NameCensus.

UK surname

Yale

A habitational surname referring to someone who lived near a fertile upland region or hillside.

In the 1881 census there were 209 people recorded with the Yale surname, ranking it #12,475 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 425, ranked #11,300, up from #12,475 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedgley, Dawley, Magna and Dudley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Flintshire, Shropshire and Dudley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Yale is 446 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 103.3%.

1881 census count

209

Ranked #12,475

Modern count

425

2016, ranked #11,300

Peak year

2014

446 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Yale had 209 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,475 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 425 in 2016, ranked #11,300.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 332 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Yale surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Yale surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Yale 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 165 #12,053
1861 historical 270 #9,216
1881 historical 209 #12,475
1891 historical 277 #11,784
1901 historical 249 #13,172
1911 historical 332 #10,642
1997 modern 388 #11,255
1998 modern 402 #11,295
1999 modern 407 #11,305
2000 modern 391 #11,591
2001 modern 376 #11,753
2002 modern 380 #11,887
2003 modern 378 #11,741
2004 modern 387 #11,559
2005 modern 396 #11,271
2006 modern 383 #11,600
2007 modern 389 #11,604
2008 modern 397 #11,556
2009 modern 407 #11,556
2010 modern 405 #11,874
2011 modern 414 #11,533
2012 modern 419 #11,295
2013 modern 428 #11,304
2014 modern 446 #10,981
2015 modern 427 #11,292
2016 modern 425 #11,300

Geography

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Where Yales are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedgley, Dawley, Magna, Dudley, Edgmond (Edgmond), Chetwynd, Cheswardine, Hinstock and Madeley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Flintshire, Shropshire, Dudley and Middlesbrough. 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 Sedgley Staffordshire
2 Dawley, Magna Shropshire
3 Dudley Staffordshire
4 Edgmond (Edgmond), Chetwynd, Cheswardine, Hinstock Shropshire
5 Madeley Shropshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Flintshire 009 Flintshire
2 Shropshire 005 Shropshire
3 Flintshire 013 Flintshire
4 Dudley 010 Dudley
5 Middlesbrough 008 Middlesbrough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Yale

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Yale

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Yale is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Yale is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Yale falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Yale 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 Yale, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Yale

The surname YALE is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is thought to have originated from a place name, possibly the town of Yale in Denbighshire, Wales, which itself is derived from the Old English "gal" meaning "fertile upland".

Another theory suggests that the name YALE may have originated from the Old English word "gale" meaning "storm" or "gale wind". This could indicate that early bearers of the name lived in areas prone to strong winds or storms.

One of the earliest known references to the surname YALE can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which record a William de Yale in Oxfordshire. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records created during the reign of King Edward I.

In the 14th century, the surname YALE appeared in various forms, such as "Yale", "Yail", and "Yalle". These early spelling variations were common before the standardization of English spelling.

A notable early bearer of the YALE surname was Sir Richard Yale (c. 1370 - 1427), a Welsh landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Denbighshire. He was also the Constable of Rhuddlan Castle.

During the 16th century, the YALE surname appeared in the Visitation of Denbighshire, a genealogical record compiled in 1592. This record mentions several members of the Yale family, including Thomas Yale (1518 - 1577), who served as the High Sheriff of Denbighshire in 1569.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure with the YALE surname was Elihu Yale (1649 - 1721), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist born in Boston, Massachusetts. He made significant donations to the Collegiate School in Connecticut, which later became Yale University and was named in his honor.

Another notable bearer of the YALE surname was Linus Yale Jr. (1821 - 1868), an American inventor and mechanical engineer who revolutionized the lock industry with his famous cylinder lock design. His company, Yale Lock Manufacturing Company, became one of the largest lock manufacturers in the world.

Throughout history, the YALE surname has been associated with various places, including Yale in Denbighshire, Wales, and Yale, Oklahoma, a town in the United States named after the Yale family who settled there in the late 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Yale families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Yale 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. Shropshire leads with 55 Yales recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.23x.

