NameCensus.

UK surname

Bamber

An English surname originally referring to a person from the town of Bamber in Lancashire.

In the 1881 census there were 2,303 people recorded with the Bamber surname, ranking it #1,941 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,340, ranked #2,037, down from #1,941 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Lytham and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, Preston and Fylde.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bamber is 3,506 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.0%.

1881 census count

2,303

Ranked #1,941

Modern count

3,340

2016, ranked #2,037

Peak year

2010

3,506 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bamber had 2,303 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,941 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,340 in 2016, ranked #2,037.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,364 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Bamber surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bamber surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bamber 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 1,333 #2,153
1861 historical 1,453 #1,951
1881 historical 2,303 #1,941
1891 historical 2,637 #1,809
1901 historical 3,032 #1,846
1911 historical 3,364 #1,550
1997 modern 3,306 #1,949
1998 modern 3,362 #1,989
1999 modern 3,449 #1,965
2000 modern 3,460 #1,952
2001 modern 3,371 #1,960
2002 modern 3,431 #1,972
2003 modern 3,397 #1,949
2004 modern 3,367 #1,965
2005 modern 3,311 #1,969
2006 modern 3,365 #1,936
2007 modern 3,361 #1,959
2008 modern 3,374 #1,975
2009 modern 3,458 #1,972
2010 modern 3,506 #1,986
2011 modern 3,444 #1,999
2012 modern 3,322 #2,031
2013 modern 3,390 #2,024
2014 modern 3,415 #2,025
2015 modern 3,367 #2,031
2016 modern 3,340 #2,037

Geography

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Where Bambers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Lytham, Preston, Bispham and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan, Preston and Fylde. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 Lytham Lancashire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Bispham Lancashire
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 012 Wigan
2 Preston 012 Preston
3 Preston 007 Preston
4 Fylde 002 Fylde
5 Preston 009 Preston

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bamber

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bamber

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Bamber surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Bamber 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Bamber is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Bamber is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Bamber

The surname Bamber originates from the northern English counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "bean" meaning bean and "byr" meaning farm, referring to a bean farm or a place where beans were grown.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297, where a William de Bamber is mentioned. In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Bamber, Baumforth, and Bawnforth, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations of the time.

The Bamber name is also closely associated with the town of Poulton-le-Fylde in Lancashire, where a notable Bamber family resided in the 16th century. In the Visitation of Lancashire in 1613, the Bamber family of Poulton is recorded with their coat of arms, indicating their status as landed gentry.

Historical figures with the Bamber surname include Sir James Bamber (1643-1718), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for Preston in the late 17th century. Another notable individual was Edward Bamber (1784-1857), a prominent architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Lancashire during the early 19th century.

In the literary world, Jasper Bamfer (1914-1986) was an English writer and poet known for his works on nature and rural life. His collection of poems, "The Tall Country," published in 1948, received critical acclaim.

During the English Civil War, Colonel John Bamber (c. 1620-1667) was a Royalist officer who fought for King Charles I and was later executed for his involvement in the Bolton Massacre of 1644.

The Bamber surname has also been associated with various place names in Lancashire, such as Bamber Bridge, a town near Preston, and Bamber Carr, a hamlet in the Ribble Valley. These place names further reinforce the locational origins of the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bamber families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bamber 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. Lancashire leads with 1,851 Bambers recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.92x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,851 6.92x
Middlesex 72 0.32x
Lincolnshire 61 1.69x
Cheshire 44 0.88x
Surrey 43 0.39x
Hampshire 40 0.87x
Yorkshire 37 0.17x
Gloucestershire 36 0.81x
Cumberland 17 0.88x
Staffordshire 17 0.22x
Durham 12 0.18x
Kent 10 0.13x
Lanarkshire 10 0.14x
Leicestershire 8 0.32x
Isle of Man 7 1.67x
Northamptonshire 7 0.33x
Worcestershire 7 0.24x
Devon 4 0.09x
Derbyshire 3 0.09x
East Lothian 3 1.00x
Essex 3 0.07x
Flintshire 3 0.50x
Northumberland 3 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.10x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.14x
Hertfordshire 2 0.13x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.45x
Ayrshire 1 0.06x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.11x
Sussex 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 341 Bambers recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.65x.

