NameCensus.

UK surname

Rowswell

In the 1881 census there were 157 people recorded with the Rowswell surname, ranking it #15,046 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 302, ranked #14,660, up from #15,046 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Minster, Tunbridge, Bidborough and Seavington St Michael. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Somerset and Swale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rowswell is 318 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 92.4%.

1881 census count

157

Ranked #15,046

Modern count

302

2016, ranked #14,660

Peak year

1998

318 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rowswell had 157 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,046 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 302 in 2016, ranked #14,660.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 306 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rowswell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rowswell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rowswell 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 121 #15,049
1861 historical 84 #23,058
1881 historical 157 #15,046
1891 historical 153 #18,078
1901 historical 238 #13,528
1911 historical 306 #11,281
1997 modern 299 #13,563
1998 modern 318 #13,362
1999 modern 309 #13,697
2000 modern 304 #13,791
2001 modern 301 #13,700
2002 modern 316 #13,532
2003 modern 301 #13,785
2004 modern 295 #14,025
2005 modern 274 #14,663
2006 modern 283 #14,432
2007 modern 284 #14,548
2008 modern 295 #14,303
2009 modern 311 #14,069
2010 modern 313 #14,289
2011 modern 309 #14,322
2012 modern 317 #13,960
2013 modern 311 #14,368
2014 modern 311 #14,464
2015 modern 306 #14,536
2016 modern 302 #14,660

Geography

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Where Rowswells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Minster, Tunbridge, Bidborough, Seavington St Michael, Cardiff St John and St Mary and Staple Fitzpaine, Bickenhall, Curland,Hatch Beauchamp, Isle Abbots, Isle Brewers, Bredon, Puckington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Somerset and Swale. 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 Minster Kent
2 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 Seavington St Michael Somerset
4 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
5 Staple Fitzpaine, Bickenhall, Curland,Hatch Beauchamp, Isle Abbots, Isle Brewers, Bredon, Puckington Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Somerset 010 South Somerset
2 South Somerset 017 South Somerset
3 Swale 003 Swale
4 South Somerset 019 South Somerset
5 South Somerset 021 South Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rowswell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rowswell

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Rowswell is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rowswell 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

Rowswell falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Rowswell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rowswell 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. Somerset leads with 118 Rowswells recorded in 1881 and an index of 43.69x.

County Total Index
Somerset 118 43.69x
Kent 20 3.49x
Channel Islands 15 30.17x
Devon 9 2.58x
Middlesex 6 0.36x
Glamorgan 1 0.34x
Gloucestershire 1 0.30x
Shropshire 1 0.69x
Surrey 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Shepton Beauchamp in Somerset leads with 66 Rowswells recorded in 1881 and an index of 17837.84x.

Place Total Index
Shepton Beauchamp 66 17837.84x
Barrington 27 11250.00x
St Peter Port 9 97.83x
Dowlish Wake 8 4000.00x
Holcombe 8 2580.65x
Milton In Gravesend 8 93.24x
Hemyock 6 1153.85x
Hougham 5 147.06x
Lopen 5 2500.00x
St Martin 5 163.93x
Islington London 4 2.46x
Churchstanton 3 697.67x
Minster In Sheppey 3 31.65x
Woolwich 3 14.18x
Bathwick 2 66.89x
Hammersmith London 2 4.84x
Byfleet 1 136.99x
Canterbury St Mary 1 26.04x
Chetwynd 1 212.77x
Crewkerne 1 34.84x
Forest 1 294.12x
Mangotsfield 1 30.49x
Penarth 1 35.09x
West Bagborough 1 370.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Elizabeth 12
Ellen 5
Jane 5
Annie 4
Louisa 4
Sarah 3
Agnes 2
Anna 2
Caroline 2
Edith 2
Georgina 2
Leah 2
Minnie 2
Ada 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Beatrice 1
Clara 1
Daisy 1
Eliz.A. 1
Eliza 1
Elizth.H. 1
Elsie 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Harriett 1
Helena 1
Joan 1
Kate 1
Lilian 1
May 1
Rachel 1
Rosetta 1
Seneath 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 9
John 9
William 9
Arthur 5
George 5
Frederick 4
Herbert 4
Joseph 4
Edwin 3
Ernest 3
Henry 3
James 3
Edward 2
Francis 2
Harry 2
Samuel 2
Thomas 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Anthony 1
Augel 1
Basil 1
Ebenezer 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Gilbert 1
Hobart 1
Mark 1
Sidney 1
Thos.Gage 1
Thos.Geo. 1
Tom 1
Vincent 1
Walter 1
Will. 1

FAQ

Rowswell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rowswell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 157 people were recorded with the Rowswell surname. That placed it at #15,046 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rowswell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 302 in 2016. That gives Rowswell a modern rank of #14,660.

What does the Rowswell map show?

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