NameCensus.

UK surname

Babbage

From an Old English surname meaning "babe's pledge" or "child's servant."

In the 1881 census there were 471 people recorded with the Babbage surname, ranking it #7,088 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 538, ranked #9,457, down from #7,088 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Tormoham with Torquay and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheltenham, North Norfolk and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Babbage is 593 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.2%.

1881 census count

471

Ranked #7,088

Modern count

538

2016, ranked #9,457

Peak year

1999

593 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Babbage had 471 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,088 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 538 in 2016, ranked #9,457.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 588 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Babbage surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Babbage surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Babbage 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 372 #6,397
1861 historical 307 #8,262
1881 historical 471 #7,088
1891 historical 536 #7,013
1901 historical 588 #7,179
1911 historical 583 #6,986
1997 modern 533 #8,871
1998 modern 559 #8,808
1999 modern 593 #8,508
2000 modern 563 #8,781
2001 modern 558 #8,709
2002 modern 575 #8,685
2003 modern 571 #8,609
2004 modern 569 #8,653
2005 modern 560 #8,679
2006 modern 552 #8,786
2007 modern 562 #8,750
2008 modern 559 #8,844
2009 modern 582 #8,784
2010 modern 567 #9,148
2011 modern 546 #9,322
2012 modern 543 #9,264
2013 modern 553 #9,299
2014 modern 565 #9,191
2015 modern 550 #9,308
2016 modern 538 #9,457

Geography

Back to top

Where Babbages are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Tormoham with Torquay, London parishes, St Pancras and Burrington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheltenham, North Norfolk, Cornwall and Exeter. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Tormoham with Torquay Devon
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Burrington Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheltenham 005 Cheltenham
2 North Norfolk 003 North Norfolk
3 Cornwall 072 Cornwall
4 Exeter 015 Exeter
5 Cheltenham 003 Cheltenham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Babbage

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Babbage

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Babbage surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Babbage 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Babbage 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.

Read profile summary

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

Babbage 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

Babbage falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Babbage

The surname Babbage is of English origin and dates back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bæcce," which referred to a baker or a bakehouse. This occupational surname was likely given to individuals who worked as bakers or were associated with the baking trade.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Babbage can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, it appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which mentions a person named Walter le Baggere. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also contain entries for individuals with the surname Bagge, which is a variant spelling.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Babbage was John Babbage, a Member of Parliament for the borough of Derby during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the late 16th century. He was born around 1540 and died in 1604.

In the 17th century, the surname Babbage was also associated with notable figures such as Walter Babbage, a prominent merchant in the town of Stratton, Cornwall, who lived from 1625 to 1703.

The most famous bearer of the surname Babbage was undoubtedly Charles Babbage (1791-1871), the English mathematician, philosopher, inventor, and mechanical engineer. He is widely regarded as the "father of the computer" for his pioneering work on the Analytical Engine, a mechanical general-purpose computer concept.

Another individual of note was Benjamin Babbage (1757-1833), an English mathematician and inventor who contributed to the development of various machinery and instruments, including a device for measuring the speed of machinery.

In the 19th century, the Babbage surname was also associated with individuals like Augustus Frederick Babbage (1826-1901), an English engineer and inventor, and Charles Whitmore Babbage (1842-1911), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London.

While the surname Babbage originated as an occupational name in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, its roots can be traced back to the baking trade in medieval England, where individuals associated with this profession were given the surname Babbage or its variants.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Babbage families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Babbage 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. Devon leads with 192 Babbages recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.91x.

County Total Index
Devon 192 19.91x
Somerset 78 10.46x
Middlesex 40 0.86x
Surrey 38 1.68x
Gloucestershire 24 2.64x
Cornwall 21 4.00x
Berkshire 14 4.03x
Kent 13 0.82x
Lancashire 13 0.24x
Glamorgan 10 1.24x
Hampshire 8 0.84x
Wiltshire 5 1.22x
Royal Navy 4 7.24x
Warwickshire 4 0.34x
Dorset 3 0.99x
Flintshire 3 2.41x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.36x
Durham 1 0.07x
Essex 1 0.11x
Monmouthshire 1 0.30x
Oxfordshire 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bridgewater in Somerset leads with 20 Babbages recorded in 1881 and an index of 98.77x.

