NameCensus.

UK surname

Bairstow

A toponymic name derived from the town of Bairstow, England.

In the 1881 census there were 1,066 people recorded with the Bairstow surname, ranking it #3,708 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 922, ranked #6,187, down from #3,708 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bradford and Halifax. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bairstow is 1,211 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 13.5%.

1881 census count

1,066

Ranked #3,708

Modern count

922

2016, ranked #6,187

Peak year

1901

1,211 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bairstow had 1,066 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,708 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 922 in 2016, ranked #6,187.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,211 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Bairstow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bairstow surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bairstow 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 863 #3,154
1861 historical 641 #4,184
1881 historical 1,066 #3,708
1891 historical 1,085 #3,890
1901 historical 1,211 #4,072
1911 historical 1,194 #3,931
1997 modern 930 #5,815
1998 modern 982 #5,757
1999 modern 1,005 #5,691
2000 modern 1,011 #5,634
2001 modern 960 #5,775
2002 modern 966 #5,840
2003 modern 937 #5,897
2004 modern 952 #5,835
2005 modern 933 #5,861
2006 modern 935 #5,868
2007 modern 968 #5,762
2008 modern 956 #5,851
2009 modern 969 #5,907
2010 modern 975 #5,990
2011 modern 961 #6,013
2012 modern 926 #6,116
2013 modern 943 #6,117
2014 modern 939 #6,182
2015 modern 928 #6,188
2016 modern 922 #6,187

Geography

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Where Bairstows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bradford and Halifax. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford. 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 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 022 Bradford
2 Bradford 036 Bradford
3 Bradford 049 Bradford
4 Bradford 058 Bradford
5 Bradford 013 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bairstow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bairstow

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bairstow, 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 Bairstow surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bairstow 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bairstow 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

Bairstow 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

Bairstow 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 Bairstow is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bairstow

The surname Bairstow is of English origin, deriving from the region of West Yorkshire. It is believed to have originated as a locational name referring to a place now known as Bairstow, located near the town of Keighley. The name is thought to come from the Old English words "bær" meaning "bear" and "stow" meaning "place" or "meeting place".

Records indicate that the earliest known spelling of the name was Bayrestowe, which appeared in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. Other early spellings include Bayrstowe, Bairstowgh, and Bairestawe, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common during that time period.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1485, where a John Barestowe is mentioned. Another notable early reference is in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1553, which mentions a William Bairstow.

In terms of historical figures bearing the Bairstow name, one of the earliest was Sir William Bairstow (1642-1712), who served as Lord Mayor of York in 1704. Another prominent individual was John Bairstow (1700-1763), a renowned English musician and composer who served as organist at York Minster.

In later years, Sir Leonard Bairstow (1880-1963) was a notable English engineer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of aeronautics. His contemporary, Edward Bairstow (1874-1946), was a prominent English cricketer who played for Yorkshire and England in the early 20th century.

Another famous bearer of the name was Sir Andrew Bairstow (1904-1983), a British diplomat and civil servant who served as Ambassador to the United Nations from 1964 to 1967.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Bairstow, which has its roots in the West Yorkshire region of England and likely originated as a locational name referring to the place now known as Bairstow.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bairstow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bairstow 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. Yorkshire leads with 981 Bairstows recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.63x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 981 9.63x
Lancashire 37 0.30x
Middlesex 7 0.07x
Surrey 7 0.14x
Cheshire 6 0.26x
Glamorgan 5 0.28x
Lincolnshire 3 0.18x
Essex 2 0.10x
Kent 2 0.06x
Warwickshire 2 0.08x
Devon 1 0.05x
Dorset 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Halifax in Yorkshire leads with 107 Bairstows recorded in 1881 and an index of 71.54x.

