NameCensus.

UK surname

Bagby

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Babba's settlement" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 49 people recorded with the Bagby surname, ranking it #26,735 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 103, ranked #30,515, down from #26,735 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire West and Chester, Flintshire and Wrexham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bagby is 105 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 110.2%.

1881 census count

49

Ranked #26,735

Modern count

103

2016, ranked #30,515

Peak year

2015

105 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bagby had 49 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,735 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016, ranked #30,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 96 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bagby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bagby surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bagby 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 47 #24,810
1861 historical 90 #22,312
1881 historical 49 #26,735
1891 historical 90 #25,399
1901 historical 96 #23,342
1911 historical 92 #23,580
1997 modern 79 #29,672
1998 modern 81 #29,849
1999 modern 82 #29,933
2000 modern 77 #30,486
2001 modern 76 #30,366
2002 modern 80 #30,387
2003 modern 80 #30,425
2004 modern 79 #30,799
2005 modern 79 #30,950
2006 modern 79 #31,263
2007 modern 86 #30,808
2008 modern 91 #30,431
2009 modern 94 #30,538
2010 modern 93 #31,239
2011 modern 92 #31,301
2012 modern 99 #30,442
2013 modern 100 #30,773
2014 modern 104 #30,365
2015 modern 105 #30,092
2016 modern 103 #30,515

Geography

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Where Bagbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire West and Chester, Flintshire, Wrexham and Shropshire. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire West and Chester 033 Cheshire West and Chester
2 Flintshire 007 Flintshire
3 Flintshire 008 Flintshire
4 Wrexham 020 Wrexham
5 Shropshire 028 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bagby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bagby

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Bagby is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bagby 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

Bagby falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bagby 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 Bagby, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bagby

The surname Bagby is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bæc" meaning "ridge" or "hill" and "byg" meaning "dwelling" or "settlement." The combination of these words suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near or on a ridge or hill.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Bagby can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable mention is in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1279, where a person named William Bagby is listed as a landowner. The name also appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 13th century, indicating the presence of individuals with this surname in different parts of England during that time.

In terms of place names, the village of Bagby in North Yorkshire, England, is believed to have been named after the surname, rather than the other way around. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 under the name "Bagebi," which further supports the antiquity of the surname.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Bagby was Sir Ralph Bagby, a prominent English knight who lived in the late 13th century and was a participant in the Welsh Wars under King Edward I. Another notable figure was John Bagby, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Norfolk, who was born around 1420 and played a significant role in the local affairs of his time.

During the Tudor period, the Bagby family gained prominence in Leicestershire, with William Bagby (1510-1575) serving as a Member of Parliament for the county. In the 17th century, Richard Bagby (1635-1700) was a respected Anglican clergyman and author, known for his religious writings.

Another individual of note was Sir Edward Bagby (1770-1848), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and rose to the rank of Rear Admiral. He was knighted for his distinguished service and bravery in several battles against the French.

Throughout history, the surname Bagby has been spelled in various ways, including Bagbie, Bagbey, and Bagbie, reflecting the variations in spelling conventions during different eras. Despite these variations, the name has retained its distinctive English origins and association with the concept of a ridge or hill dwelling.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bagby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bagby 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. Staffordshire leads with 38 Bagbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.55x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 38 23.55x
Surrey 5 2.15x
Yorkshire 5 1.06x
Middlesex 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wednesbury in Staffordshire leads with 10 Bagbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 248.14x.

Place Total Index
Wednesbury 10 248.14x
Sedgley 9 150.25x
Wednesfield 6 253.16x
Lambeth 5 12.00x
Sculcoates 5 66.58x
Walsall Foreign 5 60.02x
Darlaston 4 179.37x
West Bromwich 4 43.29x
Fulham London 1 14.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Sarah 4
Elizabeth 2
Martha 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Harriet 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Matilda 1
Rose 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Benjamin 3
Thomas 3
Alfred 2
James 2
Job 2
Bona 1
Fredrick 1
George 1
Jacob 1
Joseph 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Bagby households.

FAQ

Bagby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bagby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 49 people were recorded with the Bagby surname. That placed it at #26,735 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bagby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016. That gives Bagby a modern rank of #30,515.

What does the Bagby surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Babba's settlement" in Old English.

What does the Bagby map show?

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