UK surname
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic word "Sialadair", referring to a person who worked as a hunter or fowler.
In the 1881 census there were 26 people recorded with the Shelling surname, ranking it #29,911 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 17, ranked #36,904, down from #29,911 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Dover St James, Dover St Mary, Blandford Town, Pimperne and Harwich St Nicholas. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shelling is 123 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 34.6%.
1881 census count
26
Ranked #29,911
Modern count
17
2016, ranked #36,904
Peak year
1861
123 bearers
Map years
2
1861 to 1891
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Shelling surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Shelling surname density by area, 1891 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 28 | #28,274 |
| 1861 | historical | 123 | #17,914 |
| 1881 | historical | 26 | #29,911 |
| 1891 | historical | 123 | #20,939 |
| 1901 | historical | 34 | #30,281 |
| 1911 | historical | 20 | #31,288 |
| 1997 | modern | 22 | #35,584 |
| 1998 | modern | 27 | #35,148 |
| 1999 | modern | 22 | #35,725 |
| 2000 | modern | 22 | #35,684 |
| 2001 | modern | 18 | #35,961 |
| 2002 | modern | 19 | #35,991 |
| 2003 | modern | 19 | #36,011 |
| 2004 | modern | 18 | #36,245 |
| 2005 | modern | 22 | #35,993 |
| 2006 | modern | 19 | #36,323 |
| 2007 | modern | 18 | #36,537 |
| 2008 | modern | 23 | #36,211 |
| 2009 | modern | 21 | #36,470 |
| 2010 | modern | 21 | #36,530 |
| 2011 | modern | 18 | #36,739 |
| 2012 | modern | 19 | #36,641 |
| 2013 | modern | 20 | #36,614 |
| 2014 | modern | 17 | #36,888 |
| 2015 | modern | 17 | #36,887 |
| 2016 | modern | 17 | #36,904 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Dover St James, Dover St Mary, Blandford Town, Pimperne, Harwich St Nicholas, Sittingbourne and Ipswich St Mary Stoke. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dover St James, Dover St Mary | Kent |
| 2 | Blandford Town, Pimperne | Dorset |
| 3 | Harwich St Nicholas | Essex |
| 4 | Sittingbourne | Kent |
| 5 | Ipswich St Mary Stoke | Suffolk |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Shelling surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Shelling, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Shelling surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Shelling household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Shelling is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Shelling is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Shelling, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Shelling has its origins in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. It is believed to have derived from the Old Germanic word "schelle," which means "bell" or "to ring." This connection suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked as a bell maker or ringer, a profession that held significance in medieval times.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Shelling surname can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, dating back to the 14th century. In this record, a certain "Hans Schellinge" is mentioned as a resident of the city in 1389.
Another notable mention of the name comes from the Lübecker Bürgerbuch, a historical register of citizens in the city of Lübeck, which includes an entry for a "Claus Schellinge" in the year 1412. This document provides evidence that the surname was present in the Hanseatic League cities of northern Germany during the late medieval period.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Shelling surname was Johann Schelling, a German theologian and Protestant reformer born in Metzingen, Württemberg, in 1535. He played a significant role in the spread of the Protestant Reformation in southwestern Germany.
Moving into the 18th century, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling (1775-1854) was a prominent German philosopher and a major figure in the German Idealist movement. He was born in Leonberg, Württemberg, and made significant contributions to the fields of metaphysics and aesthetics.
Another individual of note was the German philosopher and novelist, Friedrich Wilhelm von Schelling (1809-1868), who was born in Karlsruhe, Baden. He was a student of philosophy and a writer who explored the themes of metaphysics and the philosophy of nature in his works.
In the 19th century, the Shelling surname can be found in various historical records, including the Ortsfamilienbücher (local family books) of various towns and villages in northern Germany, further cementing its regional roots.
Overall, the surname Shelling has a rich history that can be traced back to the medieval period in northern Germany, particularly in the regions around the cities of Bremen and Lübeck. Its origins are closely tied to the Old Germanic language and may have originally referred to a profession related to bell making or ringing.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shelling surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 11 Shellings recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.34x.
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blandford Forum in Dorset leads with 8 Shellings recorded in 1881 and an index of 2424.24x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Blandford Forum | 8 | 2424.24x |
| Hammersmith London | 8 | 128.00x |
| Tormoham | 3 | 134.53x |
| St Pancras London | 2 | 9.80x |
| Camberwell | 1 | 6.17x |
| Canterbury St Paul | 1 | 625.00x |
| Heap | 1 | 62.50x |
| Marsden In Almondbury | 1 | 434.78x |
| Shoreditch London | 1 | 9.10x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Shelling surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Shelling surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Shelling households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 8 |
| Brickmaker | 1 |
| Carpenter | 1 |
| Chief Engineer At Paper Mill (Eng Driv) | 1 |
| Errand Boy | 1 |
| General Laborer | 1 |
| Housemaid Domest Serv | 1 |
| Labourer Excavator | 1 |
| Nurse (SMS) | 1 |
| Parlourmaid | 1 |
| Tinplate Worker | 1 |
| Whitesmith | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 26 people were recorded with the Shelling surname. That placed it at #29,911 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 17 in 2016. That gives Shelling a modern rank of #36,904.
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic word "Sialadair", referring to a person who worked as a hunter or fowler.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Shelling bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.