NameCensus.

UK surname

Badman

A surname possibly indicating a wicked or ill-tempered person.

In the 1881 census there were 425 people recorded with the Badman surname, ranking it #7,634 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 563, ranked #9,114, down from #7,634 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Glastonbury St Benedict and St John, Street and Banwell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mendip, North Somerset and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Badman is 628 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.5%.

1881 census count

425

Ranked #7,634

Modern count

563

2016, ranked #9,114

Peak year

2010

628 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Badman had 425 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,634 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 563 in 2016, ranked #9,114.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 584 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Badman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Badman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Badman 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 367 #6,469
1861 historical 423 #6,073
1881 historical 425 #7,634
1891 historical 486 #7,600
1901 historical 513 #7,901
1911 historical 584 #6,977
1997 modern 582 #8,320
1998 modern 604 #8,357
1999 modern 614 #8,314
2000 modern 599 #8,435
2001 modern 585 #8,438
2002 modern 599 #8,472
2003 modern 601 #8,328
2004 modern 603 #8,322
2005 modern 610 #8,176
2006 modern 565 #8,657
2007 modern 556 #8,828
2008 modern 576 #8,675
2009 modern 583 #8,773
2010 modern 628 #8,485
2011 modern 624 #8,425
2012 modern 602 #8,584
2013 modern 607 #8,662
2014 modern 598 #8,822
2015 modern 577 #8,985
2016 modern 563 #9,114

Geography

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Where Badmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Glastonbury St Benedict and St John, Street, Banwell, London parishes and Winscombe. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mendip, North Somerset and Rhondda Cynon Taf. 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 Glastonbury St Benedict and St John, Street Somerset
3 Banwell Somerset
4 London parishes London 3
5 Winscombe Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mendip 014 Mendip
2 North Somerset 020 North Somerset
3 Rhondda Cynon Taf 021 Rhondda Cynon Taf
4 North Somerset 006 North Somerset
5 North Somerset 021 North Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Badman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Badman

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

Badman is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Badman falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Badman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Badman

The surname Badman is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "bæd" and "man," which together translate to "prayer man" or "beadsman," referring to someone who was employed by a religious institution to recite prayers for the souls of the deceased or benefactors.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a Thomas Bademan residing in Oxfordshire. Additionally, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379 list a John Badman living in the village of Danby.

One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was William Badman, who was born around 1420 in the village of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. He is mentioned in local records as a prominent merchant and landowner in the region.

Another notable figure bearing the Badman name was Sir John Badman, a military commander who served under King Henry VIII during the 16th century. He was knighted for his bravery and leadership in the Battle of Flodden in 1513 against the Scots.

In the 17th century, the Badman surname was associated with the village of Badmanor, located in Gloucestershire. This place name likely influenced the spelling of the surname, as it was sometimes recorded as "Badmaner" or "Badmanor" in parish records from that area.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Badman was John Badman, a fictional character created by the Puritan writer John Bunyan in his allegorical work "The Life and Death of Mr. Badman" published in 1680. This book served as a moral parable, depicting the wicked life of an irreligious man named Badman.

Other notable individuals with the Badman surname include Richard Badman (1694-1762), a renowned clockmaker from London, and Elizabeth Badman (1776-1854), a pioneering educator and founder of one of the first schools for girls in Cornwall, England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Badman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Badman 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. Somerset leads with 234 Badmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.07x.

County Total Index
Somerset 234 35.07x
Gloucestershire 37 4.55x
Kent 25 1.77x
Monmouthshire 21 7.01x
Middlesex 16 0.39x
Surrey 14 0.69x
Wiltshire 13 3.55x
Lancashire 10 0.20x
Essex 9 1.10x
Yorkshire 9 0.22x
Sussex 8 1.14x
Glamorgan 6 0.83x
Warwickshire 5 0.48x
Devon 4 0.46x
Leicestershire 3 0.65x
Lincolnshire 3 0.45x
Cornwall 2 0.43x
Worcestershire 2 0.37x
Denbighshire 1 0.64x
Hampshire 1 0.12x
Norfolk 1 0.16x
Staffordshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Street in Somerset leads with 31 Badmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 858.73x.

