NameCensus.

UK surname

Bamsey

A locational surname derived from a place name in England.

In the 1881 census there were 115 people recorded with the Bamsey surname, ranking it #18,230 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 355, ranked #13,020, up from #18,230 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), Lympston and St Thomas the Apostle, Whitestone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Neath Port Talbot and East Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bamsey is 367 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 208.7%.

1881 census count

115

Ranked #18,230

Modern count

355

2016, ranked #13,020

Peak year

2002

367 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bamsey had 115 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,230 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 355 in 2016, ranked #13,020.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 257 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Bamsey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bamsey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bamsey 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 102 #16,933
1861 historical 192 #12,423
1881 historical 115 #18,230
1891 historical 216 #14,107
1901 historical 204 #14,925
1911 historical 257 #12,658
1997 modern 331 #12,668
1998 modern 352 #12,489
1999 modern 353 #12,522
2000 modern 354 #12,460
2001 modern 348 #12,419
2002 modern 367 #12,198
2003 modern 358 #12,208
2004 modern 361 #12,175
2005 modern 344 #12,521
2006 modern 352 #12,396
2007 modern 355 #12,458
2008 modern 352 #12,631
2009 modern 355 #12,832
2010 modern 352 #13,187
2011 modern 359 #12,856
2012 modern 352 #12,913
2013 modern 355 #13,045
2014 modern 356 #13,098
2015 modern 350 #13,159
2016 modern 355 #13,020

Geography

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Where Bamseys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), Lympston, St Thomas the Apostle, Whitestone, Margam and Upton Pyne, Bramford Speke. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Neath Port Talbot and East Devon. 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 Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) Devon
2 Lympston Devon
3 St Thomas the Apostle, Whitestone Devon
4 Margam Glamorganshire
5 Upton Pyne, Bramford Speke Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Neath Port Talbot 018 Neath Port Talbot
2 Neath Port Talbot 016 Neath Port Talbot
3 Neath Port Talbot 019 Neath Port Talbot
4 Neath Port Talbot 017 Neath Port Talbot
5 East Devon 013 East Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bamsey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bamsey

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Bamsey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Bamsey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Bamsey 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

Bamsey is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bamsey falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bamsey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bamsey

The surname BAMSEY has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "beam" meaning tree or timber, and "ey" meaning an island or a meadow. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name referring to a wooded island or a meadow surrounded by trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BAMSEY can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and resources in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Radulfus Bamsey in the county of Norfolk.

In the 13th century, a prominent figure named William Bamsey was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Hertfordshire, which were administrative records of tax payments and other financial transactions. He was likely a landowner or a person of significance in the local community.

During the 16th century, the name BAMSEY appeared in various parish records and court documents. One notable individual was John Bamsey, born in 1547 in Gloucestershire, who was a successful merchant involved in the wool trade.

The 17th century saw the emergence of a prominent BAMSEY family in the county of Wiltshire. Sir Edward Bamsey, born in 1621, was a respected magistrate and landowner. His son, Richard Bamsey (1655-1723), followed in his footsteps and served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Salisbury.

In the 18th century, the name BAMSEY was associated with the village of Bamsey in Hertfordshire, which may have derived its name from the same linguistic roots as the surname. A notable individual from this period was Samuel Bamsey (1738-1805), a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the region.

Throughout its history, the surname BAMSEY has undergone various spelling variations, such as Bampsey, Baumsey, and Bamsay, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic evolution over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bamsey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bamsey 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. Devon leads with 78 Bamseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.28x.

County Total Index
Devon 78 32.28x
Middlesex 20 1.72x
Glamorgan 7 3.46x
Wiltshire 5 4.87x
Royal Navy 4 28.92x
Somerset 2 1.07x
Kent 1 0.25x
Surrey 1 0.18x
Yorkshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bickleigh in Devon leads with 11 Bamseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4583.33x.

Place Total Index
Bickleigh 11 4583.33x
Upton Pyne 11 6875.00x
Lympston 10 2325.58x
Exeter St Sidwell 9 162.75x
Staines 9 489.13x
Margam 7 311.11x
Withycombe Rawleigh 6 476.19x
Chelsea London 5 14.29x
Poltimore 5 4545.45x
Warminster 5 222.22x
Exeter Allhallows On The 4 1000.00x
Exeter St Thomas The 4 162.60x
Royal Navy 4 33.84x
Whimple 4 1481.48x
Crediton 3 131.00x
Mile End Old Town London 3 12.15x
Woodbury 3 416.67x
Exeter St Paul 2 416.67x
Huntspill 2 263.16x
Colyton 1 107.53x
Dawlish 1 55.56x
Exeter Heavitree 1 55.56x
Fulham London 1 5.94x
Hampstead London 1 5.53x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 108.70x
Lambeth 1 0.99x
Littleham 1 56.50x
Maidstone 1 8.47x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 5.37x
St George Hanover Square 1 4.89x
Stoke Canon 1 588.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Ellen 6
Alice 3
Elizabeth 3
Harriett 3
Annie 2
Clara 2
Emma 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Louisa 2
Maud 2
Sarah 2
Susan 2
Amy 1
Beatric 1
Berta 1
Bessie 1
Charlotte 1
Elener 1
Emily 1
Georgina 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Hester 1
Ida 1
Infant 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lilly 1
Lottie 1
Lucy 1
Margarett 1
Maria 1
Minnie 1
Phoebe 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Bamsey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bamsey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 115 people were recorded with the Bamsey surname. That placed it at #18,230 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bamsey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 355 in 2016. That gives Bamsey a modern rank of #13,020.

What does the Bamsey surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in England.

What does the Bamsey map show?

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