NameCensus.

UK surname

Quelch

A surname derived from an Old French word meaning "to press" or "to crush".

In the 1881 census there were 504 people recorded with the Quelch surname, ranking it #6,740 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 728, ranked #7,474, down from #6,740 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Hampstead Norris and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Greater Lochgilphead and Isle of Wight.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Quelch is 763 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.4%.

1881 census count

504

Ranked #6,740

Modern count

728

2016, ranked #7,474

Peak year

1999

763 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Quelch had 504 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,740 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 728 in 2016, ranked #7,474.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 757 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Quelch surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Quelch surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Quelch 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 397 #6,070
1861 historical 266 #9,318
1881 historical 504 #6,740
1891 historical 575 #6,620
1901 historical 692 #6,345
1911 historical 757 #5,705
1997 modern 716 #7,127
1998 modern 752 #7,086
1999 modern 763 #7,047
2000 modern 745 #7,140
2001 modern 734 #7,093
2002 modern 755 #7,076
2003 modern 733 #7,129
2004 modern 746 #7,050
2005 modern 724 #7,139
2006 modern 737 #7,081
2007 modern 724 #7,250
2008 modern 713 #7,373
2009 modern 722 #7,451
2010 modern 732 #7,518
2011 modern 727 #7,482
2012 modern 714 #7,493
2013 modern 741 #7,417
2014 modern 751 #7,369
2015 modern 735 #7,438
2016 modern 728 #7,474

Geography

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Where Quelchs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Hampstead Norris, Lambeth and New Windsor, Clewer. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Greater Lochgilphead, Isle of Wight and Reading. 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 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 New Windsor, Clewer Berkshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 008 Shropshire
2 Greater Lochgilphead Argyll and Bute
3 Isle of Wight 007 Isle of Wight
4 Isle of Wight 004 Isle of Wight
5 Reading 006 Reading

Forenames

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First names often paired with Quelch

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Quelch

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Quelch surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Quelch household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Quelch 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

Quelch 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

Quelch falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Quelch

The surname Quelch is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is believed to have originated in the English county of Gloucestershire during the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "cwellan," which means "to kill" or "to torture." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to an occupation or personal characteristic.

One of the earliest known references to the name Quelch can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Quelhc" in the records for Gloucestershire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various records as "Quelche" and "Qwelche," reflecting the evolution of spelling over time. During this period, the name was also associated with several place names in Gloucestershire, such as Quelchampton and Quelchford, which may have contributed to the name's spread and popularity.

One notable bearer of the surname Quelch was Sir John Quelch (c. 1365-1425), a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry in Gloucestershire. He served as a Member of Parliament for the county in 1402 and 1406.

In the 16th century, the name appears in records with spellings such as "Quellche" and "Qwelche." During this time, a branch of the family settled in the neighboring county of Somerset, where they became prominent landowners.

Another notable figure with the surname Quelch was Robert Quelch (1609-1662), an English Puritan minister and author who served as the vicar of Batcombe in Somerset. He was known for his religious writings and sermons.

The surname Quelch also has a notable connection to the American colonies in the 17th century. In 1704, Captain John Quelch (c. 1666-1704) was convicted of piracy and executed in Boston, Massachusetts. His exploits and trial were widely documented at the time, adding to the notoriety of the name.

Other prominent individuals with the surname Quelch include William Quelch (1786-1854), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, and Sarah Quelch (1808-1891), a British writer and activist who campaigned for women's rights and education reform.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Quelch families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Quelch 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. Berkshire leads with 109 Quelchs recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.48x.

County Total Index
Berkshire 109 29.48x
Middlesex 104 2.11x
Surrey 64 2.67x
Oxfordshire 44 14.46x
Buckinghamshire 37 12.42x
Kent 35 2.08x
Hampshire 19 1.88x
Sussex 19 2.29x
Hertfordshire 16 4.71x
Essex 14 1.44x
Durham 13 0.89x
Bedfordshire 7 2.74x
Cambridgeshire 4 1.28x
Glamorgan 4 0.47x
Northamptonshire 3 0.65x
Suffolk 3 0.50x
Wiltshire 3 0.69x
Norfolk 2 0.26x
Anglesey 1 1.15x
Devon 1 0.10x
Lancashire 1 0.02x
Royal Navy 1 1.70x
Yorkshire 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. Tilehurst in Berkshire leads with 23 Quelchs recorded in 1881 and an index of 307.90x.

