NameCensus.

UK surname

Shewell

An occupational surname derived from the Old English words "sceawian" (to look) and "hyll" (hill), referring to a lookout or watchman positioned on a hill.

In the 1881 census there were 181 people recorded with the Shewell surname, ranking it #13,690 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 142, ranked #24,625, down from #13,690 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hawkesbury, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, and West Derby. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Birmingham, Tonbridge and Malling and Monmouthshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shewell is 208 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 21.5%.

1881 census count

181

Ranked #13,690

Modern count

142

2016, ranked #24,625

Peak year

1911

208 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shewell had 181 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,690 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016, ranked #24,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 208 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Shewell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shewell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shewell 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 107 #16,402
1861 historical 159 #14,553
1881 historical 181 #13,690
1891 historical 199 #14,977
1901 historical 205 #14,884
1911 historical 208 #14,594
1997 modern 116 #24,688
1998 modern 124 #24,316
1999 modern 128 #24,017
2000 modern 135 #23,250
2001 modern 133 #23,132
2002 modern 145 #22,392
2003 modern 142 #22,460
2004 modern 134 #23,425
2005 modern 135 #23,297
2006 modern 132 #23,834
2007 modern 133 #24,059
2008 modern 139 #23,635
2009 modern 137 #24,371
2010 modern 133 #25,379
2011 modern 134 #25,050
2012 modern 127 #25,992
2013 modern 135 #25,395
2014 modern 140 #24,977
2015 modern 139 #24,956
2016 modern 142 #24,625

Geography

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Where Shewells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hawkesbury, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, West Derby, New Radnor and Cheltenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Birmingham, Tonbridge and Malling, Monmouthshire, Torbay and Wychavon. 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 Hawkesbury Gloucestershire
2 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
3 West Derby Lancashire
4 New Radnor Radnorshire
5 Cheltenham Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Birmingham 045 Birmingham
2 Tonbridge and Malling 006 Tonbridge and Malling
3 Monmouthshire 007 Monmouthshire
4 Torbay 002 Torbay
5 Wychavon 004 Wychavon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shewell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shewell

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Shewell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Shewell 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Shewell is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Shewell is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Shewell falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Shewell

The surname SHEWELL is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational surname, derived from a place name in the county of Surrey, England. The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Assize Court Rolls of Somerset in 1268, where a Richard de Shewelle is mentioned.

The name is likely derived from the Old English words "sceaw" meaning "wood" or "shaw" and "hyll" meaning "hill", suggesting that the original bearers of this surname hailed from a settlement near a wooded hill. Variations in spelling over time include Shewell, Shewall, Shewill, and Shuell, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings in those early days.

Records from the 13th and 14th centuries indicate that the SHEWELL family was well-established in the counties of Somerset, Dorset, and Wiltshire. The name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire in 1332, where a John Shewelle is listed. In the Feet of Fines of Somerset from 1349, a Thomas Shewell is recorded as a landowner.

One notable bearer of the SHEWELL surname was William Shewell, a member of the prestigious Worshipful Company of Mercers in London during the late 16th century. He was born around 1540 and served as the company's Master in 1589.

Another historical figure was Sir Robert Shewell, a prominent lawyer and judge who lived in the early 17th century. He was born in Somerset in 1587 and served as a Justice of the Court of King's Bench from 1625 until his death in 1646.

The SHEWELL name also has connections to the clergy, with John Shewell serving as the Rector of Downton in Wiltshire in the late 16th century. He was born around 1550 and held the position until his death in 1618.

In the 18th century, a family of SHEWELLs became notable landowners and gentry in the county of Gloucestershire. Edward Shewell, born in 1705, inherited a substantial estate in the village of Wanswell, which remained in the family's possession for several generations.

Additionally, the surname SHEWELL has been associated with the village of Shewell Green in the parish of Swindon, Wiltshire, where a family of that name resided for many years, lending their name to the locality.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shewell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shewell 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. Gloucestershire leads with 55 Shewells recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.54x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 55 15.54x
Lancashire 34 1.59x
Surrey 13 1.48x
Radnorshire 12 82.42x
Durham 11 2.05x
Warwickshire 11 2.42x
Monmouthshire 9 6.90x
Middlesex 8 0.44x
Berkshire 7 5.17x
Worcestershire 6 2.55x
Kent 5 0.81x
Norfolk 5 1.80x
Sussex 4 1.31x
Channel Islands 3 5.61x
Bedfordshire 1 1.07x
Suffolk 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Eccleston In Prescot in Lancashire leads with 14 Shewells recorded in 1881 and an index of 130.23x.

Place Total Index
Eccleston In Prescot 14 130.23x
New Radnor 12 4137.93x
Cheltenham 11 40.29x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 10 154.32x
Llanwenarth Ultra 9 947.37x
Stroud 9 130.62x
Everton 8 11.72x
Hurley 7 1000.00x
Hurworth 7 744.68x
North Meols 7 33.40x
Hawkesbury 6 500.00x
Leatherhead 6 272.73x
Balsall 5 704.23x
Cam 5 458.72x
Rougham 5 2083.33x
Wroxhall 5 4545.45x
Darlington 4 19.30x
Huntley 4 1538.46x
Reigate Foreign 4 42.02x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 3 9.00x
Gloucester Barton St 3 144.93x
Hanley Castle 3 212.77x
Paddington London 3 4.52x
Rodborough 3 175.44x
St Peter Port 3 30.33x
Walmer 3 111.94x
Worcester St Peter 3 67.26x
Brighton 2 3.26x
Croydon 2 4.10x
Windle 2 16.60x
Birmingham 1 0.66x
Chiswick 1 10.14x
Finchley 1 14.45x
Heston 1 16.69x
Horsted Keynes 1 140.85x
Kirkley 1 54.35x
Lambeth 1 0.64x
Lewes All Sts 1 82.64x
Lewisham 1 3.05x
Lidlington 1 243.90x
Newton In Makerfield 1 15.24x
St George Hanover 1 4.25x
Stoke Newington London 1 7.11x
Teynham 1 90.09x
Walton On Hill 1 8.62x
West Derby 1 1.60x
Wotton St Mary 1 54.35x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 11
Henry 9
George 8
Arthur 7
William 6
Charles 5
Edward 5
Thomas 5
Joseph 4
Albert 3
James 3
Richard 2
Wm. 2
Alf. 1
Alfred 1
Algernon 1
Benjamin 1
Chales 1
Chas.E. 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Harold 1
Herbert 1
J. 1
Jno. 1
Jos. 1
Percy 1
Richmond 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Shewell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shewell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 181 people were recorded with the Shewell surname. That placed it at #13,690 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shewell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016. That gives Shewell a modern rank of #24,625.

What does the Shewell surname mean?

An occupational surname derived from the Old English words "sceawian" (to look) and "hyll" (hill), referring to a lookout or watchman positioned on a hill.

What does the Shewell map show?

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