NameCensus.

UK surname

Bamfield

A locational surname derived from a place name in Northumberland, England.

In the 1881 census there were 285 people recorded with the Bamfield surname, ranking it #10,070 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 131, ranked #26,004, down from #10,070 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Clifton and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, South Gloucestershire and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bamfield is 327 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 54.0%.

1881 census count

285

Ranked #10,070

Modern count

131

2016, ranked #26,004

Peak year

1861

327 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bamfield had 285 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,070 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016, ranked #26,004.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 327 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Bamfield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bamfield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bamfield 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 292 #7,807
1861 historical 327 #7,788
1881 historical 285 #10,070
1891 historical 294 #11,288
1901 historical 229 #13,894
1911 historical 208 #14,594
1997 modern 154 #20,780
1998 modern 156 #21,144
1999 modern 161 #20,868
2000 modern 170 #20,120
2001 modern 170 #19,838
2002 modern 163 #20,767
2003 modern 159 #20,881
2004 modern 169 #20,206
2005 modern 166 #20,379
2006 modern 162 #20,886
2007 modern 162 #21,115
2008 modern 167 #20,901
2009 modern 165 #21,552
2010 modern 166 #21,941
2011 modern 164 #21,900
2012 modern 143 #24,019
2013 modern 152 #23,438
2014 modern 138 #25,218
2015 modern 132 #25,859
2016 modern 131 #26,004

Geography

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Where Bamfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Clifton, London parishes, Leeds and Kidderminster. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk, South Gloucestershire, Wakefield, Croydon and Liverpool. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Clifton Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Kidderminster Worcestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 001 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 South Gloucestershire 004 South Gloucestershire
3 Wakefield 034 Wakefield
4 Croydon 033 Croydon
5 Liverpool 037 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bamfield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bamfield

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Bamfield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Bamfield household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Bamfield is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Bamfield 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

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

Meaning and origin of Bamfield

The surname Bamfield is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the place name Bamfield, which was a township in the parish of Appleby, Westmorland (now part of Cumbria). The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "beam" meaning tree and "feld" meaning field.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1199, which mention a Robert de Baumfeld. The name also appears in various other medieval records, such as the Assize Rolls of Northumberland from 1279, where a William de Baumfeld is mentioned.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name was primarily concentrated in the northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Northumberland. Over time, variations in spelling emerged, including Baumfeld, Baumfelde, and Baumfyld.

One notable bearer of the Bamfield name was Sir John Bamfield (c.1545-1629), an English soldier and Member of Parliament. He served as the Lieutenant of the Tower of London from 1607 to 1613 and was knighted in 1603 by King James I.

Another prominent figure was Joseph Bamfield (1672-1748), an English politician and landowner who served as the Member of Parliament for Newton, Lancashire from 1710 to 1713.

In the 18th century, the name Bamfield gained recognition through the works of the English writer and antiquarian, Samuel Bamfield (1716-1801). He published several books on the history and antiquities of various counties in England.

The Bamfield surname also has a notable connection to the Royal Navy. Admiral Sir Frederic Bamfield (1811-1900) was a British naval officer who served in the Crimean War and was later appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the North America and West Indies Station.

Another distinguished bearer of the name was Sir Gerald Bamfield (1891-1964), a British diplomat who served as the Ambassador to Colombia from 1943 to 1947 and later as the Ambassador to Argentina from 1953 to 1957.

While the Bamfield surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, through migration and colonization.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bamfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bamfield 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. Cornwall leads with 54 Bamfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.34x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 54 17.34x
Middlesex 47 1.71x
Gloucestershire 24 4.45x
Warwickshire 19 2.74x
Devon 16 2.79x
Surrey 15 1.12x
Herefordshire 14 12.41x
Lancashire 14 0.43x
Monmouthshire 14 7.04x
Staffordshire 13 1.40x
Essex 7 1.29x
Worcestershire 7 1.95x
Denbighshire 6 5.77x
Glamorgan 6 1.25x
Hertfordshire 5 2.64x
Dorset 4 2.22x
Somerset 4 0.90x
Yorkshire 4 0.15x
Sussex 2 0.43x
Durham 1 0.12x
Hampshire 1 0.18x
Lincolnshire 1 0.23x
Norfolk 1 0.24x
Oxfordshire 1 0.59x
Shropshire 1 0.42x
Wiltshire 1 0.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Ives in Cornwall leads with 21 Bamfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 344.83x.

