NameCensus.

UK surname

Shail

In the 1881 census there were 162 people recorded with the Shail surname, ranking it #14,746 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 126, ranked #26,686, down from #14,746 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Swindon, Lyddington and Newent. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Malvern Hills, Herefordshire and South Gloucestershire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shail is 222 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 22.2%.

1881 census count

162

Ranked #14,746

Modern count

126

2016, ranked #26,686

Peak year

1911

222 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shail had 162 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,746 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 126 in 2016, ranked #26,686.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 222 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Shail surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shail surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shail 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 124 #14,792
1861 historical 152 #15,126
1881 historical 162 #14,746
1891 historical 197 #15,101
1901 historical 215 #14,478
1911 historical 222 #13,992
1997 modern 158 #20,422
1998 modern 161 #20,754
1999 modern 167 #20,374
2000 modern 159 #20,975
2001 modern 151 #21,375
2002 modern 160 #21,011
2003 modern 145 #22,172
2004 modern 146 #22,202
2005 modern 148 #21,961
2006 modern 149 #22,013
2007 modern 145 #22,693
2008 modern 142 #23,270
2009 modern 142 #23,791
2010 modern 142 #24,352
2011 modern 136 #24,819
2012 modern 129 #25,705
2013 modern 131 #25,932
2014 modern 131 #26,089
2015 modern 127 #26,494
2016 modern 126 #26,686

Geography

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Where Shails are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Swindon, Lyddington, Newent, Stratton and Whitchurch. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Malvern Hills, Herefordshire, South Gloucestershire and Middlesbrough. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Swindon, Lyddington Wiltshire
3 Newent Gloucestershire
4 Stratton Wiltshire
5 Whitchurch Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Malvern Hills 011 Malvern Hills
2 Herefordshire 019 Herefordshire, County of
3 South Gloucestershire 030 South Gloucestershire
4 Malvern Hills 006 Malvern Hills
5 Middlesbrough 020 Middlesbrough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shail

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shail

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

Shail is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Shail falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Shail families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shail 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. Wiltshire leads with 34 Shails recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.48x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 34 24.48x
Berkshire 28 23.75x
Middlesex 27 1.72x
Gloucestershire 22 7.14x
Staffordshire 12 2.26x
Northamptonshire 7 4.74x
Buckinghamshire 6 6.32x
Surrey 6 0.78x
Brecknockshire 5 15.92x
Somerset 5 1.98x
Worcestershire 4 1.95x
Kincardineshire 2 10.45x
Pembrokeshire 2 4.01x
Warwickshire 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Swindon in Wiltshire leads with 15 Shails recorded in 1881 and an index of 139.28x.

Place Total Index
Swindon 15 139.28x
Harborne 12 70.63x
Woolhampton 11 4074.07x
Stratton St Margaret 10 469.48x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 8 27.59x
Froxfield 7 3043.48x
Islington London 7 4.60x
Marshfield 7 853.66x
Peterborough 7 65.42x
Cookham 6 163.04x
Upton Cum Chalvey 6 158.73x
Hampton London 5 193.80x
Llyswen 5 4545.45x
St Martin In Fields 5 53.19x
Bethnal Green London 4 5.86x
Bucklebury 4 655.74x
Cakemore 4 1176.47x
Limehouse London 4 23.20x
Newent 4 254.78x
Richmond 4 37.31x
Hurley 3 491.80x
Bathwick 2 71.43x
Fettercairn 2 246.91x
Llanstadwell 2 122.70x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 6.33x
Speen 2 103.63x
Walcot 2 14.86x
Wroughton 2 166.67x
Barnwood 1 243.90x
Birmingham 1 0.76x
Bristol St Augustine 1 20.12x
Chilton Foliat 1 333.33x
Cirencester 1 23.98x
Isleworth 1 14.33x
Lambourn 1 85.47x
Midsomer Norton 1 42.02x
St Gilesin Fields 1 109.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Emma 11
Elizabeth 7
Sarah 6
Ann 3
Annie 3
Jane 3
Martha 3
Clara 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Harriet 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Maud 2
Ada 1
Adelaide 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
E. 1
Ella 1
Emley 1
Eva 1
Faney 1
Florence 1
Helen 1
Hester 1
Johanah 1
Kate 1
Lilly 1
Lote 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Martin 1
May 1
Prudence 1
Rhoda 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Rosetta 1
Rosina 1
Ruth 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
Thomas 8
John 7
George 6
Charles 3
Henry 3
Samuel 3
Stephen 3
James 2
Joseph 2
Richard 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Benjn. 1
Christopher 1
Edward 1
Enardo 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Jesse 1
Josiah 1
Robert 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Shail surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shail surname in 1881?

In 1881, 162 people were recorded with the Shail surname. That placed it at #14,746 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shail surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 126 in 2016. That gives Shail a modern rank of #26,686.

What does the Shail map show?

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