NameCensus.

UK surname

Sule

A surname of unknown origin, potentially derived from a location or personal name.

In the 1881 census there were 8 people recorded with the Sule surname, ranking it #32,581 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 230, ranked #17,812, up from #32,581 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Leeds and Windsor and Maidenhead.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sule is 232 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 2775.0%.

1881 census count

8

Ranked #32,581

Modern count

230

2016, ranked #17,812

Peak year

2015

232 bearers

Map years

2

2006 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sule had 8 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,581 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 230 in 2016, ranked #17,812.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 27 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Sule surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sule surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sule 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 12 #31,134
1861 historical 27 #30,543
1881 historical 8 #32,581
1891 historical 9 #33,451
1901 historical 9 #33,154
1911 historical 2 #34,020
1997 modern 77 #29,874
1998 modern 73 #30,681
1999 modern 84 #29,700
2000 modern 93 #28,701
2001 modern 99 #27,534
2002 modern 121 #24,984
2003 modern 118 #25,146
2004 modern 120 #25,078
2005 modern 148 #21,961
2006 modern 163 #20,789
2007 modern 176 #20,028
2008 modern 188 #19,387
2009 modern 209 #18,493
2010 modern 215 #18,551
2011 modern 226 #17,792
2012 modern 208 #18,720
2013 modern 216 #18,543
2014 modern 225 #18,142
2015 modern 232 #17,689
2016 modern 230 #17,812

Geography

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Where Sules are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, Leeds, Windsor and Maidenhead, Lambeth and Brent. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 005 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Leeds 065 Leeds
3 Windsor and Maidenhead 007 Windsor and Maidenhead
4 Lambeth 024 Lambeth
5 Brent 020 Brent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sule

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sule

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Sule surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Sule 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Sule is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Sule 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

Sule falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sule is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Black - African

This describes the area pattern most associated with Sule, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sule

The surname SULE is believed to have originated from the old Irish Gaelic word "súil" which means "eye" or "vision". It is thought to have first emerged as a descriptive nickname in the 12th century in the Connacht region of western Ireland.

Over time, the name evolved into various spellings such as Suile, Suilleabhain, Suilevan, and eventually Sule. These variations can be found in early Irish census records and land deeds from the 16th and 17th centuries.

One of the earliest known references to the name is in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. It mentions a man named Mathghamhain Suilleabhain who was a notable chieftain of the Suilleabhain clan in County Cork in the late 15th century.

In the 17th century, the name Sule appears in the Petty's Census of Ireland from 1659, which was a survey of landowners and their holdings. This suggests the name had become more widespread by that time.

Notable individuals with the surname Sule include Domhnall Suilleabhain (born c.1670), who was a renowned Irish harpist and composer. Another was Donnchadh Suilleabhain (c.1735-1800), a respected Irish scholar and poet.

In more recent history, Father John Sule (1874-1949) was a prominent Catholic priest and educator who founded several schools in Ireland. Michael Sule (1890-1971) was an Irish politician who served as a member of parliament for many years.

Additionally, the name can be traced to several place names in Ireland, such as Baile Suilleabháin (Ballinsullivan) in County Cork, which likely took its name from the Suilleabhain clan that inhabited the area.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sule families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sule 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 7 Sules recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.97x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 7 8.97x
Surrey 1 2.63x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kensington London in Middlesex leads with 6 Sules recorded in 1881 and an index of 138.25x.

Place Total Index
Kensington London 6 138.25x
Chertsey 1 400.00x
Paddington London 1 34.84x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Eliza 1
Lucy 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 2
Harry 1
Samuel 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Sule households.

FAQ

Sule surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sule surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8 people were recorded with the Sule surname. That placed it at #32,581 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sule surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 230 in 2016. That gives Sule a modern rank of #17,812.

What does the Sule surname mean?

A surname of unknown origin, potentially derived from a location or personal name.

What does the Sule map show?

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