NameCensus.

UK surname

Ursell

A surname meaning either "bear" from the Latin ursus or an English variant spelling of Russell.

In the 1881 census there were 156 people recorded with the Ursell surname, ranking it #15,114 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 362, ranked #12,810, up from #15,114 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes and Cardiff St John and St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tendring, Erewash and Rugby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ursell is 383 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 132.1%.

1881 census count

156

Ranked #15,114

Modern count

362

2016, ranked #12,810

Peak year

2010

383 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ursell had 156 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,114 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 362 in 2016, ranked #12,810.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 270 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Ursell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ursell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ursell 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 72 #20,720
1861 historical 103 #20,650
1881 historical 156 #15,114
1891 historical 223 #13,800
1901 historical 250 #13,136
1911 historical 270 #12,273
1997 modern 356 #12,021
1998 modern 369 #12,077
1999 modern 371 #12,101
2000 modern 362 #12,264
2001 modern 349 #12,392
2002 modern 367 #12,198
2003 modern 345 #12,549
2004 modern 359 #12,222
2005 modern 355 #12,243
2006 modern 346 #12,539
2007 modern 355 #12,458
2008 modern 353 #12,616
2009 modern 366 #12,534
2010 modern 383 #12,394
2011 modern 373 #12,496
2012 modern 366 #12,520
2013 modern 363 #12,815
2014 modern 370 #12,712
2015 modern 359 #12,906
2016 modern 362 #12,810

Geography

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Where Ursells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes, Cardiff St John and St Mary and Cheltenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tendring, Erewash, Rugby, Bedford and Tewkesbury. 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 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
5 Cheltenham Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tendring 006 Tendring
2 Erewash 009 Erewash
3 Rugby 011 Rugby
4 Bedford 019 Bedford
5 Tewkesbury 005 Tewkesbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ursell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ursell

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Ursell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Ursell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ursell 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

Ursell 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

Ursell 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 Ursell 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Ursell

The surname Ursell has its roots in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word 'urse', meaning a bear. This name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who was considered strong or fierce like a bear.

One of the earliest known recorded instances of the name Ursell can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191, where a person named Ursellus is mentioned. It is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it appears as 'Ursell'.

The name Ursell has been associated with various places in England. For example, Ursell's Green in Oxfordshire and Ursell's Farm in Somerset. These places may have been named after individuals bearing the surname Ursell, further highlighting the historical presence of this name in various regions of the country.

One notable individual with the surname Ursell was William Ursell (c. 1550-1608), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Plympton Erle in 1597. Another prominent figure was John Ursell (1688-1766), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the 18th century.

In the realm of science, Robert Ursell (1903-1982) was a distinguished British mathematician and physicist. He made significant contributions to the study of wave theory and fluid dynamics. His work on the propagation of waves in fluids of finite depth is widely recognized.

Another individual worth mentioning is Sir John Ursell (1878-1957), a British businessman and philanthropist. He was the founder of the J. Ursell & Co. Ltd, a successful engineering company, and was also involved in various charitable endeavors.

The surname Ursell has also been associated with the arts. For example, Henry Ursell (1809-1878) was an English landscape painter known for his depictions of rural scenes and coastal landscapes in the 19th century.

Throughout its history, the surname Ursell has been found across various regions of England, with variations in spelling such as Ursill, Ursill, and Urssill. While the name may have originated as a nickname, it has evolved into a well-established surname with a rich historical presence in English records and notable individuals bearing this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ursell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ursell 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. Gloucestershire leads with 101 Ursells recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.84x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 101 33.84x
Surrey 16 2.16x
Middlesex 9 0.59x
Hampshire 8 2.56x
Yorkshire 6 0.40x
Cheshire 5 1.49x
Derbyshire 4 1.68x
Lancashire 4 0.22x
Warwickshire 2 0.52x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cheltenham in Gloucestershire leads with 50 Ursells recorded in 1881 and an index of 217.11x.

Place Total Index
Cheltenham 50 217.11x
Southwark St George Martyr 9 29.39x
Chelsea London 8 17.44x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 8 146.52x
Elmstone Hardwick 7 4117.65x
Gloucester Barton St 7 400.00x
Gloucester St Michael 7 1029.41x
Leckhampton 7 380.43x
Alverstoke 6 53.14x
Stonehouse 6 352.94x
Knutsford Nether 5 246.31x
Tanshelf 5 416.67x
Avening 4 380.95x
Boddington 4 1904.76x
Manchester 4 4.93x
Stapenhill 4 112.68x
Bermondsey 3 6.62x
East Molesey 2 116.28x
Newington 2 3.56x
Aston 1 0.95x
Coventry Holy Trinity 1 8.73x
Huddersfield 1 4.55x
New Alresford 1 123.46x
Northwood 1 22.52x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.89x
Shoreditch London 1 1.52x
Tewkesbury 1 37.59x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Elizabeth 7
Alice 5
Annie 4
Edith 4
Sarah 4
Eliza 3
Florence 3
Clara 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Jane 2
Louisa 2
Rosa 2
Adela 1
Adelaide 1
Agusta 1
Augusta 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Catherine 1
Christine 1
Christinna 1
Elisa 1
Elsie 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Fanney 1
Frances 1
Georgina 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Ivy 1
Jenny 1
Julia 1
Lizzie 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Minnie 1
Rohenia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
John 8
Henry 6
Frederick 5
George 5
James 4
Alfred 3
Francis 3
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Herbert 2
Paul 2
Richard 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
David 1
E.W. 1
Frank 1
Fredk.Josa. 1
G. 1
Joseph 1
Joshua 1
Louis 1
Matthew 1
Percy 1

FAQ

Ursell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ursell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 156 people were recorded with the Ursell surname. That placed it at #15,114 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ursell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 362 in 2016. That gives Ursell a modern rank of #12,810.

What does the Ursell surname mean?

A surname meaning either "bear" from the Latin ursus or an English variant spelling of Russell.

What does the Ursell map show?

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