NameCensus.

UK surname

Powdrill

An English surname possibly derived from a place name or an occupation involving drills or drilling.

In the 1881 census there were 205 people recorded with the Powdrill surname, ranking it #12,643 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 317, ranked #14,198, down from #12,643 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Sheffield and Luton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rushcliffe, Amber Valley and Leicester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Powdrill is 392 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.6%.

1881 census count

205

Ranked #12,643

Modern count

317

2016, ranked #14,198

Peak year

2000

392 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Powdrill had 205 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,643 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 317 in 2016, ranked #14,198.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 363 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Powdrill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Powdrill surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Powdrill 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 106 #16,512
1861 historical 129 #17,271
1881 historical 205 #12,643
1891 historical 254 #12,598
1901 historical 317 #11,213
1911 historical 363 #10,005
1997 modern 342 #12,379
1998 modern 363 #12,228
1999 modern 380 #11,907
2000 modern 392 #11,564
2001 modern 375 #11,774
2002 modern 365 #12,246
2003 modern 346 #12,511
2004 modern 355 #12,326
2005 modern 333 #12,847
2006 modern 338 #12,779
2007 modern 337 #12,950
2008 modern 337 #13,068
2009 modern 351 #12,940
2010 modern 351 #13,220
2011 modern 329 #13,694
2012 modern 334 #13,443
2013 modern 334 #13,648
2014 modern 337 #13,659
2015 modern 327 #13,871
2016 modern 317 #14,198

Geography

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Where Powdrills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Sheffield, Luton, Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Heanor. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rushcliffe, Amber Valley and Leicester. 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 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
2 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Luton Bedfordshire
4 Ashby-de-la-Zouch Leicestershire
5 Heanor Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rushcliffe 014 Rushcliffe
2 Amber Valley 008 Amber Valley
3 Rushcliffe 015 Rushcliffe
4 Leicester 003 Leicester
5 Amber Valley 012 Amber Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Powdrill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Powdrill

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Powdrill surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Powdrill household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Powdrill is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Powdrill is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Powdrill 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 Powdrill is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Powdrill

The surname Powdrill has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "puda" meaning a small pool or puddle, and "hyll" meaning a hill or slope. This suggests that the name was originally a place name referring to someone who lived near a small pool on a hill or slope.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where it is spelled "Puddrehull". This indicates that the name was present in the West Midlands region of England during the medieval period.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various records with spellings such as "Pudderell", "Puddrell", and "Puddrill". The modern spelling of "Powdrill" seems to have emerged in the 17th century, as evidenced by entries in parish records from Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire.

Powdrill is a relatively rare surname, and there are few notable historical figures with this name. However, one individual of note is William Powdrill (1638-1696), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of St. Peter's Church in Great Gransden, Cambridgeshire.

Another early bearer of the name was John Powdrill (1655-1725), a landowner and farmer from the village of Shutford in Oxfordshire. His will, dated 1725, provides valuable insights into the lives of rural English families during that era.

In the 18th century, the Powdrill family had a presence in the county of Gloucestershire. Records show that a Thomas Powdrill (1704-1782) was a prominent yeoman farmer in the village of Frampton-on-Severn.

Moving into the 19th century, the Powdrill name gained some recognition through the work of Richard Powdrill (1819-1895), a noted architect and surveyor from Birmingham. He was responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in the West Midlands region.

Finally, one of the more recent notable individuals with the surname Powdrill was Arthur Powdrill (1888-1964), a British trade unionist and politician who served as the Labour Member of Parliament for Wandsworth Central from 1945 to 1950.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Powdrill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Powdrill 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. Leicestershire leads with 70 Powdrills recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.57x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 70 31.57x
Nottinghamshire 49 18.18x
Lincolnshire 29 9.07x
Derbyshire 18 5.75x
Yorkshire 14 0.71x
Bedfordshire 12 11.59x
Warwickshire 5 0.99x
Staffordshire 4 0.59x
Kent 2 0.29x
Lancashire 1 0.04x
Worcestershire 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gotham in Nottinghamshire leads with 40 Powdrills recorded in 1881 and an index of 5714.29x.

Place Total Index
Gotham 40 5714.29x
Breedon 18 3673.47x
Desford 17 2741.94x
Ashby De La Zouch 14 272.37x
Leicester St Mary 9 50.25x
Luton 9 50.22x
Brightside Bierlow 7 18.01x
Church Gresley 7 140.56x
Handsworth 7 133.59x
Heanor 7 149.57x
Ruddington 7 386.74x
Spittlegate 7 158.37x
Aston 5 3.60x
Old Bolingbroke 4 1290.32x
Sheepshed 4 131.58x
Sutterton 4 625.00x
Tipton 4 19.35x
Glenfield 3 697.67x
Horncastle 3 90.91x
Ilkeston 3 34.17x
Leasingham 3 1200.00x
Shefford 3 405.41x
Alford 2 101.01x
Cranbrook 2 69.20x
Gosberton 2 140.85x
Louth 2 27.29x
Peckleton 2 1111.11x
Ratby 2 180.18x
Alvaston 1 112.36x
Anstey Pastures 1 3333.33x
East Leake 1 153.85x
Great Grimsby 1 4.93x
Hulme 1 2.02x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.43x
Powick 1 55.25x
Quarrington 1 400.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 10
Sarah 8
Emma 6
Ann 5
Eliza 4
Hannah 4
Alice 3
Betsy 3
Agnes 2
Clara 2
Fanny 2
Martha 2
Matilda 2
Amelia 1
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Caroline 1
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Deborah 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Etty 1
Florence 1
Harriett 1
Heneratta 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
R.T. 1
Rebeac 1
Sh. 1
Sophia 1
Susanna 1
Tabitha 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 14
William 13
George 11
Joseph 9
James 6
Thomas 6
Harry 5
Arthur 4
Charles 4
Walter 4
Henry 3
Herbert 3
Alfred 2
Ernest 2
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Albert 1
Alma 1
Clara 1
Edmund 1
Emmanuel 1
Ephraim 1
Frances 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Isac 1
Jervas 1
Jesse 1
Jh. 1
Jno. 1
Job 1
Josef 1
Josiah 1
Louis 1
Reuben 1
Thos. 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Powdrill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Powdrill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 205 people were recorded with the Powdrill surname. That placed it at #12,643 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Powdrill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 317 in 2016. That gives Powdrill a modern rank of #14,198.

What does the Powdrill surname mean?

An English surname possibly derived from a place name or an occupation involving drills or drilling.

What does the Powdrill map show?

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