NameCensus.

UK surname

Southall

A locational surname referring to someone from a southern hall or manor house.

In the 1881 census there were 2,270 people recorded with the Southall surname, ranking it #1,966 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,842, ranked #1,765, up from #1,966 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedgley, Dudley and Oldswinford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dudley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Southall is 4,008 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 69.3%.

1881 census count

2,270

Ranked #1,966

Modern count

3,842

2016, ranked #1,765

Peak year

2010

4,008 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Southall had 2,270 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,966 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,842 in 2016, ranked #1,765.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,358 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Southall surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Southall surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Southall 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 1,382 #2,073
1861 historical 1,588 #1,796
1881 historical 2,270 #1,966
1891 historical 2,620 #1,820
1901 historical 3,028 #1,849
1911 historical 3,358 #1,555
1997 modern 3,847 #1,692
1998 modern 3,927 #1,722
1999 modern 3,926 #1,735
2000 modern 3,926 #1,726
2001 modern 3,852 #1,718
2002 modern 3,910 #1,733
2003 modern 3,870 #1,711
2004 modern 3,870 #1,715
2005 modern 3,754 #1,746
2006 modern 3,753 #1,749
2007 modern 3,829 #1,722
2008 modern 3,841 #1,731
2009 modern 3,962 #1,719
2010 modern 4,008 #1,733
2011 modern 3,978 #1,719
2012 modern 3,834 #1,748
2013 modern 3,888 #1,761
2014 modern 3,918 #1,755
2015 modern 3,843 #1,767
2016 modern 3,842 #1,765

Geography

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Where Southalls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedgley, Dudley, Oldswinford, Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) 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 Dudley. 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 Sedgley Staffordshire
2 Dudley Staffordshire
3 Oldswinford Worcestershire
4 Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) Staffordshire
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dudley 008 Dudley
2 Dudley 005 Dudley
3 Dudley 013 Dudley
4 Dudley 017 Dudley
5 Dudley 021 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Southall

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Southall

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Southall surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Southall household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Southall 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

Southall is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Southall falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Southall

The surname "Southall" is of English origin, derived from a place name referring to a location south of a specific area or landmark. It is believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century, during the Anglo-Saxon period.

The name "Southall" likely originated from the Old English words "sūth" meaning "south" and "healh" meaning "nook" or "corner of land." This suggests that the name initially referred to a settlement situated to the south of a prominent geographical feature, such as a hill, river, or wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Southall" can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a person named "John de Southall" is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already in use by the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in various historical records, including the Parish Registers of Cheshire, which listed a "Randall Southall" in 1592. Additionally, the Wills and Inventories of Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk mentioned a "Robert Southall" in 1579.

Notable individuals with the surname "Southall" throughout history include:

1. Robert Southall (c. 1635-1697), an English Quaker missionary who traveled to the American colonies and worked among Native American tribes.

2. John Southall (1592-1643), an English Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I.

3. Mary Southall (1777-1858), a British Quaker minister and author known for her writings on religious topics.

4. Richard Southall (1504-1564), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the Tudor period.

5. Thomas Southall (1745-1820), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars.

Additionally, the name "Southall" is associated with several place names in England, such as Southall in Middlesex (now part of West London), Southall in Nottinghamshire, and Southall in Shropshire. These locations likely derived their names from the same Old English roots as the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Southall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Southall 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 907 Southalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.14x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 907 12.14x
Worcestershire 493 17.06x
Warwickshire 238 4.26x
Lancashire 102 0.39x
Herefordshire 74 8.15x
Yorkshire 72 0.33x
Middlesex 69 0.31x
Derbyshire 43 1.24x
Shropshire 38 1.99x
Surrey 37 0.34x
Durham 27 0.41x
Gloucestershire 23 0.53x
Northumberland 19 0.58x
Norfolk 18 0.53x
Cheshire 15 0.31x
Essex 12 0.27x
Devon 10 0.22x
Glamorgan 8 0.21x
Lincolnshire 8 0.23x
Kent 7 0.09x
Leicestershire 6 0.24x
Bedfordshire 5 0.44x
Monmouthshire 5 0.31x
Somerset 5 0.14x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.13x
Sussex 4 0.11x
Fife 3 0.23x
Huntingdonshire 3 0.68x
Angus 2 0.10x
Brecknockshire 1 0.23x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.07x
Cumberland 1 0.05x
Denbighshire 1 0.12x
Hampshire 1 0.02x
Hertfordshire 1 0.07x
Isle of Man 1 0.24x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x
Oxfordshire 1 0.07x
Suffolk 1 0.04x
Westmorland 1 0.21x
Wiltshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sedgley in Staffordshire leads with 210 Southalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 75.68x.

