 #7,883
2002 modern 657 #7,880
2003 modern 632 #7,994
2004 modern 627 #8,061
2005 modern 613 #8,142
2006 modern 609 #8,193
2007 modern 622 #8,126
2008 modern 609 #8,309
2009 modern 635 #8,221
2010 modern 667 #8,082
2011 modern 654 #8,115
2012 modern 634 #8,229
2013 modern 635 #8,356
2014 modern 644 #8,324
2015 modern 630 #8,394
2016 modern 615 #8,539

Geography

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Where Pestells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hempstead (incl. Eccles), London parishes, EIstow, Hitchin and Luton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Norfolk, North Hertfordshire, Daventry, Stevenage and Charnwood. 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 Hempstead (incl. Eccles) Norfolk
2 London parishes London 3
3 EIstow Bedfordshire
4 Hitchin Hertfordshire
5 Luton Bedfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Norfolk 013 North Norfolk
2 North Hertfordshire 009 North Hertfordshire
3 Daventry 004 Daventry
4 Stevenage 005 Stevenage
5 Charnwood 011 Charnwood

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pestell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pestell

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Pestell is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pestell 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

Pestell falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pestell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Pestell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pestell 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. Norfolk leads with 116 Pestells recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.05x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 116 19.05x
Bedfordshire 83 40.48x
Middlesex 76 1.92x
Hertfordshire 28 10.26x
Huntingdonshire 25 31.79x
Buckinghamshire 16 6.68x
Hampshire 11 1.36x
Oxfordshire 8 3.27x
Midlothian 7 1.32x
Sussex 7 1.05x
Suffolk 6 1.24x
Leicestershire 5 1.14x
Surrey 5 0.26x
Durham 4 0.34x
Northamptonshire 4 1.07x
Essex 2 0.26x
Kent 2 0.15x
Nottinghamshire 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. Great Yarmouth in Norfolk leads with 28 Pestells recorded in 1881 and an index of 55.51x.

Place Total Index
Great Yarmouth 28 55.51x
Palling 19 3064.52x
Hitchin 18 146.10x
Luton 16 45.07x
St Pancras London 15 4.71x
Southoe 11 2972.97x
Little Fransham 10 3225.81x
Shipdham 10 483.09x
Bow London 9 17.85x
Dean 9 1343.28x
Hamerton 9 3600.00x
Hempstead 9 1578.95x
Aylesbury 8 75.40x
Bedford St Paul 8 56.90x
Broughton 8 3636.36x
Chinnor 8 473.37x
Elstow 8 1052.63x
Hornsey 8 15.97x
Mile End Old Town 8 12.80x
Portsea 8 5.03x
Bedford St Mary 7 132.58x
Bethnal Green London 7 4.07x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 3.28x
Edingthorpe 7 2692.31x
Goldington 7 897.44x
Lindfield 7 248.23x
St Marylebone London 7 3.31x
Caddington 6 200.00x
Clifton 5 252.53x
Edmonton 5 15.67x
Harpenden 5 120.19x
Leicester St Margaret 5 4.67x
Dilham 4 689.66x
Kings Cliffe 4 229.89x
Little Staughton 4 625.00x
Poplar London 4 5.35x
South Walsham St Mary 4 800.00x
Stalham 4 344.83x
Streatley 4 952.38x
Usworth 4 63.90x
Belton 3 352.94x
Bermondsey 3 2.54x
Brampton 3 182.93x
Bramshott 3 150.00x
East Harling 3 206.90x
Great Fransham 3 681.82x
Neatishead 3 384.62x
Bedford St Cuthbert 2 109.89x
Biggleswade 2 29.76x
Chigwell 2 27.10x
Croydon 2 1.87x
Eaton Socon 2 62.11x
Folkestone 2 7.63x
Hackney London 2 0.90x
Hemsby 2 227.27x
Islington London 2 0.52x
Kensington London 2 0.91x
Necton 2 186.92x
South Creake 2 144.93x
Winterton 2 186.92x
Aldenham 1 40.32x
Bedford St Peter 1 18.76x
Cheshunt 1 10.48x
Colmworth 1 192.31x
Diddington 1 357.14x
Friern Barnet 1 11.47x
Gorleston 1 8.16x
Gressenhall 1 88.50x
Hammersmith London 1 1.03x
Heigham 1 3.06x
Houghton Regis 1 30.58x
Nottingham St Mary 1 0.72x
Oulton 1 61.35x
Paddington London 1 0.69x
Ridge 1 181.82x
St Albans St Peter 1 10.86x
St George Hanover 1 1.93x
St George In East 1 3.71x
Waresley 1 322.58x
Westminster St 1 6.85x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 24
Emma 15
Sarah 14
Elizabeth 13
Eliza 9
Louisa 8
Ann 7
Jane 7
Hannah 6
Ada 5
Annie 5
Ellen 4
Emily 4
Maria 4
Alice 3
Celia 3
Fanny 3
Anne 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Edith 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Lydia 2
Matilda 2
Rose 2
Sophia 2
Amelia 1
Amey 1
Augusta 1
Betsey 1
Dinah 1
E. 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth. 1
Esmuralda 1
Ethel 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Ivy 1
J. 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Katie 1
Leticia 1
Lowes 1
Lucy 1
Walter 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 22
John 20
James 14
Charles 13
George 13
Henry 12
Arthur 11
Alfred 9
Walter 8
Thomas 7
Robert 6
Joseph 5
Harry 4
Samuel 4
Albert 3
Edmund 3
Francis 3
Frederick 3
Richard 3
Benjamin 2
David 2
Edward 2
Frank 2
Fredk. 2
Herbert 2
Amos 1
Archibald 1
Caleb 1
Edwd.Arthur 1
Elijah 1
Emily 1
Ernest 1
Evin 1
Fred 1
Horace 1
Leopold 1
Levi 1
Lewis 1
Peter 1
Phillip 1
Simon 1
Stanley 1
Theodore 1
Thos. 1
Victor 1
Walton 1

FAQ

Pestell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pestell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 405 people were recorded with the Pestell surname. That placed it at #7,903 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pestell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 615 in 2016. That gives Pestell a modern rank of #8,539.

What does the Pestell map show?

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