NameCensus.

UK surname

Spells

An English occupational surname referring to a person who works magic or performs incantations.

In the 1881 census there were 97 people recorded with the Spells surname, ranking it #20,127 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 120, ranked #27,563, down from #20,127 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Southminster, Mayland, Steeple, London parishes and Mundsley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, County Durham and Breckland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spells is 139 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.7%.

1881 census count

97

Ranked #20,127

Modern count

120

2016, ranked #27,563

Peak year

1999

139 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spells had 97 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,127 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016, ranked #27,563.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 134 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Spells surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spells surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spells 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 62 #22,232
1861 historical 60 #26,313
1881 historical 97 #20,127
1891 historical 119 #21,415
1901 historical 130 #19,649
1911 historical 134 #19,131
1997 modern 135 #22,499
1998 modern 134 #23,202
1999 modern 139 #22,884
2000 modern 139 #22,855
2001 modern 133 #23,132
2002 modern 136 #23,296
2003 modern 138 #22,823
2004 modern 136 #23,207
2005 modern 123 #24,663
2006 modern 126 #24,493
2007 modern 124 #25,086
2008 modern 125 #25,249
2009 modern 123 #26,098
2010 modern 124 #26,582
2011 modern 123 #26,512
2012 modern 117 #27,394
2013 modern 121 #27,255
2014 modern 121 #27,503
2015 modern 121 #27,405
2016 modern 120 #27,563

Geography

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Where Spells' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Southminster, Mayland, Steeple, London parishes, Mundsley and Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, County Durham, Breckland, Horsham and New Forest. 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 Southminster, Mayland, Steeple Essex
2 London parishes London 1
3 Mundsley Norfolk
4 Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing Kent
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 027 Wakefield
2 County Durham 055 County Durham
3 Breckland 007 Breckland
4 Horsham 011 Horsham
5 New Forest 009 New Forest

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spells

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spells

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Spells, 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 Spells surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Spells 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Spells is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Spells is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Spells 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 Spells 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 Spells, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Spells

The surname SPELLS originates from England, with its roots traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "spellian," meaning "to tell" or "to speak," suggesting a connection to storytellers or orators in ancient times.

The earliest known records of the name SPELLS can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Spelle." This indicates that the surname was already established and in use during the medieval period in England.

In the 14th century, the name SPELLS began to appear in various official documents and records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire from 1332, where it was written as "Spelles." This variation in spelling was common during that era due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

One notable individual bearing the surname SPELLS was John Spelles, who was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of 1458 as a merchant from London. Another early reference is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1523, which lists a Richard Spelles as a taxpayer.

The SPELLS surname has also been linked to certain place names in England, such as Spellsbury, a hamlet in Oxfordshire. This connection suggests that some individuals may have adopted the surname based on their place of origin or residence.

Among the notable figures with the surname SPELLS throughout history, one can mention:

1. Sir Richard Spells (1572-1646), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Westbury during the reign of King Charles I. 2. Elizabeth Spells (1633-1692), a renowned herbalist and healer from Dorset, known for her extensive knowledge of medicinal plants. 3. Thomas Spells (1701-1778), a prominent merchant and shipowner from Bristol, who played a significant role in the city's maritime trade during the 18th century. 4. William Spells (1813-1886), a celebrated landscape painter from Yorkshire, whose works captured the beauty of the English countryside. 5. Mary Spells (1855-1931), a pioneering educator and suffragette who campaigned for women's rights and access to education in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

While the surname SPELLS may not be as common today, its historical roots and connections to various regions and individuals across England provide a rich tapestry of stories and legacies woven into the fabric of British history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Spells families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spells 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. Kent leads with 42 Spells' recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.01x.

County Total Index
Kent 42 13.01x
Middlesex 32 3.38x
Essex 22 11.78x
Northumberland 1 0.71x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chatham in Kent leads with 19 Spells' recorded in 1881 and an index of 213.96x.

Place Total Index
Chatham 19 213.96x
St Pancras London 10 13.13x
Erith 8 251.57x
Seasalter 8 1951.22x
Fulham London 7 51.02x
Willesden 7 78.48x
Southminster 5 1219.51x
Chelsea London 4 14.04x
Clerkenwell London 4 17.91x
Maldon St Peter 4 421.05x
Shelley 4 6666.67x
Gillingham 3 45.11x
Rochester St Margaret 3 88.24x
St Lawrence Newland 3 4285.71x
Bradwell 2 625.00x
Grays Thurrock 2 114.94x
Cowpen 1 30.86x
Maldon St Marys 1 222.22x
Northfleet 1 35.21x
West Ham 1 2.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Edward 5
Henry 5
Charles 4
Walter 4
William 4
Alfred 3
George 3
John 3
Ernest 2
Isaac 2
James 2
Thomas 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Earnest 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Jonathan 1
Joseph 1
Philip 1
Robert 1
Wm.Edwd. 1

FAQ

Spells surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spells surname in 1881?

In 1881, 97 people were recorded with the Spells surname. That placed it at #20,127 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spells surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016. That gives Spells a modern rank of #27,563.

What does the Spells surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a person who works magic or performs incantations.

What does the Spells map show?

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