NameCensus.

UK surname

Shale

A surname derived from the rock shale, likely referring to someone who lived near an area rich in shale deposits.

In the 1881 census there were 250 people recorded with the Shale surname, ranking it #11,070 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 480, ranked #10,292, up from #11,070 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Sheffield and Bishop Wearmouth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Birmingham, Reigate and Banstead and Coventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shale is 492 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 92.0%.

1881 census count

250

Ranked #11,070

Modern count

480

2016, ranked #10,292

Peak year

2014

492 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shale had 250 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,070 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 480 in 2016, ranked #10,292.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 314 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Shale surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shale surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Shale 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 182 #11,209
1861 historical 165 #14,112
1881 historical 250 #11,070
1891 historical 257 #12,476
1901 historical 256 #12,934
1911 historical 314 #11,077
1997 modern 411 #10,782
1998 modern 437 #10,637
1999 modern 464 #10,216
2000 modern 456 #10,321
2001 modern 437 #10,482
2002 modern 451 #10,429
2003 modern 443 #10,413
2004 modern 443 #10,442
2005 modern 436 #10,457
2006 modern 435 #10,525
2007 modern 431 #10,703
2008 modern 449 #10,447
2009 modern 457 #10,532
2010 modern 490 #10,211
2011 modern 460 #10,594
2012 modern 478 #10,190
2013 modern 481 #10,315
2014 modern 492 #10,212
2015 modern 488 #10,182
2016 modern 480 #10,292

Geography

Back to top

Where Shales are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Sheffield, Bishop Wearmouth, Ipsden and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Birmingham, Reigate and Banstead, Coventry and Inverleith, Goldenacre and Warriston. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Bishop Wearmouth Durham
4 Ipsden Oxfordshire
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Birmingham 125 Birmingham
2 Reigate and Banstead 002 Reigate and Banstead
3 Coventry 043 Coventry
4 Inverleith, Goldenacre and Warriston City of Edinburgh
5 Birmingham 031 Birmingham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Shale

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Shale

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Shale surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Shale household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Shale 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

Shale is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Shale falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Shale is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Shale, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Shale

The surname SHALE has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "sceal," meaning a shell or husk, or the Middle English word "shale," referring to a type of sedimentary rock. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational name for someone who worked with shells or shale.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SHALE can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1202, where it is listed as "Randulf de Shale." This indicates that the name was already established in the region by the early 13th century. Another early reference is found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1293, which mentions a "Richard de Shale."

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various forms, including "Shalle," "Shele," and "Shele." These variations may have been influenced by local dialects or scribal errors. One notable example is John de Shale, a prominent landowner in Somerset who was recorded in 1327.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the SHALE surname continued to spread throughout England. Notable individuals from this period include William Shale, a merchant from London who was involved in the Virginia Company in the early 1600s, and Thomas Shale, a clergyman from Oxfordshire who was born in 1584.

In the 18th century, the SHALE name appears in various parish records and historical documents. One example is John Shale, a farmer from Gloucestershire who was born in 1712. Another is Samuel Shale, a notable printer and bookseller from London who lived from 1737 to 1808.

As the Industrial Revolution progressed in the 19th century, the SHALE surname became more widespread across various industries and professions. One notable figure was Robert Shale, a civil engineer from Staffordshire who was born in 1828 and worked on several railway projects.

Throughout history, the SHALE surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Shale Hill in Staffordshire and Shale Farm in Gloucestershire, further reinforcing its connection to the geological term.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Shale families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shale 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. Staffordshire leads with 73 Shales recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.76x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 73 8.76x
Warwickshire 73 11.73x
Middlesex 39 1.58x
Durham 16 2.18x
Lancashire 12 0.41x
Oxfordshire 11 7.22x
Surrey 7 0.58x
Cumberland 6 2.82x
Berkshire 5 2.70x
Yorkshire 5 0.20x
Essex 3 0.62x
Channel Islands 1 1.37x
Derbyshire 1 0.26x
Worcestershire 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 58 Shales recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.96x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 58 27.96x
Wolverhampton 26 40.59x
Bilston 21 130.11x
Aston 12 7.00x
Cannock 11 75.65x
Darlington 11 38.80x
West Derby 9 10.50x
Islington London 8 3.34x
Kensington London 8 5.83x
Limehouse London 8 29.53x
Mile End Old Town 8 20.53x
Ipsden 7 1166.67x
Seaton 6 241.94x
East Molesey 5 179.21x
Lanchester 5 370.37x
Brightside Bierlow 4 8.34x
Harborne 4 14.98x
Walsall Foreign 4 9.30x
Bethnal Green London 3 2.80x
Brewood 3 125.00x
North Stoke 3 2142.86x
Ruscombe 3 937.50x
St Pancras London 3 1.51x
Stafford St Mary 3 25.45x
West Ham 3 2.79x
Bermondsey 2 2.72x
Hulme 2 3.27x
Knowle 2 156.25x
Sunninghill 2 77.82x
Ardwick 1 3.79x
Henley On Thames 1 32.05x
Kings Norton 1 3.46x
Leamington Priors 1 6.53x
St Brelade 1 53.19x
Wakefield 1 5.33x
Walsall Borough 1 15.46x
Westminster St James 1 3.94x
Winshill 1 40.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 24
Elizabeth 10
Sarah 7
Ann 4
Eliza 4
Ellen 4
Emma 4
Alice 3
Annie 3
Catherine 3
Charlotte 3
Hannah 3
Jane 3
Agnes 2
Caroline 2
Elizth. 2
Gertrude 2
Isabella 2
Phillis 2
Selina 2
Christina 1
Clara 1
Drucilla 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Emily 1
Emmeline 1
Eveline 1
Florence 1
Florry 1
Frances 1
Gouria 1
Harriet 1
Harrt. 1
Isabel 1
Josephine 1
Lilly 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Lueza 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Pheobe 1
Polly 1
Prudence 1
Rosa 1
Ruth 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
William 15
Thomas 12
Joseph 10
Edward 7
Albert 6
James 6
George 5
Henry 5
Charles 4
Samuel 3
Alfred 2
Benjamin 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Richard 2
Thos. 2
Alf 1
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Davey 1
David 1
Dennis 1
Elgar 1
Engelbert 1
Enoch 1
Ferdinand 1
Francis 1
Harry 1
Isaac 1
Jeremiah 1
Josiah 1
Leonard 1
Philip 1
Phillip 1
Robert 1
Stephen 1
Theodore 1
Thos.A. 1
Walter 1
Willm.G. 1
Wm.Hy. 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Shale surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shale surname in 1881?

In 1881, 250 people were recorded with the Shale surname. That placed it at #11,070 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shale surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 480 in 2016. That gives Shale a modern rank of #10,292.

What does the Shale surname mean?

A surname derived from the rock shale, likely referring to someone who lived near an area rich in shale deposits.

What does the Shale map show?

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