NameCensus.

UK surname

Searl

A variant spelling of the Old English surname "Serl," meaning someone who occupational tilled or plowed the soil.

In the 1881 census there were 441 people recorded with the Searl surname, ranking it #7,422 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 341, ranked #13,425, down from #7,422 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Loughton, London parishes and Portsmouth, Portsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chelmsford, Mid Sussex and South Oxfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Searl is 557 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 22.7%.

1881 census count

441

Ranked #7,422

Modern count

341

2016, ranked #13,425

Peak year

1851

557 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Searl had 441 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,422 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 341 in 2016, ranked #13,425.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 557 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Searl surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Searl surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Searl 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 557 #4,549
1861 historical 406 #6,320
1881 historical 441 #7,422
1891 historical 360 #9,614
1901 historical 399 #9,495
1911 historical 350 #10,262
1997 modern 361 #11,892
1998 modern 391 #11,539
1999 modern 394 #11,579
2000 modern 374 #11,976
2001 modern 372 #11,855
2002 modern 365 #12,246
2003 modern 351 #12,389
2004 modern 358 #12,252
2005 modern 347 #12,436
2006 modern 345 #12,571
2007 modern 342 #12,809
2008 modern 334 #13,142
2009 modern 345 #13,107
2010 modern 355 #13,099
2011 modern 328 #13,730
2012 modern 317 #13,960
2013 modern 346 #13,291
2014 modern 340 #13,554
2015 modern 347 #13,252
2016 modern 341 #13,425

Geography

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Where Searls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Loughton, London parishes, Portsmouth, Portsea, St Giles Camberwell and Plymouth St Charles the Martyr. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chelmsford, Mid Sussex, South Oxfordshire, Cardiff and Barking and Dagenham. 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 Loughton Essex
2 London parishes London 3
3 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
4 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)
5 Plymouth St Charles the Martyr Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chelmsford 016 Chelmsford
2 Mid Sussex 007 Mid Sussex
3 South Oxfordshire 005 South Oxfordshire
4 Cardiff 010 Cardiff
5 Barking and Dagenham 017 Barking and Dagenham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Searl

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Searl

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Searl surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Searl household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Searl is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Searl is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Searl falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Searl

The surname Searl is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is believed to have originated in the county of Dorset, England. It is derived from the Old English words "sær" meaning sea or lake, and "hyll" meaning hill, suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived by a sea hill or coastal hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Serle" in the Dorset region. This suggests that the name had already been established in the area by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the surname was also spelled in various ways, including Searle, Serle, and Surle, reflecting the fluid nature of spelling conventions at the time.

One notable figure with the surname Searl was John Searl, a 15th-century English scholar and clergyman who served as Chancellor of the Diocese of Lincoln from 1448 to 1459.

Another significant individual was Thomas Searle (1777-1849), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and rose to the rank of Admiral.

In the 19th century, Thomas Searle (1835-1888) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the City of London School.

Reverend Edward Searl (1817-1898) was an English clergyman and writer who served as the Vicar of Summertown, Oxfordshire, and published several religious works.

William Searle (1832-1911) was an English engraver and illustrator known for his work on various publications, including the Illustrated London News.

While the surname Searl is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history rooted in the Anglo-Saxon heritage of southern England, with notable bearers spanning various fields across several centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Searl families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Searl 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 80 Searls recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.80x.

