NameCensus.

UK surname

Banjo

A surname denoting someone who is a performer or maker of the banjo instrument.

In the 1881 census there were 3 people recorded with the Banjo surname, ranking it #33,498 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 265, ranked #16,130, up from #33,498 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Greenwich, Manchester and Southwark.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Banjo is 284 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8733.3%.

1881 census count

3

Ranked #33,498

Modern count

265

2016, ranked #16,130

Peak year

2010

284 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Banjo had 3 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,498 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 265 in 2016, ranked #16,130.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Banjo surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Banjo surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Banjo 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
1861 historical 2 #34,135
1881 historical 3 #33,498
1997 modern 117 #24,553
1998 modern 127 #23,940
1999 modern 139 #22,884
2000 modern 148 #21,971
2001 modern 135 #22,945
2002 modern 170 #20,243
2003 modern 199 #18,195
2004 modern 212 #17,540
2005 modern 223 #16,938
2006 modern 251 #15,696
2007 modern 271 #15,042
2008 modern 277 #14,940
2009 modern 266 #15,711
2010 modern 284 #15,312
2011 modern 270 #15,754
2012 modern 260 #16,090
2013 modern 253 #16,642
2014 modern 252 #16,822
2015 modern 259 #16,409
2016 modern 265 #16,130

Geography

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Where Banjos are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Greenwich, Manchester, Southwark and Bexley. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Greenwich 002 Greenwich
2 Manchester 018 Manchester
3 Southwark 015 Southwark
4 Greenwich 001 Greenwich
5 Bexley 001 Bexley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Banjo

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Banjo

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Banjo surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Banjo 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 often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Banjo 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

Banjo is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Banjo falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Banjo is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Black - African

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

Meaning and origin of Banjo

The surname Banjo is believed to have originated in the late 16th or early 17th century in the Campania region of southern Italy, particularly in the province of Salerno. It is thought to have derived from the Italian word "bangio," which means "ditch" or "small stream." This suggests that the name may have initially been a topographic surname, given to someone who lived near a ditch or stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Banjo can be found in the baptismal records of the town of Montecorvino Rovella in Salerno, where a certain Domenico Banjo was baptized in 1632. Another early reference is a marriage record from the nearby town of Eboli, where a Giovanni Banjo married Maria Fusco in 1649.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Banjo name spread to other parts of Italy, including the regions of Calabria and Sicily. Notable individuals with this surname include Giuseppe Banjo (1780-1844), a noted sculptor from Palermo, Sicily, and Antonio Banjo (1822-1898), a prominent lawyer and politician from Naples.

As Italian immigration to the United States increased in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Banjo surname began to appear in American records. One of the earliest recorded Banjos in America was Vincenzo Banjo, who arrived in New York City from Naples in 1892.

Other notable individuals with the Banjo surname include:

1. Francesco Banjo (1846-1918), an Italian painter and art critic from Naples. 2. Emilio Banjo (1875-1942), an Italian-American composer and musician who popularized the mandolin in the United States. 3. Maria Banjo (1902-1987), an Italian-American actress and dancer who appeared in several Broadway productions. 4. Salvatore Banjo (1920-2003), an Italian-American journalist and author who wrote extensively about the Italian-American experience. 5. Caterina Banjo (1944-present), an Italian-American artist and sculptor based in New York City.

While the Banjo surname is not among the most common in Italy or the United States, it has a rich history that can be traced back to its origins in the Campania region of southern Italy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Banjo families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Banjo 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. Middlesex leads with 3 Banjos recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.27x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 3 10.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Marylebone London in Middlesex leads with 3 Banjos recorded in 1881 and an index of 192.31x.

Place Total Index
St Marylebone London 3 192.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Emma 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 2

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Banjo households.

Occupation Count
Upholsterer 1

FAQ

Banjo surname: questions and answers

How common was the Banjo surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3 people were recorded with the Banjo surname. That placed it at #33,498 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Banjo surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 265 in 2016. That gives Banjo a modern rank of #16,130.

What does the Banjo surname mean?

A surname denoting someone who is a performer or maker of the banjo instrument.

What does the Banjo map show?

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