NameCensus.

UK surname

Bachelor

A surname referring to an unmarried man or the recipient of a bachelor's degree.

In the 1881 census there were 435 people recorded with the Bachelor surname, ranking it #7,500 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 207, ranked #19,118, down from #7,500 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Warmington and Arlescote, Flamstead and Tunbridge, Bidborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Reading, Cherwell and South Oxfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bachelor is 585 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 52.4%.

1881 census count

435

Ranked #7,500

Modern count

207

2016, ranked #19,118

Peak year

1851

585 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bachelor had 435 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,500 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 207 in 2016, ranked #19,118.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 585 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Bachelor surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bachelor surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bachelor 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 585 #4,372
1861 historical 528 #4,969
1881 historical 435 #7,500
1891 historical 425 #8,429
1901 historical 398 #9,508
1911 historical 259 #12,585
1997 modern 192 #18,103
1998 modern 207 #17,749
1999 modern 207 #17,855
2000 modern 214 #17,457
2001 modern 196 #18,146
2002 modern 208 #17,848
2003 modern 204 #17,909
2004 modern 205 #17,935
2005 modern 189 #18,807
2006 modern 183 #19,326
2007 modern 189 #19,146
2008 modern 188 #19,387
2009 modern 208 #18,551
2010 modern 211 #18,774
2011 modern 227 #17,733
2012 modern 191 #19,802
2013 modern 196 #19,790
2014 modern 199 #19,775
2015 modern 200 #19,567
2016 modern 207 #19,118

Geography

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Where Bachelors are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Warmington and Arlescote, Flamstead, Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Reading, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, Shropshire and East Northamptonshire. 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 Warmington and Arlescote Oxfordshire
2 Flamstead Hertfordshire
3 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Reading 006 Reading
2 Cherwell 009 Cherwell
3 South Oxfordshire 015 South Oxfordshire
4 Shropshire 025 Shropshire
5 East Northamptonshire 002 East Northamptonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bachelor

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bachelor

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Bachelor surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bachelor household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Bachelor is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bachelor is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bachelor falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bachelor 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
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bachelor

The surname Bachelor is of English origin and is derived from the Old French word 'bacheler', meaning a young man or a knight who had not yet attained the rank of a knight. It is believed to have emerged in the 12th century during the time of the Norman Conquest of England.

The name Bachelor was initially used as an occupational surname for those who were unmarried young men or servants. It was also used to refer to those who had attained the lowest rank of knighthood, known as a bachelor knight.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bachelor dates back to 1273, where a William le Bacheler is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. The Hundred Rolls were a series of administrative records compiled in the late 13th century, providing valuable information about landowners and their properties.

In the 14th century, the name Bachelor appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, which were financial records maintained by the Exchequer of England. The entry mentions a John Bachelor, who was likely a landowner or a taxpayer.

The surname Bachelor is also found in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. However, the spelling in the Domesday Book is slightly different, appearing as 'Bachelere'.

One notable bearer of the surname Bachelor was Sir John Bachelor, who lived in the late 14th century and served as the Sheriff of Oxfordshire and Berkshire in 1395. Another prominent individual was Thomas Bachelor, a 16th-century English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Bangor from 1572 to 1580.

During the 17th century, the name Bachelor was associated with several notable individuals, including Richard Bachelor, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in Lincolnshire, and John Bachelor, a member of the Massachusetts Bay Colony who arrived in America in the 1630s.

In the 18th century, the name Bachelor was borne by James Bachelor, a British naval officer who served during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He was born in 1726 and died in 1801.

Another notable figure was Sir Edward Bachelor, a British politician and Member of Parliament for Ipswich in the late 18th century. He was born in 1737 and passed away in 1799.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bachelor families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bachelor 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. Warwickshire leads with 104 Bachelors recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.81x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 104 9.81x
Middlesex 67 1.59x
Worcestershire 25 4.55x
Kent 21 1.46x
Staffordshire 19 1.34x
Sussex 17 2.40x
Northamptonshire 16 4.05x
Surrey 16 0.78x
Yorkshire 16 0.38x
Hertfordshire 11 3.80x
Norfolk 11 1.70x
Hampshire 10 1.16x
Buckinghamshire 9 3.54x
Essex 8 0.96x
Leicestershire 8 1.72x
Lincolnshire 8 1.19x
Suffolk 8 1.56x
Lancashire 6 0.12x
Durham 5 0.40x
Gloucestershire 5 0.61x
Angus 4 1.03x
Glamorgan 4 0.55x
Oxfordshire 4 1.54x
Devon 3 0.34x
Pembrokeshire 3 2.25x
Wiltshire 3 0.81x
Bedfordshire 2 0.92x
Berkshire 2 0.63x
Cornwall 2 0.42x
Dorset 2 0.72x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 3.29x
Lanarkshire 2 0.15x
Channel Islands 1 0.80x
Cheshire 1 0.11x
Derbyshire 1 0.15x
Fife 1 0.40x
Flintshire 1 0.88x
Renfrewshire 1 0.31x
Royal Navy 1 2.00x
Somerset 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Marylebone London in Middlesex leads with 17 Bachelors recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.57x.

