NameCensus.

UK surname

Pringle

Scottish and northern English topographic surname for someone who lived near a round hill or someone from Pringle, Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 4,751 people recorded with the Pringle surname, ranking it #934 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,309, ranked #1,269, down from #934 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Melrose and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pringle is 5,537 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.7%.

1881 census count

4,751

Ranked #934

Modern count

5,309

2016, ranked #1,269

Peak year

2010

5,537 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pringle had 4,751 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #934 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,309 in 2016, ranked #1,269.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,378 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Pringle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pringle surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pringle 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 3,471 #821
1861 historical 3,320 #858
1881 historical 4,751 #934
1891 historical 4,787 #973
1901 historical 5,378 #1,044
1911 historical 3,516 #1,485
1997 modern 5,316 #1,226
1998 modern 5,447 #1,245
1999 modern 5,455 #1,256
2000 modern 5,465 #1,251
2001 modern 5,286 #1,257
2002 modern 5,420 #1,251
2003 modern 5,308 #1,250
2004 modern 5,263 #1,258
2005 modern 5,201 #1,257
2006 modern 5,192 #1,259
2007 modern 5,256 #1,250
2008 modern 5,296 #1,251
2009 modern 5,416 #1,253
2010 modern 5,537 #1,252
2011 modern 5,450 #1,254
2012 modern 5,308 #1,260
2013 modern 5,368 #1,269
2014 modern 5,345 #1,288
2015 modern 5,315 #1,278
2016 modern 5,309 #1,269

Geography

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Where Pringles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Melrose, London parishes, Gateshead and Govan Combination. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Melrose Roxburgh
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Govan Combination Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
2 Northumberland 006 Northumberland
3 Northumberland 008 Northumberland
4 Northumberland 016 Northumberland
5 Northumberland 007 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pringle

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pringle

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Pringle 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

Pringle is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pringle falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Pringle

The surname PRINGLE originated in Scotland during the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'pringel', meaning a small enclosure or a valley, and the Scottish place name Pringilhaugh, located near Eddleston in Peeblesshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PRINGLE dates back to 1159, when Robert de Pringill witnessed a charter by King Malcolm IV. Another early reference can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list a Henry de Pringgill from Roxburghshire.

The PRINGLE family is believed to have originated from the lands of Pringilhaugh, which they held as vassals of the Earls of Dunbar. In the 14th century, Robert Pringle of Pilmuir is mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, and later records show the Pringles as landowners in various parts of the Scottish Borders.

Among notable historical figures bearing the PRINGLE surname are Sir Robert Pringle (1690-1736), a Scottish lawyer and Member of Parliament, and Sir John Pringle (1707-1782), a renowned Scottish physician and President of the Royal Society.

Other prominent individuals with the PRINGLE surname include:

1. Thomas Pringle (1789-1834), a Scottish writer and abolitionist who settled in South Africa. 2. James Pringle (1769-1805), a Scottish naval officer who served during the French Revolutionary Wars. 3. Andrew Pringle (1772-1857), a Scottish soldier and Lieutenant-Governor of the British Windward Islands. 4. Walter Pringle (1888-1971), a Scottish professional golfer who won the Open Championship in 1914. 5. John Pringle (1857-1925), a Scottish-born Australian politician and Premier of Western Australia.

