NameCensus.

UK surname

Warrell

Originally denoting someone from an enclosure or animal pen.

In the 1881 census there were 331 people recorded with the Warrell surname, ranking it #9,071 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 255, ranked #16,576, down from #9,071 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Willesden and Rickmansworth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pembrokeshire, Redcar and Cleveland and Islington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Warrell is 459 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 23.0%.

1881 census count

331

Ranked #9,071

Modern count

255

2016, ranked #16,576

Peak year

1901

459 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Warrell had 331 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,071 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 255 in 2016, ranked #16,576.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 459 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Warrell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Warrell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Warrell 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 196 #10,573
1861 historical 299 #8,460
1881 historical 331 #9,071
1891 historical 448 #8,099
1901 historical 459 #8,577
1911 historical 448 #8,538
1997 modern 276 #14,290
1998 modern 280 #14,550
1999 modern 279 #14,670
2000 modern 272 #14,868
2001 modern 259 #15,151
2002 modern 265 #15,197
2003 modern 261 #15,180
2004 modern 267 #15,038
2005 modern 263 #15,139
2006 modern 258 #15,402
2007 modern 269 #15,123
2008 modern 266 #15,384
2009 modern 278 #15,230
2010 modern 282 #15,410
2011 modern 270 #15,754
2012 modern 280 #15,248
2013 modern 284 #15,358
2014 modern 273 #15,914
2015 modern 262 #16,278
2016 modern 255 #16,576

Geography

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Where Warrells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Willesden, Rickmansworth and Watford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pembrokeshire, Redcar and Cleveland, Islington, Sutton and Watford. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Rickmansworth Hertfordshire
5 Watford Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pembrokeshire 012 Pembrokeshire
2 Redcar and Cleveland 013 Redcar and Cleveland
3 Islington 023 Islington
4 Sutton 017 Sutton
5 Watford 004 Watford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Warrell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Warrell

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Warrell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Warrell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Warrell 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

Warrell 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

Warrell 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 Warrell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Warrell

The surname WARRELL is of English origin, derived from the old English word 'warrena', meaning a piece of land for keeping rabbits or hares. It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, around the 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname WARRELL can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire, dated 1273, where it appears as 'Warener'. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who was employed as a warrener, responsible for managing a warren or rabbit-hunting ground.

During the 14th century, the surname WARRELL began to appear in various records across England, with variations such as Warener, Wariner, and Wariner. In the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, the name is listed as 'Warrener'.

The surname WARRELL is also closely associated with certain place names in England, particularly those containing the element 'warren', such as Warren Farm in Oxfordshire and Warren Wood in Buckinghamshire. These place names likely influenced the development and spread of the surname WARRELL in those regions.

One notable individual with the surname WARRELL was John Warrell, a 16th-century English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He was born around 1530 and is mentioned in various trade records and guild documents from that period.

In the 17th century, Thomas Warrell, born in 1622, was a prominent figure in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, where he served as a churchwarden and is recorded in the parish registers.

During the 18th century, the WARRELL surname gained further recognition with the birth of William Warrell in 1745. He was a notable English engraver and artist, known for his intricate copperplate engravings and illustrations.

Another individual of note was Elizabeth Warrell, born in 1788, who was a prolific writer and author of several novels and plays during the early 19th century, including 'The Spinster's Companion' and 'The Orphan's Tale'.

In the late 19th century, the name WARRELL was associated with Sir Charles Warrell, born in 1862, who was a distinguished English architect and designer of several notable buildings, including the Royal Opera House in London.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Warrell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Warrell 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 99 Warrells recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.08x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 99 3.08x
Hertfordshire 41 18.48x
Buckinghamshire 26 13.36x
Lancashire 26 0.68x
Kent 24 2.19x
Staffordshire 21 1.93x
Surrey 20 1.28x
Warwickshire 15 1.85x
Lincolnshire 12 2.33x
Sussex 7 1.29x
Hampshire 6 0.91x
Oxfordshire 6 3.02x
Essex 4 0.63x
Berkshire 3 1.24x
Cardiganshire 3 3.82x
Flintshire 3 3.47x
Cheshire 2 0.28x
Durham 2 0.21x
Norfolk 2 0.40x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.46x
Yorkshire 2 0.06x
Devon 1 0.15x
Lanarkshire 1 0.10x
Northamptonshire 1 0.33x
Worcestershire 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire leads with 17 Warrells recorded in 1881 and an index of 278.23x.

