UK surname
Derived from a Middle English personal name meaning "wolf-counsel" or "wolf shield".
In the 1881 census there were 255 people recorded with the Randal surname, ranking it #10,924 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 79, ranked #33,100, down from #10,924 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Wellingborough, Barking and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Randal is 369 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 69.0%.
1881 census count
255
Ranked #10,924
Modern count
79
2016, ranked #33,100
Peak year
1851
369 bearers
Map years
5
1851 to 1901
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Randal surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Randal surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 369 | #6,443 |
| 1861 | historical | 363 | #7,045 |
| 1881 | historical | 255 | #10,924 |
| 1891 | historical | 212 | #14,318 |
| 1901 | historical | 158 | #17,507 |
| 1911 | historical | 98 | #22,959 |
| 1997 | modern | 76 | #29,997 |
| 1998 | modern | 80 | #29,966 |
| 1999 | modern | 83 | #29,823 |
| 2000 | modern | 84 | #29,706 |
| 2001 | modern | 81 | #29,828 |
| 2002 | modern | 87 | #29,644 |
| 2003 | modern | 78 | #30,654 |
| 2004 | modern | 73 | #31,403 |
| 2005 | modern | 71 | #31,816 |
| 2006 | modern | 73 | #31,954 |
| 2007 | modern | 69 | #32,662 |
| 2008 | modern | 72 | #32,656 |
| 2009 | modern | 78 | #32,471 |
| 2010 | modern | 88 | #31,875 |
| 2011 | modern | 79 | #32,743 |
| 2012 | modern | 69 | #33,695 |
| 2013 | modern | 73 | #33,557 |
| 2014 | modern | 78 | #33,270 |
| 2015 | modern | 76 | #33,351 |
| 2016 | modern | 79 | #33,100 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Wellingborough, Barking, London parishes, Paddington and St James Westminster. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wellingborough | Northamptonshire |
| 2 | Barking | Essex |
| 3 | London parishes | London 1 |
| 4 | Paddington | London (West Districts) |
| 5 | St James Westminster | London (West Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Randal surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Randal, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Randal surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Randal household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Randal is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Randal is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Randal, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Randal is of English origin, originating from the medieval English personal name Randolph or Randulf, which is composed of the Germanic elements "rand" meaning "rim" or "shield" and "wulf" meaning "wolf". It is believed to have first emerged in the 11th century in England.
The earliest recorded use of the surname Randal can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Randvlf" and "Randulf". This suggests that the name was already well-established in England before the Norman Conquest of 1066.
During the Middle Ages, the name Randal was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. It is thought that the name may have originated from the Old English place name "Randolveston", which is now known as Randalstown in Northern Ireland.
Notable historical figures with the surname Randal include Sir Thomas Randal (c. 1523-1590), an English politician and landowner who served as Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire. Another notable bearer was William Randal (c. 1580-1634), an English clergyman and academic who served as Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge.
In the 17th century, the name Randal was carried to the American colonies by English settlers. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of John Randal, who was born in England in 1617 and later settled in New England.
Other notable individuals with the surname Randal include Alexander Randal (1786-1853), a Scottish minister and author, and Thomas Randal (1805-1864), an Irish-American politician who served as the 25th Mayor of Philadelphia.
The surname Randal has also been documented with various spellings throughout history, such as Randall, Randle, Randul, and Randell. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Randal surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 36 Randals recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.44x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 36 | 1.44x |
