NameCensus.

UK surname

Barby

A locational surname derived from a place named Barby in England.

In the 1881 census there were 105 people recorded with the Barby surname, ranking it #19,183 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 180, ranked #21,022, down from #19,183 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory and Barrow-on-Soar (Barrow-on-Soar, Mountsorrel, Woodhouse, Woodhouse Eaves, Maplewell), Beaumanor, Roth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Milton Keynes, South Northamptonshire and Corby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Barby is 389 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 71.4%.

1881 census count

105

Ranked #19,183

Modern count

180

2016, ranked #21,022

Peak year

1861

389 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Barby had 105 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,183 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 180 in 2016, ranked #21,022.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 389 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Barby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Barby surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Barby 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 91 #18,187
1861 historical 389 #6,580
1881 historical 105 #19,183
1891 historical 285 #11,515
1901 historical 196 #15,329
1911 historical 207 #14,635
1997 modern 185 #18,506
1998 modern 199 #18,177
1999 modern 201 #18,179
2000 modern 202 #18,094
2001 modern 194 #18,287
2002 modern 192 #18,767
2003 modern 185 #18,999
2004 modern 185 #19,114
2005 modern 185 #19,051
2006 modern 178 #19,666
2007 modern 177 #19,965
2008 modern 173 #20,465
2009 modern 185 #20,010
2010 modern 189 #20,171
2011 modern 193 #19,729
2012 modern 187 #20,086
2013 modern 180 #20,954
2014 modern 182 #20,958
2015 modern 185 #20,641
2016 modern 180 #21,022

Geography

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Where Barbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Barrow-on-Soar (Barrow-on-Soar, Mountsorrel, Woodhouse, Woodhouse Eaves, Maplewell), Beaumanor, Roth, Wicken and Passenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Milton Keynes, South Northamptonshire, Corby, Shropshire and Kingston upon Hull. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
3 Barrow-on-Soar (Barrow-on-Soar, Mountsorrel, Woodhouse, Woodhouse Eaves, Maplewell), Beaumanor, Roth Leicestershire
4 Wicken Northamptonshire
5 Passenham Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Milton Keynes 008 Milton Keynes
2 South Northamptonshire 008 South Northamptonshire
3 Corby 004 Corby
4 Shropshire 034 Shropshire
5 Kingston upon Hull 004 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Barby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Barby

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

Barby is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Barby falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Barby

The surname "Barby" is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the late 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "byrig," meaning a fortified town or a borough, which evolved into the place name "Barby" in Northamptonshire, England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Barby" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is mentioned as "Barnebi." This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides valuable insights into the distribution of land and population in England during the Norman era.

During the Middle Ages, the Barby family was associated with the village of Barby in Northamptonshire. Notable individuals from this period include Sir John Barby, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against the French in the 14th century.

As the centuries passed, the Barby surname spread across various regions of England. In the 16th century, records show a William Barby who was a respected merchant in the city of London.

In the 17th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of John Barby (1638-1694), a renowned English clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Carlisle and published several theological works.

Another notable figure was Sir John Barby (1718-1789), a British politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Calne in Wiltshire during the latter half of the 18th century.

The 19th century saw the emergence of George Barby (1807-1891), a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings, including churches and country houses, across the country.

As the name spread beyond England's borders, it was also adopted by families in other parts of the world, such as Australia and the United States, where descendants of the Barby lineage can still be found today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Barby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Barby 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. Northamptonshire leads with 31 Barbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.18x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 31 32.18x
Middlesex 14 1.37x
Leicestershire 12 10.57x
Lancashire 11 0.91x
Cheshire 10 4.42x
Devon 8 3.75x
Yorkshire 6 0.59x
Glamorgan 5 2.80x
Bedfordshire 2 3.77x
Gloucestershire 2 1.00x
Derbyshire 1 0.62x
Kent 1 0.29x
Lanarkshire 1 0.30x
Lincolnshire 1 0.61x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Northampton St Sepulchre in Northamptonshire leads with 13 Barbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 265.31x.

Place Total Index
Northampton St Sepulchre 13 265.31x
Wicken 11 7857.14x
Barrow Upon Soar 10 1063.83x
Monks Coppenhall 10 117.23x
Oldham 10 25.49x
Chelsea London 7 22.68x
Clase 5 75.41x
Islington London 5 5.04x
Passenham 5 1250.00x
Exeter St Sidwell 4 81.97x
Stoke Damerel 4 26.81x
Ormesby 3 109.89x
Sheffield 3 9.29x
Snowshill 2 2222.22x
Toddington 2 263.16x
Breedon On The Hill 1 294.12x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 5.18x
Claylane 1 44.84x
Fulham London 1 6.73x
Glasgow 1 1.70x
Great Harrowden 1 2000.00x
Leicester St Mary 1 10.91x
Margate St John Baptist 1 15.63x
St Pancras London 1 1.21x
Wappenham 1 625.00x
West Halton Gunness 1 2000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Jane 4
Ann 3
Elizabeth 3
Ellen 3
Alice 2
Amelia 2
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Lucy 2
Sarah 2
Annice 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Elena 1
Emmi 1
Fanny 1
Georgina 1
Henrietta 1
Laura 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Rose 1
Rosenir 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Thurza 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Barby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Barby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 105 people were recorded with the Barby surname. That placed it at #19,183 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Barby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 180 in 2016. That gives Barby a modern rank of #21,022.

What does the Barby surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place named Barby in England.

What does the Barby map show?

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