NameCensus.

UK surname

Piles

A surname derived from the Old French word referring to a soldier armed with a spear or pike.

In the 1881 census there were 68 people recorded with the Piles surname, ranking it #23,950 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 103, ranked #30,515, down from #23,950 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swale and Neath Port Talbot.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Piles is 108 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.5%.

1881 census count

68

Ranked #23,950

Modern count

103

2016, ranked #30,515

Peak year

2015

108 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Piles had 68 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,950 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016, ranked #30,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 94 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Piles surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Piles surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Piles 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 39 #26,319
1861 historical 87 #22,681
1881 historical 68 #23,950
1891 historical 94 #24,820
1901 historical 70 #26,383
1911 historical 78 #25,013
1997 modern 93 #27,932
1998 modern 93 #28,563
1999 modern 85 #29,578
2000 modern 82 #29,922
2001 modern 80 #29,945
2002 modern 80 #30,387
2003 modern 78 #30,654
2004 modern 87 #29,897
2005 modern 85 #30,219
2006 modern 82 #30,933
2007 modern 84 #31,067
2008 modern 88 #30,857
2009 modern 88 #31,352
2010 modern 93 #31,239
2011 modern 89 #31,659
2012 modern 93 #31,409
2013 modern 107 #29,561
2014 modern 107 #29,827
2015 modern 108 #29,512
2016 modern 103 #30,515

Geography

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Where Piles' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swale and Neath Port Talbot. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swale 016 Swale
2 Neath Port Talbot 012 Neath Port Talbot
3 Neath Port Talbot 016 Neath Port Talbot
4 Swale 014 Swale
5 Neath Port Talbot 009 Neath Port Talbot

Forenames

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First names often paired with Piles

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Piles

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Piles, 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 Piles surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Piles 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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Piles is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Piles 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

Piles falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Piles

The surname PILES has its roots in England, tracing back to the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a place name referring to a pile or palisade, a defensive structure made of wooden stakes or piles driven into the ground.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, which mentions a "John de la Pile." This entry suggests that the name may have been initially derived from a specific location or estate associated with a pile or palisade structure.

The name PILES is also recorded in various Middle English documents and manuscripts, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from the late 14th century, which mentions a "William del Piles." This spelling variation highlights the diverse forms the name took in its early days.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name PILES began to appear more frequently in various parish records and historical documents across different regions of England. Some notable individuals bearing this surname include:

1. Robert Piles (c. 1550-1620), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Shaftesbury in 1597.

2. John Piles (c. 1580-1654), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Conflict of the Flesh and the Spirit" (1631).

3. Edward Piles (c. 1635-1700), an English painter and art critic, best known for his influential work "The Principles of Painting" (1677).

4. Samuel Piles (c. 1670-1738), an English engraver and printseller, known for his contributions to the art world in the early 18th century.

5. Thomas Piles (c. 1720-1789), a British naval officer who served during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War.

Throughout its history, the surname PILES has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Piles Gate in Derbyshire, Piles Croft in Warwickshire, and Piles Farm in Oxfordshire, further reinforcing its locational origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Piles families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Piles 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 29 Piles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.82x.

County Total Index
Kent 29 12.82x
Denbighshire 8 31.94x
Staffordshire 7 3.13x
Somerset 5 4.68x
Carmarthenshire 4 14.31x
Lancashire 4 0.51x
Surrey 3 0.93x
Dumfriesshire 2 13.65x
Glamorgan 2 1.73x
Devon 1 0.72x
Hampshire 1 0.74x
Lanarkshire 1 0.47x
Sussex 1 0.89x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Llanrwst in Denbighshire leads with 8 Piles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 919.54x.

Place Total Index
Llanrwst 8 919.54x
Doddington 6 4615.38x
Otterden 6 15000.00x
Bathford 5 2272.73x
Charing 5 1612.90x
Stoke Upon Trent 5 21.06x
Llannon 4 1052.63x
Kearsley 3 180.72x
Newnham 3 4285.71x
Stalisfield 3 3750.00x
Dumfries 2 137.93x
Kingswood 2 2222.22x
Luddenham 2 4000.00x
Swansea Town 2 21.12x
Wolverhampton 2 11.62x
Dartmouth Townstall 1 178.57x
East Meon 1 285.71x
Gillingham 1 21.46x
Guston Charlton 1 2500.00x
Hamilton 1 16.72x
Kirkdale 1 7.55x
Milstead 1 1666.67x
Milton In Milton 1 104.17x
Newington 1 4.08x
Willingdon 1 357.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 5
Mary 5
Ellen 4
Tamson 2
Alice 1
Clara 1
Eleanor 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Maria 1
Sally 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
James 4
Daniel 3
Henry 3
Thomas 3
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
John 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Dathel 1
David 1
Eli 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Reuben 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Wm. 1

Top occupations

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 Piles households.

FAQ

Piles surname: questions and answers

How common was the Piles surname in 1881?

In 1881, 68 people were recorded with the Piles surname. That placed it at #23,950 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Piles surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016. That gives Piles a modern rank of #30,515.

What does the Piles surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French word referring to a soldier armed with a spear or pike.

What does the Piles map show?

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