The PRINGLE name has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Pringle Bank, Pringle Cottage, and Pringle's Bush, reflecting the family's historical ties to the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pringle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pringle 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. Northumberland leads with 941 Pringles recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.74x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 941 13.74x
Midlothian 645 10.46x
Durham 560 4.09x
Lanarkshire 347 2.33x
Middlesex 251 0.55x
Berwickshire 203 36.43x
Roxburghshire 169 20.28x
Yorkshire 167 0.37x
Selkirkshire 157 37.71x
Fife 147 5.40x
Lancashire 143 0.26x
Surrey 93 0.41x
Angus 92 2.16x
East Lothian 70 11.49x
Ayrshire 58 1.68x
Aberdeenshire 51 1.20x
Perthshire 49 2.37x
Dumfriesshire 48 4.72x
Peeblesshire 41 18.94x
Stirlingshire 40 2.36x
Kent 36 0.23x
Gloucestershire 32 0.35x
Sussex 31 0.40x
Cheshire 30 0.30x
West Lothian 30 4.33x
Dunbartonshire 25 2.02x
Cumberland 22 0.56x
Nottinghamshire 22 0.35x
Inverness-shire 20 1.46x
Hampshire 19 0.20x
Lincolnshire 17 0.23x
Kirkcudbrightshire 16 2.40x
Essex 15 0.17x
Glamorgan 11 0.14x
Worcestershire 10 0.17x
Renfrewshire 8 0.22x
Staffordshire 8 0.05x
Warwickshire 8 0.07x
Channel Islands 7 0.51x
Derbyshire 7 0.10x
Ross-shire 7 0.55x
Hertfordshire 6 0.19x
Wiltshire 6 0.15x
Argyllshire 5 0.39x
Somerset 5 0.07x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.14x
Buteshire 4 1.43x
Cornwall 4 0.08x
Devon 4 0.04x
Isle of Man 3 0.35x
Morayshire 3 0.42x
Westmorland 3 0.30x
Wigtownshire 3 0.49x
Berkshire 2 0.06x
Leicestershire 2 0.04x
Northamptonshire 2 0.05x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.26x
Flintshire 1 0.08x
Kincardineshire 1 0.18x
Kinross-shire 1 0.86x
Norfolk 1 0.01x
Royal Navy 1 0.18x
Shropshire 1 0.03x
Suffolk 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 278 Pringles recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.21x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 278 11.21x
Govan 94 2.55x
Gateshead 90 8.78x
Barony 79 2.10x
Galashiels 73 47.43x
Bedlington 58 25.37x
Elswick 58 10.61x
South Leith 56 8.07x
Dundee 53 3.33x
Westgate 53 12.50x
Melrose 50 69.39x
Westoe 47 6.06x
Dunse 46 87.06x
Longbenton 38 13.10x
Newcastle On Tyne St 38 10.71x
Cowpen 37 23.47x
Glasgow 35 1.32x
Dalry 34 20.98x
Bishopwearmouth 33 2.81x
Edinburgh St Stephens 33 27.20x
Tanfield 31 19.04x
West Derby 31 1.94x
Innerleithen 28 48.75x
Mile End Old Town 27 3.72x
Rutherglen 26 11.91x
Selkirk 26 22.17x
Southwick 26 20.06x
Whitburn 26 25.97x
Wilton 26 28.43x
Lambeth 25 0.62x
Lesmahagow 25 15.89x
Stow 25 78.89x
Bothwell 24 5.95x
Hetton Le Hole 24 13.83x
Islington London 23 0.52x
Tweedmouth 23 26.95x
Alnwick 22 18.69x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 22 15.09x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 22 5.38x
Amble 21 67.39x
Berwick Upon Tweed 21 14.48x
Channelkirk 21 219.67x
Chester Le Street 21 19.98x
Earlston 20 71.71x
Toxteth Park 20 1.08x
Dysart 19 10.36x
Hackney London 19 0.74x
Lauder 19 61.71x
Monkwearmouth Shore 19 7.11x
Over Darwen 19 4.36x
Aberdeen Old Machar 18 2.02x
Bonhill 18 9.07x
Bothal Demesne 18 54.95x
Cramlington 18 19.90x
Melrose 18 17.18x
St Andrews 18 14.52x
St George Hanover 18 3.00x
Ancroft 17 70.63x
Battersea 17 1.00x
Duddingston 17 13.74x
Ettrick 17 272.00x
Hawick 17 9.11x
Middlesbrough 17 2.86x
North Leith 17 5.96x
Southdean 17 148.21x
Alnmouth 16 189.80x
Muiravonside 16 37.11x
Warkworth 16 145.06x
Borthwick 15 54.45x
Brandon Byshottles 15 8.75x
Clerkenwell London 15 1.38x
Crichton 15 87.31x
Haddington 15 16.67x
Hamilton 15 3.61x
Hornsey 15 2.58x
Kirkdale 15 1.63x
Maryhill 15 5.15x
Newbattle 15 28.47x
Roberton 15 167.97x
Wallsend 15 6.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 175
Elizabeth 116
Jane 115
Margaret 92
Isabella 60
Ann 55
Sarah 46
Annie 32
Ellen 26
Alice 25
Hannah 23
Eliza 21
Catherine 19
Eleanor 19
Emma 15
Dorothy 14
Frances 14
Emily 13
Martha 13
Agnes 12
Anne 11
Charlotte 10
Helen 10
Barbara 9
Margt. 9
Janet 8
Caroline 7
Jessie 7
Louisa 7
Maria 7
Ada 6
Amelia 6
Edith 6
Eliz. 6
Elizth. 6
Fanny 6
Florence 6
Harriet 6
Allison 5
Amy 5
Ethel 5
Grace 5
Henrietta 5
Margret 5
Susannah 5
Cathrine 4
Francis 4
Kate 4
Rebecca 4
Susan 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 185
William 140
James 123
George 119
Thomas 104
Robert 76
Joseph 39
Henry 37
Charles 30
Edward 27
Andrew 23
David 16
Ralph 14
Samuel 14
Walter 12
Alexander 11
Richard 11
Alfred 9
Arthur 9
Peter 9
Wm. 9
Geo. 8
Adam 7
Ernest 7
Francis 6
Frederick 5
Robt. 5
Thos. 5
Albert 4
Christopher 4
Craster 4
Harry 4
Mark 4
Matthew 4
Nicholas 4
Frank 3
Isaac 3
Michael 3
Paul 3
Tom 3
Abraham 2
Archibald 2
Fredrick 2
Herbert 2
Jno. 2
Jos. 2
Martin 2
Nichs. 2
Norman 2
Stephen 2

FAQ

Pringle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pringle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,751 people were recorded with the Pringle surname. That placed it at #934 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pringle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,309 in 2016. That gives Pringle a modern rank of #1,269.

What does the Pringle surname mean?

Scottish and northern English topographic surname for someone who lived near a round hill or someone from Pringle, Scotland.

What does the Pringle map show?

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