NameCensus.

UK surname

Backshall

In the 1881 census there were 229 people recorded with the Backshall surname, ranking it #11,784 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 247, ranked #16,955, down from #11,784 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, East Grinstead and Hoathly, West. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mid Sussex and Portsmouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Backshall is 341 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7.9%.

1881 census count

229

Ranked #11,784

Modern count

247

2016, ranked #16,955

Peak year

1911

341 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Backshall had 229 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,784 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 247 in 2016, ranked #16,955.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 341 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Backshall surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Backshall surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Backshall 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 72 #20,720
1861 historical 151 #15,209
1881 historical 229 #11,784
1891 historical 237 #13,242
1901 historical 290 #11,925
1911 historical 341 #10,468
1997 modern 299 #13,563
1998 modern 309 #13,612
1999 modern 299 #14,000
2000 modern 295 #14,070
2001 modern 294 #13,896
2002 modern 294 #14,180
2003 modern 277 #14,577
2004 modern 267 #15,038
2005 modern 249 #15,679
2006 modern 244 #16,011
2007 modern 253 #15,776
2008 modern 257 #15,777
2009 modern 260 #15,972
2010 modern 266 #16,067
2011 modern 272 #15,653
2012 modern 257 #16,212
2013 modern 249 #16,825
2014 modern 247 #17,035
2015 modern 243 #17,141
2016 modern 247 #16,955

Geography

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Where Backshalls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, East Grinstead, Hoathly, West, Ardingley and Balcombe. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mid Sussex and Portsmouth. 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 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
2 East Grinstead Sussex
3 Hoathly, West Sussex
4 Ardingley Sussex
5 Balcombe Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mid Sussex 014 Mid Sussex
2 Mid Sussex 017 Mid Sussex
3 Mid Sussex 015 Mid Sussex
4 Mid Sussex 010 Mid Sussex
5 Portsmouth 023 Portsmouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Backshall

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Backshall

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

Backshall is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Backshall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Backshall 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. Sussex leads with 198 Backshalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 52.58x.

County Total Index
Sussex 198 52.58x
Middlesex 21 0.94x
Surrey 8 0.74x
Kent 2 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ardingly in Sussex leads with 54 Backshalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 4500.00x.

Place Total Index
Ardingly 54 4500.00x
West Hoathly 33 2796.61x
East Grinstead 27 506.57x
Balcombe 22 3283.58x
Brighton 15 19.74x
Hastings St Leonards 8 144.40x
Islington London 8 3.70x
Eastbourne 7 40.39x
Lindfield 7 440.25x
Cuckfield 6 157.89x
Bromley London 5 10.18x
Clerkenwell London 4 7.59x
Croydon 4 6.62x
Heighton South 4 5714.29x
Piddinghoe 4 2352.94x
Willesden 4 18.99x
Battle 3 118.11x
Keymer 3 112.78x
Frindsbury 2 69.69x
Hove 2 12.11x
Lambeth 2 1.03x
Epsom 1 18.87x
Horsted Keynes 1 113.64x
Lewes St John Southover 1 39.53x
Lingfield 1 47.17x
Subdeanery 1 34.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 14
George 10
John 10
Henry 8
James 8
Benjamin 5
Joseph 5
Alfred 4
Arthur 4
David 4
Charles 3
Frank 3
Harry 3
Thomas 3
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Jasper 2
Solomon 2
Albert 1
Amos 1
Charley 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Frances 1
Fredk.Wm. 1
Herban 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Jesse 1
Job 1
Jonathan 1
Montague 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Sampson 1
Samuel 1
Trayton 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Backshall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Backshall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 229 people were recorded with the Backshall surname. That placed it at #11,784 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Backshall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 247 in 2016. That gives Backshall a modern rank of #16,955.

What does the Backshall map show?

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