NameCensus.

UK surname

Pummell

A surname possibly derived from the German word "pummeln" meaning "to pound" or "to strike violently."

In the 1881 census there were 142 people recorded with the Pummell surname, ranking it #16,012 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 230, ranked #17,812, down from #16,012 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Hampstead Norris and St Matthew Bethnal Green. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Brentwood, Harlow and Breckland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pummell is 299 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 62.0%.

1881 census count

142

Ranked #16,012

Modern count

230

2016, ranked #17,812

Peak year

1911

299 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pummell had 142 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,012 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 230 in 2016, ranked #17,812.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 299 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pummell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pummell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pummell 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 76 #20,127
1861 historical 66 #25,487
1881 historical 142 #16,012
1891 historical 193 #15,335
1901 historical 271 #12,462
1911 historical 299 #11,475
1997 modern 278 #14,210
1998 modern 292 #14,120
1999 modern 289 #14,320
2000 modern 289 #14,272
2001 modern 280 #14,364
2002 modern 293 #14,203
2003 modern 277 #14,577
2004 modern 276 #14,684
2005 modern 271 #14,780
2006 modern 267 #15,042
2007 modern 259 #15,519
2008 modern 251 #16,026
2009 modern 259 #16,013
2010 modern 261 #16,294
2011 modern 247 #16,783
2012 modern 241 #16,925
2013 modern 232 #17,663
2014 modern 231 #17,813
2015 modern 231 #17,733
2016 modern 230 #17,812

Geography

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Where Pummells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Hampstead Norris, St Matthew Bethnal Green and Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Brentwood, Harlow, Breckland, South Hams and Haringey. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Hampstead Norris Berkshire
4 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)
5 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Brentwood 001 Brentwood
2 Harlow 003 Harlow
3 Breckland 001 Breckland
4 South Hams 001 South Hams
5 Haringey 015 Haringey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pummell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pummell

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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Pummell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Pummell is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pummell 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 Pummell 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 Pummell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Pummell

The surname Pummell is believed to have originated in England, where it first appeared in the early Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "puma" and "hyll," meaning "puma" and "hill," respectively. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a hill frequented by pumas or other wild cats.

The earliest known recorded instance of the name Pummell dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Pumahill." This entry suggests that the name was already well-established in certain parts of England by the late 11th century.

Throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance, the name Pummell underwent various spelling variations, including "Pumell," "Pummelle," and "Pummelle." These variations likely reflect regional differences in pronunciation and dialect.

One notable figure bearing the Pummell surname was Sir William Pummell (1542-1610), a prominent English merchant and landowner who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1592. Another early example is John Pummell (1558-1624), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the chaplain to King James I.

In the 17th century, the Pummell name appears to have been particularly concentrated in the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire, where several prominent families bearing the surname lived. One such family was the Pummells of Taunton, whose lineage can be traced back to the early 1600s.

Another notable Pummell was Sir Thomas Pummell (1670-1738), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Minehead from 1710 to 1715.

As the centuries passed, the Pummell surname continued to spread throughout England and eventually to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration to the British colonies in North America and Australia.

Overall, the surname Pummell has a rich history dating back to medieval England, with a possible connection to the presence of wild cats in certain regions. While the name has undergone various spelling variations over time, it has remained a recognizable and enduring part of English surname tradition.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pummell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pummell 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. Middlesex leads with 39 Pummells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.82x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 39 2.82x
Surrey 28 4.15x
Norfolk 24 11.27x
Warwickshire 15 4.29x
Berkshire 13 12.50x
Oxfordshire 10 11.69x
Essex 7 2.56x
Lancashire 4 0.24x
Kent 1 0.21x
Yorkshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 15 Pummells recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.93x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 15 24.93x
Aston 11 11.44x
Newnham Murren 10 8333.33x
Lambeth 9 7.45x
Heigham 8 69.99x
Norwich St Gregory 8 2162.16x
Reading St Mary 7 84.03x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 25.12x
West Ham 7 11.60x
Bermondsey 5 12.13x
Birmingham 4 3.44x
Kensington London 4 5.19x
Mile End Old Town 4 18.30x
St Luke London 4 18.00x
West Derby 4 8.32x
Camberwell 3 3.39x
Chelsea London 3 7.19x
Paddington London 3 5.89x
Rotherhithe 3 17.53x
Sulhamstead Abbots 3 2142.86x
Charterhouse London 2 307.69x
Dersingham 2 416.67x
Hampstead Norris 2 307.69x
Norwich St Swithin 2 540.54x
Willesden 2 15.31x
Booton 1 1000.00x
Brightwell 1 344.83x
Cawston 1 192.31x
Guildford St Mary 1 120.48x
Little Walsingham 1 208.33x
Norwich St Peter 1 71.43x
Sheffield 1 2.29x
St George Hanover 1 5.53x
St Marylebone London 1 1.35x
Westerham 1 91.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Jane 5
Ann 4
Alice 3
Elizabeth 3
Emily 3
Harriett 3
Louisa 3
Annie 2
Charlotte 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Florence 2
Martha 2
Matilda 2
Rebecca 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Caroline 1
Clara 1
E...isy 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Gertrude 1
Hanna 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Jemima 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Marria 1
Maude 1
Rebekah 1
Rhoda 1
Rossetta 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 11
William 8
John 7
Charles 4
George 4
Henry 4
Samuel 4
Edward 3
Joseph 3
Thomas 3
Edwin 2
Robert 2
Rudd 2
Arthur 1
Caleb 1
Cecil 1
Daniell 1
Ephfram 1
Frank 1
Herbert 1
Sydney 1
Theodore 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Pummell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pummell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 142 people were recorded with the Pummell surname. That placed it at #16,012 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pummell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 230 in 2016. That gives Pummell a modern rank of #17,812.

What does the Pummell surname mean?

A surname possibly derived from the German word "pummeln" meaning "to pound" or "to strike violently."

What does the Pummell map show?

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