Place Total Index
Street 31 858.73x
Winscombe 27 1500.00x
Weston Super Mare 26 154.30x
Banwell 21 860.66x
Winterbourne 15 334.08x
Paulton 11 359.48x
Trevethin 11 38.87x
Combe St Nicholas 10 621.12x
Bedwellty 9 17.01x
Hackney London 9 3.87x
Holcombe 9 1184.21x
Plumstead 9 19.09x
Saffron Walden 9 104.05x
Bedminster 8 12.76x
Catcott 8 1025.64x
Clevedon 8 115.27x
Lewisham 8 10.61x
Lyncombe Widcombe 8 45.79x
Penwortham 8 343.35x
Bradford On Avon 7 59.63x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 7 9.14x
Lambeth 7 1.94x
Almondsbury 6 193.55x
Hollington 6 240.96x
Laycock 6 361.45x
Walcot 6 16.88x
Yatton 6 230.77x
Birmingham 5 1.44x
Churchill 5 471.70x
Eglwysilan 5 39.94x
Milton In Gravesend 5 23.57x
Baltonsborough 4 400.00x
Kingston Seymour 4 952.38x
Wells St Cuthbert 4 87.91x
Worle 4 289.86x
Axbridge 3 461.54x
Bermondsey 3 2.43x
Bradford 3 3.02x
Bristol St George 3 7.98x
Congresbury 3 177.51x
Membury 3 326.09x
Pilton 3 188.68x
Portishead 3 60.48x
Uphill 3 326.09x
Whitton 3 1111.11x
Bromley London 2 2.19x
Leicester St Leonard 2 45.98x
Little Hoole 2 322.58x
Nailsea 2 75.76x
Paddington London 2 1.31x
Randwick 2 125.00x
Shepton Mallet 2 26.70x
Tickenham 2 425.53x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 2 37.24x
Westminster St Margaret 2 10.00x
Willerby In Sculcoates 2 425.53x
Aberystruth 1 3.79x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 3.69x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 1 13.50x
Bristol St Paul In 1 4.62x
Caterham 1 11.20x
Cliffe 1 31.35x
Devonport 1 10.08x
East Grinstead 1 10.11x
Ecclesfield 1 3.32x
Edington 1 161.29x
Horton In Bradford 1 1.56x
Hutton 1 204.08x
Leckwith 1 58.82x
Leicester All Sts 1 11.07x
Millbrook 1 4.67x
Penge 1 3.78x
Saham Toney 1 58.14x
Shapwick 1 158.73x
Shipham 1 172.41x
Taunton St James 1 10.28x
Upper Arley 1 96.15x
Westbury On Trym 1 3.63x
Withiel 1 172.41x
York Holy Trinity 1 28.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 22
William 21
Charles 16
George 14
James 13
Henry 12
Edward 8
Joseph 8
Samuel 8
Thomas 8
Albert 6
Frank 6
Robert 6
Alfred 5
Arthur 5
Harry 5
Edwin 3
Ernest 3
Fredk. 3
Herbert 3
Oliver 3
Benjamin 2
Eli 2
Fred 2
Frederic 2
Frederick 2
Lambert 2
Philip 2
Annie 1
Benjn. 1
Chas. 1
Edgar 1
Esau 1
Francis 1
Fredrick 1
Gilbert 1
H. 1
Heberden 1
Jabez 1
Josephus 1
Mark 1
Melbourne 1
Phillip 1
Richard 1
Ross 1
Silvester 1
Simon 1
Soloman 1
Spenser 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Badman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Badman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 425 people were recorded with the Badman surname. That placed it at #7,634 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Badman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 563 in 2016. That gives Badman a modern rank of #9,114.

What does the Badman surname mean?

A surname possibly indicating a wicked or ill-tempered person.

What does the Badman map show?

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