NameCensus.

UK surname

Banks

An English topographic surname for someone who lived on the slopes or banks of a hill or ridge.

In the 1881 census there were 15,330 people recorded with the Banks surname, ranking it #258 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 21,316, ranked #278, down from #258 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, Wolverhampton and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Banks is 22,191 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.0%.

1881 census count

15,330

Ranked #258

Modern count

21,316

2016, ranked #278

Peak year

1999

22,191 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Banks had 15,330 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #258 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 21,316 in 2016, ranked #278.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 18,997 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Banks surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Banks surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Banks 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 9,896 #261
1861 historical 10,168 #253
1881 historical 15,330 #258
1891 historical 16,360 #250
1901 historical 18,739 #264
1911 historical 18,997 #240
1997 modern 21,011 #277
1998 modern 21,979 #273
1999 modern 22,191 #272
2000 modern 21,933 #277
2001 modern 21,396 #277
2002 modern 21,838 #276
2003 modern 21,138 #279
2004 modern 21,049 #280
2005 modern 20,643 #281
2006 modern 20,653 #281
2007 modern 20,800 #280
2008 modern 20,858 #281
2009 modern 21,467 #279
2010 modern 21,737 #280
2011 modern 21,311 #281
2012 modern 20,935 #280
2013 modern 21,389 #281
2014 modern 21,543 #280
2015 modern 21,359 #279
2016 modern 21,316 #278

Geography

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Where Banks' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, London parishes, Edinburgh and Preston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan, Wolverhampton, Northumberland, Stafford and Caithness North East. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Preston Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 010 Wigan
2 Wolverhampton 001 Wolverhampton
3 Northumberland 037 Northumberland
4 Stafford 003 Stafford
5 Caithness North East Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Banks

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Banks

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Banks surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Banks 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Banks is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Banks is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Banks

The surname Banks originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "banc," meaning a hillside, ridge, or slope.

In the early days, the name was often associated with people who lived on or near a hillside or ridge. It was a common topographic surname, indicating the location or physical feature where the original bearer resided.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "de Banco" or "del Banc." This suggests that the name was already established by the time of the Norman Conquest.

The surname Banks has also been linked to various place names throughout England, such as Banbury in Oxfordshire and Bamborough in Northumberland. These place names, in turn, may have been derived from the Old English word "banc" or similar variations.

Notable historical figures with the surname Banks include:

1. Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820), an English naturalist and botanist who accompanied Captain James Cook on his famous voyage around the world. 2. Thomas Banks (1735-1805), an English sculptor known for his works inspired by classical antiquity. 3. John Banks (1637-1699), an English author and dramatist who wrote several plays and poems during the Restoration period. 4. Sarah Breedlove Walker (1867-1919), better known as Madam C.J. Walker, an African American entrepreneur and philanthropist who became the first female self-made millionaire in America. 5. Elizabeth Banks (born 1974), an American actress, director, and producer known for her roles in films such as "The Hunger Games" and "Pitch Perfect."

As the surname spread throughout England and later to other parts of the world, various spellings emerged, including Bankes, Bancks, and Banke. However, the core meaning and origin remained rooted in the Old English word "banc" and its association with hillsides or ridges.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Banks families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Banks 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. Lancashire leads with 3,314 Banks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.86x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 3,314 1.86x
Yorkshire 1,800 1.21x
Middlesex 1,500 1.00x
Staffordshire 1,026 2.03x
Kent 728 1.42x
Surrey 638 0.87x
Sussex 443 1.75x
Essex 428 1.45x
Durham 361 0.81x
Warwickshire 359 0.95x
Cumberland 356 2.76x
Midlothian 346 1.72x
Cheshire 327 0.99x
Caithness 312 15.21x
Derbyshire 274 1.17x
Lanarkshire 233 0.48x
Hampshire 215 0.70x
Lincolnshire 196 0.82x
Worcestershire 194 0.99x
Gloucestershire 152 0.52x
Shropshire 146 1.13x
Wiltshire 123 0.93x
Devon 119 0.38x
Ayrshire 115 1.03x
Angus 114 0.82x
Northumberland 100 0.45x
Somerset 92 0.38x
Nottinghamshire 87 0.43x
Suffolk 85 0.47x
Bedfordshire 83 1.07x
Cambridgeshire 74 0.78x
Westmorland 69 2.10x
Norfolk 68 0.30x
Northamptonshire 68 0.48x
Leicestershire 62 0.37x
Orkney 55 3.34x
Herefordshire 51 0.83x
Dorset 49 0.50x
Monmouthshire 47 0.43x
Aberdeenshire 42 0.30x
Fife 38 0.43x
East Lothian 37 1.86x
Glamorgan 30 0.12x
Huntingdonshire 30 1.01x
Hertfordshire 29 0.28x
Perthshire 29 0.43x
Berkshire 27 0.24x
Cornwall 26 0.15x
Buckinghamshire 24 0.26x
West Lothian 24 1.06x
Channel Islands 23 0.52x
Dunbartonshire 22 0.55x
Stirlingshire 22 0.40x
Royal Navy 19 1.06x
Carmarthenshire 17 0.27x
Renfrewshire 16 0.14x
Argyllshire 13 0.31x
Brecknockshire 12 0.40x
Denbighshire 11 0.19x
Anglesey 10 0.38x
Rutland 7 0.64x
Oxfordshire 5 0.05x
Wigtownshire 5 0.25x
Isle of Man 4 0.14x
Radnorshire 4 0.33x
Ross-shire 4 0.10x
Roxburghshire 4 0.15x
Dumfriesshire 3 0.09x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.09x
Flintshire 2 0.05x
Peeblesshire 2 0.28x
Selkirkshire 2 0.15x
Berwickshire 1 0.06x
Buteshire 1 0.11x
Inverness-shire 1 0.02x
Kinross-shire 1 0.26x
Morayshire 1 0.04x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 211 Banks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.44x.

