NameCensus.

UK surname

Shallow

A descriptive surname referring to someone who lived near a shallow body of water.

In the 1881 census there were 58 people recorded with the Shallow surname, ranking it #25,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 215, ranked #18,670, up from #25,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cambridge: St Michael, Hull Holy Trinity and King's Lynn St Margaret. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Basingstoke and Deane, Hamilton Centre and Low Parks and Waltham Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shallow is 215 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 270.7%.

1881 census count

58

Ranked #25,428

Modern count

215

2016, ranked #18,670

Peak year

2016

215 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shallow had 58 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 215 in 2016, ranked #18,670.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 135 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Shallow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shallow surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shallow 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 42 #25,706
1861 historical 135 #16,651
1881 historical 58 #25,428
1891 historical 57 #29,533
1901 historical 81 #25,130
1911 historical 73 #25,541
1997 modern 166 #19,797
1998 modern 172 #19,883
1999 modern 171 #20,072
2000 modern 162 #20,735
2001 modern 160 #20,616
2002 modern 166 #20,532
2003 modern 160 #20,789
2004 modern 166 #20,441
2005 modern 173 #19,851
2006 modern 175 #19,850
2007 modern 179 #19,811
2008 modern 180 #19,946
2009 modern 194 #19,398
2010 modern 199 #19,515
2011 modern 198 #19,410
2012 modern 207 #18,777
2013 modern 212 #18,820
2014 modern 210 #19,064
2015 modern 211 #18,906
2016 modern 215 #18,670

Geography

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Where Shallows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cambridge: St Michael, Hull Holy Trinity, King's Lynn St Margaret, Manchester and Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Basingstoke and Deane, Hamilton Centre and Low Parks, Waltham Forest, Broxbourne and Hackney. 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 Cambridge: St Michael Cambridgeshire
2 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
3 King's Lynn St Margaret Norfolk
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Basingstoke and Deane 011 Basingstoke and Deane
2 Hamilton Centre and Low Parks South Lanarkshire
3 Waltham Forest 027 Waltham Forest
4 Broxbourne 012 Broxbourne
5 Hackney 029 Hackney

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shallow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shallow

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Shallow surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Shallow 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Shallow 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

Shallow is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Shallow falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Shallow

The surname "SHALLOW" is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "scealdū," which means "shallow water" or "a ford." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a shallow body of water or a ford, which was a shallow part of a river or stream where it was possible to cross on foot or horseback.

The earliest known record of the name "SHALLOW" dates back to the 14th century, appearing in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1332, where a William Shalowe is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already in use by that time and had likely been established for some time before then.

In the 15th century, the name is found in various records, including the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1428, which mentions a Thomas Shalowe. The Hearth Tax Rolls of 1674 also record a John Shallow in Cambridgeshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname "SHALLOW" was Thomas Shalowe (c. 1380-1450), an English lawyer and judge who served as a Justice of the Common Pleas during the reign of Henry VI. Another notable figure was Sir Richard Shallow (c. 1560-1632), an English courtier and Member of Parliament during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I.

In literature, the name "SHALLOW" is famously associated with the character of Justice Robert Shallow in William Shakespeare's play "The Merry Wives of Windsor," first performed in 1597. The character is portrayed as a shallow and foolish country justice, and his name is likely a play on his shallow nature and lack of depth.

Other notable individuals with the surname "SHALLOW" include John Shallow (1595-1648), an English clergyman and author, and William Shallow (1610-1691), an English merchant and member of the East India Company.

The name "SHALLOW" is also found in various place names, such as Shallow Brook in Gloucestershire and Shallow Grange in Yorkshire, further reinforcing its connection to bodies of water or low-lying areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shallow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shallow 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. Cambridgeshire leads with 22 Shallows recorded in 1881 and an index of 56.54x.

County Total Index
Cambridgeshire 22 56.54x
Lanarkshire 12 6.04x
Lancashire 8 1.10x
Norfolk 6 6.35x
Channel Islands 4 21.97x
Middlesex 3 0.49x
Durham 2 1.09x
Berkshire 1 2.17x
Cheshire 1 0.74x
Kent 1 0.48x
Northamptonshire 1 1.73x
Royal Navy 1 13.66x
Surrey 1 0.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Shotts in Lanarkshire leads with 12 Shallows recorded in 1881 and an index of 504.20x.

Place Total Index
Shotts 12 504.20x
St Andrewthe Less 9 202.25x
Chesterton 7 583.33x
Chorlton On Medlock 7 60.45x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 5 176.06x
St Helier 4 67.45x
St Michael Cambridge 4 3636.36x
Boldon 2 307.69x
St Giles Cambridge 2 400.00x
St Giles In Fields 2 94.34x
Clerkenwell London 1 6.90x
Lambeth 1 1.87x
Liverpool 1 2.26x
New Windsor 1 64.52x
Northampton Priory St 1 28.82x
Royal Navy 1 15.97x
South Lynn 1 93.46x
Stockport 1 14.33x
Yalding 1 188.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Elizabeth 3
Emma 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Eliza 1
Elvina 1
Flora 1
Harriett 1
Lavinia 1
Louisa 1
Maragret 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Nancy 1
Ruth 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Robert 3
Thomas 3
Arthur 2
George 2
William 2
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Patrick 1
Robt. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Shallow households.

FAQ

Shallow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shallow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 58 people were recorded with the Shallow surname. That placed it at #25,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shallow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 215 in 2016. That gives Shallow a modern rank of #18,670.

What does the Shallow surname mean?

A descriptive surname referring to someone who lived near a shallow body of water.

What does the Shallow map show?

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