NameCensus.

UK surname

Backhouse

In the 1881 census there were 2,235 people recorded with the Backhouse surname, ranking it #1,990 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,863, ranked #2,347, down from #1,990 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Garforth, West and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Suffolk Coastal, East Riding of Yorkshire and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Backhouse is 3,112 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.1%.

1881 census count

2,235

Ranked #1,990

Modern count

2,863

2016, ranked #2,347

Peak year

2000

3,112 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Backhouse had 2,235 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,990 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,863 in 2016, ranked #2,347.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,024 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Backhouse surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Backhouse surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Backhouse 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 1,481 #1,935
1861 historical 1,473 #1,923
1881 historical 2,235 #1,990
1891 historical 2,357 #1,990
1901 historical 2,760 #2,012
1911 historical 3,024 #1,724
1997 modern 2,942 #2,201
1998 modern 3,052 #2,206
1999 modern 3,111 #2,175
2000 modern 3,112 #2,163
2001 modern 3,008 #2,192
2002 modern 3,059 #2,198
2003 modern 3,006 #2,185
2004 modern 2,991 #2,194
2005 modern 2,962 #2,191
2006 modern 2,973 #2,179
2007 modern 2,968 #2,199
2008 modern 2,948 #2,233
2009 modern 2,993 #2,252
2010 modern 3,008 #2,299
2011 modern 2,976 #2,290
2012 modern 2,907 #2,303
2013 modern 2,971 #2,295
2014 modern 2,944 #2,324
2015 modern 2,909 #2,319
2016 modern 2,863 #2,347

Geography

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Where Backhouses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Garforth, West, Manchester, Dalton-in-Furness and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Suffolk Coastal, East Riding of Yorkshire, Wakefield and East Staffordshire. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Garforth, West Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Suffolk Coastal 007 Suffolk Coastal
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 040 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Wakefield 042 Wakefield
4 East Staffordshire 001 East Staffordshire
5 Wakefield 001 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Backhouse

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Backhouse

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Backhouse, 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 Backhouse surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Backhouse 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Backhouse is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Backhouse 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

