NameCensus.

UK surname

Sewell

Derived from a place name meaning "sea well" or "pool by the sea" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 6,315 people recorded with the Sewell surname, ranking it #678 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 8,288, ranked #791, down from #678 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Carlisle St Cuthbert and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale, Carlisle and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sewell is 8,832 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.2%.

1881 census count

6,315

Ranked #678

Modern count

8,288

2016, ranked #791

Peak year

1999

8,832 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sewell had 6,315 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #678 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 8,288 in 2016, ranked #791.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,486 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sewell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sewell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sewell 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 3,955 #723
1861 historical 3,501 #810
1881 historical 6,315 #678
1891 historical 6,410 #714
1901 historical 7,838 #682
1911 historical 8,486 #584
1997 modern 8,518 #741
1998 modern 8,780 #749
1999 modern 8,832 #751
2000 modern 8,754 #754
2001 modern 8,550 #755
2002 modern 8,733 #753
2003 modern 8,535 #753
2004 modern 8,506 #753
2005 modern 8,275 #768
2006 modern 8,258 #774
2007 modern 8,308 #774
2008 modern 8,368 #775
2009 modern 8,580 #772
2010 modern 8,779 #772
2011 modern 8,641 #774
2012 modern 8,406 #778
2013 modern 8,540 #780
2014 modern 8,524 #784
2015 modern 8,377 #786
2016 modern 8,288 #791

Geography

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Where Sewells are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale, Carlisle, East Riding of Yorkshire and County Durham. 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 Carlisle St Cuthbert Cumberland
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gateshead Durham
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 004 Allerdale
2 Carlisle 012 Carlisle
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 023 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 Allerdale 005 Allerdale
5 County Durham 046 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sewell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sewell

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Sewell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sewell 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

Sewell falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Sewell

The surname Sewell has its origins in England, where it can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known references to the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is recorded as Sewale.

The name is believed to have derived from the Old English words "sae" meaning sea or lake, and "wall" meaning a wall or rampart, suggesting it may have originally referred to someone who lived near a sea wall or coastal fortification. It could also be a locational name, referring to a place called Sewell or a similar-sounding town.

The surname is found in various early records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where it appears as Suwale. In the 14th century, the name was also recorded in the forms Suwell and Sewale in various parts of England, indicating its widespread use.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John de Sewell, who was mentioned in the Records of the Borough of Leicester in 1327. Another notable early example is William Sewell, who was born in Coventry, Warwickshire, in 1598 and later became a prominent lawyer and member of Parliament.

The Sewell surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history, including George Sewell (1652-1726), an English theologian and author; Henry Sewell (1807-1879), a British politician and Premier of New Zealand; and Anna Sewell (1820-1878), the English author best known for the classic novel "Black Beauty."

Other notable individuals with the Sewell surname include Sterten Sewell (1783-1849), an English painter and illustrator; and Elizabeth Sewell (1815-1906), a British author and philanthropist who founded the Society for Promoting the Employment of Women.

