NameCensus.

UK surname

Bakes

An occupational surname given to someone who baked or sold baked goods.

In the 1881 census there were 159 people recorded with the Bakes surname, ranking it #14,935 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 241, ranked #17,233, down from #14,935 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedgley, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stockton-on-Tees, Bradford and Havant.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bakes is 842 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.6%.

1881 census count

159

Ranked #14,935

Modern count

241

2016, ranked #17,233

Peak year

1861

842 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bakes had 159 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,935 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 241 in 2016, ranked #17,233.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 842 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Bakes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bakes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bakes 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 291 #7,827
1861 historical 842 #3,282
1881 historical 159 #14,935
1891 historical 839 #4,858
1901 historical 293 #11,829
1911 historical 373 #9,787
1997 modern 233 #15,975
1998 modern 229 #16,657
1999 modern 239 #16,268
2000 modern 237 #16,331
2001 modern 227 #16,573
2002 modern 228 #16,828
2003 modern 232 #16,447
2004 modern 222 #17,020
2005 modern 225 #16,831
2006 modern 226 #16,891
2007 modern 231 #16,835
2008 modern 236 #16,736
2009 modern 257 #16,099
2010 modern 264 #16,163
2011 modern 256 #16,383
2012 modern 249 #16,572
2013 modern 249 #16,825
2014 modern 246 #17,079
2015 modern 247 #16,941
2016 modern 241 #17,233

Geography

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Where Bakes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedgley, London parishes, St Pancras, Bradford and St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stockton-on-Tees, Bradford, Havant and Calderdale. 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 Sedgley Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stockton-on-Tees 014 Stockton-on-Tees
2 Bradford 043 Bradford
3 Havant 006 Havant
4 Bradford 019 Bradford
5 Calderdale 011 Calderdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bakes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bakes

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

Bakes 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

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

Meaning and origin of Bakes

The surname BAKES is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "bæcere," which means "baker." It first appeared in historical records in the 11th century, around the time of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

The name BAKES likely originated in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire, where the earliest recorded instances of the name were found. These areas were known for their thriving baking industries, and the name was likely occupational, referring to someone who worked as a baker.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BAKES can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a person named "Willelmus Bakes" in the county of Oxfordshire.

In the 13th century, there are records of a family named BAKES residing in the village of Bakewell, located in the Peak District of Derbyshire. The name is believed to have derived from the place name "Bakewell," which itself comes from the Old English words "bacan" (to bake) and "well" (a spring or stream).

One notable figure with the surname BAKES was Sir John Bakes (c. 1460-1529), who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1517. He was a successful merchant and a member of the Worshipful Company of Bakers.

Another prominent individual with the name BAKES was Thomas Bakes (1536-1586), an English clergyman and scholar. He served as the Rector of Stanford Rivers in Essex and was known for his work in translating the Bible into English.

In the 17th century, a family named BAKES settled in the American colonies, establishing themselves in the state of Virginia. One of their descendants, William Bakes (1772-1844), became a prominent figure in the early history of Kentucky, serving as a judge and a member of the state's legislature.

A notable figure in the 19th century was Sarah Bakes (1823-1906), a British author and activist. She wrote several books on women's rights and was involved in the early suffrage movement in England.

Another individual with the surname BAKES was Charles Bakes (1887-1968), an American artist and illustrator. He was known for his work in creating advertisements and illustrations for magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post and Life.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bakes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bakes 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 128 Bakes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.17x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 128 8.17x
Cornwall 8 4.47x
Staffordshire 7 1.31x
Lancashire 6 0.32x
Channel Islands 4 8.54x
Lincolnshire 4 1.58x
Surrey 2 0.26x
Berkshire 1 0.84x
Hampshire 1 0.31x
Sussex 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Horton In Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 42 Bakes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 171.78x.

Place Total Index
Horton In Bradford 42 171.78x
Eccleshill 19 498.69x
Manningham 14 72.58x
Acomb 9 1097.56x
Shipley 7 86.10x
Yoxall 7 1000.00x
Cleckheaton 6 103.99x
Holy Trinity 6 15.93x
Oldham 6 9.91x
Morley 5 61.43x
Tywardreath 5 434.78x
Colsterworth 4 754.72x
Halifax 4 17.40x
Menwith Cum Darley 4 1290.32x
St Helier 4 26.25x
Bradford 3 7.91x
St Gluvias Penryn 3 209.79x
Clifton In Halifax 2 212.77x
Leyburn 2 377.36x
Aiskew 1 222.22x
Horsham 1 19.31x
Ilkley 1 39.06x
Leeds 1 1.13x
North Bierley 1 11.83x
Shinfield 1 142.86x
Southwark St Saviour 1 12.32x
St Maurice Winchester 1 74.07x
Woking 1 21.55x
Wortley In Bramley 1 8.06x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Elizabeth 9
Sarah 9
Annie 4
Hannah 4
Martha 4
Clara 3
Eliza 3
Emily 3
Emma 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Betty 1
Elisabeth 1
Eva 1
Harriet 1
Henrietta 1
Isabella 1
Janet 1
Letitia 1
Lilly 1
Lucey 1
Minnie 1
Phoebe 1
Rhoda 1
Richael 1
Sebena 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1
Violetta 1
Vivien 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 10
John 6
Joseph 4
Thomas 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Fred 3
James 3
Robert 3
Samuel 3
Arthur 2
Geo. 2
George 2
Harry 2
Joshua 2
Martin 2
Richard 2
Willie 2
Abel 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Edward 1
Ellis 1
Erroll 1
Frederick 1
Harcourt 1
Henry 1
Hiram 1
Jeffery 1
Lorenzo 1
Noah 1
Ph.Gruchy 1
Rhodes 1
Robinson 1
Sylvester 1
Ward 1

FAQ

Bakes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bakes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 159 people were recorded with the Bakes surname. That placed it at #14,935 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bakes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 241 in 2016. That gives Bakes a modern rank of #17,233.

What does the Bakes surname mean?

An occupational surname given to someone who baked or sold baked goods.

What does the Bakes map show?

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