Place Total Index
Tilehurst 23 307.90x
Oxford St Ebbe 19 212.29x
Harrow On The Hill 18 182.93x
Camberwell 17 5.40x
Chelsea London 17 11.45x
Hampstead Norris 14 603.45x
Lambeth 14 3.26x
Wooburn 13 317.07x
Clewer 12 79.21x
Ramsgate 12 43.75x
Hackney London 11 3.98x
West Ham 10 4.66x
Mile End New Town 9 133.73x
Ryde 8 36.88x
St Pancras London 8 2.02x
Thatcham 8 140.35x
Upton Cum Chalvey 8 67.40x
Croydon 7 5.25x
Kensington London 7 2.56x
Paddington London 7 3.86x
Petworth 7 141.13x
Quarrington 7 1272.73x
Silsoe 7 608.70x
Brighton 6 3.58x
Brightwaltham 6 833.33x
Chenies 6 923.08x
Clapham 6 9.74x
Cowley 6 63.22x
Eton 6 88.89x
Margate St John Baptist 6 19.50x
Reading St Giles 6 16.54x
Rickmansworth 6 64.17x
Sedgefield 6 114.94x
St George Hanover 6 9.33x
Bradfield 5 255.10x
Chatham 5 10.81x
Oxford St Peter Le Bailey 5 331.13x
Sarratt 5 423.73x
Southwark St Saviour 5 19.75x
Stoke 5 44.13x
Sunninghill 5 97.47x
Ash Next Sandwich 4 107.53x
Bermondsey 4 2.73x
Farnborough 4 1250.00x
Hungerford 4 80.00x
Kingsclere 4 86.77x
Oxford St Mary Magdalen 4 110.80x
St Andrewthe Less 4 11.22x
St Helens 4 54.50x
Westminster St 4 22.03x
Westminster St John 4 6.67x
Woodford 4 36.33x
Bow London 3 4.78x
Eastbourne 3 7.85x
Hertford St John 3 59.29x
Lewisham 3 3.35x
Mile End Old Town 3 3.86x
Oxford St Aldate 3 93.75x
Oxford St Martin 3 600.00x
St Peters 3 38.56x
Swansea Higher 3 33.59x
Weedon Beck 3 90.36x
Beenham 2 224.72x
Castle Thorpe 2 363.64x
Compton 2 250.00x
Eling 2 19.55x
Fawley 2 512.82x
Frant 2 34.01x
Frimley 2 29.24x
Great Stanmore 2 90.50x
Great Yarmouth 2 3.19x
Leckhampstead 2 384.62x
Lowestoft 2 7.06x
Marlborough St Peter St 2 89.29x
Reading St Lawrence 2 25.28x
Warfield 2 59.52x
Woolhampton 2 240.96x
Everton 1 0.54x
Oxford St Thomas 1 7.04x
Watford 1 3.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 31
Sarah 14
Annie 13
Elizabeth 12
Jane 12
Eliza 11
Ann 9
Ellen 9
Amelia 7
Edith 7
Emily 7
Emma 6
Alice 5
Charlotte 5
Hannah 5
Martha 5
Fanny 4
Florence 4
Kate 4
Amy 3
Anne 3
Caroline 3
Frances 3
Louisa 3
Margaret 3
Maria 3
Ada 2
Arabella 2
Eleanor 2
Harriet 2
Lydia 2
Marie 2
Rebecca 2
Rhoda 2
Rose 2
Rosina 2
Susan 2
Agnes 1
Bessie 1
Betsy 1
C.J. 1
Eda 1
Eglantine 1
Ethel 1
Keturah 1
Laura 1
Leonora 1
Lizzie 1
Lorrie 1
Urania 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 28
George 24
John 23
Henry 17
Charles 16
James 12
Edward 11
Arthur 9
Alfred 8
Samuel 7
Walter 7
Frederick 6
Thomas 6
Richard 5
Harry 4
Herbert 4
Edwin 3
Percy 3
Robert 3
Albert 2
David 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Fredk. 2
Isaac 2
Joseph 2
Paul 2
Rudolph 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
Valentine 2
Bertram 1
Caleb 1
Chs. 1
Clarence 1
Douglas 1
Edgar 1
Esther 1
Frederic 1
Geor.Hy. 1
Gilbert 1
Harold 1
Lindsay 1
Malcolm 1
Moses 1
Octavius 1
Sidney 1
Solomon 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Quelch surname: questions and answers

How common was the Quelch surname in 1881?

In 1881, 504 people were recorded with the Quelch surname. That placed it at #6,740 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Quelch surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 728 in 2016. That gives Quelch a modern rank of #7,474.

What does the Quelch surname mean?

A surname derived from an Old French word meaning "to press" or "to crush".

What does the Quelch map show?

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