NameCensus.

UK surname

Balchin

In the 1881 census there were 673 people recorded with the Balchin surname, ranking it #5,361 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,030, ranked #5,671, down from #5,361 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dorking, London parishes and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pembrokeshire, Guildford and Erewash.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Balchin is 1,132 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.0%.

1881 census count

673

Ranked #5,361

Modern count

1,030

2016, ranked #5,671

Peak year

1998

1,132 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Balchin had 673 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,361 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,030 in 2016, ranked #5,671.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,004 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Balchin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Balchin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Balchin 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 383 #6,247
1861 historical 319 #7,987
1881 historical 673 #5,361
1891 historical 765 #5,218
1901 historical 937 #4,983
1911 historical 1,004 #4,532
1997 modern 1,093 #5,099
1998 modern 1,132 #5,127
1999 modern 1,112 #5,249
2000 modern 1,116 #5,214
2001 modern 1,094 #5,195
2002 modern 1,128 #5,177
2003 modern 1,087 #5,232
2004 modern 1,062 #5,341
2005 modern 1,032 #5,404
2006 modern 1,015 #5,492
2007 modern 1,031 #5,472
2008 modern 1,036 #5,486
2009 modern 1,055 #5,526
2010 modern 1,088 #5,490
2011 modern 1,054 #5,570
2012 modern 1,037 #5,567
2013 modern 1,058 #5,558
2014 modern 1,062 #5,579
2015 modern 1,049 #5,580
2016 modern 1,030 #5,671

Geography

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Where Balchins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dorking, London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Wisborough Green (Billingshurst, Sussex), Cranley, Albury (Albury), Alfold, Ewhurst, Shere (Albury) and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pembrokeshire, Guildford, Erewash, Havant and Waverley. 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 Dorking Surrey
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Wisborough Green (Billingshurst, Sussex), Cranley, Albury (Albury), Alfold, Ewhurst, Shere (Albury) Surrey
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pembrokeshire 001 Pembrokeshire
2 Guildford 009 Guildford
3 Erewash 001 Erewash
4 Havant 009 Havant
5 Waverley 015 Waverley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Balchin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Balchin

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Balchin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Balchin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Balchin is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Balchin is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Balchin falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Balchin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Balchin 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. Surrey leads with 294 Balchins recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.18x.

County Total Index
Surrey 294 9.18x
Sussex 204 18.40x
Middlesex 53 0.81x
Berkshire 24 4.86x
Kent 24 1.07x
Nottinghamshire 18 2.03x
Devon 15 1.10x
Hampshire 15 1.11x
Essex 8 0.62x
Hertfordshire 5 1.10x
Gloucestershire 3 0.23x
Suffolk 3 0.37x
Monmouthshire 2 0.42x
Channel Islands 1 0.51x
Glamorgan 1 0.09x
Lancashire 1 0.01x
Northumberland 1 0.10x
Shropshire 1 0.18x
Yorkshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 49 Balchins recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.91x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 49 21.91x
Farnham 37 148.53x
Camberwell 26 6.19x
Banstead 20 230.41x
Horsham 20 92.89x
West Chiltington 19 1319.44x
Wonersh 19 475.00x
Chiddingfold 18 600.00x
Godalming 18 89.24x
Hove 17 34.95x
Arundel 16 257.65x
Kirdford 16 415.58x
Nottingham St Mary 16 6.98x
Wisborough Green 16 430.11x
Bromley 15 43.87x
Dorking 15 69.74x
Bramley 14 496.45x
Islington London 13 2.04x
Betchworth 10 253.16x
Exeter St Thomas The 10 71.68x
Stoke 10 66.14x
Billingshurst 9 247.93x
Guildford Holy Trinity 9 147.30x
Lambeth 9 1.57x
New Windsor 9 54.25x
St Pancras London 9 1.70x
Alfold 7 573.77x
Cranleigh 7 149.25x
Deptford St Paul 7 4.05x
Edmonton 7 13.22x
Hastings Holy Trinity 7 85.68x
Reading St Lawrence 7 66.29x
Rudgwick 7 276.68x
Shere 7 180.88x
Byfleet 6 210.53x
Poplar London 6 4.84x
Barking 5 13.17x
Chipping Barnet 5 63.05x
Christow 5 378.79x
Croydon 5 2.81x
Portsea 5 1.89x
Reigate Foreign 5 14.41x
South Stoneham 5 17.11x
Sutton 5 21.57x
Walberton 5 362.32x
Winkfield 5 61.05x
Worplesdon 5 129.53x
Cuckfield 4 35.71x
Effingham 4 303.03x
Guildford Friary 4 396.04x
Kingston On Thames 4 5.20x
Preston 4 20.66x
Shipley 4 159.36x
Westminster St Margaret 4 12.61x
Aldershot 3 6.65x
Bristol St Peter 3 65.08x
Clerkenwell London 3 1.93x
Eastbourne 3 5.88x
Gorleston 3 14.75x
Guildford St Mary 3 76.14x
Sidlesham 3 140.85x
St George Hanover Square 3 2.59x
Bermondsey 2 1.02x
Christchurch 2 13.61x
Clapham 2 2.43x
Guildford St Nicholas 2 35.34x
Hackney London 2 0.54x
Hascombe 2 204.08x
Newington 2 0.82x
Snenton 2 5.74x
St Marylebone London 2 0.57x
Walton On Thames 2 13.60x
Cobham 1 19.01x
Mile End Old Town London 1 0.71x
Pirbright 1 61.35x
Shalford 1 28.17x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 0.76x
Springfield 1 17.57x
Streatham 1 2.05x
Woking 1 5.18x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 30
Jane 23
Elizabeth 14
Alice 13
Ellen 13
Ann 12
Emma 12
Sarah 12
Edith 11
Eliza 11
Caroline 10
Louisa 10
Annie 9
Emily 8
Amy 7
Ada 6
Anne 6
Charlotte 6
Harriet 6
Clara 5
Florence 5
Fanny 4
Kate 4
Rebecca 4
Agnes 3
Harriett 3
Julia 3
Laura 3
Lucy 3
Martha 3
Adelaide 2
Bessie 2
Esther 2
Georgina 2
Jessie 2
Mabel 2
Maria 2
Matilda 2
Rosa 2
Selina 2
Amena 1
Carolin 1
Carry 1
Eleanor 1
Ethel 1
Isable 1
Katherine 1
Kathleen 1
Laurel 1
Sussanne 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 57
George 37
John 33
Henry 28
James 27
Charles 16
Alfred 14
Frederick 13
Thomas 12
Albert 11
Harry 8
Richard 8
Frank 6
Arthur 5
Ernest 4
Walter 4
Edward 3
Fredk. 3
Willie 3
Edmund 2
Edwin 2
Francis 2
Geo. 2
Harman 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Levi 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Alexander 1
Allbe 1
Allen 1
Aubrey 1
Barton 1
Bryan 1
Cecil 1
Edgar 1
Edwd. 1
Esan 1
Fred. 1
Frederock 1
Henery 1
Horace 1
Isaac 1
Jno. 1
Josiah 1
Martin 1
Michael 1
Percy 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Balchin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Balchin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 673 people were recorded with the Balchin surname. That placed it at #5,361 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Balchin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,030 in 2016. That gives Balchin a modern rank of #5,671.

What does the Balchin map show?

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