Place Total Index
Halifax 107 71.54x
Horton In Bradford 77 48.39x
Northowram 77 107.78x
Thornton In Bradford 70 206.37x
Bradford 65 26.35x
Clayton 65 260.73x
Ovenden 64 141.16x
Wilsden 40 382.41x
Leeds 37 6.43x
Allerton 36 277.14x
Bowling 33 32.70x
Shipley 29 54.85x
Bingley 24 36.99x
Manningham 23 18.32x
Huddersfield 21 14.15x
Keighley 20 18.42x
Hipperholme Cum 16 35.74x
Castleford 12 32.35x
Southowram 12 38.59x
Elland Cum Greetland 10 21.79x
Brightside Bierlow 9 4.50x
Mirfield 7 12.51x
Royton 7 18.76x
Shelf 7 71.94x
Soothill 7 19.02x
West Ardsley 7 57.10x
North Bierley 6 10.91x
Otley 6 24.25x
Ardwick 5 4.54x
Calverley Cum Farsley 5 17.28x
Clifton In Halifax 5 82.10x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 5 19.46x
Monks Coppenhall 5 5.84x
Pendleton In Salford 5 3.44x
Roundhay 5 174.83x
Tong 5 25.41x
Westminster St John 5 3.99x
Bolton In Bradford 4 61.26x
Dewsbury 4 3.83x
Hulme 4 1.57x
Lambeth 4 0.45x
North Meols 4 3.35x
Oulton Cum Woodlesford 4 48.37x
Salford 4 1.11x
Skircoat 4 9.96x
Wakefield 4 5.11x
Glusburn 3 52.17x
Great Grimsby 3 2.88x
Heaton 3 27.40x
Llantwit Vairdre 3 14.91x
Menston 3 128.76x
Rawmarsh 3 8.34x
Sowerby In Halifax 3 9.01x
Streatham 3 3.93x
Wyke In Bradford 3 16.47x
Accrington 2 1.80x
Armley 2 4.45x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 2 5.74x
Drighlington 2 13.48x
Eccleshill 2 8.07x
Horsforth 2 8.95x
Leamington Priors 2 3.13x
Llanwonno 2 3.11x
Preston 2 0.61x
Rotherham 2 3.48x
St Andrew Holborn London 2 4.49x
Steeton Cum Eastburn 2 57.14x
Warley 2 6.79x
West Ham 2 0.45x
Batley 1 1.03x
Burghwallis 1 125.00x
Dover Castle 1 39.37x
Ecclesfield 1 1.34x
Halton East 1 103.09x
Handsworth 1 3.71x
Hougham 1 4.79x
Oxton 1 7.79x
Portland 1 2.76x
Sedburgh 1 23.58x
Sutton In Keighley 1 17.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 74
Sarah 63
Hannah 33
Elizabeth 27
Ann 26
Martha 26
Emma 20
Ada 14
Eliza 14
Jane 14
Emily 13
Annie 11
Edith 10
Ellen 10
Margaret 8
Betty 7
Alice 6
Harriet 6
Caroline 5
Florence 5
Nancy 5
Sophia 5
Susannah 5
Elizth. 4
Grace 4
Louisa 4
Maria 4
Ruth 4
Susan 4
Amelia 3
Catherine 3
Clara 3
Esther 3
Ethel 3
Frances 3
Francess 3
Priscilla 3
Barbara 2
Dorothy 2
Fanny 2
Gertrude 2
Harriett 2
Isabella 2
Kate 2
Leah 2
Matilda 2
Rachel 2
Rebecca 2
Rhoda 2
Selina 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 59
William 36
Joseph 31
James 24
Thomas 16
George 15
Arthur 14
Henry 13
Harry 12
Herbert 11
Walter 11
Abraham 10
Fred 10
Samuel 10
Jonathan 7
Sam 7
Albert 6
Alfred 6
Edwin 6
Frank 6
Jonas 6
Isaac 5
Robert 5
Edgar 4
Edward 4
Ernest 4
Percy 4
Benjamin 3
Enoch 3
Greenwood 3
Jno. 3
Jonothan 3
Luke 3
Richard 3
Samson 3
Simeon 3
Stephen 3
Tom 3
Uriah 3
Wm. 3
Wright 3
Bancroft 2
Charles 2
Geo. 2
Jonathon 2
Joshua 2
Moses 2
Nathan 2
Peter 2
Ramsden 2

FAQ

Bairstow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bairstow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,066 people were recorded with the Bairstow surname. That placed it at #3,708 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bairstow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 922 in 2016. That gives Bairstow a modern rank of #6,187.

What does the Bairstow surname mean?

A toponymic name derived from the town of Bairstow, England.

What does the Bairstow map show?

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