Backhouse 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 Backhouse 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 Backhouse, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Backhouse families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Backhouse 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. Yorkshire leads with 869 Backhouses recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.03x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 869 4.03x
Lancashire 501 1.94x
Middlesex 133 0.61x
Suffolk 81 3.06x
Westmorland 67 14.01x
Durham 58 0.90x
Surrey 50 0.47x
Lincolnshire 49 1.41x
Kent 48 0.65x
Staffordshire 42 0.57x
Cumberland 40 2.14x
Somerset 37 1.06x
Essex 30 0.70x
Hampshire 29 0.65x
Cheshire 28 0.58x
Northumberland 22 0.68x
Bedfordshire 17 1.51x
Gloucestershire 17 0.40x
Derbyshire 15 0.44x
Glamorgan 11 0.29x
Shropshire 11 0.59x
Dorset 9 0.63x
Sussex 9 0.25x
Warwickshire 8 0.15x
Worcestershire 8 0.28x
Wiltshire 7 0.36x
Cornwall 6 0.24x
Devon 6 0.13x
Berkshire 4 0.25x
Norfolk 4 0.12x
Lanarkshire 3 0.04x
Leicestershire 3 0.12x
Monmouthshire 3 0.19x
Royal Navy 2 0.77x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.08x
Fife 1 0.08x
Renfrewshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 65 Backhouses recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.34x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 65 5.34x
Garforth 52 315.15x
Barrow In Furness 41 11.68x
Manchester 38 3.27x
Dalton In Furness 36 36.13x
Everton 35 4.25x
Islington London 28 1.33x
Ambleside 27 182.19x
Headingley Cum Burley 27 19.46x
Seacroft 27 264.45x
West Derby 26 3.44x
Warrington 22 7.19x
Methley 21 69.19x
Withnell 21 132.58x
West Ham 20 2.11x
Wednesfield 19 17.58x
Bradford 18 3.45x
Gateshead 18 3.71x
Hook 17 35.85x
Kelsale 17 230.98x
Lyncombe Widcombe 17 18.54x
Wakefield 17 10.27x
Blackburn 16 2.33x
Oldham 16 1.92x
St Giles In Fields London 16 14.99x
Ashton Under Lyne 15 2.66x
Beverley St Mary 14 44.47x
Liverpool 14 0.89x
Low Holme 14 132.45x
Camberwell 13 0.94x
Halifax 13 4.11x
Selby 13 28.86x
Sherburn 13 73.40x
Skipton 13 19.16x
Tipton 13 5.78x
Applethwaite 12 84.15x
Castleford 12 15.29x
Deptford St Paul 12 2.10x
East Broughton 12 163.27x
Featherstone 12 49.57x
Hartlepool 12 13.05x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 12 15.58x
Preston 12 1.74x
Wistow 12 209.42x
Wortley In Bramley 12 7.03x
Batley 11 5.37x
Bisley 11 28.45x
Cattal 11 827.07x
Frodingham 11 88.78x
Holy Trinity 11 2.12x
Holy Trinity St Mary 11 33.52x
Mile End Old Town London 11 2.38x
Rydal Loughrigg 11 296.50x
Salford 11 1.45x
Saxmundham 11 111.90x
St George In East London 11 5.38x
Bramley In Bramley 10 12.12x
Colton 10 74.29x
Great Eccleston 10 213.68x
Lewisham 10 2.53x
Liversedge 10 10.42x
Manningham 10 3.77x
Middleton Tyas 10 243.90x
Portsea 10 1.14x
Potter Newton 10 26.30x
Winterton 10 83.75x
Womersley 10 349.65x
Ardwick 9 3.87x
Chirton 9 12.29x
Cliff Cum Lund 9 188.68x
Cowthorpe 9 967.74x
Kirkdale 9 2.07x
Leighton Buzzard 9 18.58x
Penge 9 6.48x
Sheffield 9 1.31x
Sutton 9 213.27x
Tranmere 9 5.10x
Gorton 8 3.30x
Kippax 8 42.19x
York St Lawrence 8 35.59x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 160
Elizabeth 89
Sarah 74
Jane 57
Ann 55
Annie 36
Emma 31
Emily 27
Margaret 25
Eliza 24
Ellen 24
Hannah 21
Harriet 21
Alice 20
Martha 18
Kate 17
Agnes 14
Florence 14
Louisa 14
Ada 13
Edith 13
Charlotte 11
Maria 11
Lucy 10
Clara 9
Catherine 8
Elizth. 8
Fanny 8
Eleanor 7
Isabella 7
Susan 7
Beatrice 6
Ethel 6
Laura 6
Rose 6
Ruth 6
Dinah 5
Frances 5
Rachel 5
Rebecca 5
Susannah 5
Amelia 4
Flora 4
Gertrude 4
Grace 4
Harriett 4
Jessie 4
Sophia 4
Anne 3
Caroline 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 141
John 140
Thomas 83
James 77
George 72
Joseph 54
Charles 38
Henry 33
Alfred 25
Arthur 24
Richard 24
Robert 21
Edward 20
Frederick 18
Samuel 14
Benjamin 12
Herbert 12
Albert 11
Wm. 11
Frank 10
Fred 10
Thos. 10
Walter 10
Harry 9
Tom 7
Jesse 6
Allan 5
Chas. 5
Edwin 5
Francis 5
Jonathan 5
Daniel 4
Infant 4
Jas. 4
Mark 4
Percy 4
Robt. 4
Seth 4
Andrew 3
Cornelius 3
Edmund 3
Ernest 3
Fleming 3
Jno. 3
Noah 3
Richd. 3
Vincent 3
Willm. 3
Christopher 2
Oliver 2

FAQ

Backhouse surname: questions and answers

How common was the Backhouse surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,235 people were recorded with the Backhouse surname. That placed it at #1,990 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Backhouse surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,863 in 2016. That gives Backhouse a modern rank of #2,347.

What does the Backhouse map show?

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