Place Total Index
Rickmansworth 17 278.23x
Bethnal Green London 15 10.73x
Chelsea London 15 15.46x
Watford 15 87.21x
Golborne 11 220.88x
Caistor 9 439.02x
Lewisham 9 15.37x
Maidstone 9 27.51x
St Marylebone London 9 5.24x
Chesham 8 111.58x
Hackney London 8 4.43x
Handsworth 8 29.87x
Westminster St James 8 24.18x
Birmingham 7 2.59x
Islington London 7 2.24x
Tamworth 7 120.48x
Hampton London 6 113.42x
Hound 6 133.93x
Oxford St Giles 6 63.29x
Shoreditch London 6 4.30x
St Albans 6 131.87x
Broadwater 5 40.16x
Darlaston 5 33.29x
Lambeth 5 1.78x
Manchester 5 2.91x
Mile End Old Town 5 9.84x
Battersea 4 3.38x
Chenies 4 930.23x
Eton 4 90.70x
Iver 4 159.36x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 6.17x
St Giles In Fields 4 36.04x
Warwick St Mary 4 56.74x
West Ham 4 2.85x
Aberystwith 3 44.38x
Bermondsey 3 3.13x
Bray 3 42.25x
Camberwell 3 1.46x
Ealing 3 10.43x
Friern Barnet 3 42.31x
Moss Side 3 14.93x
Rhuddlan 3 39.37x
Aldenham 2 99.01x
Aston 2 0.89x
Brighton 2 1.83x
Isleworth 2 13.98x
Monks Kirby 2 111.73x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 2 80.65x
Pendleton In Salford 2 4.39x
Preston 2 1.96x
Southwick 2 22.05x
Spalding 2 19.59x
St Pancras London 2 0.77x
Upton Cum Chalvey 2 25.77x
Wilmington 2 130.72x
Acton 1 5.30x
Bilston 1 4.75x
Bradford 1 1.30x
Chalfont St Peter 1 62.50x
Dudley 1 1.96x
Dutton 1 200.00x
Everton 1 0.82x
Gate Fulford 1 13.42x
Halstead 1 188.68x
Horton 1 105.26x
Kensington London 1 0.56x
Little Marlow 1 92.59x
Market Rasen 1 34.72x
Northampton All Sts 1 9.74x
Norwood 1 13.59x
Nottingham St Mary 1 0.89x
Rotherhithe 1 2.51x
Snenton 1 5.87x
St Albans St Michael 1 40.32x
St George Hanover 1 2.38x
St Pauls Cray 1 119.05x
Toxteth Park 1 0.77x
Warrington 1 2.21x
Whitchurch 1 84.75x
Woolwich 1 2.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 21
Elizabeth 16
Sarah 10
Eliza 8
Annie 7
Emily 7
Jane 7
Agnes 4
Alice 4
Ann 4
Edith 4
Jessie 4
Fanny 3
Grace 3
Hannah 3
Lucy 3
Maria 3
Minnie 3
Sophia 3
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Esther 2
Harriet 2
Jemima 2
Kate 2
Lavinia 2
Margaret 2
Matilda 2
Rose 2
Rosseter 2
Anne 1
Bridget 1
Caroline 1
Carry 1
Clara 1
Emmah 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Harriett 1
Helene 1
Isabella 1
Jno. 1
Julia 1
Lidia 1
Lilly 1
Louise 1
Marian 1
Marie 1
Martha 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 29
John 14
Charles 11
George 11
James 11
Thomas 9
Alfred 6
Frederick 5
Joseph 5
David 4
Edward 4
Walter 4
Arthur 3
Henry 3
Reuben 3
Stephen 3
Edmund 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Herbert 2
Marchant 2
Samuel 2
Wm. 2
Abijah 1
Albert 1
Ashley 1
Benjamin 1
Bertie 1
Cyril 1
Elliston 1
Frances 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.Wm. 1
Jno. 1
Jonathan 1
Joshua 1
Owen 1
Richard 1
Sydney 1

FAQ

Warrell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Warrell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 331 people were recorded with the Warrell surname. That placed it at #9,071 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Warrell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 255 in 2016. That gives Warrell a modern rank of #16,576.

What does the Warrell surname mean?

Originally denoting someone from an enclosure or animal pen.

What does the Warrell map show?

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