NameCensus.

UK surname

Povall

In the 1881 census there were 158 people recorded with the Povall surname, ranking it #14,989 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 374, ranked #12,490, up from #14,989 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bebbington, Manchester and Woodchurch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Wirral and Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Povall is 441 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 136.7%.

1881 census count

158

Ranked #14,989

Modern count

374

2016, ranked #12,490

Peak year

2000

441 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Povall had 158 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,989 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 374 in 2016, ranked #12,490.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 342 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Povall surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Povall surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Povall 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 111 #16,006
1861 historical 138 #16,365
1881 historical 158 #14,989
1891 historical 195 #15,211
1901 historical 286 #12,029
1911 historical 342 #10,445
1997 modern 415 #10,709
1998 modern 437 #10,637
1999 modern 434 #10,784
2000 modern 441 #10,611
2001 modern 427 #10,673
2002 modern 423 #10,975
2003 modern 410 #11,061
2004 modern 396 #11,372
2005 modern 385 #11,512
2006 modern 383 #11,600
2007 modern 391 #11,570
2008 modern 381 #11,918
2009 modern 394 #11,859
2010 modern 395 #12,105
2011 modern 386 #12,170
2012 modern 391 #11,923
2013 modern 397 #11,988
2014 modern 398 #12,048
2015 modern 387 #12,218
2016 modern 374 #12,490

Geography

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Where Povalls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bebbington, Manchester, Woodchurch, Ellesmere (Ellesmere), Welshampton, Whittington, Halston and Wallasey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Wirral, Liverpool and Newport. 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 Bebbington Cheshire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Woodchurch Cheshire
4 Ellesmere (Ellesmere), Welshampton, Whittington, Halston Shropshire
5 Wallasey Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 036 Shropshire
2 Wirral 025 Wirral
3 Liverpool 035 Liverpool
4 Newport 001 Newport
5 Wirral 018 Wirral

Forenames

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First names often paired with Povall

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Povall

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Povall surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Povall 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Povall is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Povall 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

Povall falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Povall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Povall 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. Cheshire leads with 86 Povalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.77x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 86 25.77x
Lancashire 20 1.11x
Flintshire 19 46.75x
Shropshire 17 13.02x
Staffordshire 6 1.18x
Monmouthshire 5 4.58x
Hampshire 1 0.32x
Suffolk 1 0.54x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bidston Cum Ford in Cheshire leads with 23 Povalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 16428.57x.

Place Total Index
Bidston Cum Ford 23 16428.57x
Birkenhead 17 63.91x
Tranmere 15 122.35x
Wallasey 14 1228.07x
Mold Hartsheath 10 9090.91x
Hawarden 9 282.13x
Bootle Cum Linacre 8 56.14x
Whittington English 8 10000.00x
Frankby 7 7000.00x
Garston 6 113.42x
Llanbaddock 5 2500.00x
Welsh Hampton 5 1851.85x
Chrtltn Cdngtn Nwtn 4 1481.48x
Claughton With Grange 3 197.37x
Newcastle Under Lyme 3 33.22x
Ruyton Of Eleven Towns 3 517.24x
Stoke Upon Trent 3 5.54x
Ince In Makerfield 2 23.95x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 3.51x
Eaton In Nantwich 1 416.67x
Ipswich St Mary At Tower 1 243.90x
Liscard 1 16.64x
Oakmere 1 476.19x
Portsmouth 1 14.03x
Reddish 1 40.49x
Rusholme 1 20.92x
Toxteth Park 1 1.65x
Wem 1 51.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Joseph 12
John 11
William 11
Thomas 9
Henry 7
George 6
Charles 3
Edward 3
James 3
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Alexander 1
Chas. 1
Frank 1
Harrison 1
Mark 1
Moses 1
Ralph 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Povall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Povall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 158 people were recorded with the Povall surname. That placed it at #14,989 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Povall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 374 in 2016. That gives Povall a modern rank of #12,490.

What does the Povall map show?

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