While the Sewell surname is found in various parts of the world today, its origins can be traced back to England, where it has been documented in historical records dating back to the 13th century and has been borne by numerous individuals of note over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sewell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sewell 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 880 Sewells recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.42x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 880 1.42x
Cumberland 603 11.34x
Surrey 492 1.64x
Essex 437 3.58x
Durham 415 2.26x
Lancashire 394 0.54x
Norfolk 310 3.26x
Yorkshire 309 0.50x
Lincolnshire 282 2.86x
Kent 237 1.12x
Suffolk 191 2.54x
Warwickshire 173 1.11x
Northamptonshire 159 2.74x
Nottinghamshire 140 1.68x
Northumberland 121 1.32x
Cambridgeshire 118 3.02x
Rutland 102 22.49x
Leicestershire 90 1.31x
Hampshire 75 0.59x
Hertfordshire 72 1.69x
Westmorland 70 5.16x
Worcestershire 67 0.83x
Sussex 66 0.63x
Cheshire 56 0.41x
Staffordshire 55 0.26x
Oxfordshire 51 1.34x
Huntingdonshire 48 3.91x
Buckinghamshire 47 1.26x
Berkshire 37 0.80x
Derbyshire 36 0.37x
Lanarkshire 31 0.16x
Gloucestershire 25 0.21x
Devon 19 0.15x
Dumfriesshire 18 1.32x
Bedfordshire 13 0.41x
Wiltshire 12 0.22x
Monmouthshire 11 0.25x
Isle of Man 10 0.87x
Cornwall 9 0.13x
Somerset 8 0.08x
Wigtownshire 8 0.98x
Dorset 6 0.15x
Midlothian 5 0.06x
Renfrewshire 4 0.08x
Royal Navy 4 0.54x
Shropshire 4 0.08x
Stirlingshire 3 0.13x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.12x
Glamorgan 2 0.02x
Anglesey 1 0.09x
Flintshire 1 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.05x
Perthshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 118 Sewells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.19x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 118 2.19x
Hackney London 81 2.34x
Islington London 81 1.35x
Birmingham 74 1.43x
West Ham 72 2.68x
St Pancras London 69 1.39x
Camberwell 65 1.65x
St Marylebone London 64 1.94x
St Cuthbert W O 59 22.76x
Langham 45 312.07x
Mile End Old Town 45 4.62x
Bradford 41 2.77x
Great Yarmouth 41 5.21x
Newington 41 1.80x
Kensington London 40 1.17x
Shoreditch London 38 1.42x
Caldewgate 37 12.70x
Nottingham St Mary 37 1.72x
Paddington London 37 1.63x
Bishopwearmouth 36 2.28x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 35 4.40x
Deptford St Paul 34 2.09x
Great Bolton 34 3.50x
Bethnal Green London 32 1.19x
Egremont 32 25.24x
St George Hanover 32 3.97x
Clerkenwell London 31 2.13x
Bromley London 29 2.13x
Leicester St Margaret 29 1.74x
Peterborough 29 6.90x
Silverstone 29 118.37x
Great Baddow 28 64.58x
Chelsea London 27 1.45x
Westgate 27 4.74x
Clapham 26 3.37x
Tottenham 26 2.64x
Battersea 24 1.06x
Southwark St George Martyr 23 1.85x
Bow London 22 2.80x
Hingham 22 66.93x
Pendleton In Salford 22 2.52x
Rickergate 22 19.55x
Caxton 21 174.85x
Great Burstead 21 47.33x
Portsea 21 0.85x
Toxteth Park 21 0.85x
Bexley 20 10.74x
Broxbourne 20 23.71x
Chelmsford 20 9.56x
Croxton 20 323.10x
Culgaith 20 272.48x
Great Dunmow 20 31.48x
Manningham 20 2.65x
St George In East 20 4.76x
Stanwix 20 46.47x
Stourbridge 20 9.64x
Cockermouth 19 16.97x
Little Dunmow 19 265.73x
Salford 19 0.88x
Alfreton 18 6.13x
Blyth 18 137.83x
Brightside Bierlow 18 1.50x
Byker 18 3.96x
Coventry St Michael 18 3.60x
Eltisley 18 183.11x
Gosforth 18 69.44x
Hornsey 18 2.30x
Stockton On Tees 18 2.03x
Westminster St John 18 2.39x
Whitehaven 18 6.35x
Winteringham 18 126.85x
Worksop 18 7.29x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 17 3.10x
Prittlewell 17 10.06x
Shildon 17 11.51x
St Andrewthe Less 17 3.80x
St Giles 17 14.82x
St Mary Within 17 25.59x
Tottington Lower End 17 4.88x
Turton 17 14.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 439
Elizabeth 231
Sarah 226
Jane 173
Ann 113
Alice 98
Annie 90
Emma 84
Ellen 80
Margaret 79
Eliza 77
Hannah 72
Emily 61
Martha 49
Frances 45
Ada 43
Charlotte 40
Edith 40
Louisa 40
Fanny 36
Harriet 36
Florence 35
Maria 32
Caroline 30
Harriett 30
Isabella 28
Clara 26
Anne 25
Kate 25
Agnes 23
Catherine 23
Lucy 23
Eleanor 21
Susan 20
Esther 19
Julia 19
Rose 18
Gertrude 17
Jessie 17
Rebecca 16
Susannah 16
Amelia 14
Amy 13
Ethel 12
Sophia 12
Anna 11
Minnie 11
Laura 10
Matilda 9
Beatrice 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 398
John 362
George 258
Thomas 199
James 172
Joseph 146
Robert 139
Henry 135
Charles 125
Edward 84
Arthur 69
Richard 55
Samuel 50
Alfred 48
Frederick 43
Walter 40
Harry 37
Herbert 35
Albert 33
Frank 28
David 19
Edwin 19
Ernest 19
Francis 17
Isaac 17
Wm. 15
Daniel 13
Thos. 13
Peter 12
Benjamin 11
Fred 11
Percy 10
Fredk. 9
Abraham 8
Geo. 8
Mark 8
Matthew 8
Philip 8
Jonathan 7
Moses 7
Stephen 7
Amos 6
Anthony 6
Elijah 6
Frederic 6
Jno. 6
Tom 6
Henery 5
J. 5
Michael 4

FAQ

Sewell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sewell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,315 people were recorded with the Sewell surname. That placed it at #678 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sewell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 8,288 in 2016. That gives Sewell a modern rank of #791.

What does the Sewell surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "sea well" or "pool by the sea" in Old English.

What does the Sewell map show?

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