NameCensus.

UK surname

Westell

In the 1881 census there were 172 people recorded with the Westell surname, ranking it #14,163 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 238, ranked #17,361, down from #14,163 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, St Albans or The Abbey and Brancepeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ibrox East and Cessnock, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Westell is 274 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.4%.

1881 census count

172

Ranked #14,163

Modern count

238

2016, ranked #17,361

Peak year

1911

274 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Westell had 172 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,163 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016, ranked #17,361.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 274 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Westell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Westell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Westell 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 120 #15,144
1861 historical 114 #19,011
1881 historical 172 #14,163
1891 historical 222 #13,854
1901 historical 223 #14,134
1911 historical 274 #12,150
1997 modern 237 #15,809
1998 modern 245 #15,903
1999 modern 265 #15,187
2000 modern 260 #15,360
2001 modern 256 #15,273
2002 modern 254 #15,641
2003 modern 237 #16,191
2004 modern 239 #16,193
2005 modern 229 #16,631
2006 modern 230 #16,690
2007 modern 226 #17,103
2008 modern 224 #17,337
2009 modern 228 #17,486
2010 modern 242 #17,138
2011 modern 245 #16,874
2012 modern 257 #16,212
2013 modern 259 #16,392
2014 modern 256 #16,643
2015 modern 239 #17,322
2016 modern 238 #17,361

Geography

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Where Westells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, St Albans or The Abbey, Brancepeth, London parishes and Oxford City: St Ebbe. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ibrox East and Cessnock, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 St Albans or The Abbey Hertfordshire
3 Brancepeth Durham
4 London parishes London 2
5 Oxford City: St Ebbe Oxfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ibrox East and Cessnock Glasgow City
2 Hyndburn 004 Hyndburn
3 Hyndburn 006 Hyndburn
4 Hyndburn 007 Hyndburn
5 Ribble Valley 005 Ribble Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Westell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Westell

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Westell 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

Westell is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Westell 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 Westell 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 Westell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Westell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Westell 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. Lancashire leads with 48 Westells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.41x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 48 2.41x
Hertfordshire 22 19.02x
Oxfordshire 22 21.23x
Middlesex 16 0.95x
Durham 11 2.20x
Gloucestershire 10 3.04x
Surrey 9 1.10x
Wiltshire 8 5.39x
Suffolk 7 3.43x
Kent 4 0.70x
Lincolnshire 4 1.49x
Warwickshire 4 0.95x
Devon 3 0.86x
Yorkshire 3 0.18x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.99x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire leads with 15 Westells recorded in 1881 and an index of 213.37x.

Place Total Index
Oswaldtwistle 15 213.37x
Clitheroe 12 204.78x
St Albans 12 506.33x
Crook Billy Row 11 172.14x
Newchurch 10 61.39x
Oxford St Aldate 10 917.43x
St Albans St Peter 10 256.41x
Bristol St Stephen 8 941.18x
Bishopstone 7 985.92x
Ipswich St Mathew 7 122.16x
Bermondsey 6 12.01x
St Luke London 5 18.58x
Birmingham 4 2.84x
Great Grimsby 4 23.49x
Oxford St Thomas 4 82.64x
St Pancras London 4 2.96x
Witney 4 231.21x
Bethnal Green London 3 4.12x
Oxford St Ebbe 3 98.36x
Padiham 3 62.37x
Scarborough 3 19.85x
Stoke Damerel 3 12.28x
Witton 3 120.00x
Woolwich 3 14.18x
Accrington 2 11.05x
Lambeth 2 1.37x
St Giles In Fields 2 34.54x
Bristol St James In 1 20.66x
Camberwell 1 0.93x
Clayton Le Moors 1 25.91x
Cowley 1 30.96x
Heaton Norris 1 8.83x
Kensington London 1 1.07x
Liverpool 1 0.83x
Minster In Sheppey 1 10.55x
St Marylebone London 1 1.12x
Stapleton 1 16.03x
Stony Stratford East 1 238.10x
Wanborough 1 196.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Alice 5
Elizabeth 5
Ellen 5
Sarah 5
Ann 3
Emma 3
Catherine 2
Eliza 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Prudence 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Amelia 1
Annie 1
Barbour 1
Betty 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Elizb. 1
Emily 1
Emmeline 1
Emmie 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Grace 1
Hanna 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Laura 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Matilda 1
Mirah 1
Nancy 1
Rose 1
Roseain 1
Ruth 1
Williama 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
James 9
Frederick 5
George 5
Joseph 5
Thomas 5
Benjamin 4
William 4
Charles 3
Edward 3
Jno.C. 3
Robert 3
Ernest 2
Thompson 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Benjiman 1
Chas.Edwin 1
Ebenezer 1
Edgar 1
Fredk. 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Isaiah 1
Jno. 1
Josh. 1
Lionel 1
Reuben 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Westell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Westell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 172 people were recorded with the Westell surname. That placed it at #14,163 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Westell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016. That gives Westell a modern rank of #17,361.

What does the Westell map show?

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