NameCensus.

UK surname

Bach

An occupational surname referring to someone living near or working at a stream or brook.

In the 1881 census there were 332 people recorded with the Bach surname, ranking it #9,058 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 474, ranked #10,385, down from #9,058 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tipton otherwise Tibington, London parishes and Ealing, Chiswick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redditch, Gedling and Greenwich.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bach is 474 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.8%.

1881 census count

332

Ranked #9,058

Modern count

474

2016, ranked #10,385

Peak year

2015

474 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bach had 332 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,058 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 474 in 2016, ranked #10,385.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 431 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Bach surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bach surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bach 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 214 #9,898
1861 historical 401 #6,399
1881 historical 332 #9,058
1891 historical 397 #8,927
1901 historical 431 #8,982
1911 historical 365 #9,955
1997 modern 360 #11,929
1998 modern 372 #12,008
1999 modern 381 #11,873
2000 modern 380 #11,837
2001 modern 363 #12,057
2002 modern 385 #11,771
2003 modern 365 #12,038
2004 modern 362 #12,155
2005 modern 356 #12,219
2006 modern 363 #12,123
2007 modern 384 #11,726
2008 modern 382 #11,901
2009 modern 388 #12,000
2010 modern 405 #11,874
2011 modern 408 #11,681
2012 modern 445 #10,753
2013 modern 449 #10,850
2014 modern 471 #10,541
2015 modern 474 #10,418
2016 modern 474 #10,385

Geography

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Where Bachs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tipton otherwise Tibington, London parishes, Ealing, Chiswick and Rosliston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redditch, Gedling, Greenwich, Brighton and Hove and Shropshire. 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 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Ealing, Chiswick Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
4 London parishes London 2
5 Rosliston Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redditch 005 Redditch
2 Gedling 001 Gedling
3 Greenwich 021 Greenwich
4 Brighton and Hove 011 Brighton and Hove
5 Shropshire 038 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bach

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bach

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Bach surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Bach 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Bach is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bach 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

Bach falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bach 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Bach

The surname "BACH" is of Germanic origin, derived from the Middle High German word "bach," meaning "stream" or "brook." It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a small stream or brook.

The earliest recorded use of the surname "BACH" dates back to the 13th century in various regions of modern-day Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia. It was often spelled in various ways, such as "Bache," "Bäche," or "Bech," reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations.

One of the earliest known references to the name "BACH" can be found in a document from the city of Arnstadt, Thuringia, dated 1289, where a person named "Heinricus Bache" is mentioned.

The name "BACH" gained prominence in the 16th and 17th centuries, with several notable individuals bearing this surname. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), the renowned German composer and musician, is perhaps the most famous bearer of this name. His works, including the Brandenburg Concertos, the Well-Tempered Clavier, and the Mass in B Minor, have had a profound influence on Western classical music.

Another prominent figure with the surname "BACH" was Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788), the second surviving son of Johann Sebastian Bach. He was a highly influential composer and musician in his own right, known for his contributions to the development of the Classical style.

In the 18th century, Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782), the youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach, gained recognition as a composer and music teacher. He spent much of his career in England, where he became known as the "English Bach."

The name "BACH" also has connections to several place names in Germany. For example, the town of Bachfeld in Bavaria is derived from the word "bach," meaning "stream." Similarly, the town of Bachrain in Baden-Württemberg is thought to have originated from the same root word.

