NameCensus.

UK surname

Spurling

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Spura's people," from an Old English personal name.

In the 1881 census there were 440 people recorded with the Spurling surname, ranking it #7,440 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 742, ranked #7,354, up from #7,440 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Alderton, Greenwich and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ipswich, South Norfolk and Purbeck.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spurling is 783 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 68.6%.

1881 census count

440

Ranked #7,440

Modern count

742

2016, ranked #7,354

Peak year

1999

783 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spurling had 440 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,440 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 742 in 2016, ranked #7,354.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 573 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Spurling surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spurling surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spurling 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 294 #7,758
1861 historical 204 #11,814
1881 historical 440 #7,440
1891 historical 399 #8,898
1901 historical 519 #7,831
1911 historical 573 #7,078
1997 modern 735 #6,979
1998 modern 771 #6,960
1999 modern 783 #6,918
2000 modern 754 #7,071
2001 modern 741 #7,040
2002 modern 751 #7,100
2003 modern 709 #7,301
2004 modern 712 #7,293
2005 modern 707 #7,271
2006 modern 698 #7,366
2007 modern 707 #7,362
2008 modern 690 #7,567
2009 modern 729 #7,401
2010 modern 753 #7,360
2011 modern 765 #7,191
2012 modern 749 #7,236
2013 modern 744 #7,395
2014 modern 750 #7,378
2015 modern 735 #7,438
2016 modern 742 #7,354

Geography

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Where Spurlings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Alderton, Greenwich, London parishes and St Leonard Bromley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ipswich, South Norfolk, Purbeck and St Edmundsbury. 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 Alderton Suffolk
2 Greenwich London (South Districts)
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Leonard Bromley London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ipswich 008 Ipswich
2 South Norfolk 015 South Norfolk
3 Purbeck 006 Purbeck
4 South Norfolk 014 South Norfolk
5 St Edmundsbury 008 St Edmundsbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spurling

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spurling

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Spurling is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Spurling 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

Spurling falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Spurling

The surname Spurling originates from England and is believed to have emerged in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "spur" and "ling," which collectively translate to "dweller by the ridge of land." The earliest known records of the name come from the county of Dorset, specifically the area around Shaftesbury.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Assize Rolls of Somerset from 1256, which mention a William Spurling. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1273 list a John Spurling as a landowner in the village of Burnham.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Spurlynge, Spurlyng, and Spurlinge, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. Notable individuals from this period include Robert Spurling, a monk recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire in 1347, and William Spurling, a merchant mentioned in the Chancery Rolls of London in 1392.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Spurling name became more widespread across southern England. Thomas Spurling (1543-1617) was a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Berkshire, while John Spurling (1619-1688) was a renowned Puritan minister and author in Wiltshire.

In the 18th century, the name gained further prominence with the rise of Sir John Spurling (1718-1792), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for Bridport, Dorset. Another notable figure was William Spurling (1738-1815), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London.

As the surname spread throughout England, it also found its way to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the colonies in North America and beyond. Notable bearers of the name in later centuries include Samuel Spurling (1821-1891), an influential educator and author in New York, and Sir John Spurling (1870-1948), a British naval officer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Spurling families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spurling 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. Suffolk leads with 112 Spurlings recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.42x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 112 21.42x
Middlesex 95 2.21x
Norfolk 62 9.39x
Kent 44 3.00x
Surrey 44 2.10x
Essex 26 3.07x
Northumberland 10 1.57x
Yorkshire 8 0.19x
Lancashire 7 0.14x
Oxfordshire 7 2.64x
Sussex 6 0.83x
Durham 5 0.39x
Gloucestershire 5 0.59x
Staffordshire 5 0.35x
Glamorgan 1 0.13x
Hampshire 1 0.11x
Herefordshire 1 0.57x
Royal Navy 1 1.96x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Greenwich in Kent leads with 27 Spurlings recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.51x.

Place Total Index
Greenwich 27 39.51x
Bromley London 19 20.12x
Alderton 16 2051.28x
Banham 14 833.33x
Bermondsey 13 10.17x
Camberwell 11 4.01x
Ipswich St Margaret 11 62.01x
Martlesham 11 1506.85x
Fersfield 10 2380.95x
Lambeth 10 2.67x
Tynemouth 10 29.24x
Kirby Le Soken 9 737.70x
Kenninghall 8 441.99x
Paddington London 8 5.07x
Poplar London 8 9.88x
Westminster St John 8 15.31x
Bexley 7 54.05x
Felixstow 7 551.18x
Islington London 7 1.68x
Kingston On Thames 7 13.93x
Oxford St Giles 7 55.34x
Aldeburgh 6 194.17x
Foxhall 6 1621.62x
Hockham 6 800.00x
Leeds 6 2.50x
Rushmere 6 526.32x
St Pancras London 6 1.74x
Twickenham 6 32.61x
West Ham 6 3.21x
Bressingham 5 666.67x
Brundish 5 925.93x
Horninglow 5 73.31x
Isleworth 5 26.21x
Kesgrave 5 3571.43x
Monkwearmouth Shore 5 20.06x
Old Buckenham 5 295.86x
Shotley 5 543.48x
Whepstead 5 555.56x
Beccles 4 47.56x
Downham Market 4 88.30x
Kelvedon 4 176.99x
Mile End Old Town 4 5.90x
Outwell 4 312.50x
Stroud 4 24.42x
West Tarring 4 370.37x
Wickham Bishops 4 506.33x
Bethnal Green London 3 1.61x
Great Bolton 3 4.45x
Hasketon 3 422.54x
St George Hanover 3 5.36x
Stansfield 3 491.80x
Woodbridge 3 44.91x
Woolwich 3 5.55x
Wortham 3 214.29x
Bow London 2 3.66x
Bromley 2 8.96x
Eltham 2 23.31x
Great Bealings 2 476.19x
Hackney London 2 0.83x
Harmondsworth 2 74.91x
Ipswich St Mathew 2 13.65x
Kensington London 2 0.84x
Poslingford 2 384.62x
Preston 2 1.47x
Shoreditch London 2 1.07x
St Luke London 2 2.91x
Westminster St 2 12.64x
Besthorpe 1 138.89x
Brightwell 1 1000.00x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 1.24x
Coulsdon 1 26.32x
Croydon 1 0.86x
Farnborough 1 10.82x
Nether Hallam 1 1.74x
Preston 1 7.91x
Putney 1 5.11x
Risby 1 153.85x
St Martin In Fields 1 3.89x
St Marylebone London 1 0.44x
Whitechapel London 1 2.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 33
John 22
George 19
James 13
Henry 12
Charles 10
Robert 8
Thomas 7
Samuel 6
Walter 6
Alfred 5
Arthur 4
Frederick 4
Stephen 3
Basil 2
Ephraim 2
Frederic 2
Fredk. 2
Herbert 2
Hy. 2
Richard 2
Willm. 2
Wm. 2
Benjmin 1
Bertram 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
Clement 1
Cuthbert 1
David 1
Edwd. 1
Francis 1
Harry 1
Henery 1
Hey. 1
Horace 1
Horrace 1
Joseph 1
Josiah 1
Laurance 1
Laurie 1
Lawrence 1
Leonard 1
Louis 1
Morris 1
Norman 1
Percival 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
R.H. 1

FAQ

Spurling surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spurling surname in 1881?

In 1881, 440 people were recorded with the Spurling surname. That placed it at #7,440 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spurling surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 742 in 2016. That gives Spurling a modern rank of #7,354.

What does the Spurling surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Spura's people," from an Old English personal name.

What does the Spurling map show?

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