Place Total Index
Bridgewater 20 98.77x
Newton Abbot St Mary 20 247.22x
Tormoham 16 39.21x
Burrington 14 1138.21x
Newington 14 8.18x
Wolborough 13 106.64x
St Pancras London 12 3.22x
Bedminster 11 15.69x
Cheltenham 11 15.69x
Plymouth St Andrew 11 14.80x
Chorlton On Medlock 10 11.45x
Lambeth 10 2.48x
Mariansleigh 10 2857.14x
St Germans 10 273.22x
Wokingham 10 125.94x
Westbury On Trym 9 29.23x
Battersea 8 4.69x
Chudleigh 8 260.59x
Portishead 8 144.40x
Portsea 8 4.30x
St Marylebone London 8 3.23x
East Teignmouth 7 177.22x
Tavistock 7 63.69x
Tiverton 7 42.14x
West Teignmouth 7 94.85x
Huish Champflower 6 1034.48x
Huntspill 6 196.72x
Langtree 6 512.82x
Bishopsteignton 5 273.22x
Exeter St David 5 60.68x
Fremington 5 255.10x
Meare 5 223.21x
Plympton Maurice 5 274.73x
Plymstock 5 99.01x
West Hatch 5 746.27x
Bathwick 4 48.48x
Bideford 4 38.72x
Birmingham 4 1.03x
Bromley London 4 3.92x
Charlton 4 38.10x
Chulmleigh 4 181.82x
Fisherton Anger 4 52.77x
Liskeard 4 45.56x
Llandaff 4 14.90x
Reading St Mary 4 14.36x
Roath 4 10.91x
Royal Navy 4 8.47x
Walcot 4 10.07x
Windlesham 4 94.12x
Clerkenwell London 3 2.74x
Dunsford 3 243.90x
Minster In Sheppey 3 11.45x
Nailsea 3 101.69x
Rhuddlan 3 27.37x
South Molton 3 56.60x
St Clement 3 54.74x
Bristol St James In 2 14.97x
East Anstey 2 540.54x
Greenwich 2 2.71x
Islington London 2 0.45x
Kensington London 2 0.78x
Kingsteignton 2 74.63x
Nettlecombe 2 425.53x
Salford 2 1.24x
Sampford Courtenay 2 138.89x
St John Near Swansea 2 20.04x
St Paul Covent Garden 2 43.10x
Stoke Damerel 2 2.96x
Weston 2 34.84x
Barnstaple 1 6.61x
Blandford St Mary 1 172.41x
Dartmouth St Savior 1 86.96x
Dawlish 1 13.91x
Eton 1 15.75x
Hampstead London 1 1.39x
Kenton 1 32.89x
Littleham 1 14.18x
Skenfrith 1 101.01x
St Mary Magdalen Old Fish 1 500.00x
Thorverton 1 68.03x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 28
John 27
James 22
George 18
Thomas 15
Alfred 9
Charles 9
Gilbert 9
Henry 9
Edwin 6
Frederick 5
Richard 5
Fred 4
Joseph 4
Fredk. 3
Lawrence 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Christopher 2
Dugatt 2
Edmund 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Percy 2
Samuel 2
Sydney 2
Walter 2
Benjamin 1
Charlie 1
Claude 1
Cristopher 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Edwd. 1
Felix 1
Francis 1
Herand 1
Herbert 1
Jas.G. 1
Louis 1
Mary 1
Noah 1
Octavius 1
Philip 1
Robert 1
S. 1
Saml. 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1
Wm.Herbert 1

FAQ

Babbage surname: questions and answers

How common was the Babbage surname in 1881?

In 1881, 471 people were recorded with the Babbage surname. That placed it at #7,088 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Babbage surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 538 in 2016. That gives Babbage a modern rank of #9,457.

What does the Babbage surname mean?

From an Old English surname meaning "babe's pledge" or "child's servant."

What does the Babbage map show?

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