NameCensus.

UK surname

Bage

A surname likely derived from an Old French place name.

In the 1881 census there were 210 people recorded with the Bage surname, ranking it #12,440 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 609, ranked #8,609, up from #12,440 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Jarrow, Gateshead and Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hartlepool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bage is 670 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 190.0%.

1881 census count

210

Ranked #12,440

Modern count

609

2016, ranked #8,609

Peak year

2010

670 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bage had 210 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,440 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 609 in 2016, ranked #8,609.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 386 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Bage surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bage surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bage 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 151 #12,840
1861 historical 224 #10,882
1881 historical 210 #12,440
1891 historical 309 #10,848
1901 historical 306 #11,494
1911 historical 386 #9,535
1997 modern 594 #8,208
1998 modern 619 #8,209
1999 modern 623 #8,224
2000 modern 610 #8,339
2001 modern 597 #8,321
2002 modern 608 #8,381
2003 modern 596 #8,376
2004 modern 584 #8,508
2005 modern 578 #8,495
2006 modern 595 #8,335
2007 modern 589 #8,477
2008 modern 614 #8,263
2009 modern 646 #8,121
2010 modern 670 #8,061
2011 modern 666 #8,003
2012 modern 650 #8,072
2013 modern 653 #8,196
2014 modern 656 #8,194
2015 modern 627 #8,428
2016 modern 609 #8,609

Geography

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Where Bages are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Jarrow, Gateshead, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon), Middlesborough and Hartlepool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hartlepool. 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 Jarrow Durham
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland
4 Middlesborough Durham
5 Hartlepool Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hartlepool 002 Hartlepool
2 Hartlepool 003 Hartlepool
3 Hartlepool 001 Hartlepool
4 Hartlepool 007 Hartlepool
5 Hartlepool 012 Hartlepool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bage

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bage

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Bage surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Bage household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Bage is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Bage is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Bage

The surname "BAGE" is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Old English word "bæcere," which means "baker." The name was likely occupational in origin, referring to someone who worked as a baker or was associated with the baking trade.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a certain John Bagge is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Bagge," was common in those times, as standardized spellings were not yet established.

The name is also found in various other historical records, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1376, which mentions a Thomas Bagge, and the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where a Robert Bagge is listed.

In the 15th century, the surname appears in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence between members of the wealthy Paston family in Norfolk. In one letter dated 1472, a certain John Bage is mentioned as a servant to the family.

Notable individuals with the surname "BAGE" throughout history include John Bage (1737-1801), an English novelist and philanthropist known for his novel "Hermsprong," which satirized the social and political climate of the time. Another was William Bage (1774-1836), an English clergyman and author who wrote on theological subjects.

In the 16th century, the surname appears in the records of the Stratford-upon-Avon parish, where a William Bage was baptized in 1596. This area of Warwickshire may have been an early center for the name's prevalence.

The name "BAGE" has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Bageridge in Gloucestershire and Bagborough in Somerset. These place names likely derived from the same Old English root as the surname, suggesting a connection between the name and specific geographic locations.

Throughout its history, the surname "BAGE" has maintained its association with the baking trade and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including writers, clergymen, and members of the gentry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bage families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bage 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. Durham leads with 92 Bages recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.10x.

County Total Index
Durham 92 15.10x
Yorkshire 69 3.40x
Northumberland 21 6.89x
Glamorgan 6 1.68x
Lincolnshire 6 1.83x
Cheshire 3 0.66x
Lancashire 3 0.12x
Surrey 3 0.30x
Kent 2 0.29x
Middlesex 2 0.10x
Derbyshire 1 0.31x
Montgomeryshire 1 2.13x
Radnorshire 1 6.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stockton On Tees in Durham leads with 22 Bages recorded in 1881 and an index of 74.88x.

Place Total Index
Stockton On Tees 22 74.88x
Tynemouth 21 128.68x
Westoe 14 40.52x
Hartlepool 13 150.12x
Wingate 12 287.08x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 9 47.59x
Darlington 9 38.25x
Bingley 8 61.87x
Middlesbrough 8 30.27x
Horton In Bradford 7 22.08x
West Rainton 7 370.37x
Brightside Bierlow 6 15.07x
Gomersal 6 63.36x
Great Grimsby 6 28.86x
Wortley In Bramley 6 37.31x
Linthorpe 5 41.29x
Penarth 5 143.27x
East Rainton 4 338.98x
Iveston 4 142.35x
Ecclesfield 3 20.16x
Houghton Le Spring 3 71.26x
Nether Hallam 3 10.93x
Sheffield 3 4.64x
Chester Holy Trinity 2 94.34x
Gateshead 2 4.38x
Guisbrough 2 45.05x
Haughton Le Skerne 2 400.00x
Hulme 2 3.94x
Newington 2 2.64x
Altrincham 1 12.66x
Barrow In Furness 1 3.02x
Bettws 1 144.93x
East Malling 1 59.88x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 2.42x
Eckington 1 12.84x
Erith 1 14.51x
Gate Fulford 1 21.10x
Kensington London 1 0.88x
Kerry 1 70.92x
Leeds 1 0.87x
Llandewy Ystradenny 1 238.10x
Rotherhithe 1 3.95x
St Pancras London 1 0.61x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Elizabeth 6
Sarah 6
Jane 5
Ann 4
Margaret 4
Clara 3
Ellen 3
Hannah 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Barbara 2
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Frances 2
Herriett 2
Lucy 2
Adeline 1
Annie 1
Annis 1
Barbra 1
Christina 1
Clarissa 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Euphemia 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Isabel 1
Isabell 1
Isabella 1
J. 1
Jennet 1
Jennette 1
Kate 1
Leah 1
Phebe 1
Racheal 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Sushannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 21
John 14
Joseph 13
Thomas 13
Henry 5
James 4
Ralph 4
Robert 4
Edwin 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Charles 2
George 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Andrew 1
Anshon 1
David 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Herbert 1
Jno. 1
Mark 1
Michael 1
Oswald 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Tom. 1

FAQ

Bage surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bage surname in 1881?

In 1881, 210 people were recorded with the Bage surname. That placed it at #12,440 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bage surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 609 in 2016. That gives Bage a modern rank of #8,609.

What does the Bage surname mean?

A surname likely derived from an Old French place name.

What does the Bage map show?

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