Place Total Index
Sedgley 210 75.68x
Dudley 164 46.67x
Kingswinford 152 56.03x
Wolverhampton 107 18.63x
Aston 105 6.83x
Birmingham 101 5.43x
Rowley Regis 83 39.86x
Willenhall 64 45.73x
Cradley 52 198.93x
Tipton 48 20.98x
Kidderminster Borough 44 26.01x
Lye 39 81.08x
Harborne 29 12.11x
West Bromwich 27 6.31x
Wednesbury 25 13.39x
Stockton On Tees 24 7.56x
Bromsgrove 22 22.62x
Edgbaston 22 12.71x
Walsall Foreign 22 5.70x
Oldbury 21 14.77x
Upperswinford 21 85.85x
The Hill 19 102.37x
Wollescote 17 73.02x
Brewood 16 74.28x
Handsworth 16 8.69x
Wednesfield 16 14.55x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 15 3.67x
Barrow In Furness 12 3.36x
Birkenhead 12 3.08x
Bishops Frome 12 217.79x
Hackney London 12 0.97x
Upper Penn 12 64.14x
Derby St Werburgh 11 5.50x
Havercroft Cum Cold 11 291.78x
West Ham 11 1.14x
Hulme 10 1.82x
Litchurch 10 7.17x
Canon Pyon 9 169.81x
Hammersmith London 9 1.65x
Murton 9 266.27x
Newton 9 4.45x
Wollaston 9 49.07x
Camberwell 8 0.57x
Hornsey 8 2.86x
Islington London 8 0.37x
Kensington London 8 0.65x
Kidderminster Foreign 8 19.57x
Kington 8 35.60x
Lambeth 8 0.41x
Ormesby 8 13.57x
Solihull 8 19.94x
Stourbridge 8 10.76x
Thorpe Next Norwich 8 22.18x
Wandsworth 8 3.75x
Colwich 7 39.41x
Darlaston 7 6.78x
Gradley 7 50.14x
Greasbrough 7 24.17x
Halesowen 7 27.59x
Hartlebury 7 40.67x
High Offley 7 113.64x
Jesmond 7 15.11x
Kings Norton 7 2.70x
Lichfield St Mary 7 32.48x
Manningham 7 2.59x
Much Dewchurch 7 162.79x
Salford 7 0.91x
Shifnal 7 13.48x
Shoreditch London 7 0.73x
Snettisham 7 74.23x
Stoke Upon Trent 7 0.88x
Wolverley 7 27.59x
Croydon 6 1.00x
Hawn 6 110.70x
Leominster 6 15.97x
Lilleshall 6 20.53x
Manchester 6 0.51x
Margam 6 13.96x
Sturston 6 104.71x
Warrington 6 1.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 168
Sarah 107
Elizabeth 80
Ann 61
Emma 51
Eliza 47
Jane 34
Alice 30
Emily 28
Ellen 27
Hannah 26
Annie 22
Harriet 20
Caroline 18
Maria 17
Fanny 16
Lucy 16
Louisa 15
Clara 14
Martha 12
Esther 11
Kate 11
Rose 11
Agnes 10
Charlotte 10
Florence 10
Jemima 9
Sophia 9
Frances 8
Selina 8
Amelia 7
Edith 7
Margaret 7
Catherine 6
Harriett 6
Anne 5
Elizth. 5
Matilda 5
Minnie 5
Prudence 5
Rachel 5
Rebecca 5
Ada 4
Julia 4
Laura 4
Louise 4
Constance 3
Miriam 3
Phoebe 3
Winifred 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 139
William 132
Thomas 93
Joseph 89
George 64
James 52
Henry 49
Samuel 48
Alfred 25
Benjamin 24
Charles 23
Edward 20
Albert 18
Harry 16
Frederick 15
Arthur 14
Edwin 11
Wm. 11
Walter 10
Stephen 9
Richard 8
Robert 8
Thos. 8
Ernest 7
Herbert 7
Jesse 7
David 6
Job 6
Francis 5
Frank 5
Fred 5
Isaac 5
Josh. 5
Felix 4
Philip 4
Cornelius 3
Daniel 3
Elijah 3
Enoch 3
Horace 3
Jos. 3
Saml. 3
Willm. 3
Abraham 2
Benj. 2
Levi 2
Moses 2
Peter 2
Reuben 2
Sam 2

FAQ

Southall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Southall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,270 people were recorded with the Southall surname. That placed it at #1,966 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Southall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,842 in 2016. That gives Southall a modern rank of #1,765.

What does the Southall surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a southern hall or manor house.

What does the Southall map show?

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