NameCensus.

UK surname

Savell

An Anglo-Saxon surname derived from the Old English word "sæfal" meaning a plant with leaves like swords.

In the 1881 census there were 174 people recorded with the Savell surname, ranking it #14,042 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 158, ranked #22,904, down from #14,042 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St John Hackney and All Saints Poplar. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wealden, Basildon and Forest of Dean.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Savell is 297 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.2%.

1881 census count

174

Ranked #14,042

Modern count

158

2016, ranked #22,904

Peak year

1861

297 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Savell had 174 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,042 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 158 in 2016, ranked #22,904.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 297 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Savell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Savell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Savell 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 211 #9,997
1861 historical 297 #8,508
1881 historical 174 #14,042
1891 historical 174 #16,520
1901 historical 183 #15,996
1911 historical 182 #15,859
1997 modern 141 #21,941
1998 modern 150 #21,665
1999 modern 151 #21,740
2000 modern 136 #23,155
2001 modern 137 #22,740
2002 modern 146 #22,302
2003 modern 134 #23,260
2004 modern 124 #24,559
2005 modern 128 #24,076
2006 modern 131 #23,942
2007 modern 134 #23,931
2008 modern 133 #24,350
2009 modern 135 #24,594
2010 modern 129 #25,900
2011 modern 130 #25,547
2012 modern 147 #23,567
2013 modern 148 #23,884
2014 modern 151 #23,745
2015 modern 156 #23,106
2016 modern 158 #22,904

Geography

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Where Savells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St John Hackney, All Saints Poplar, Enfield and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wealden, Basildon, Forest of Dean, South Bucks and Cambridge. 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 3
2 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
3 All Saints Poplar London (East Districts)
4 Enfield Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wealden 010 Wealden
2 Basildon 019 Basildon
3 Forest of Dean 008 Forest of Dean
4 South Bucks 003 South Bucks
5 Cambridge 007 Cambridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Savell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Savell

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Savell, 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 Savell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Savell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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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, Savell 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

Savell 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

Savell falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Savell

The surname Savell is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "savel," meaning a type of sandy or gravelly soil. It likely originated in the 12th or 13th century as a descriptive name for someone who lived near or worked on such soil.

The earliest known record of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, where one Robert Savel is mentioned. In the 13th century, the name appears in various spellings, such as Savil, Savill, and Savyll, in records from counties like Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Savell, a Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire in 1395. Another was Thomas Savell, a 15th-century English landowner and courtier who served as a member of the Privy Council under King Henry VII.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name was particularly prevalent in the county of Yorkshire, where several prominent families bearing the name resided. One such family was based in the village of Savile Town, near Halifax, which likely derived its name from the Savell surname.

A famous bearer of the name was Sir Henry Savile (1549-1622), an English scholar, mathematician, and Warden of Merton College, Oxford. He was a renowned classical scholar and was involved in the translation of the King James Bible.

Another notable figure was George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax (1633-1695), an English politician and writer who served as Lord Privy Seal and Lord President of the Council under King Charles II and King James II.

In the 18th century, John Savile, 1st Baron Savile (1681-1758), was a prominent landowner and peer of the realm, while Sir George Savile, 8th Baronet (1725-1784), was a British politician and reformer who was instrumental in the campaign for the abolition of the slave trade.

During the 19th century, the name Savell or its variants were found in various parts of England, particularly in Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire, where it had been present for centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Savell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Savell 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. Middlesex leads with 41 Savells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.40x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 41 2.40x
Essex 37 10.98x
Surrey 34 4.09x
Hampshire 12 3.43x
Kent 12 2.06x
Warwickshire 10 2.32x
Yorkshire 5 0.30x
Hertfordshire 4 3.40x
Leicestershire 4 2.11x
Buckinghamshire 2 1.94x
Cornwall 2 1.03x
Cumberland 2 1.36x
Devon 2 0.56x
Bedfordshire 1 1.13x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.92x
Gloucestershire 1 0.30x
Lancashire 1 0.05x
Norfolk 1 0.38x
Royal Navy 1 4.92x
Sussex 1 0.35x
Wiltshire 1 0.66x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Beddington in Surrey leads with 18 Savells recorded in 1881 and an index of 559.01x.

Place Total Index
Beddington 18 559.01x
Poplar London 14 43.45x
Newnham 10 5555.56x
Aston 9 7.59x
Croydon 9 19.49x
Islington London 8 4.84x
Portsea 7 10.21x
Prittlewell 7 149.89x
Bethnal Green London 6 8.09x
Newington 6 9.51x
Barking 5 50.71x
Barley 4 1111.11x
Great Baddow 4 333.33x
Ryde 4 53.19x
St George In East 4 34.45x
Thorpe Le Soken 4 1428.57x
Wanstead 4 67.80x
Great Bowden 3 174.42x
Hackney London 3 3.13x
St Luke London 3 10.96x
West Ham 3 4.03x
Cleator 2 32.68x
Cranham 2 833.33x
Hoyland Nether 2 48.19x
Lambourne 2 400.00x
Rayleigh 2 256.41x
South Weald 2 69.20x
Tormoham 2 13.31x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 2.26x
Bedford St Paul 1 16.50x
Birmingham 1 0.70x
Bromley London 1 2.66x
Canewdon 1 238.10x
Cliffe 1 76.34x
Clifton 1 5.91x
Dover St Mary Virgin 1 17.73x
Ealing 1 6.56x
Eaton St Andrew 1 136.99x
Enfield 1 8.93x
Falmouth 1 14.62x
Gomersal 1 12.66x
Illogan 1 19.53x
Knaresborough 1 37.59x
Northwood 1 20.08x
Ore 1 46.73x
Preshute 1 107.53x
Royal Navy 1 5.75x
Southwark Christchurch 1 12.50x
Stetchworth 1 277.78x
Twyford 1 400.00x
White Roothing 1 400.00x
Wolverton 1 46.73x
Wombwell 1 20.28x
Wooburn 1 70.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 15
John 10
Thomas 8
George 6
James 6
Alfred 3
Albert 2
Charles 2
Edgar 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Skipworth 2
Stephen 2
Abraham 1
Alfrd. 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Christopher 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Jno. 1
Jonathan 1
Joshua 1
Moses 1
Samuel 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Savell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Savell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 174 people were recorded with the Savell surname. That placed it at #14,042 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Savell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 158 in 2016. That gives Savell a modern rank of #22,904.

What does the Savell surname mean?

An Anglo-Saxon surname derived from the Old English word "sæfal" meaning a plant with leaves like swords.

What does the Savell map show?

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