County Total Index
Shropshire 55 31.23x
Staffordshire 39 5.67x
Kent 23 3.31x
Lancashire 16 0.66x
Devon 11 2.59x
Warwickshire 10 1.95x
Norfolk 8 2.55x
Durham 7 1.15x
Midlothian 7 2.56x
Yorkshire 7 0.35x
Middlesex 6 0.29x
Worcestershire 4 1.50x
Leicestershire 3 1.33x
Surrey 3 0.30x
Northumberland 2 0.66x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.53x
Berwickshire 1 4.05x
Denbighshire 1 1.30x
Essex 1 0.25x
Hampshire 1 0.24x
Herefordshire 1 1.20x
Royal Navy 1 4.12x
Somerset 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Madeley in Shropshire leads with 16 Yales recorded in 1881 and an index of 247.68x.

Place Total Index
Madeley 16 247.68x
Newport 11 516.43x
Edgmond 10 515.46x
Sedgley 10 39.12x
Charlton Next Woolwich 9 124.14x
Gillingham 9 62.76x
Tipton 9 42.71x
Wolverhampton 8 15.12x
Lynesack Softley 7 426.83x
Castle Church 6 144.93x
Lasswade 6 96.15x
Manchester 6 5.52x
Milton Abbott 6 983.61x
Rishton 6 211.27x
Brightside Bierlow 5 12.62x
Castle Acre 5 537.63x
Dawley 5 78.00x
Birmingham 4 2.33x
Coventry St Michael 4 24.23x
Ercall Magna 4 317.46x
Stoke Damerel 4 13.47x
Stoke Upon Trent 4 5.48x
Leicester St Margaret 3 5.44x
Wellington 3 30.30x
Chetwynd 2 350.88x
Kings Norton 2 8.38x
Milton In Gravesend 2 19.18x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 2 127.39x
Paddington London 2 2.67x
Shoreditch London 2 2.26x
Stanton Upon Hine Heath 2 434.78x
The Hill 2 116.96x
Tonbridge 2 7.97x
Tweedmouth 2 52.91x
Barnes 1 23.81x
Bromley London 1 2.23x
Broseley 1 31.95x
Bryneglwys 1 400.00x
Burslem 1 5.07x
Bury 1 3.62x
Cannock 1 8.33x
Cheetham 1 5.54x
Coppull 1 77.52x
Cullompton 1 54.05x
Doncaster 1 6.78x
Drayton In Hales 1 27.55x
Fillongley 1 136.99x
Greenlaw 1 114.94x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 10.63x
Lambeth 1 0.56x
Leominster 1 28.90x
Leyton 1 14.43x
Lonmay 1 58.48x
Newington 1 1.33x
Openshaw 1 8.83x
Portsea 1 1.22x
Ripon 1 21.32x
Royal Navy 1 4.81x
South Leith 1 3.25x
Spitalfields London 1 6.52x
Stratford On Avon 1 35.09x
Walcot 1 5.72x
Woolwich 1 3.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 20
Elizabeth 7
Sarah 7
Ann 6
Ellen 6
Eliza 5
Jane 5
Emily 4
Emma 4
Hannah 4
Louisa 4
Martha 4
Alice 2
Edith 2
Esther 2
Harriet 2
Rebecca 2
Agnes 1
Annie 1
Artilia 1
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Eliza. 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Flory 1
H. 1
Hariet 1
Harriett 1
Helene 1
Janet 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Rosamond 1
Selina 1
Thirza. 1
Trianta 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 17
John 15
Thomas 11
George 6
Joseph 5
Samuel 4
Charles 3
James 3
Robert 3
Alfred 2
Henry 2
Richard 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Cornelius 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Labon 1
Mark 1
Mathew 1
Moses 1
Oswald 1
Richd.Thos. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Yale surname: questions and answers

How common was the Yale surname in 1881?

In 1881, 209 people were recorded with the Yale surname. That placed it at #12,475 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Yale surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 425 in 2016. That gives Yale a modern rank of #11,300.

What does the Yale surname mean?

A habitational surname referring to someone who lived near a fertile upland region or hillside.

What does the Yale map show?

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