NameCensus.

UK surname

Purnell

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "pear tree hill" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 1,568 people recorded with the Purnell surname, ranking it #2,701 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,983, ranked #2,260, up from #2,701 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Trowbridge and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bristol and North Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Purnell is 3,127 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 90.2%.

1881 census count

1,568

Ranked #2,701

Modern count

2,983

2016, ranked #2,260

Peak year

2000

3,127 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Purnell had 1,568 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,701 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,983 in 2016, ranked #2,260.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,540 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Purnell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Purnell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Purnell 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 1,103 #2,547
1861 historical 849 #3,254
1881 historical 1,568 #2,701
1891 historical 1,701 #2,657
1901 historical 2,193 #2,462
1911 historical 2,540 #2,012
1997 modern 2,949 #2,198
1998 modern 3,040 #2,215
1999 modern 3,088 #2,193
2000 modern 3,127 #2,151
2001 modern 3,050 #2,157
2002 modern 3,121 #2,155
2003 modern 3,002 #2,186
2004 modern 3,008 #2,177
2005 modern 2,944 #2,200
2006 modern 2,918 #2,214
2007 modern 2,942 #2,228
2008 modern 2,965 #2,218
2009 modern 3,061 #2,201
2010 modern 3,107 #2,222
2011 modern 3,037 #2,239
2012 modern 2,949 #2,271
2013 modern 3,045 #2,235
2014 modern 3,033 #2,257
2015 modern 2,982 #2,272
2016 modern 2,983 #2,260

Geography

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Where Purnells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Trowbridge, London parishes, St Philip and Jacob and Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Chilcompton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bristol and North Somerset. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Trowbridge Wiltshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Philip and Jacob Gloucestershire
5 Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Chilcompton Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bristol 035 Bristol, City of
2 Bristol 044 Bristol, City of
3 North Somerset 010 North Somerset
4 Bristol 049 Bristol, City of
5 Bristol 038 Bristol, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Purnell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Purnell

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Purnell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Purnell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Purnell 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

Purnell is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Purnell falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Purnell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Purnell

The surname Purnell is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "purnon," meaning a small stream or brook. This name originated in the counties of Somerset and Wiltshire, where it was first recorded in the 13th century.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the name appears as "Purnella," referring to a small settlement near a stream. This early spelling suggests that the name was initially a place name before becoming a surname.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Richard Purnell, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset in 1230. Another early bearer of the name was John de Purnele, recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Wiltshire in 1273.

In the 16th century, the Purnell family was well-established in the village of Broadwindsor, Dorset. Thomas Purnell (1529-1617) was a prominent landowner and member of this family.

Sir Robert Purnell (1585-1666) was an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Taunton during the English Civil War. He supported the Parliamentarian cause and was knighted by Oliver Cromwell.

Samuel Purnell (1683-1768) was an English clergyman and author, known for his work "A Treatise of Comets" published in 1733.

Thomas Purnell (1784-1833) was a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a politician, representing Weymouth and Melcombe Regis in the House of Commons.

William Purnell (1808-1878) was an English cricketer who played for Hampshire and Surrey in the early days of county cricket.

Purnell has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Purnell's Brook in Somerset and Purnell's Mill in Gloucestershire, further reflecting the name's origins as a place name related to streams or brooks.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Purnell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Purnell 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. Gloucestershire leads with 311 Purnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.35x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 311 10.35x
Somerset 252 10.22x
Wiltshire 158 11.66x
Middlesex 121 0.79x
Monmouthshire 119 10.74x
Surrey 92 1.23x
Glamorgan 83 3.11x
Warwickshire 77 1.99x
Hampshire 61 1.94x
Yorkshire 53 0.35x
Kent 34 0.65x
Lancashire 30 0.17x
Essex 24 0.79x
Staffordshire 19 0.37x
Worcestershire 18 0.90x
Devon 13 0.41x
Oxfordshire 13 1.37x
Durham 9 0.20x
Anglesey 8 2.95x
Berkshire 8 0.70x
Carmarthenshire 8 1.24x
Nottinghamshire 8 0.39x
Sussex 7 0.27x
Caernarfonshire 6 0.97x
Isle of Man 6 2.11x
Hertfordshire 5 0.47x
Derbyshire 4 0.17x
Lincolnshire 4 0.16x
Radnorshire 4 3.24x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.32x
Dorset 3 0.30x
Lanarkshire 3 0.06x
Norfolk 3 0.13x
Cornwall 1 0.06x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.33x
Leicestershire 1 0.06x
Midlothian 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Trowbridge in Wiltshire leads with 81 Purnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 135.20x.