| Yorkshire | 26 | 1.05x |
| Cambridgeshire | 16 | 10.12x |
| Durham | 15 | 2.02x |
| Buckinghamshire | 13 | 8.61x |
| Gloucestershire | 13 | 2.65x |
| Kent | 13 | 1.53x |
| Glamorgan | 12 | 2.76x |
| Surrey | 12 | 0.99x |
| Hampshire | 11 | 2.15x |
| Devon | 9 | 1.73x |
| Bedfordshire | 7 | 5.41x |
| Sussex | 7 | 1.66x |
| Huntingdonshire | 6 | 12.10x |
| Northamptonshire | 6 | 2.55x |
| Staffordshire | 6 | 0.71x |
| Herefordshire | 5 | 4.88x |
| Lancashire | 5 | 0.17x |
| Worcestershire | 5 | 1.53x |
| Derbyshire | 4 | 1.02x |
| Suffolk | 4 | 1.32x |
| Leicestershire | 3 | 1.08x |
| Monmouthshire | 3 | 1.66x |
| Warwickshire | 3 | 0.48x |
| Dorset | 2 | 1.22x |
| Essex | 2 | 0.41x |
| Oxfordshire | 2 | 1.30x |
| Somerset | 2 | 0.50x |
| Banffshire | 1 | 1.93x |
| Berkshire | 1 | 0.53x |
| Carmarthenshire | 1 | 0.95x |
| Hertfordshire | 1 | 0.58x |
| Lincolnshire | 1 | 0.25x |
| Midlothian | 1 | 0.30x |
| Nottinghamshire | 1 | 0.30x |
| Pembrokeshire | 1 | 1.26x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Featherstone in Yorkshire leads with 13 Randals recorded in 1881 and an index of 467.63x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Randal surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 18 |
| Elizabeth | 11 |
| Eliza | 7 |
| Ann | 6 |
| Emily | 6 |
| Jane | 6 |
| Sarah | 6 |
| Alice | 4 |
| Charlotte | 4 |
| Ellen | 4 |
| Margaret | 4 |
| Clara | 3 |
| Harriet | 3 |
| Louisa | 3 |
| Ada | 2 |
| Annie | 2 |
| Fanny | 2 |
| Hannah | 2 |
| Maria | 2 |
| Martha | 2 |
| Anne | 1 |
| Barbra | 1 |
| Bessie | 1 |
| Carrie | 1 |
| Edith | 1 |
| Elisabeth | 1 |
| Emma | 1 |
| Ester | 1 |
| Eva | 1 |
| Flora | 1 |
| Florence | 1 |
| Frances | 1 |
| Frank | 1 |
| H. | 1 |
| Harriett | 1 |
| Hester | 1 |
| Isablle | 1 |
| Janey | 1 |
| Jannet | 1 |
| Kate | 1 |
| Lizzie | 1 |
| Lydia | 1 |
| M. | 1 |
| Maryan | 1 |
| Maud | 1 |
| Milly | 1 |
| Miriam | 1 |
| Patience | 1 |
| Phoboe | 1 |
| Rebecca | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Randal surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| William | 20 |
| George | 12 |
| John | 10 |
| Thomas | 8 |
| Charles | 7 |
| Henry | 6 |
| James | 4 |
| Frederick | 3 |
| Herbert | 3 |
| Joseph | 3 |
| Richard | 3 |
| Albert | 2 |
| Alfd. | 2 |
| Alfred | 2 |
| Jesse | 2 |
| Robert | 2 |
| Samuel | 2 |
| Walter | 2 |
| Aaron | 1 |
| Aquila | 1 |
| Arthur | 1 |
| Ben | 1 |
| Benjamin | 1 |
| Chas.W.M. | 1 |
| David | 1 |
| Edward | 1 |
| Elijah | 1 |
| Francis | 1 |
| Fredr. | 1 |
| Fredrick | 1 |
| Geo. | 1 |
| Harry | 1 |
| Isaac | 1 |
| Jno. | 1 |
| Loid | 1 |
| Mary | 1 |
| Matthew | 1 |
| Michael | 1 |
| Oliver | 1 |
| Philip | 1 |
| Phillip | 1 |
| R.V. | 1 |
| Shadrack | 1 |
| Thewitt | 1 |
| Thos. | 1 |
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Randal households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 50 |
| Annuitant | 5 |
| Coal Miner | 5 |
| Plait Maker | 4 |
| Ag Lab | 3 |
| General Lab | 3 |
| Servant | 3 |
| Wife | 3 |
| Domestic | 2 |
| Dressmaker | 2 |
| Farm Servant | 2 |
| General Labourer | 2 |
| General Serv | 2 |
| General Servant | 2 |
| Grocer | 2 |
| Independant | 2 |
| Labourer | 2 |
| Laundress | 2 |
| No Occupation | 2 |
| Painter | 2 |
| Railway Porter | 2 |
| Seamstress | 2 |
| Ag Labourer Wife | 1 |
| Agr Labourer | 1 |
| Barmaid (Inn) | 1 |
| Boatman (...) | 1 |
| Boatmans Wife | 1 |
| Bootmaker | 1 |
| Bottle Washer | 1 |
| Bricklayer | 1 |
| Cement Laborer | 1 |
| Cement Work Laborer | 1 |
| Charwoman | 1 |
| Cheesemonger | 1 |
| Cloth Weaver | 1 |
| Coal Trimmer | 1 |
| Collector To Gas Comy | 1 |
| Commercial Traveller (Cloth) | 1 |
| Cook | 1 |
| Cook Servt | 1 |
| Daur | 1 |
| Farm Serv (In Dr) | 1 |
| Farmer 20 Acres | 1 |
| Farmer Servant Indoor | 1 |
| Fish Hawker | 1 |
| Footman | 1 |
| Form Laborer | 1 |
| Game Keeper | 1 |
| Gen Serv | 1 |
| Writer And Grainer (Printer0 | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 255 people were recorded with the Randal surname. That placed it at #10,924 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 79 in 2016. That gives Randal a modern rank of #33,100.
Derived from a Middle English personal name meaning "wolf-counsel" or "wolf shield".
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Randal bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.