NameCensus.

UK surname

Bard

A descriptive surname referring to a poet or minstrel, derived from the Middle English and Old French term.

In the 1881 census there were 247 people recorded with the Bard surname, ranking it #11,173 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 348, ranked #13,233, down from #11,173 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Chesterford, Great, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hackney and Hertsmere.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bard is 494 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.9%.

1881 census count

247

Ranked #11,173

Modern count

348

2016, ranked #13,233

Peak year

1861

494 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bard had 247 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,173 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 348 in 2016, ranked #13,233.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 494 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Bard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bard surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bard 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 200 #10,403
1861 historical 494 #5,287
1881 historical 247 #11,173
1891 historical 329 #10,320
1901 historical 271 #12,462
1911 historical 271 #12,237
1997 modern 274 #14,374
1998 modern 272 #14,846
1999 modern 293 #14,175
2000 modern 296 #14,044
2001 modern 280 #14,364
2002 modern 298 #14,048
2003 modern 318 #13,291
2004 modern 305 #13,752
2005 modern 287 #14,216
2006 modern 283 #14,432
2007 modern 290 #14,372
2008 modern 304 #14,000
2009 modern 321 #13,770
2010 modern 329 #13,818
2011 modern 332 #13,608
2012 modern 320 #13,868
2013 modern 334 #13,648
2014 modern 339 #13,581
2015 modern 346 #13,284
2016 modern 348 #13,233

Geography

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Where Bards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Chesterford, Great, London parishes, Lambeth and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hackney and Hertsmere. 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 Chesterford, Great Essex
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hackney 003 Hackney
2 Hackney 001 Hackney
3 Hackney 004 Hackney
4 Hertsmere 010 Hertsmere
5 Hackney 008 Hackney

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bard

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bard

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Bard surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Bard 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Bard 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

Bard 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

Bard 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 Bard 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
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Bard

The surname Bard originated in medieval France and is derived from the Old French word "bard" meaning a poet or minstrel. The name first appeared in the historical records in the 12th century and was likely initially an occupational name for a wandering poet or storyteller.

The earliest known record of the surname Bard dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which contains the entry "Bardo" in Normandy. This suggests that the name was already in use in France before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

In the 13th century, the name Bard was found in various regions of France, including Brittany, Normandy, and the Île-de-France. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Raoul Bard, a poet and troubadour from Brittany who lived in the late 12th and early 13th centuries.

During the Middle Ages, the Bard family established itself in several regions of France, including the provinces of Anjou, Poitou, and Touraine. In the 14th century, the name appeared in the form "Bardus" in the records of the city of Angers.

One notable bearer of the surname was Jean Bard, a French lawyer and diplomat who lived in the 15th century. He served as the ambassador of King Charles VII to the court of the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund.

In the 16th century, the Bard family produced several notable figures, including Jean Bard, a French Protestant theologian and reformer who lived from 1534 to 1599. Another prominent individual was Pierre Bard, a French physician and botanist who lived from 1556 to 1637.

The surname Bard eventually spread beyond France to other parts of Europe and the British Isles. In England, the name was likely introduced by French Huguenot refugees fleeing religious persecution in the 16th and 17th centuries. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name in England was William Bard, a merchant who was born in London in 1635.

Another notable English bearer of the surname was Sir John Bard, a politician and member of Parliament who lived from 1716 to 1784. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1767.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bard 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 50 Bards recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.08x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 50 2.08x
Essex 48 10.09x
Surrey 23 1.96x
Sussex 23 5.66x
Cambridgeshire 19 12.45x
Lancashire 12 0.42x
East Lothian 8 25.07x
Kent 8 0.97x
Yorkshire 8 0.34x
Warwickshire 6 0.99x
Hampshire 5 1.01x
Kincardineshire 5 17.04x
Staffordshire 5 0.61x
Devon 4 0.80x
Cheshire 2 0.38x
Dorset 2 1.26x
Durham 2 0.28x
Huntingdonshire 2 4.18x
Northamptonshire 2 0.88x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.62x
Angus 1 0.45x
Berkshire 1 0.55x
Derbyshire 1 0.27x
Gloucestershire 1 0.21x
Lanarkshire 1 0.13x
Midlothian 1 0.31x
Monmouthshire 1 0.57x
Norfolk 1 0.27x
Royal Navy 1 3.48x
Rutland 1 5.65x
Somerset 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Chesterford in Essex leads with 35 Bards recorded in 1881 and an index of 4666.67x.

Place Total Index
Great Chesterford 35 4666.67x
Lambeth 18 8.57x
Islington London 15 6.42x
Hammersmith London 11 18.53x
Brighton 10 12.20x
Birdham 8 2105.26x
Kensington London 8 5.97x
Lewisham 8 18.25x
Tranent 8 185.61x
Grantchester 7 736.84x
Hinxton 7 2500.00x
Bradford 6 10.38x
Benholm 5 396.83x
Everton 5 5.49x
Little Thurrock 5 1315.79x
St Marylebone London 5 3.89x
Walsall Foreign 5 11.90x
Alverstoke 4 22.38x
Aston 4 2.39x
Exeter St Thomas The 4 78.28x
Kirkdale 4 8.32x
St George Hanover Square 4 9.42x
St Pancras London 4 2.06x
Camberwell 3 1.95x
South Ockendon 3 306.12x
Alconbury 2 350.88x
Battersea 2 2.26x
Birmingham 2 0.99x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 2 30.08x
Farndon 2 344.83x
Peterborough 2 12.19x
Saffron Walden 2 39.84x
West Wittering 2 370.37x
Whickham 2 30.30x
Wimborne Minster 2 78.13x
Ardwick 1 3.88x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 1.60x
Barking 1 7.18x
Barony 1 0.51x
Bath St James 1 24.69x
Bisbrooke 1 454.55x
Brimstage 1 666.67x
Burnley 1 4.15x
Charney 1 555.56x
Cheltenham 1 2.74x
Chepstow St Arvans 1 243.90x
Derby St Peter 1 8.33x
East Preston 1 285.71x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.77x
Elmdon 1 196.08x
Great Yarmouth 1 3.26x
Halifax 1 2.85x
Holdenhurst 1 7.72x
Hornsey 1 3.28x
Hove 1 5.61x
Ickleton 1 181.82x
Kimberworth 1 7.55x
Newton 1 121.95x
Royal Navy 1 4.08x
South Bersted 1 28.99x
St Andrewthe Less 1 5.74x
St Vigeans 1 8.30x
Thriplow 1 263.16x
West Ham 1 0.95x
Westminster St Margaret 1 8.61x
Willesden 1 4.40x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Eliza 7
Sarah 7
Annie 6
Elizabeth 6
Alice 4
Ann 4
Margaret 4
Charlotte 3
Emily 3
Emma 3
Harriett 3
Jane 3
Amelia 2
Edith 2
Ellen 2
Eunice 2
Hannah 2
Isabella 2
Lizzie 2
Louisa 2
Minnie 2
Rose 2
Beatie 1
Bessie 1
Bethia 1
Caroline 1
Elise 1
Elizbth. 1
Elizth 1
Ethel 1
Eugenie 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Francis 1
Harriet 1
Isabelle 1
Jessica 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Lauretta 1
Lilian 1
Lilly 1
Lousia 1
Lucy 1
May 1
Nellie 1
Rosana 1
Roselie 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Bard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 247 people were recorded with the Bard surname. That placed it at #11,173 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 348 in 2016. That gives Bard a modern rank of #13,233.

What does the Bard surname mean?

A descriptive surname referring to a poet or minstrel, derived from the Middle English and Old French term.

What does the Bard map show?

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