County Total Index
Surrey 80 3.80x
Middlesex 53 1.23x
Essex 45 5.28x
Hampshire 43 4.85x
Devon 30 3.34x
Cornwall 21 4.29x
Staffordshire 16 1.10x
Berkshire 14 4.32x
Lancashire 14 0.27x
Warwickshire 14 1.28x
Glamorgan 12 1.59x
Sussex 10 1.37x
Norfolk 9 1.35x
Somerset 9 1.29x
Yorkshire 9 0.21x
Hertfordshire 7 2.35x
Worcestershire 7 1.24x
Cambridgeshire 6 2.19x
Gloucestershire 6 0.71x
Huntingdonshire 6 6.99x
Kent 6 0.41x
Northamptonshire 6 1.48x
Bedfordshire 5 2.23x
Dorset 5 1.76x
Channel Islands 2 1.56x
Royal Navy 2 3.88x
Cheshire 1 0.10x
Durham 1 0.08x
Leicestershire 1 0.21x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.17x
Oxfordshire 1 0.37x
Wiltshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 28 Searls recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.13x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 28 16.13x
Camberwell 19 6.88x
Bethnal Green London 13 6.93x
Loughton 11 260.66x
Barrow In Furness 10 14.34x
Ashdon 9 725.81x
Sandhurst 9 143.31x
Enfield 8 28.22x
Plymouth Charles The 8 20.19x
West Ham 8 4.25x
Aston 7 2.33x
Birmingham 7 1.93x
Camborne 7 34.72x
Islington London 7 1.67x
Kidderminster Foreign 7 87.72x
Plymouth St Andrew 7 10.10x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 8.05x
St Gluvias Penryn 7 178.57x
St Luke London 7 10.10x
Bridgewater 6 31.78x
Cannock 6 23.58x
East Ham 6 37.90x
Farnham 6 36.65x
Newcastle Under Lyme 6 23.25x
Peterborough 6 20.39x
Roath 6 17.55x
Stevenage 6 129.87x
Walton On Thames 6 62.05x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 5 64.77x
Chardstock 5 255.10x
Cobham 5 144.51x
Colyton 5 144.93x
Eaton Socon 5 142.45x
Frimley 5 83.33x
Newington 5 3.13x
Upwell 5 161.81x
Bermondsey 4 3.11x
Bluntisham 4 248.45x
Ecclesall Bierlow 4 4.59x
Godalming 4 30.17x
Horley 4 113.31x
Wimblington 4 248.45x
Aveley 3 208.33x
Edmonton 3 8.62x
Hackney London 3 1.24x
Hammersmith London 3 2.82x
Heyshott 3 454.55x
Lambeth 3 0.80x
Reading St Giles 3 9.43x
Southampton All Sts 3 19.74x
Southampton Holy Rood 3 337.08x
Toxteth Park 3 1.73x
Walthamstow 3 9.77x
Wimbledon 3 12.69x
Woodford 3 31.06x
Aldershot 2 6.74x
Antony 2 42.37x
Ashill 2 285.71x
Blisland 2 243.90x
Cardiff St Mary 2 4.83x
Carshalton 2 24.81x
Edenbridge 2 69.20x
Llandaff 2 7.99x
Ormesby 2 17.38x
Portsmouth 2 9.81x
South Bersted 2 32.26x
St Helier 2 4.80x
St Pancras London 2 0.58x
Stonehouse East 2 43.86x
Storrington 2 100.00x
Wiggenhall St Mary 2 194.17x
Windlesham 2 50.51x
Wolverhampton 2 1.78x
Woolwich 2 3.67x
Clist Hydon 1 243.90x
Farringdon 1 222.22x
Lyndhurst 1 41.15x
Old Windsor 1 26.67x
Sidbury 1 51.81x
Southwick 1 102.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 22
Sarah 18
Elizabeth 15
Eliza 12
Ann 11
Jane 11
Alice 9
Emma 8
Maria 8
Ellen 6
Caroline 5
Fanny 5
Hannah 5
Lucy 5
Annie 4
Elizth. 4
Kate 4
Susan 4
Agnes 3
Charlotte 3
Clara 3
Emily 3
Esther 3
Florence 3
Harriet 3
Louisa 3
Rose 3
Ada 2
Amy 2
Betsey 2
Harriett 2
Margaret 2
Sophia 2
Susannah 2
Anna 1
Catherine 1
Elnior 1
Emely 1
Eva 1
Eveline 1
Gertrude 1
Lily 1
Lolby 1
Lousia 1
Margarett 1
Marian 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1
Phebe 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 31
John 20
George 17
James 14
Charles 13
Thomas 13
Henry 9
Joseph 9
Richard 8
Robert 8
Alfred 6
Arthur 5
Edward 5
Frederick 4
Harry 4
Abraham 3
Albert 3
Herbert 3
Stephen 3
Walter 3
David 2
Fred 2
Jesse 2
Oliver 2
Samuel 2
Ben. 1
Candia 1
Charley 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
D. 1
Danial 1
Earnest 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Gene 1
Geo.Edwd. 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
Nicholas 1
Patrick 1
Percy 1
Sidney 1
Sydney 1
Thos.F. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Searl surname: questions and answers

How common was the Searl surname in 1881?

In 1881, 441 people were recorded with the Searl surname. That placed it at #7,422 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Searl surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 341 in 2016. That gives Searl a modern rank of #13,425.

What does the Searl surname mean?

A variant spelling of the Old English surname "Serl," meaning someone who occupational tilled or plowed the soil.

What does the Searl map show?

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