NameCensus.

UK surname

Sherwell

In the 1881 census there were 94 people recorded with the Sherwell surname, ranking it #20,467 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 81, ranked #32,971, down from #20,467 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Willesden, London parishes and St Dunstan Stepney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Merton, Westminster and Bath and North East Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sherwell is 166 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 13.8%.

1881 census count

94

Ranked #20,467

Modern count

81

2016, ranked #32,971

Peak year

1891

166 bearers

Map years

5

1861 to 1998

Key insights

  • Sherwell had 94 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,467 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 81 in 2016, ranked #32,971.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 166 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Sherwell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sherwell surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sherwell 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 79 #19,712
1861 historical 104 #20,477
1881 historical 94 #20,467
1891 historical 166 #17,077
1901 historical 105 #22,179
1911 historical 113 #21,168
1997 modern 101 #26,774
1998 modern 100 #27,619
1999 modern 97 #28,187
2000 modern 96 #28,299
2001 modern 91 #28,670
2002 modern 93 #28,920
2003 modern 90 #29,260
2004 modern 89 #29,623
2005 modern 74 #31,522
2006 modern 81 #31,044
2007 modern 76 #31,966
2008 modern 71 #32,753
2009 modern 73 #32,923
2010 modern 78 #32,848
2011 modern 79 #32,743
2012 modern 80 #32,877
2013 modern 83 #32,813
2014 modern 82 #32,992
2015 modern 80 #33,052
2016 modern 81 #32,971

Geography

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Where Sherwells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Willesden, London parishes, St Dunstan Stepney, Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Merton, Westminster, Bath and North East Somerset, Braintree and Ealing. 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 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
4 Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston Devon
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Merton 010 Merton
2 Westminster 019 Westminster
3 Bath and North East Somerset 003 Bath and North East Somerset
4 Braintree 003 Braintree
5 Ealing 035 Ealing

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sherwell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sherwell

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Sherwell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Sherwell 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Sherwell is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sherwell 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

Sherwell falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Sherwell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sherwell 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 27 Sherwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.95x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 27 2.95x
Hampshire 15 7.98x
Staffordshire 10 3.23x
Devon 9 4.72x
Somerset 9 6.10x
Surrey 9 2.01x
Buckinghamshire 7 12.63x
Kent 2 0.64x
Northamptonshire 2 2.32x
Dorset 1 1.66x
Essex 1 0.55x
Lanarkshire 1 0.34x
Lancashire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mile End Old Town in Middlesex leads with 18 Sherwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 124.40x.

Place Total Index
Mile End Old Town 18 124.40x
West Bromwich 10 56.43x
Portsea 8 21.72x
Streatham 7 102.94x
Brislington 6 2222.22x
Christow 4 2222.22x
West Wycombe 4 533.33x
Burnham 3 422.54x
Kensington London 3 5.89x
Ryde 3 74.26x
Bedminster 2 14.42x
Cornwood 2 555.56x
Ermington 2 289.86x
Holdenhurst 2 40.57x
Kingsclere 2 232.56x
Northampton Priory St 2 38.68x
Otham 2 1666.67x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 10.84x
St Giles In Fields 2 63.29x
Bromley London 1 4.96x
Ealing 1 12.21x
Govan 1 1.36x
Hamworthy 1 476.19x
Kingsbridge 1 208.33x
North Meols 1 9.39x
Shoreditch London 1 2.52x
St Marylebone London 1 2.04x
Trull 1 333.33x
West Ham 1 2.50x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
William 4
Charles 3
Frederick 3
George 3
James 3
Walter 2
Arthur 1
Benjn.W. 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fredk. 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Jno. 1
Joe 1
Markham 1
Sammuel 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1

FAQ

Sherwell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sherwell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 94 people were recorded with the Sherwell surname. That placed it at #20,467 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sherwell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 81 in 2016. That gives Sherwell a modern rank of #32,971.

What does the Sherwell map show?

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