NameCensus.

UK surname

Bambrough

A locational surname referring to someone from Bambrough, a village in Northumberland, England.

In the 1881 census there were 144 people recorded with the Bambrough surname, ranking it #15,891 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 471, ranked #10,456, up from #15,891 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead and Dalton-le-Dale. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bambrough is 539 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 227.1%.

1881 census count

144

Ranked #15,891

Modern count

471

2016, ranked #10,456

Peak year

2000

539 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bambrough had 144 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,891 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 471 in 2016, ranked #10,456.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 360 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Bambrough surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bambrough surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bambrough 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 147 #13,084
1861 historical 133 #16,835
1881 historical 144 #15,891
1891 historical 180 #16,143
1901 historical 261 #12,775
1911 historical 360 #10,063
1997 modern 505 #9,232
1998 modern 521 #9,296
1999 modern 523 #9,332
2000 modern 539 #9,094
2001 modern 531 #9,039
2002 modern 531 #9,227
2003 modern 509 #9,365
2004 modern 487 #9,687
2005 modern 462 #10,000
2006 modern 462 #10,037
2007 modern 487 #9,753
2008 modern 490 #9,794
2009 modern 498 #9,894
2010 modern 514 #9,838
2011 modern 519 #9,687
2012 modern 486 #10,073
2013 modern 474 #10,421
2014 modern 480 #10,405
2015 modern 472 #10,452
2016 modern 471 #10,456

Geography

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Where Bambroughs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead, Dalton-le-Dale, Bishop Wearmouth and Houghton-le-Spring. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Dalton-le-Dale Durham
4 Bishop Wearmouth Durham
5 Houghton-le-Spring Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gateshead 019 Gateshead
2 Newcastle upon Tyne 015 Newcastle upon Tyne
3 Sunderland 033 Sunderland
4 Sunderland 030 Sunderland
5 Newcastle upon Tyne 031 Newcastle upon Tyne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bambrough

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bambrough

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bambrough, 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 Bambrough surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Bambrough 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bambrough 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

Bambrough 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

Bambrough 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 Bambrough is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bambrough

The surname Bambrough has its origins in the county of Northumberland, England, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "beam" meaning tree or timber, and "burgh" meaning a fortified town or castle. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a wooden fortification or in a settlement surrounded by trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland from 1196, where it appears as "Bamburgh". This spelling variation reflects the name's connection to the village of Bamburgh, located on the coast of Northumberland, which was once an important Anglo-Saxon royal capital and the site of a significant castle.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms, such as "Baumburgh" and "Bameburgh", further indicating its evolution from the original place name. During this time, the Bambrough family likely held land or had some association with the village or surrounding areas.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and settlements compiled in 1086, does not explicitly mention the surname Bambrough. However, it does reference the village of Bamburgh, suggesting that the name's origins predate the Norman Conquest.

One notable figure bearing the Bambrough surname was John Bambrough, a 15th-century English scholar and theologian who served as the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1446 to 1451. Another was William Bambrough, born in 1779, who was a prominent figure in the coal mining industry in Northumberland.

In the 16th century, records show a Robert Bambrough who was a landowner in the village of Bamburgh, while in the 17th century, a Thomas Bambrough is documented as a merchant in Newcastle upon Tyne. The 18th century saw the birth of Margaret Bambrough in 1765, who became a well-known author and poet in her later years.

Throughout its history, the Bambrough surname has maintained a strong connection to the Northumberland region, with many bearers of the name residing in or around the village of Bamburgh and its surrounding areas. While not a common surname, it has persisted over centuries, reflecting the enduring legacy of this English family name and its ties to the local geography and history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bambrough families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bambrough 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 75 Bambroughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.95x.

County Total Index
Durham 75 17.95x
Northumberland 44 21.05x
Yorkshire 12 0.86x
Lancashire 8 0.48x
Worcestershire 3 1.64x
Surrey 2 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dawdon in Durham leads with 19 Bambroughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 369.65x.

Place Total Index
Dawdon 19 369.65x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 14 112.18x
Byker 11 106.49x
Gateshead 11 35.16x
Bishopwearmouth 9 25.09x
Didsbury 8 361.99x
Southwick 7 176.77x
Hetton Le Hole 6 113.21x
Tunstall 6 288.46x
Houghton Le Spring 5 173.01x
Newbottle 5 219.30x
Thornaby 5 96.15x
Chirton 4 84.57x
Newcastle On Tyne St 4 36.93x
Warden 4 930.23x
Bromsgrove 3 48.62x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 3 109.09x
Yapham With Meltonby 3 2727.27x
Bishop Auckland 2 35.65x
Hexham 2 61.92x
Hoyland Nether 2 58.65x
Middlesbrough 2 11.03x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 7.08x
Tanfield 2 40.24x
Chester Le Street 1 31.15x
Cramlington 1 36.23x
Norton 1 64.94x
Weetslade 1 277.78x
Westoe 1 4.22x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Elizabeth 10
Hannah 6
Isabella 6
Ann 5
Margaret 5
Ellen 4
Jane 3
Martha 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Barbara 1
Blanch 1
Georgegine 1
Harriot 1
Hellen 1
Herriot 1
Isa 1
Isabel 1
Minnie 1
Rebecca 1
Susan 1
Thornason 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 11
John 8
Thomas 8
George 7
William 7
Henry 6
Francis 3
Anthony 2
Joseph 2
Mathew 2
Robert 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Edwin 1
Forster 1
Herbert 1
Jonas 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Thos. 1
Wilson 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Bambrough surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bambrough surname in 1881?

In 1881, 144 people were recorded with the Bambrough surname. That placed it at #15,891 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bambrough surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 471 in 2016. That gives Bambrough a modern rank of #10,456.

What does the Bambrough surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Bambrough, a village in Northumberland, England.

What does the Bambrough map show?

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