NameCensus.

UK surname

Bardy

A variant of the French surname Bardeau referring to a person who made roof tiles or shingles.

In the 1881 census there were 36 people recorded with the Bardy surname, ranking it #28,559 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 132, ranked #25,882, up from #28,559 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Peterhead, Auckland St Andrew and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include York.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bardy is 157 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 266.7%.

1881 census count

36

Ranked #28,559

Modern count

132

2016, ranked #25,882

Peak year

1998

157 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bardy had 36 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,559 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016, ranked #25,882.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 111 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Bardy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bardy surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bardy 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 46 #24,985
1861 historical 85 #22,922
1881 historical 36 #28,559
1891 historical 60 #29,204
1901 historical 93 #23,689
1911 historical 111 #21,392
1997 modern 153 #20,868
1998 modern 157 #21,058
1999 modern 152 #21,636
2000 modern 143 #22,457
2001 modern 138 #22,647
2002 modern 136 #23,296
2003 modern 133 #23,359
2004 modern 127 #24,224
2005 modern 131 #23,737
2006 modern 129 #24,165
2007 modern 122 #25,353
2008 modern 121 #25,785
2009 modern 131 #25,056
2010 modern 133 #25,379
2011 modern 131 #25,430
2012 modern 126 #26,148
2013 modern 138 #25,020
2014 modern 136 #25,452
2015 modern 133 #25,729
2016 modern 132 #25,882

Geography

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Where Bardys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Peterhead, Auckland St Andrew, Liverpool, St Margaret Walmgate and St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to York. 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 Peterhead Aberdeen
2 Auckland St Andrew Durham
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 St Margaret Walmgate Yorkshire, East Riding
5 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 York 018 York
2 York 015 York
3 York 009 York
4 York 013 York
5 York 004 York

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bardy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bardy

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

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Bardy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Bardy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Bardy 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

Bardy is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bardy 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 Bardy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bardy

The surname Bardy is believed to have originated in France, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It dates back to the Middle Ages, possibly as early as the 11th or 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old French word "bard," which means a minstrel or poet.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a historical record compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. The book mentions a person named Bardi living in Lincolnshire, England. It is likely that this individual or their ancestors had migrated from northern France to England.

In the 13th century, there are records of a place called Bardyville in Normandy, France. This place name may have been derived from the surname Bardy, or it could have been the other way around, with the surname originating from the place name.

One notable individual with the surname Bardy was Jean Bardy, a French poet and playwright who lived in the 16th century (c. 1535-1590). He was known for his works in the French Renaissance literary tradition.

Another significant figure was Guillaume Bardy, a French historian and theologian who lived from 1856 to 1945. He was a renowned expert on early Christian literature and the history of the Church.

In England, the name Bardy can be traced back to the 14th century, with records showing a William Bardy who was a landowner in Gloucestershire in the year 1327.

During the 15th century, there was a family of Bardys who held a prominent position in the county of Warwickshire. Sir John Bardy (c. 1420-1482) was a member of this family and served as a knight and military commander under King Edward IV.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Bartholomew Bardy, an English clergyman and scholar who lived from 1594 to 1672. He was a renowned linguist and translator, known for his work on ancient Greek and Latin texts.

While the exact origins of the surname Bardy remain somewhat uncertain, it is clear that the name has a long and rich history, dating back to medieval times in France and later spreading to other parts of Europe, including England, where it has been present for several centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bardy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bardy 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 30 Bardys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.62x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 30 8.62x
Buckinghamshire 2 9.42x
Essex 2 2.89x
Oxfordshire 1 4.61x
Somerset 1 1.77x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. York St Margaret in Yorkshire leads with 16 Bardys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7272.73x.

Place Total Index
York St Margaret 16 7272.73x
York All Sts Peasholme 10 16666.67x
York St Peter Le 4 5714.29x
Padbury 2 3333.33x
Bedminster 1 18.83x
Blenheim 1 10000.00x
Colchester St Giles 1 147.06x
Colchester St James 1 357.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Alice 2
Elizabeth 2
Sarah 2
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Betsy 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Francis 1
Hannah 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Henry 2
John 2
Samuel 2
William 2
Alfred 1
Charles 1
Earnest 1
George 1
Harry 1
James 1
Robert 1
Walter 1

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 Bardy households.

FAQ

Bardy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bardy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 36 people were recorded with the Bardy surname. That placed it at #28,559 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bardy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016. That gives Bardy a modern rank of #25,882.

What does the Bardy surname mean?

A variant of the French surname Bardeau referring to a person who made roof tiles or shingles.

What does the Bardy map show?

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