Place Total Index
St Marylebone London 17 7.57x
Warmington 13 2321.43x
Byfield 11 964.91x
Pannal 10 250.00x
Shrewley 10 1886.79x
Nuneaton 9 73.29x
Pyecombe 9 1836.73x
Aston 8 2.74x
Aston Cantlow 8 503.14x
Barnby 8 2162.16x
Napton On Hill 8 625.00x
Woodbastwick 8 2666.67x
Grafton Manor 7 8750.00x
Hallow 7 260.22x
Islington London 7 1.72x
Langley 7 3181.82x
Leicester St Margaret 7 6.16x
Stratford On Avon 7 119.05x
Aldridge 6 219.78x
Chelsea London 6 4.74x
Long Itchington 6 361.45x
Poplar London 6 7.56x
Tonbridge 6 11.60x
Wycombe 6 31.66x
Birmingham 5 1.42x
Handsworth 5 14.29x
Harrow 5 77.76x
Louth 5 32.45x
Newington 5 3.22x
North Stoneham 5 255.10x
Bretforton 4 493.83x
Ealing 4 10.65x
Holy Trinity 4 3.99x
Kineton 4 263.16x
Kingswinford 4 7.76x
Liff Benvie 4 6.76x
Pebworth 4 404.04x
Reigate Foreign 4 18.03x
St Paul Walden 4 272.11x
Walton Le Soken 4 203.05x
Wootton Wawen 4 119.76x
Bedford 3 28.76x
Bromley London 3 3.24x
Croydon 3 2.64x
Feckenham 3 47.77x
Hythe St Leonard 3 59.17x
Leamington Priors 3 11.50x
Milton In Milton 3 49.18x
Pembroke St Mary 3 17.43x
Tipton 3 6.90x
Warkworth 3 84.27x
Barony 2 0.58x
Beaconsfield 2 85.11x
Bilton 2 81.97x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 2 14.04x
Bishops Tachbrook 2 232.56x
Eastbourne 2 6.13x
Frant 2 39.84x
Fulham London 2 3.28x
Hartlepool 2 11.25x
Holton 2 588.24x
Kelton 2 40.00x
Kensington London 2 0.86x
Kidderminster Borough 2 6.22x
Lanteglos 2 90.91x
Leysdown 2 714.29x
Llangynwyd Higher 2 56.82x
Neatishead 2 240.96x
Paddington London 2 1.29x
Reading St Giles 2 6.46x
Shadforth 2 82.30x
Tring 2 25.84x
Watford 2 8.90x
West Ham 2 1.09x
Westminster St John 2 3.91x
Wolborough 2 18.08x
Eltham 1 11.89x
Royal Navy 1 2.34x
Wappenham 1 149.25x
Woking 1 8.10x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 31
Elizabeth 16
Ann 14
Sarah 13
Emma 11
Annie 10
Jane 9
Alice 6
Eliza 6
Emily 6
Louisa 6
Charlotte 5
Lucy 5
Ada 4
Clara 4
Ellen 4
Hannah 4
Susan 4
Anne 3
Edith 3
Fanny 3
Maria 3
Martha 3
Beatrice 2
Jessie 2
Julia 2
Margaret 2
Matilda 2
Priscilla 2
Susannah 2
Bertha 1
Bessy 1
Blanch 1
Caroline 1
Charity 1
Esther 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Harriett 1
Kate 1
Lilley 1
Lilly 1
Lizzie 1
Lydia 1
M.A. 1
May 1
Morday 1
Sydney 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 31
George 21
John 19
Henry 11
James 11
Thomas 11
Alfred 6
Arthur 6
Charles 6
Albert 5
Edward 5
Walter 5
Frederick 4
Joseph 4
Richard 4
Samuel 4
Ernest 3
Harry 3
Peter 3
David 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Frederic 2
Herbert 2
Robert 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Daniel 1
Earnest 1
Edmund 1
Enoch 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Horace 1
Horatio 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Joshua 1
Leonard 1
Lewis 1
Martin 1
Percy 1
Phineas 1
Phinehas 1
R. 1
Silas 1
Stephen 1

FAQ

Bachelor surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bachelor surname in 1881?

In 1881, 435 people were recorded with the Bachelor surname. That placed it at #7,500 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bachelor surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 207 in 2016. That gives Bachelor a modern rank of #19,118.

What does the Bachelor surname mean?

A surname referring to an unmarried man or the recipient of a bachelor's degree.

What does the Bachelor map show?

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