Place Total Index
Preston 341 47.65x
Layton With Warbreck 80 81.49x
Leyland 74 159.00x
Chorley 56 37.31x
Longton 54 480.43x
Farington 47 301.86x
Blackburn 46 6.46x
Everton 44 5.16x
Accrington 35 14.39x
Portsea 35 3.86x
Hulme 31 5.55x
Thornton In Fylde 31 52.97x
Kirkham 30 84.82x
Salford 30 3.81x
Barrow In Furness 28 7.70x
Dilworth 27 164.73x
Little Bolton 27 7.85x
Manchester 27 2.24x
Wigan 26 6.96x
Lytham 25 61.21x
Dukinfield 24 10.44x
Westhoughton 24 33.62x
Liverpool 22 1.35x
Poulton Le Fylde 22 231.82x
Islington London 21 0.96x
Castleton 20 7.49x
Marton 20 112.42x
Great Bolton 19 5.36x
Inskip With Sowerby 19 451.31x
Upper Rawcliffe With 19 397.49x
Adlington 18 71.86x
Church 18 47.66x
Hindley 17 14.91x
Kirkdale 16 3.56x
Lea Ashton Ingol 16 90.09x
Wainfleet All Sts 16 152.53x
Lathom 15 46.44x
Chorlton On Medlock 14 3.29x
Sutton 14 15.60x
Farnworth 13 8.11x
Greenhalgh With 13 443.69x
Toxteth Park 13 1.44x
Walton Le Dale 13 18.09x
Broughton In Salford 12 4.91x
Camberwell 12 0.83x
Ince In Makerfield 12 9.64x
Penrith 12 16.74x
Penwortham 12 94.71x
Clayton Le Moors 11 21.19x
Hackney London 11 0.87x
Medlar With Wesham 11 136.99x
Radcliffe 11 8.53x
Walton On Hill 11 7.59x
Ashton Under Lyne 10 1.71x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 10 2.40x
Lambeth 10 0.51x
Nateby 10 330.03x
Out Rawcliffe 10 156.99x
Parr 10 10.45x
Pennington In Leigh 10 19.49x
Singleton 10 363.64x
Stoke Upon Trent 10 1.24x
Broughton In Preston 9 196.08x
Claughton In Garstang 9 212.77x
Freckleton 9 102.39x
Great Grimsby 9 3.93x
Halliwell 9 9.24x
Newton 9 4.37x
Saddleworth 9 5.22x
Bury 8 2.62x
Mablethorpe 8 161.62x
Oldham 8 0.93x
St George Hanover Square 8 2.01x
Witton 8 23.77x
Battersea 7 0.84x
Bedford 7 12.51x
Fulwood 7 24.21x
Hurdsfield 7 22.86x
Middle Hulton 7 44.19x
Pendleton In Salford 7 2.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 194
Elizabeth 101
Margaret 86
Jane 77
Ellen 69
Alice 67
Ann 64
Sarah 54
Agnes 21
Annie 21
Emma 20
Hannah 19
Martha 18
Eliza 16
Elizth. 13
Esther 13
Isabella 12
Catherine 10
Edith 10
Maria 10
Anne 8
Eleanor 8
Fanny 7
Harriet 7
Lucy 7
Betsy 6
Charlotte 6
Janet 6
Emily 5
Florence 5
Ada 4
Cicely 4
Eliz. 4
Ethel 4
Frances 4
Gertrude 4
Helen 4
Jennet 4
Louisa 4
Margery 4
Nancy 4
Susan 4
Bridget 3
Dorothy 3
Georgina 3
Grace 3
Julia 3
Maud 3
Rachel 3
Rebecca 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 191
William 168
Thomas 109
James 101
Robert 55
Richard 50
Edward 47
Henry 47
George 44
Joseph 36
Samuel 21
Charles 15
Alfred 12
Herbert 11
Ralph 10
Thos. 9
Hugh 8
Arthur 7
Wm. 7
Albert 6
Ernest 6
Harry 6
Frederick 5
Matthew 5
Robt. 5
Rowland 5
Abraham 4
Benjamin 4
David 4
Peter 4
Richd. 4
Stephen 4
Andrew 3
Finley 3
Fred 3
Geo. 3
Jas. 3
Reginald 3
Willm. 3
A. 2
Anthony 2
Christopher 2
Edwd. 2
Edwin 2
Fredk. 2
Harold 2
Lawrence 2
Nicholas 2
Roger 2
Saml. 2

FAQ

Bamber surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bamber surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,303 people were recorded with the Bamber surname. That placed it at #1,941 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bamber surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,340 in 2016. That gives Bamber a modern rank of #2,037.

What does the Bamber surname mean?

An English surname originally referring to a person from the town of Bamber in Lancashire.

What does the Bamber map show?

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