NameCensus.

UK surname

Worsell

In the 1881 census there were 161 people recorded with the Worsell surname, ranking it #14,801 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 227, ranked #17,992, down from #14,801 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hever, Tunbridge, Bidborough and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mole Valley, Tunbridge Wells and Copeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Worsell is 243 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.0%.

1881 census count

161

Ranked #14,801

Modern count

227

2016, ranked #17,992

Peak year

2010

243 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Worsell had 161 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,801 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 227 in 2016, ranked #17,992.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 199 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Worsell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Worsell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Worsell 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 101 #17,036
1861 historical 106 #20,147
1881 historical 161 #14,801
1891 historical 161 #17,473
1901 historical 192 #15,518
1911 historical 199 #15,016
1997 modern 218 #16,704
1998 modern 238 #16,218
1999 modern 234 #16,506
2000 modern 229 #16,695
2001 modern 225 #16,664
2002 modern 223 #17,099
2003 modern 222 #16,942
2004 modern 221 #17,066
2005 modern 219 #17,126
2006 modern 232 #16,600
2007 modern 237 #16,571
2008 modern 233 #16,885
2009 modern 225 #17,631
2010 modern 243 #17,100
2011 modern 231 #17,530
2012 modern 221 #17,979
2013 modern 228 #17,864
2014 modern 229 #17,925
2015 modern 230 #17,795
2016 modern 227 #17,992

Geography

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Where Worsells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hever, Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes, Worth and Beckenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mole Valley, Tunbridge Wells, Copeland and Horsham. 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 Hever Kent
2 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 Worth Sussex
5 Beckenham Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mole Valley 011 Mole Valley
2 Tunbridge Wells 003 Tunbridge Wells
3 Copeland 007 Copeland
4 Horsham 002 Horsham
5 Tunbridge Wells 005 Tunbridge Wells

Forenames

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First names often paired with Worsell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Worsell

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Worsell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Worsell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Worsell is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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.

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Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Worsell is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Worsell 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 Worsell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Worsell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Worsell 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. Kent leads with 70 Worsells recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.98x.

County Total Index
Kent 70 12.98x
Surrey 57 7.40x
Sussex 18 6.76x
Middlesex 13 0.82x
Yorkshire 2 0.13x
Cornwall 1 0.56x
Royal Navy 1 5.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tonbridge in Kent leads with 24 Worsells recorded in 1881 and an index of 123.39x.

Place Total Index
Tonbridge 24 123.39x
Burstow 15 2307.69x
Reigate Foreign 15 179.86x
Folkestone 10 95.60x
Worth 10 518.13x
Hever 9 2432.43x
Carshalton 8 271.19x
Camberwell 7 6.93x
Hornsey 6 30.03x
Lewisham 6 20.87x
East Malling 5 387.60x
Beckenham 4 56.74x
Littlehampton 4 187.79x
Newington In Elham 4 1290.32x
Bletchingley 3 300.00x
Newington 3 5.14x
Rye 3 118.58x
St Luke London 3 11.83x
Godstone 2 144.93x
Lyminge 2 434.78x
Minster In Sheppey 2 22.40x
St Lawrence 2 53.91x
Ash Normandy 1 95.24x
Chiddingstone 1 142.86x
Croydon 1 2.34x
Frant 1 52.91x
Islington London 1 0.65x
Kensington London 1 1.14x
Leeds 1 1.13x
Penshurst 1 109.89x
Royal Navy 1 6.21x
Scilly Islands St Mary 1 142.86x
Shalford 1 117.65x
Spofforth Cum Stockeld 1 400.00x
St Marylebone London 1 1.19x
St Pancras London 1 0.79x
Sutton 1 17.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Eliza 6
Sarah 6
Annie 5
Elizabeth 5
Alice 4
Emily 4
Harriett 4
Caroline 3
Hannah 3
Jane 3
Ellen 2
Jessica 2
Sophia 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Aug.Elina 1
Bessy 1
Charlotte 1
Cissey 1
Daisy 1
Elanor 1
Elizh. 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Fanney 1
Fanny 1
Harriet 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Lilian 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Mariam 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Millicent 1
Milly 1
Nancy 1
Ninnie 1
Rhoda 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 13
William 10
John 7
Thomas 7
George 6
Alfred 4
Henry 4
Edward 3
Arthur 2
Frederick 2
Albert 1
Augustas 1
Charles 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Richard 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Worsell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Worsell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 161 people were recorded with the Worsell surname. That placed it at #14,801 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Worsell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 227 in 2016. That gives Worsell a modern rank of #17,992.

What does the Worsell map show?

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