Place Total Index
Preston 211 4.44x
Birmingham 151 1.20x
Hackney London 148 1.76x
Shoreditch London 145 2.23x
Liverpool 141 1.31x
Willenhall 137 14.46x
West Derby 135 2.60x
Aston 130 1.25x
St Pancras London 123 1.02x
Camberwell 116 1.21x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 115 1.42x
Great Bolton 114 4.84x
Islington London 108 0.74x
Stoke Upon Trent 102 1.90x
Canisbay 99 73.50x
Wigan 99 3.98x
Mile End Old Town London 97 3.04x
Everton 96 1.69x
Leeds 94 1.12x
Battersea 92 1.67x
Pemberton 91 12.84x
Toxteth Park 89 1.48x
Wednesfield 79 10.61x
Barony 78 0.64x
Lambeth 77 0.59x
Manchester 77 0.96x
Deptford St Paul 73 1.85x
Portsea 73 1.21x
Wolverhampton 72 1.85x
Walsall Foreign 71 2.72x
Dundee 69 1.33x
Ince In Makerfield 69 8.34x
Sheffield 68 1.44x
Brighton 65 1.28x
Wick 64 9.66x
Newington 63 1.14x
St Marylebone London 61 0.76x
Atherton 60 9.27x
Bethnal Green London 55 0.84x
Hulme 55 1.48x
Bradford 53 1.47x
Eastbourne 53 4.56x
Lewisham 53 1.94x
Govan 52 0.43x
Dunnet 51 61.83x
Holy Trinity 51 1.43x
Hammersmith London 50 1.35x
Seaford 48 55.87x
Kensington London 47 0.56x
Pudsey 47 5.92x
Little Bolton 46 2.01x
Ormskirk 45 13.23x
South Leith 45 1.99x
Inveresk 43 7.91x
Kingswinford 43 2.34x
Stone 43 6.65x
Tottenham 43 1.80x
Folkestone 41 4.13x
Beighton 40 37.64x
Haydock 40 13.06x
West Ham 40 0.61x
Bury 39 1.92x
Glasgow 39 0.45x
North Meols 39 2.24x
Darlaston 38 5.44x
Didsbury 37 15.67x
Oldham 37 0.64x
Salford 37 0.71x
Stevenston 37 12.66x
Chelsea London 36 0.80x
Edmonton 36 2.98x
Thurso 36 11.25x
Liff Benvie 35 1.66x
Stafford St Mary 35 4.89x
West Bromwich 35 1.21x
Bromley London 34 1.03x
Hunslet 34 1.47x
Rishton 34 16.30x
Barrow In Furness 33 1.36x
Ecclesall Bierlow 33 1.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 966
Elizabeth 551
Sarah 510
Jane 314
Ann 290
Ellen 251
Alice 236
Annie 216
Margaret 213
Eliza 198
Emma 170
Martha 146
Hannah 138
Emily 137
Ada 91
Louisa 90
Catherine 89
Harriet 75
Caroline 73
Maria 72
Edith 71
Florence 68
Isabella 64
Charlotte 63
Fanny 63
Clara 61
Kate 57
Frances 52
Agnes 50
Lucy 47
Anne 44
Esther 44
Rebecca 37
Ruth 37
Susan 37
Amelia 35
Eleanor 34
Harriett 33
Julia 31
Lydia 30
Susannah 30
Amy 28
Jessie 28
Elizth. 27
Grace 26
Selina 24
Helen 22
Lizzie 22
Rosa 22
Rose 22

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 867
William 834
Thomas 503
James 450
George 409
Henry 318
Joseph 307
Charles 240
Robert 220
Edward 195
Richard 177
Alfred 133
Samuel 116
Arthur 112
Frederick 104
Walter 102
Albert 73
Harry 63
Benjamin 57
Ernest 54
Peter 53
David 52
Herbert 47
Wm. 42
Edwin 40
Francis 35
Isaac 34
Frank 32
Thos. 31
Geo. 21
Jonathan 20
Tom 20
Fred 18
Daniel 15
Michael 15
Stephen 15
Alexander 13
Christopher 13
Fredk. 13
Fredrick 13
Jesse 12
Matthew 12
Abraham 11
Chas. 11
Edgar 11
Moses 11
Percy 11
Jas. 10
Jno. 10
Enoch 9

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 Banks households.

FAQ

Banks surname: questions and answers

How common was the Banks surname in 1881?

In 1881, 15,330 people were recorded with the Banks surname. That placed it at #258 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Banks surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 21,316 in 2016. That gives Banks a modern rank of #278.

What does the Banks surname mean?

An English topographic surname for someone who lived on the slopes or banks of a hill or ridge.

What does the Banks map show?

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