NameCensus.

UK surname

Barber

An occupational surname referring to someone who cuts hair, trims beards, and performs grooming services.

In the 1881 census there were 18,022 people recorded with the Barber surname, ranking it #210 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 22,544, ranked #264, down from #210 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East, East Cambridgeshire and South Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Barber is 24,431 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.1%.

1881 census count

18,022

Ranked #210

Modern count

22,544

2016, ranked #264

Peak year

1911

24,431 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Barber had 18,022 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #210 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 22,544 in 2016, ranked #264.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 24,431 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Barber surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Barber surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Barber 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 12,579 #195
1861 historical 11,643 #208
1881 historical 18,022 #210
1891 historical 19,190 #207
1901 historical 22,622 #208
1911 historical 24,431 #175
1997 modern 23,118 #245
1998 modern 24,118 #244
1999 modern 24,100 #246
2000 modern 24,001 #246
2001 modern 23,383 #246
2002 modern 23,662 #250
2003 modern 23,037 #249
2004 modern 23,025 #250
2005 modern 22,366 #253
2006 modern 22,154 #256
2007 modern 22,283 #257
2008 modern 22,315 #259
2009 modern 22,752 #260
2010 modern 23,112 #262
2011 modern 22,900 #260
2012 modern 22,481 #259
2013 modern 22,951 #259
2014 modern 23,009 #261
2015 modern 22,788 #261
2016 modern 22,544 #264

Geography

Back to top

Where Barbers are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East, East Cambridgeshire, South Norfolk, High Peak and Broadland. 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 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 018 Cheshire East
2 East Cambridgeshire 006 East Cambridgeshire
3 South Norfolk 001 South Norfolk
4 High Peak 003 High Peak
5 Broadland 014 Broadland

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Barber

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Barber

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Barber, 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 Barber surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Barber 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Barber is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Barber is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Barber

The surname Barber originated in England, deriving from the Old French word 'barbour', meaning a barber or one who trims beards. The name first appeared in historical records in the late 12th century, following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

One of the earliest known references to the name Barber can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded those holding lands and revenues in England. The rolls mention a John le Barbur in Oxfordshire. The surname also appears in the Calendarium Genealogicum, a chronicle of English noble families compiled in the late 13th century.

The Barber surname has its roots in the occupation of a barber, traditionally a respected trade in medieval times. Barbers not only trimmed hair and beards but also performed minor surgical procedures such as bloodletting and tooth extractions. The name was often associated with skilled craftsmen and tradespeople in towns and cities.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various spellings, including Barbour, Barbur, and Barbor. One notable individual from this period was John Barbour (c. 1320-1395), a Scottish poet and the author of the historical narrative poem "The Brus", which recounts the life of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots.

During the Tudor period (1485-1603), the Barber surname was well-established in England. An example is Richard Barber (c. 1510-1567), who served as the first Groom of the Chamber to Queen Elizabeth I. Another notable figure was William Barber (c. 1600-1667), an English clergyman and one of the first settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

In the 17th century, the name Barber also gained prominence in Ireland, where it was often anglicized from the Irish surname Ó Báirbre or Ó Báirr. One significant individual from this period was Ambrose Barber (c. 1585-1641), a celebrated Irish scholar and philosopher.

