NameCensus.

UK surname

Szczygiel

A Polish surname derived from the word "szczygieł" meaning goldfinch or chaffinch.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Cambridgeshire, Leeds and South Lakeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Szczygiel is 164 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

164

2016, ranked #22,314

Peak year

2016

164 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 164 in 2016, ranked #22,314.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Szczygiel surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Szczygiel surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Szczygiel 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
1997 modern 24 #35,376
1998 modern 23 #35,603
1999 modern 24 #35,514
2000 modern 22 #35,684
2001 modern 22 #35,531
2002 modern 18 #36,067
2003 modern 18 #36,115
2004 modern 19 #36,147
2005 modern 24 #35,827
2006 modern 35 #35,191
2007 modern 60 #33,539
2008 modern 70 #32,856
2009 modern 81 #32,172
2010 modern 85 #32,185
2011 modern 93 #31,169
2012 modern 139 #24,485
2013 modern 151 #23,529
2014 modern 161 #22,728
2015 modern 161 #22,599
2016 modern 164 #22,314

Geography

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Where Szczygiels 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 East Cambridgeshire, Leeds, South Lakeland and Havering. 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 East Cambridgeshire 003 East Cambridgeshire
2 Leeds 076 Leeds
3 Leeds 080 Leeds
4 South Lakeland 002 South Lakeland
5 Havering 029 Havering

Forenames

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First names often paired with Szczygiel

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Szczygiel

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Szczygiel surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Szczygiel household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Szczygiel is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Szczygiel 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

Szczygiel 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 Szczygiel 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
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Szczygiel

The surname Szczygiel originates from Poland, with its earliest known records dating back to the 15th century. The name is derived from the Polish word "szczygiel," which means "chaffinch," a type of small finch bird. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with or had an affiliation with these birds.

The name is believed to have originated in the central and southern regions of Poland, particularly in areas such as Małopolska and Silesia. In the 16th century, the surname Szczygiel appeared in various Polish records and documents, including court records and parish registers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Szczygiel is found in the Metryka Koronna, a collection of official documents from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, dating back to the late 15th century. The name is also mentioned in the Inwentarze Dóbr Ziemskich, a series of land inventories from the 16th and 17th centuries.

During the Middle Ages, surnames were often derived from occupations, physical characteristics, or place names. The name Szczygiel may have initially referred to someone who worked with or traded in chaffinches, or someone who had a particular affinity or connection with these birds.

Notable individuals with the surname Szczygiel throughout history include:

1. Jan Szczygiel (c. 1620-1695), a Polish painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits. 2. Mikołaj Szczygiel (1763-1835), a Polish nobleman and landowner who played a role in the Kościuszko Uprising against Russian occupation. 3. Józef Szczygiel (1824-1891), a Polish architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Kraków and Warsaw. 4. Maria Szczygiel (1886-1962), a Polish writer and educator who authored several books on children's literature and pedagogy. 5. Mariusz Szczygiel (1966-2017), a renowned Polish journalist and non-fiction writer, known for his investigative reporting and travel writing.

While the surname Szczygiel is primarily associated with Poland, it has also been found in other parts of Central and Eastern Europe, likely due to migration and intermarriage over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Szczygiel surname: questions and answers

How common is the Szczygiel surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 164 in 2016. That gives Szczygiel a modern rank of #22,314.

What does the Szczygiel surname mean?

A Polish surname derived from the word "szczygieł" meaning goldfinch or chaffinch.

What does the Szczygiel map show?

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