NameCensus.

UK surname

Powling

In the 1881 census there were 117 people recorded with the Powling surname, ranking it #18,026 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 205, ranked #19,250, down from #18,026 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough and Hintlesham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pembrokeshire, Northumberland and Babergh.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Powling is 253 in 2003. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 75.2%.

1881 census count

117

Ranked #18,026

Modern count

205

2016, ranked #19,250

Peak year

2003

253 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Powling had 117 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,026 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 205 in 2016, ranked #19,250.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 200 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Powling surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Powling surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Powling 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 79 #19,712
1861 historical 91 #22,206
1881 historical 117 #18,026
1891 historical 126 #20,604
1901 historical 160 #17,387
1911 historical 200 #14,960
1997 modern 229 #16,168
1998 modern 232 #16,508
1999 modern 237 #16,360
2000 modern 238 #16,290
2001 modern 235 #16,147
2002 modern 242 #16,186
2003 modern 253 #15,493
2004 modern 234 #16,416
2005 modern 232 #16,480
2006 modern 227 #16,842
2007 modern 232 #16,795
2008 modern 237 #16,688
2009 modern 227 #17,544
2010 modern 222 #18,148
2011 modern 220 #18,096
2012 modern 207 #18,777
2013 modern 213 #18,743
2014 modern 209 #19,128
2015 modern 204 #19,331
2016 modern 205 #19,250

Geography

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Where Powlings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough, Hintlesham and Ipswich St Mary Stoke. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pembrokeshire, Northumberland, Babergh, Suffolk Coastal and Greenwich. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 Hintlesham Suffolk
5 Ipswich St Mary Stoke Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pembrokeshire 016 Pembrokeshire
2 Northumberland 001 Northumberland
3 Babergh 009 Babergh
4 Suffolk Coastal 007 Suffolk Coastal
5 Greenwich 038 Greenwich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Powling

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Powling

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Powling is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Powling is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Powling falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Powling families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Powling 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. Suffolk leads with 40 Powlings recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.78x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 40 28.78x
Middlesex 28 2.45x
Surrey 15 2.70x
Essex 13 5.77x
Kent 7 1.80x
Derbyshire 5 2.80x
Sussex 5 2.60x
Devon 3 1.26x
Cornwall 1 0.77x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ipswich St Margaret in Suffolk leads with 11 Powlings recorded in 1881 and an index of 233.05x.

Place Total Index
Ipswich St Margaret 11 233.05x
Hintlesham 10 4545.45x
St George Hanover 9 60.44x
Camberwell 8 10.98x
Ipswich St Clement 7 198.30x
Darenth 6 1000.00x
Maldon St Peter 6 521.74x
Brighton 5 12.88x
Derby St Werburgh 5 48.45x
East Ham 5 119.62x
Hadleigh 5 370.37x
St Marylebone London 5 8.21x
Barking 4 555.56x
Kensington London 4 6.31x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 16.39x
Southwark St John 3 85.96x
Bermondsey 2 5.89x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 8.71x
St Pancras London 2 2.18x
Tottenham 2 11.01x
West Ham 2 4.02x
Bodmin 1 46.73x
Great Wenham 1 1111.11x
Hackney London 1 1.56x
Ipswich St Mathew 1 25.64x
Ipswich St Peter 1 53.48x
Paddington London 1 2.38x
Poplar London 1 4.64x
Shoreditch London 1 2.02x
St Ethelburga London 1 1250.00x
St Martin In Fields 1 14.64x
Woolwich 1 6.95x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Powling surname: questions and answers

How common was the Powling surname in 1881?

In 1881, 117 people were recorded with the Powling surname. That placed it at #18,026 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Powling surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 205 in 2016. That gives Powling a modern rank of #19,250.

What does the Powling map show?

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