Place Total Index
Trowbridge 81 135.20x
Birmingham 45 3.49x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 44 15.55x
Trevethin 39 37.28x
Bristol St George 30 21.58x
Midsomer Norton 30 129.09x
Roath 28 23.10x
Sherston Magna 26 318.24x
St Pancras London 24 1.95x
Aberystruth 23 23.55x
Bedminster 22 9.49x
Clifton 22 14.48x
Ryde 21 31.12x
Cardiff St Mary 20 13.61x
Paulton 20 177.15x
Bristol Temple 19 96.01x
Chilcompton 19 562.13x
Lambeth 19 1.42x
Stapleton 19 33.32x
Almondsbury 18 156.79x
Scarborough 18 13.04x
Llandaff 17 19.15x
Shepton Mallet 17 61.42x
Bristol St James St Paul 16 15.96x
St Woollos 15 12.13x
Aston 12 1.13x
Coventry Holy Trinity 12 10.40x
Meon Stoke 12 481.93x
Mile End Old Town 12 4.96x
Islington London 11 0.74x
Mynyddyslwyn 11 25.17x
St George Hanover 11 5.50x
Stapleford Tawney 11 948.28x
Streatham 11 9.67x
Tetbury 11 64.55x
Bromley London 10 2.97x
Newington 10 1.77x
Portsea 10 1.62x
Shipton Moyne 10 450.45x
Swindon 10 9.51x
Bristol St Paul In 9 11.24x
Camberwell 9 0.92x
Cameley 9 326.09x
Croydon 9 2.17x
Fulwood 9 45.80x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 9 16.36x
Lower Llanvrechva 9 82.80x
Lower Machen 9 165.14x
Plumstead 9 5.16x
St Marylebone London 9 1.10x
West Bromwich 9 3.04x
Bristol St James In 8 18.10x
Bristol St Peter 8 74.42x
Clevedon 8 31.19x
Holyhead 8 15.80x
Ilminster 8 46.43x
Stoke Lane 8 226.63x
Sunderland 8 9.94x
Blagdon 7 134.87x
Brokenborough 7 360.82x
Christchurch 7 20.43x
Droxford 7 58.38x
Ealing 7 5.11x
Kensington London 7 0.82x
Langley Burrell 7 124.33x
Linthorpe 7 7.72x
Navestock 7 160.18x
Oxford St Giles 7 15.50x
Penarth 7 26.84x
Stonehouse 7 40.98x
Twerton 7 27.52x
Upton St Leonards 7 91.74x
Walcot 7 5.33x
Warwick St Nicholas 7 24.70x
Weston Super Mare 7 11.24x
Badsworth 6 521.74x
Easton In Gordano 6 60.42x
Hemington 6 195.44x
Newark Upon Trent 6 8.08x
Ynyscynhaiarn 6 20.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 88
George 79
John 68
James 42
Charles 40
Henry 40
Thomas 37
Edward 31
Albert 23
Alfred 23
Frederick 22
Arthur 20
Joseph 20
Robert 20
Walter 18
Samuel 16
Herbert 11
Francis 9
Richard 8
Frank 7
Ernest 6
Oliver 6
Edwin 5
Matthew 5
Benjamin 4
David 4
Mark 4
Stephen 4
Wm. 4
Edwd. 3
Hy. 3
Jacob 3
Leonard 3
Sidney 3
Christopher 2
Daniel 2
Edgar 2
Fred 2
Frederic 2
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
Harry 2
Hill 2
Isaac 2
Ivor 2
Jabez 2
Lewis 2
Nelson 2
Parnell 2
Phillip 2

FAQ

Purnell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Purnell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,568 people were recorded with the Purnell surname. That placed it at #2,701 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Purnell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,983 in 2016. That gives Purnell a modern rank of #2,260.

What does the Purnell surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "pear tree hill" in Old English.

What does the Purnell map show?

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