Place Total Index
St Ives 21 344.83x
Bethnal Green London 17 14.23x
Aston 10 5.24x
St Mewan 10 1041.67x
Birmingham 9 3.89x
Norton Canon 9 2903.23x
Westbury On Trym 9 49.23x
Lower Llanvrechva 8 410.26x
Barking 7 44.05x
Gwinear 7 472.97x
Kidderminster Borough 7 33.30x
Kingswinford 7 20.77x
Veryan 7 578.51x
Plymouth Charles The 6 23.78x
Ruabon 6 41.99x
Clifton 5 18.34x
Llanvihangel Llantarnam 5 131.93x
Newington 5 4.92x
St Clement Danes London 5 87.87x
St Pancras London 5 2.26x
Toxteth Park 5 4.52x
Wolverhampton 5 7.00x
Hemel Hempstead 4 46.84x
Islington London 4 1.50x
Lambeth 4 1.67x
Manningham 4 11.91x
Mile End Old Town London 4 6.83x
Reddish 4 88.89x
St George Hanover Square 4 8.25x
Truro St Mary 4 152.67x
Bedminster 3 7.21x
Bridstow 3 468.75x
Bristol St Augustine 3 34.44x
Illogan 3 36.36x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 6.80x
Swansea Town 3 7.64x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 2.80x
Bitton 2 42.55x
Bitton Oldland 2 36.30x
Kensington London 2 1.31x
Llantwit Vairdre 2 37.17x
Melcombe Regis 2 26.74x
Shoreditch London 2 1.68x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 3.61x
St Marylebone London 2 1.36x
Studland 2 350.88x
Tormoham 2 8.25x
Uffculme 2 116.96x
Barnstaple 1 11.12x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.42x
Brighton 1 1.07x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 5.56x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 1 20.37x
Broughton In Salford 1 3.35x
Camberwell 1 0.57x
Caterham 1 16.89x
Cheshunt 1 15.08x
Chippenham 1 19.61x
Devonport 1 15.20x
Eglwysilan 1 12.03x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 1 10.13x
Godalming 1 11.85x
Hackney London 1 0.65x
Hammersmith London 1 1.48x
Himley 1 303.03x
Horbling 1 212.77x
Kentchurch 1 303.03x
Kingston On Thames 1 3.11x
Llanvapley 1 1000.00x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 8.63x
Lyonshall 1 121.95x
Manchester 1 0.68x
Millbrook 1 7.04x
Oxford St Giles 1 12.35x
Paul 1 17.67x
Runham 1 119.05x
Shrewsbury St Julian 1 17.01x
St Neot 1 81.30x
Stonehouse East 1 34.48x
Wigan 1 2.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 19
Mary 17
Sarah 8
Ellen 6
Kate 5
Louisa 5
Alice 4
Fanny 4
Jane 4
Annie 3
Caroline 3
Eliza 3
Hannah 3
Susan 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Anna 2
Beatrice 2
Clara 2
E. 2
Edith 2
Frances 2
Ann 1
Bertha 1
Bessie 1
Bessy 1
Betsy 1
C. 1
Charlotte 1
Christian 1
Dorathiea 1
Dorcas 1
Ellis 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Eugenie 1
Florance 1
Florence 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Hilda 1
Isabella 1
L.S.S. 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
M.L. 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 17
William 15
Charles 10
Thomas 10
James 7
George 6
Henry 6
Arthur 4
Robert 4
Edward 3
Frederick 3
Albert 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Nicholas 2
Richard 2
Samson 2
Samuel 2
Sidney 2
Walter 2
Alf. 1
Alfred. 1
Augustus 1
Clement 1
Darcey 1
David 1
Eli 1
F.G. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Harvey 1
Herbert 1
Herbet 1
Isaac 1
Isaiah 1
J.S. 1
Jeffery 1
Joseph 1
Leonard 1
Lewis 1
Llewellyn 1
Malcom 1
R. 1
Richd. 1
S.H. 1
Stanly 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Bamfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bamfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 285 people were recorded with the Bamfield surname. That placed it at #10,070 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bamfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016. That gives Bamfield a modern rank of #26,004.

What does the Bamfield surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in Northumberland, England.

What does the Bamfield map show?

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