NameCensus.

UK surname

Band

An occupational surname referring to someone who made bands or hoops.

In the 1881 census there were 684 people recorded with the Band surname, ranking it #5,279 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 778, ranked #7,086, down from #5,279 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Glossop and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Largo, Worcester and Powmill, Cleish and Scotlandwell.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Band is 893 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.7%.

1881 census count

684

Ranked #5,279

Modern count

778

2016, ranked #7,086

Peak year

1891

893 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Band had 684 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,279 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 778 in 2016, ranked #7,086.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 893 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Band surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Band surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Band 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 620 #4,170
1861 historical 855 #3,238
1881 historical 684 #5,279
1891 historical 893 #4,613
1901 historical 830 #5,461
1911 historical 757 #5,705
1997 modern 743 #6,933
1998 modern 783 #6,878
1999 modern 788 #6,880
2000 modern 761 #7,028
2001 modern 763 #6,900
2002 modern 793 #6,825
2003 modern 775 #6,831
2004 modern 776 #6,837
2005 modern 760 #6,886
2006 modern 784 #6,733
2007 modern 770 #6,911
2008 modern 769 #6,964
2009 modern 771 #7,089
2010 modern 772 #7,221
2011 modern 741 #7,381
2012 modern 755 #7,185
2013 modern 773 #7,169
2014 modern 768 #7,227
2015 modern 767 #7,177
2016 modern 778 #7,086

Geography

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Where Bands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Glossop, London parishes, Ealing, Chiswick and Silverstone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Largo, Worcester, Powmill, Cleish and Scotlandwell, Stanley and Murthly and Methil Methilhill. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Glossop Derbyshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Ealing, Chiswick Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
5 Silverstone Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Largo Fife
2 Worcester 005 Worcester
3 Powmill, Cleish and Scotlandwell Perth and Kinross
4 Stanley and Murthly Perth and Kinross
5 Methil Methilhill Fife

Forenames

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First names often paired with Band

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Band

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Band, 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 Band surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Band 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Band is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Band is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Band falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Band

The surname BAND has its origins in medieval England, originating in the Anglo-Saxon period (5th to 11th centuries AD). It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bend," meaning a thin strip or ribbon, potentially referring to a ribbon maker or someone who lived near a bend in a river or road.

In the Domesday Book, a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are records of individuals bearing the name BAND or similar spellings such as "Bende" or "Bande." These early mentions suggest the name was well-established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the BAND surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mention a Richard Band. Another early example is Richard le Bande, who is listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1212.

The surname BAND is also connected to various place names in England, such as Band Green in Yorkshire and Band Pool in Worcestershire. These place names may have influenced the adoption or spread of the surname in those regions.

Notable individuals with the surname BAND throughout history include John Band (1586-1648), an English clergyman and author; Cuthbert Band (1630-1716), an English Roman Catholic priest and controversialist; and William Band (1768-1853), an English cricketer who played for Hampshire.

In the 16th century, the BAND surname appeared in the records of the Visitations of Essex, a series of heraldic surveys conducted by officers of the College of Arms. Thomas Band of Essex was listed in the 1558 Visitation.

Another noteworthy figure was Sir Ralph Band (1516-1559), an English lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas under Queen Mary I. He was born in Northamptonshire and played a significant role in the legal system during the Tudor period.

In the 18th century, Robert Band (1720-1767) was a renowned English clockmaker and watchmaker from London, known for his skillful craftsmanship and innovative designs.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Band families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Band 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. Fife leads with 62 Bands recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.72x.

County Total Index
Fife 62 15.72x
Middlesex 60 0.90x
Lancashire 56 0.71x
Cheshire 52 3.54x
Warwickshire 45 2.68x
Derbyshire 43 4.12x
Worcestershire 43 4.94x
Surrey 37 1.14x
Yorkshire 32 0.48x
Northamptonshire 29 4.63x
Perthshire 29 9.70x
Angus 23 3.73x
Cambridgeshire 19 4.50x
Staffordshire 18 0.80x
Gloucestershire 16 1.22x
Lanarkshire 13 0.60x
Herefordshire 12 4.39x
Lincolnshire 9 0.84x
Midlothian 9 1.01x
Devon 8 0.58x
Suffolk 8 0.99x
Kent 7 0.31x
Leicestershire 7 0.95x
Berkshire 6 1.20x
Durham 6 0.30x
Hampshire 6 0.44x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.67x
Westmorland 6 4.10x
Ayrshire 2 0.40x
Cumberland 2 0.35x
Glamorgan 2 0.17x
Hertfordshire 2 0.44x
Stirlingshire 2 0.81x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.16x
Cornwall 1 0.13x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.76x
Renfrewshire 1 0.19x
Royal Navy 1 1.26x
Somerset 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. Coventry St Michael in Warwickshire leads with 24 Bands recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.47x.

