NameCensus.

UK surname

Backwell

In the 1881 census there were 125 people recorded with the Backwell surname, ranking it #17,335 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 102, ranked #30,722, down from #17,335 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Tormoham with Torquay and Hull Holy Trinity. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torbay, South Gloucestershire and Weymouth and Portland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Backwell is 216 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 18.4%.

1881 census count

125

Ranked #17,335

Modern count

102

2016, ranked #30,722

Peak year

1861

216 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Backwell had 125 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,335 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016, ranked #30,722.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 216 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Backwell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Backwell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Backwell 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 98 #17,383
1861 historical 216 #11,273
1881 historical 125 #17,335
1891 historical 127 #20,496
1901 historical 118 #20,721
1911 historical 142 #18,487
1997 modern 110 #25,529
1998 modern 109 #26,273
1999 modern 115 #25,620
2000 modern 111 #26,111
2001 modern 108 #26,184
2002 modern 106 #26,985
2003 modern 105 #26,940
2004 modern 102 #27,637
2005 modern 103 #27,531
2006 modern 107 #27,179
2007 modern 105 #27,868
2008 modern 104 #28,341
2009 modern 104 #28,982
2010 modern 97 #30,697
2011 modern 103 #29,589
2012 modern 101 #30,078
2013 modern 102 #30,415
2014 modern 106 #30,030
2015 modern 104 #30,269
2016 modern 102 #30,722

Geography

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Where Backwells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Tormoham with Torquay, Hull Holy Trinity, St Philip and Jacob and Bristol City: St Paul. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torbay, South Gloucestershire, Weymouth and Portland, Bristol and Test Valley. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
4 St Philip and Jacob Gloucestershire
5 Bristol City: St Paul Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torbay 006 Torbay
2 South Gloucestershire 031 South Gloucestershire
3 Weymouth and Portland 002 Weymouth and Portland
4 Bristol 042 Bristol, City of
5 Test Valley 008 Test Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Backwell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Backwell

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Backwell 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

Backwell 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

Backwell 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 Backwell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Backwell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Backwell 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 35 Backwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.57x.

County Total Index
Devon 35 13.57x
Gloucestershire 22 9.06x
Surrey 14 2.32x
Lancashire 10 0.68x
Somerset 9 4.51x
Sussex 9 4.31x
Yorkshire 9 0.73x
Middlesex 8 0.65x
Berkshire 3 3.23x
Essex 3 1.23x
Kent 2 0.47x
Glamorgan 1 0.46x
Isle of Man 1 4.35x
Royal Navy 1 6.78x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Crediton in Devon leads with 16 Backwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 655.74x.

Place Total Index
Crediton 16 655.74x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 15 65.59x
Brighton 9 21.36x
Holy Trinity 9 30.49x
Croydon 7 20.90x
Moss Side 7 90.56x
Tormoham 7 64.16x
Bridgewater 5 92.42x
Sampford Spiney 5 2941.18x
Bristol St James St Paul 4 49.38x
Cruwys Morchard 4 1538.46x
Lambeth 4 3.70x
Camberwell 3 3.79x
New Windsor 3 95.85x
West Ham 3 5.56x
Westminster St John 3 19.89x
Bedminster 2 10.67x
Bristol St Michael 2 96.15x
Chew Magna 2 285.71x
Islington London 2 1.67x
Litherland 2 65.15x
Bristol St Paul In 1 15.46x
Chiswick 1 14.77x
Hackney London 1 1.44x
Lewisham 1 4.44x
Lonan 1 71.94x
Paddington London 1 2.20x
Royal Navy 1 7.92x
Sandford 1 158.73x
Sutton Valence 1 208.33x
Tavistock 1 34.01x
Upton Helions 1 2000.00x
West Derby 1 2.33x
Ystradyfodwg 1 5.29x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Backwell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Backwell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 125 people were recorded with the Backwell surname. That placed it at #17,335 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Backwell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016. That gives Backwell a modern rank of #30,722.

What does the Backwell map show?

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