UK surname
A surname derived from the pickle, a small cucumber pickled in vinegar.
In the 1881 census there were 74 people recorded with the Pickels surname, ranking it #23,062 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 11, ranked #37,501, down from #23,062 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Halifax and Eccles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pickels is 170 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 85.1%.
1881 census count
74
Ranked #23,062
Modern count
11
2016, ranked #37,501
Peak year
1861
170 bearers
Map years
2
1851 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Pickels surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Pickels surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 132 | #14,174 |
| 1861 | historical | 170 | #13,763 |
| 1881 | historical | 74 | #23,062 |
| 1891 | historical | 75 | #27,414 |
| 1901 | historical | 22 | #31,562 |
| 1911 | historical | 73 | #25,541 |
| 1997 | modern | 18 | #36,053 |
| 1998 | modern | 19 | #36,009 |
| 1999 | modern | 15 | #36,476 |
| 2000 | modern | 11 | #36,879 |
| 2001 | modern | 11 | #36,727 |
| 2002 | modern | 9 | #37,051 |
| 2003 | modern | 9 | #37,101 |
| 2004 | modern | 10 | #37,096 |
| 2005 | modern | 10 | #37,180 |
| 2006 | modern | 10 | #37,224 |
| 2007 | modern | 9 | #37,435 |
| 2008 | modern | 9 | #37,473 |
| 2009 | modern | 11 | #37,336 |
| 2010 | modern | 13 | #37,215 |
| 2011 | modern | 12 | #37,287 |
| 2012 | modern | 11 | #37,394 |
| 2013 | modern | 9 | #37,653 |
| 2014 | modern | 9 | #37,679 |
| 2015 | modern | 10 | #37,563 |
| 2016 | modern | 11 | #37,501 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Halifax, Eccles, Liverpool and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside | Durham |
| 2 | Halifax | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 3 | Eccles | Lancashire |
| 4 | Liverpool | Lancashire |
| 5 | Bradford | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Pickels surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pickels, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Pickels surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Pickels household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Pickels is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pickels is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Pickels, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Pickels has its origins in England, tracing back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "pycel," which referred to a small parcel or bundle of goods. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked as peddlers or traders of small wares.
Pickels is thought to be a variant spelling of the more common surname Pickles, which is recorded in various historical documents from the 13th century onwards. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a person named William Pikeles is mentioned.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, where a certain John Pykel was listed as a resident of the village of Stetchworth. This record provides evidence of the name's early presence in the region.
During the 15th century, the Pickels surname was documented in various parts of England, including Norfolk and Suffolk. In the latter county, a notable individual named Thomas Pickels was recorded in the Court Rolls of Bury St. Edmunds in 1474.
The 16th century saw the name spread further across England, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in counties such as Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. One notable figure from this period was Richard Pickels, a merchant and alderman of the city of Bristol, who was born in 1542 and died in 1612.
In the 17th century, the Pickels surname continued to be found in various parts of England, with notable individuals including William Pickels, a landowner in the village of Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, who was born in 1621 and died in 1689.
As the centuries progressed, the Pickels surname evolved into various spellings, such as Pickles, Pichell, and Pychell, reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings during the medieval and early modern periods. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the place names where families bearing the surname resided.
Throughout its history, the Pickels surname has been associated with notable individuals across various fields, including John Pickels, a prominent architect from Yorkshire who lived from 1740 to 1805, and Samuel Pickels, a renowned scholar and educator from Lincolnshire, born in 1786 and died in 1867.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pickels surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 32 Pickels' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.87x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire | 32 | 4.87x |
| Middlesex | 12 | 1.81x |
| Lancashire | 9 | 1.14x |
| Surrey | 7 | 2.17x |
| Cornwall | 5 | 6.66x |
| Gloucestershire | 2 | 1.54x |
| Radnorshire | 1 | 18.69x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Halifax in Yorkshire leads with 11 Pickels' recorded in 1881 and an index of 113.99x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Halifax | 11 | 113.99x |
| Westminster St James | 9 | 131.96x |
| Kingston On Thames | 6 | 77.32x |
| Batley | 5 | 80.00x |
| Pendleton In Salford | 5 | 53.30x |
| Cartworth | 4 | 740.74x |
| Dewsbury | 4 | 59.35x |
| Embsay Cum Eastby | 4 | 1481.48x |
| Paul | 4 | 294.12x |
| Newchurch | 3 | 46.58x |
| St Pancras London | 3 | 5.62x |
| Bristol St Philip Jacob | 2 | 16.33x |
| Wakefield | 2 | 39.68x |
| Bradford | 1 | 6.29x |
| Broughton In Salford | 1 | 13.89x |
| Feock | 1 | 212.77x |
| Leeds | 1 | 2.69x |
| Llanfihangel Rhydithon | 1 | 1250.00x |
| Wandsworth | 1 | 15.67x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Pickels surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Pickels surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Pickels households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 7 |
| Errand Boy | 2 |
| Scholler | 2 |
| Boot & Shoe Maker | 1 |
| Brass Finisher | 1 |
| Brick Layer | 1 |
| Brush Maker | 1 |
| Butcher | 1 |
| Carpet Weaver | 1 |
| Child | 1 |
| Cloth Finisher | 1 |
| Coal Miner | 1 |
| Cotton Spinner | 1 |
| Factory Engine Tenter | 1 |
| Formerly Cotton Operative (Winder) | 1 |
| General Labourer | 1 |
| General Servant | 1 |
| House Maid Dom | 1 |
| No Occ | 1 |
| Oilman | 1 |
| Ordinary Seaman | 1 |
| Pawn Broker | 1 |
| Plumber | 1 |
| Police Sergeant | 1 |
| Police Sergeant Wife Of | 1 |
| Provision Merchant | 1 |
| Railway Fireman S W | 1 |
| Servt Domestic | 1 |
| Shop Keeper | 1 |
| Stone Mason | 1 |
| Wesleyan Minister | 1 |
| Woollen Cloth Presser | 1 |
| Woollen Weaver | 1 |
| Worsted Weaver | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 74 people were recorded with the Pickels surname. That placed it at #23,062 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 11 in 2016. That gives Pickels a modern rank of #37,501.
A surname derived from the pickle, a small cucumber pickled in vinegar.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Pickels bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.