Place Total Index
Coventry St Michael 24 44.47x
Newington 23 9.35x
Glossop Dale 19 38.89x
Cupar 16 93.29x
Ealing 16 26.87x
Liff Benvie 14 14.94x
Silverstone 14 530.30x
Alfrick 13 1262.14x
Macclesfield 13 19.89x
Derby St Werburgh 12 19.92x
Leek Lowe 12 40.11x
Manchester 12 3.38x
Alsager 11 300.55x
Ceres 10 210.97x
Crail 10 248.14x
Kilrenny 10 136.99x
Old Monkland 10 11.69x
Whiston 10 314.47x
Castleton 9 11.40x
Collace 9 957.45x
Dundee 9 3.91x
New Brentford 9 256.41x
Braunston 8 327.87x
Chelsea London 8 3.98x
Edinburgh St Stephens 8 45.53x
Little Bolton 8 7.87x
Ribbesford 8 110.50x
Worcester St Martin 8 68.14x
Elm 7 169.49x
Ipswich St Mathew 7 30.78x
Leeds 7 1.88x
Longforgan 7 165.48x
Middleton On Hill 7 786.52x
Spittlegate 7 47.52x
Ashton Under Lyne 6 3.47x
Kirkland 6 192.31x
Lambeth 6 1.03x
Long Itchington 6 228.14x
Lower Bebington 6 68.65x
Moss Side 6 14.42x
St Andrews 6 33.43x
Sutton In Macclesfield 6 39.32x
Syston 6 86.83x
Toxteth Park 6 2.24x
Westminster St James 6 8.76x
Wokingham 6 52.59x
Benwick 5 268.82x
Birmingham 5 0.89x
Clerkenwell London 5 3.18x
Croydon 5 2.77x
Horsforth 5 34.55x
Leysters 5 925.93x
Newton In Ashton Under 5 34.46x
Nottingham St Mary 5 2.15x
Upper Boddington 5 724.64x
Walmer 5 50.61x
Whittlesey St Mary St 5 33.92x
Worcester St John 5 48.12x
Auchterarder 4 47.90x
Blairgowrie 4 33.81x
Claines 4 16.75x
Derby St Alkmund 4 12.80x
Largo 4 78.13x
Liverpool 4 0.83x
Ryton On Dunsmore 4 384.62x
Tranmere 4 7.40x
Biddulph 3 23.64x
Bishopwearmouth 3 1.76x
Bisley 3 25.34x
Cornsay 3 56.18x
Errol 3 54.15x
Exeter St Mary Major 3 35.89x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 3 12.55x
Gloucester St John Baptist 3 35.55x
Hayfield 3 46.88x
Penton Mewsey 3 461.54x
Aldershot 2 4.37x
Belper 2 9.89x
East Stonehouse 2 7.32x
Leslie 2 20.02x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 35
Elizabeth 28
Sarah 16
Ann 11
Martha 11
Alice 10
Eliza 10
Emma 9
Emily 8
Hannah 8
Annie 6
Ellen 6
Harriett 6
Louisa 6
Margaret 6
Frances 5
Ada 4
Clara 4
Edith 4
Jane 4
Charlotte 3
Esther 3
Fanny 3
Matilda 3
Maud 3
Minnie 3
Susan 3
Susannah 3
Anne 2
Bessie 2
Elizth. 2
Florence 2
Kate 2
Lucy 2
Marie 2
Anna 1
Camilla 1
Caroline 1
Carrie 1
Catherine 1
Elinor 1
Elizeabth 1
Elizh. 1
Elsie 1
Emilie 1
Henrietta 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Judith 1
Kempes 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 39
John 19
Joseph 19
Charles 18
Thomas 18
Henry 17
James 17
George 14
Arthur 6
Richard 6
Robert 6
Edward 5
Alfred 4
Martin 4
Walter 4
Albert 3
Fred 3
Herbert 3
Samuel 3
Andrew 2
Chas. 2
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Harold 2
Harry 2
Leonard 2
Pryce 2
Stephen 2
Willm. 2
Allan 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Edmond 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
H. 1
Harrold 1
Henery 1
Jim 1
Job 1
Louis 1
Nathan 1
Percival 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Sidney 1
Wm.M. 1

FAQ

Band surname: questions and answers

How common was the Band surname in 1881?

In 1881, 684 people were recorded with the Band surname. That placed it at #5,279 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Band surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 778 in 2016. That gives Band a modern rank of #7,086.

What does the Band surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who made bands or hoops.

What does the Band map show?

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