NameCensus.

UK surname

Richbell

In the 1881 census there were 99 people recorded with the Richbell surname, ranking it #19,877 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 127, ranked #26,566, down from #19,877 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Greenwich, Willesden and Ewell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Epping Forest, Milton Keynes and East Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Richbell is 160 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.3%.

1881 census count

99

Ranked #19,877

Modern count

127

2016, ranked #26,566

Peak year

1911

160 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Richbell had 99 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,877 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016, ranked #26,566.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 160 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Richbell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Richbell surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Richbell 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 97 #17,484
1861 historical 75 #24,238
1881 historical 99 #19,877
1891 historical 124 #20,818
1901 historical 142 #18,633
1911 historical 160 #17,151
1997 modern 143 #21,761
1998 modern 152 #21,481
1999 modern 157 #21,201
2000 modern 149 #21,874
2001 modern 152 #21,294
2002 modern 145 #22,392
2003 modern 143 #22,367
2004 modern 142 #22,573
2005 modern 132 #23,623
2006 modern 128 #24,267
2007 modern 125 #24,987
2008 modern 125 #25,249
2009 modern 131 #25,056
2010 modern 132 #25,519
2011 modern 123 #26,512
2012 modern 127 #25,992
2013 modern 130 #26,074
2014 modern 128 #26,490
2015 modern 125 #26,808
2016 modern 127 #26,566

Geography

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Where Richbells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Greenwich, Willesden, Ewell, London parishes and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Epping Forest, Milton Keynes, East Dorset, Purbeck and Braintree. 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 Greenwich London (South Districts)
2 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
3 Ewell Surrey
4 London parishes London 3
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Epping Forest 016 Epping Forest
2 Milton Keynes 001 Milton Keynes
3 East Dorset 005 East Dorset
4 Purbeck 002 Purbeck
5 Braintree 004 Braintree

Forenames

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First names often paired with Richbell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Richbell

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Richbell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Richbell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Richbell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Richbell is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Richbell 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 Richbell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Richbell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Richbell 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. Surrey leads with 23 Richbells recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.99x.

County Total Index
Surrey 23 4.99x
Lancashire 20 1.78x
Kent 17 5.27x
Hertfordshire 16 24.54x
Middlesex 9 0.95x
Suffolk 5 4.34x
Essex 4 2.14x
Staffordshire 2 0.63x
Leicestershire 1 0.95x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cheetham in Lancashire leads with 13 Richbells recorded in 1881 and an index of 155.32x.

Place Total Index
Cheetham 13 155.32x
Kingswood 11 8461.54x
Berkhampstead 10 680.27x
Banstead 9 720.00x
Salford 7 21.21x
Milton In Gravesend 6 123.97x
Charlton Next Woolwich 5 148.37x
Northchurch 5 714.29x
Paddington London 5 14.38x
Islington London 4 4.36x
Swefling 4 4444.44x
West Ham 3 7.28x
Burton Upon Trent 2 26.77x
Gravesend 2 73.26x
Lambeth 2 2.42x
Braintree 1 59.52x
Greenwich 1 6.64x
Hertford St John 1 103.09x
Leicester St Margaret 1 3.91x
Lewisham 1 5.81x
Lowestoft 1 18.38x
Margate St John Baptist 1 16.92x
Newington 1 2.86x
Woolwich 1 8.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 9
Elizabeth 6
Mary 6
Emma 4
Alice 3
Edith 3
Clara 2
Emily 2
Fanny 2
Charlotte 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Flora. 1
George 1
Hannah 1
Harried 1
Harriet 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Mirah 1
Nellie 1
P. 1
Rossina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 8
John 7
William 5
George 4
Francis 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
Herbert 2
Jesse 2
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Frederick 1
Howard 1
Joseph 1
Mark 1
Robert 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Richbell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Richbell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 99 people were recorded with the Richbell surname. That placed it at #19,877 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Richbell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016. That gives Richbell a modern rank of #26,566.

What does the Richbell map show?

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