Other notable individuals with the surname "BACH" include Johann Christoph Bach (1642-1703), a cousin of Johann Sebastian Bach and a respected composer and organist in his own right, and Johannes Bach (c. 1604-1673), the grandfather of Johann Sebastian Bach and a renowned musician and composer in the Baroque era.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bach families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bach 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. Worcestershire leads with 48 Bachs recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.35x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 48 11.35x
Middlesex 43 1.33x
Warwickshire 37 4.53x
Staffordshire 35 3.20x
Lancashire 26 0.68x
Shropshire 25 8.94x
Yorkshire 15 0.47x
Lincolnshire 10 1.93x
Herefordshire 9 6.78x
Kent 9 0.81x
Surrey 8 0.51x
Monmouthshire 7 2.99x
Radnorshire 7 26.79x
Devon 6 0.89x
Glamorgan 6 1.06x
Montgomeryshire 6 8.09x
Cheshire 5 0.70x
Derbyshire 5 0.99x
Nottinghamshire 5 1.15x
Midlothian 3 0.69x
Sussex 3 0.55x
Bedfordshire 2 1.19x
Berkshire 2 0.82x
Essex 2 0.31x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.51x
Cumberland 1 0.36x
Dorset 1 0.47x
Durham 1 0.10x
Gloucestershire 1 0.16x
Hertfordshire 1 0.45x
Lanarkshire 1 0.10x
Somerset 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 31 Bachs recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.39x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 31 11.39x
Kings Norton 19 50.11x
Kensington London 10 5.55x
Broughton In Salford 9 25.61x
Middlesbrough 8 19.14x
Worcester St Martin 8 140.11x
Barton Under Needwood 7 351.76x
Lee 7 43.64x
Pinchbeck 7 210.84x
Rowley Regis 7 22.97x
St Marylebone London 7 4.05x
Tipton 7 20.91x
Aston 6 2.67x
Kerry 6 269.06x
Worcester St Peter 6 74.91x
Camberwell 5 2.42x
Cwmdauddwr 5 595.24x
Diddlebury 5 543.48x
Dudley 5 9.72x
Ludlow St Lawrence 5 89.77x
Nottingham St Mary 5 4.43x
Walsall Foreign 5 8.85x
Bedwellty 4 9.68x
Cardiff St John 4 21.72x
Everton 4 3.27x
Kington 4 121.58x
Kirkdale 4 6.19x
St Anne Soho London 4 21.63x
Tormoham 4 14.03x
West Bromwich 4 6.39x
Whitechapel London 4 12.53x
Worcester Blockhouse 4 172.41x
Beverley St Mary 3 63.97x
Newton 3 10.13x
Panteg 3 81.30x
Richards Castle 3 352.94x
Rosliston 3 588.24x
Shrewsbury St Mary 3 27.17x
St Andrew Holborn London 3 21.40x
Tottenham 3 5.82x
Wistanstow Cheney 3 1875.00x
Blakenhall 2 909.09x
Gainsborough 2 16.38x
Gelligaer 2 15.53x
Hackney London 2 1.10x
Hastings St Mary 2 14.72x
Kidderminster Foreign 2 33.44x
Kingsland 2 169.49x
Kinver 2 63.49x
Mile End Old Town London 2 2.90x
Newington 2 1.67x
St George Bloomsbury 2 10.76x
Stokesay 2 243.90x
Tamworth 2 34.19x
Woodford 2 27.62x
Batheaston 1 56.18x
Bodenham 1 102.04x
Bradford 1 1.29x
Chesterfield 1 5.26x
Cliffe 1 40.16x
Clifton 1 3.11x
Dorchester All Sts 1 99.01x
Eastbourne 1 3.98x
Exeter St Thomas The 1 14.56x
Horton 1 105.26x
Islington London 1 0.32x
Lullington 1 120.48x
Lytham 1 17.04x
Macclesfield 1 3.15x
Modbury 1 58.14x
Parr 1 7.27x
Presteigne 1 60.24x
Reading St Mary 1 5.14x
Southcoates 1 5.61x
St Paul Walden 1 88.50x
Stourbridge 1 9.19x
Stranton 1 3.08x
Wakefield 1 4.06x
Windle 1 4.63x
Wolverhampton 1 1.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 17
Mary 12
Elizabeth 10
Annie 9
Alice 6
Ann 6
Ellen 6
Emma 6
Margaret 4
Fanny 3
Hannah 3
Lucy 3
Martha 3
Anna 2
Anne 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Jane 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Marie 2
Selina 2
Daisy 1
Dorothy 1
Elizth.M. 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Eva 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Ida 1
Ina 1
Jessie 1
Katherine 1
Laura 1
Lilly 1
Lizzie 1
Madeline 1
Margrat 1
Maria 1
Marriah 1
Minnie 1
Nancy 1
Zillah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 20
William 19
Thomas 12
Charles 10
George 10
Richard 9
Edward 8
Arthur 7
Henry 6
James 6
Albert 5
Frederick 5
Harry 4
Joseph 4
Walter 4
Frank 3
Alfred 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Phillip 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Thos. 2
Anton 1
Antonio 1
Benjamin 1
Benjiman 1
Berti 1
Charmis 1
Chas. 1
Conrad 1
Ed. 1
Emmanuel 1
Eric 1
Guide 1
Herman 1
Hubert 1
J.Alfred 1
Julius 1
Lillie 1
Lucy 1
Michael 1
Philip 1
Sidney 1
Solomon 1
Thos.D. 1
Wienz 1
Wilhelm 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Bach surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bach surname in 1881?

In 1881, 332 people were recorded with the Bach surname. That placed it at #9,058 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bach surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 474 in 2016. That gives Bach a modern rank of #10,385.

What does the Bach surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone living near or working at a stream or brook.

What does the Bach map show?

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