NameCensus.

UK surname

Atanasov

A surname derived from the Bulgarian form of the given name Athanasios, meaning "immortal".

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Cambridgeshire, Newham and Waltham Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Atanasov is 256 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

256

2016, ranked #16,534

Peak year

2016

256 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 256 in 2016, ranked #16,534.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Atanasov surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Atanasov surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Atanasov 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
1997 modern 2 #38,557
1998 modern 2 #38,550
1999 modern 2 #38,551
2000 modern 2 #38,472
2001 modern 2 #38,335
2002 modern 3 #38,152
2003 modern 8 #37,248
2004 modern 20 #36,053
2005 modern 25 #35,752
2006 modern 35 #35,191
2007 modern 61 #33,440
2008 modern 77 #32,181
2009 modern 95 #30,393
2010 modern 123 #26,728
2011 modern 132 #25,303
2012 modern 191 #19,802
2013 modern 214 #18,671
2014 modern 233 #17,707
2015 modern 242 #17,191
2016 modern 256 #16,534

Geography

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Where Atanasovs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Cambridgeshire, Newham, Waltham Forest and Kingston upon Thames. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Cambridgeshire 006 East Cambridgeshire
2 Newham 001 Newham
3 Waltham Forest 012 Waltham Forest
4 Waltham Forest 018 Waltham Forest
5 Kingston upon Thames 011 Kingston upon Thames

Forenames

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First names often paired with Atanasov

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Atanasov

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Atanasov surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Atanasov household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Atanasov is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Atanasov 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

Atanasov falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Atanasov 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
Asian - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Atanasov

The surname Atanasov originates from Bulgaria and is derived from the Bulgarian male given name Atanas. This name is the Bulgarian form of the Greek name Athanasios, which means "immortal" or "eternal" in Greek.

Atanasov is a patronymic surname, meaning it was originally formed by adding the possessive suffix "-ov" to the name Atanas. This indicates that the person bearing the surname was a son or descendant of someone named Atanas.

The name Atanas has been present in Bulgaria since the adoption of Christianity in the 9th century AD. It was a popular name among Bulgarians due to the veneration of several saints named Athanasios in the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Atanasov can be found in a 15th-century manuscript from the Rila Monastery in Bulgaria. This document lists various landowners and their properties, including an individual named Petko Atanasov.

Another notable early bearer of the surname was Georgi Atanasov, a Bulgarian revolutionary who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He participated in the Tarnovo Uprising against Ottoman rule in 1798.

In the 19th century, the Bulgarian writer and teacher Petko Slaveykov (1827-1895) used the pen name Atanasov in some of his early works. He is considered one of the founders of modern Bulgarian literature.

Dimitar Atanasov (1884-1946) was a Bulgarian politician and one of the founders of the Bulgarian Agrarian National Union, a major political party in the early 20th century.

Nikolay Atanasov (1849-1924) was a renowned Bulgarian painter and one of the founders of the modern Bulgarian school of painting. His works depict scenes from Bulgarian rural life and are considered important examples of national art.

The surname Atanasov continues to be relatively common in Bulgaria today, though it is not among the most widespread Bulgarian surnames.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Atanasov surname: questions and answers

How common is the Atanasov surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 256 in 2016. That gives Atanasov a modern rank of #16,534.

What does the Atanasov surname mean?

A surname derived from the Bulgarian form of the given name Athanasios, meaning "immortal".

What does the Atanasov map show?

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