As the Barber surname spread across the British Isles and beyond, it continued to be associated with various professions and achievements. For instance, Samuel Barber (1910-1981) was an American composer known for his works such as the Adagio for Strings and the opera Vanessa.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Barber families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Barber 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. Yorkshire leads with 2,135 Barbers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.23x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,135 1.23x
Middlesex 1,800 1.02x
Lancashire 1,629 0.78x
Cheshire 1,295 3.34x
Norfolk 1,020 3.77x
Surrey 955 1.11x
Suffolk 952 4.44x
Derbyshire 729 2.65x
Kent 643 1.07x
Staffordshire 543 0.91x
Warwickshire 486 1.10x
Lincolnshire 425 1.51x
Somerset 415 1.47x
Sussex 410 1.38x
Essex 395 1.14x
Hampshire 384 1.07x
Northamptonshire 310 1.87x
Durham 304 0.58x
Worcestershire 288 1.25x
Shropshire 250 1.65x
Gloucestershire 233 0.68x
Cambridgeshire 200 1.80x
Nottinghamshire 180 0.76x
Hertfordshire 177 1.46x
Devon 141 0.39x
Northumberland 139 0.53x
Wiltshire 131 0.84x
Leicestershire 126 0.65x
Cornwall 114 0.57x
Herefordshire 109 1.51x
Aberdeenshire 105 0.64x
Bedfordshire 99 1.09x
Monmouthshire 84 0.66x
Berkshire 69 0.52x
Glamorgan 69 0.23x
Buckinghamshire 65 0.61x
Huntingdonshire 62 1.78x
Lanarkshire 62 0.11x
Midlothian 59 0.25x
Cumberland 55 0.36x
Dorset 54 0.47x
East Lothian 48 2.06x
Westmorland 43 1.11x
Angus 35 0.21x
Banffshire 30 0.82x
Royal Navy 21 1.00x
Fife 20 0.19x
Caernarfonshire 17 0.24x
Denbighshire 15 0.23x
Kirkcudbrightshire 12 0.47x
Morayshire 10 0.37x
Oxfordshire 10 0.09x
Brecknockshire 9 0.26x
Ayrshire 8 0.06x
Stirlingshire 8 0.12x
Channel Islands 5 0.10x
Flintshire 5 0.11x
Pembrokeshire 5 0.09x
Anglesey 4 0.13x
Dumfriesshire 3 0.08x
Rutland 3 0.23x
Isle of Man 2 0.06x
Perthshire 2 0.03x
Caithness 1 0.04x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.07x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.02x
Inverness-shire 1 0.02x
Kincardineshire 1 0.05x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.02x
Peeblesshire 1 0.12x
Radnorshire 1 0.07x
Ross-shire 1 0.02x
Wigtownshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 229 Barbers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.34x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 229 1.34x
Macclesfield 170 9.85x
St Pancras London 170 1.20x
Camberwell 169 1.50x
Aston 164 1.34x
Lambeth 161 1.05x
Portsea 160 2.27x
Sheffield 159 2.87x
Manchester 156 1.66x
Great Yarmouth 152 6.79x
Brighton 139 2.32x
Leeds 137 1.39x
West Ham 134 1.75x
St Marylebone London 131 1.40x
Birmingham 128 0.87x
Ecclesall Bierlow 127 3.58x
Ashton Under Lyne 118 2.59x
Bethnal Green London 97 1.27x
Hackney London 93 0.94x
Nether Hallam 92 3.90x
Shoreditch London 90 1.18x
Kensington London 86 0.88x
Liverpool 79 0.62x
Battersea 78 1.21x
Dukinfield 78 4.35x
Liversedge 77 9.93x
Newington 76 1.17x
Bromley London 74 1.91x
Heigham 74 5.10x
Croydon 71 1.49x
Oldham 71 1.05x
Hyde 69 6.02x
Tring 68 21.01x
Kidderminster Borough 64 4.76x
Stockport 63 3.15x
Chorlton On Medlock 61 1.84x
Glossop Dale 61 4.73x
Bermondsey 59 1.13x
Holy Trinity 55 1.31x
Deptford St Paul 54 1.17x
Lowestoft 54 5.34x
Tamworth 54 17.01x
Beccles 51 14.79x
Heckmondwike 51 9.10x
Everton 50 0.75x
Wolstanton 50 2.77x
St George Hanover Square 49 1.58x
Brightside Bierlow 48 1.40x
Foulsham 48 84.03x
Mile End Old Town London 47 1.26x
Southowram 47 8.84x
Chapel En Le Frith 46 18.30x
Chelsea London 46 0.87x
Bishopwearmouth 45 1.00x
Gorton 45 2.29x
Nottingham St Mary 45 0.73x
Salford 45 0.73x
Chesterfield 44 4.26x
Heaton Norris 44 3.70x
Newton In Ashton Under 44 11.49x
Stockton On Tees 44 1.74x
Walsall Foreign 43 1.40x
Lewisham 42 1.31x
Minster In Sheppey 42 4.23x
Northampton St Sepulchre 42 4.99x
Southwark St George Martyr 42 1.19x
Withington 42 6.25x
Dewsbury 41 2.29x
Horningsham 39 79.69x
Latchford 39 15.12x
Altrincham 38 5.60x
Castle Cary 38 30.81x
Garforth 38 28.49x
Greenwich 38 1.36x
Hayfield 38 22.50x
Hipperholme Cum 38 4.96x
Doncaster 37 2.91x
Halesworth 37 24.36x
Paddington London 37 0.57x
Ardwick 36 1.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,149
Elizabeth 679
Sarah 664
Ann 331
Jane 317
Emma 311
Alice 288
Annie 277
Eliza 275
Ellen 268
Hannah 225
Emily 208
Martha 176
Maria 141
Harriet 135
Charlotte 121
Florence 116
Margaret 114
Edith 112
Louisa 106
Caroline 104
Fanny 92
Clara 91
Ada 90
Frances 72
Kate 71
Agnes 65
Harriett 64
Anne 63
Lucy 62
Amelia 57
Catherine 56
Rose 56
Rebecca 52
Esther 50
Susan 50
Susannah 48
Julia 45
Sophia 43
Minnie 41
Amy 40
Eleanor 39
Ethel 39
Isabella 38
Gertrude 34
Matilda 32
Ruth 30
Jessie 29
Lydia 29
Anna 28

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 1,035
John 946
George 651
James 561
Thomas 512
Charles 409
Henry 356
Joseph 324
Robert 226
Alfred 212
Arthur 202
Edward 189
Frederick 180
Samuel 179
Albert 159
Walter 133
Richard 109
Harry 103
Herbert 83
Ernest 76
Edwin 73
Frank 72
Benjamin 69
Wm. 60
David 54
Fred 51
Francis 48
Isaac 35
Ralph 35
Thos. 31
Geo. 30
Stephen 28
Fredrick 27
Peter 25
Alexander 24
Tom 24
Joshua 22
Fredk. 21
Percy 21
Edmund 18
Chas. 17
Daniel 17
Joe 17
Edgar 15
Saml. 15
Sydney 15
Willie 15
Amos 14
Andrew 14
Josiah 14

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 Barber households.

FAQ

Barber surname: questions and answers

How common was the Barber surname in 1881?

In 1881, 18,022 people were recorded with the Barber surname. That placed it at #210 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Barber surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 22,544 in 2016. That gives Barber a modern rank of #264.

What does the Barber surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who cuts hair, trims beards, and performs grooming services.

What does the Barber map show?

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