NameCensus.

UK surname

Scoles

A surname derived from the Old English word "scolu," referring to a group or herd.

In the 1881 census there were 135 people recorded with the Scoles surname, ranking it #16,515 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 148, ranked #23,958, down from #16,515 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and St Marylebone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, North Norfolk and New Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Scoles is 159 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9.6%.

1881 census count

135

Ranked #16,515

Modern count

148

2016, ranked #23,958

Peak year

2014

159 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Scoles had 135 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,515 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 148 in 2016, ranked #23,958.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 135 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Scoles surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Scoles surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Scoles 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 132 #14,174
1861 historical 73 #24,492
1881 historical 135 #16,515
1891 historical 115 #21,878
1901 historical 113 #21,296
1911 historical 91 #23,684
1997 modern 139 #22,132
1998 modern 146 #22,031
1999 modern 144 #22,405
2000 modern 154 #21,415
2001 modern 150 #21,482
2002 modern 158 #21,178
2003 modern 154 #21,308
2004 modern 154 #21,432
2005 modern 153 #21,490
2006 modern 150 #21,915
2007 modern 145 #22,693
2008 modern 150 #22,429
2009 modern 158 #22,168
2010 modern 155 #22,985
2011 modern 147 #23,627
2012 modern 145 #23,780
2013 modern 154 #23,210
2014 modern 159 #22,930
2015 modern 156 #23,106
2016 modern 148 #23,958

Geography

Back to top

Where Scoles' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, St Marylebone and Burnham Overy. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk, North Norfolk, New Forest and Plymouth. 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 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Burnham Overy Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 002 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 North Norfolk 002 North Norfolk
3 New Forest 021 New Forest
4 Plymouth 029 Plymouth
5 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 011 King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Scoles

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Scoles

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Scoles is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Scoles 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

Scoles falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Scoles

The surname Scoles has its origins in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "scolere," which referred to a scholar or a student. This suggests that the name may have been originally used as an occupational surname for someone who was a teacher or a person associated with education.

The name Scoles can be found in various historical records and manuscripts from the medieval period. One notable reference is in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a person named Robert le Scolere is listed. This early spelling variation, "le Scolere," further reinforces the connection to the Old English word for a scholar.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire, where a William Scoles is recorded. This is one of the earliest documented instances of the name being spelled in its modern form. During this time period, the name was concentrated in the northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire.

The Scoles surname is also linked to several place names in England, such as Scoles in Norfolk and Scoles in Worcestershire. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname or vice versa.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Scoles include:

1. John Scoles (c. 1565 - 1628), an English clergyman and author, known for his work "Treatise against Usury." 2. William Scoles (c. 1610 - 1670), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 3. Elizabeth Scoles (c. 1670 - 1745), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist from Yorkshire, who founded several schools and almshouses. 4. Thomas Scoles (1788 - 1862), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a prominent shipbuilder. 5. Henry Scoles (1825 - 1901), an English industrialist and entrepreneur who established a successful textile manufacturing company in Lancashire.

While the Scoles surname may have originated from an occupational term related to education, it has since become a well-established family name with a rich history spanning several centuries in various parts of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Scoles families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Scoles 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 48 Scoles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.65x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 48 3.65x
Lancashire 21 1.34x
Surrey 21 3.27x
Norfolk 19 9.39x
Yorkshire 7 0.54x
Essex 5 1.92x
Kent 5 1.11x
Devon 2 0.73x
Lanarkshire 2 0.47x
Northamptonshire 1 0.81x
Selkirkshire 1 8.40x
Somerset 1 0.47x
Staffordshire 1 0.23x
Suffolk 1 0.62x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Burnham Overy in Norfolk leads with 13 Scoles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4642.86x.

Place Total Index
Burnham Overy 13 4642.86x
Hammersmith London 12 37.00x
St Pancras London 9 8.49x
Bermondsey 8 20.41x
Habergham Eaves 8 56.02x
Kensington London 6 8.20x
Bethnal Green London 5 8.74x
Lewisham 5 20.87x
St Marylebone London 5 7.11x
Bramley In Bramley 4 80.16x
Ewell 4 296.30x
Guildford St Mary 4 506.33x
Newchurch 4 31.30x
Blackburn 3 7.22x
Clapham 3 18.23x
Islington London 3 2.35x
Sprowston 3 337.08x
St Andrew Holborn 3 67.26x
Walthamstow 3 32.09x
Birkdale 2 50.63x
Boreham 2 444.44x
Cadder 2 63.69x
Holkham 2 833.33x
Tormoham 2 17.24x
Aighton Bailey 1 133.33x
Barlaston 1 270.27x
Battersea 1 2.06x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 4.03x
East Bergholt 1 185.19x
East Haddon 1 294.12x
Fulham London 1 5.24x
Harmondsworth 1 121.95x
Harrow On The Hill 1 38.02x
Kirk Sandall 1 909.09x
Mirfield 1 13.97x
Nether Hallam 1 5.67x
Nether Wyresdale 1 370.37x
Paddington London 1 2.07x
Richmond 1 11.12x
Selkirk 1 29.76x
Taunton St Mary 1 25.71x
Wells Next Sea 1 84.75x
Whitechapel London 1 7.70x
Witton 1 50.76x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Scoles surname: questions and answers

How common was the Scoles surname in 1881?

In 1881, 135 people were recorded with the Scoles surname. That placed it at #16,515 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Scoles surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 148 in 2016. That gives Scoles a modern rank of #23,958.

What does the Scoles surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English word "scolu," referring to a group or herd.

What does the Scoles map show?

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