NameCensus.

UK surname

Barker

An occupational surname referring to a person who stripped bark from trees for tanning.

In the 1881 census there were 39,196 people recorded with the Barker surname, ranking it #78 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 46,160, ranked #108, down from #78 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Halifax and Leeds. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, York and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Barker is 50,282 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 17.8%.

1881 census count

39,196

Ranked #78

Modern count

46,160

2016, ranked #108

Peak year

1911

50,282 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Barker had 39,196 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #78 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 46,160 in 2016, ranked #108.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 50,282 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Barker surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Barker surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Barker 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 24,811 #81
1861 historical 27,258 #73
1881 historical 39,196 #78
1891 historical 41,138 #78
1901 historical 46,771 #82
1911 historical 50,282 #72
1997 modern 46,682 #97
1998 modern 48,835 #97
1999 modern 49,034 #96
2000 modern 48,741 #96
2001 modern 47,615 #96
2002 modern 48,213 #100
2003 modern 46,943 #100
2004 modern 46,823 #102
2005 modern 45,828 #103
2006 modern 45,732 #104
2007 modern 46,054 #104
2008 modern 46,203 #104
2009 modern 47,116 #104
2010 modern 47,677 #106
2011 modern 47,094 #106
2012 modern 46,106 #107
2013 modern 46,989 #107
2014 modern 47,116 #107
2015 modern 46,532 #106
2016 modern 46,160 #108

Geography

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Where Barkers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Halifax, Leeds and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, York, Doncaster, Ryedale and Wakefield. 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 1
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 110 Leeds
2 York 013 York
3 Doncaster 002 Doncaster
4 Ryedale 007 Ryedale
5 Wakefield 024 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Barker

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Barker

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

Barker 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

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

Meaning and origin of Barker

The surname Barker has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "barkere," meaning a person who stripped and prepared bark for use in tanning leather.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Barkere" in various counties across England, including Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, and Oxfordshire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in different regions of the country by the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in various forms, such as "le Barkere" and "Barkare," reflecting the evolution of the English language over time. These spellings were often influenced by the local dialects and scribes' interpretations.

One notable example from history is William Barker (c. 1365-1423), a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1416. He played a significant role in the city's governance and was involved in negotiations with the King during the tumultuous period of the Hundred Years' War.

Another prominent figure was Christopher Barker (c. 1529-1599), an English printer and publisher who held the prestigious position of Queen's Printer under Elizabeth I. He was responsible for printing some of the most important works of the time, including translations of the Bible.

In the 17th century, the Barker surname was well-represented in various parts of England. One notable example is Robert Barker (1580-1645), a Church of England clergyman who served as the Dean of Arches, a prestigious ecclesiastical court position.

During the 18th century, the name continued to be widely distributed across England. One notable figure from this period was Matthew Barker (1619-1698), an English physician and writer who published influential works on natural philosophy and medical topics.

In the 19th century, the Barker surname gained global recognition with the exploits of Sir Robert Barker (1789-1854), an English painter and inventor who patented the first modern panoramic painting technique, known as the "Panorama."

These examples illustrate the widespread presence and historical significance of the Barker surname, which has its roots in the occupational traditions of medieval England and has since been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, printers, clergymen, physicians, and artists.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Barker families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Barker 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 10,228 Barkers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.70x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 10,228 2.70x
Lancashire 4,917 1.08x
Middlesex 3,430 0.90x
Staffordshire 1,778 1.38x
Essex 1,646 2.18x
Derbyshire 1,625 2.72x
Surrey 1,455 0.78x
Durham 1,232 1.08x
Norfolk 1,174 2.00x
Lincolnshire 1,081 1.77x
Nottinghamshire 928 1.80x
Cheshire 920 1.09x
Suffolk 815 1.75x
Kent 809 0.62x
Northamptonshire 607 1.69x
Warwickshire 573 0.59x
Leicestershire 543 1.28x
Cambridgeshire 491 2.03x
Hertfordshire 490 1.86x
Worcestershire 486 0.97x
Shropshire 333 1.01x
Bedfordshire 314 1.59x
Berkshire 298 1.04x
Sussex 281 0.44x
Hampshire 273 0.35x
Northumberland 243 0.43x
Cumberland 239 0.73x
Buckinghamshire 182 0.79x
Lanarkshire 150 0.12x
Devon 145 0.18x
Gloucestershire 144 0.19x
Midlothian 126 0.25x
Somerset 123 0.20x
Fife 112 0.49x
Westmorland 105 1.25x
Cornwall 102 0.24x
Huntingdonshire 81 1.07x
Glamorgan 76 0.11x
Flintshire 70 0.68x
Herefordshire 49 0.31x
Oxfordshire 43 0.18x
Denbighshire 40 0.28x
Stirlingshire 38 0.27x
Monmouthshire 32 0.12x
Dorset 30 0.12x
Wiltshire 30 0.09x
Perthshire 28 0.16x
Renfrewshire 27 0.09x
Caernarfonshire 21 0.14x
Royal Navy 21 0.46x
Rutland 20 0.71x
Channel Islands 19 0.17x
Aberdeenshire 15 0.04x
Radnorshire 12 0.39x
Argyllshire 11 0.10x
Kirkcudbrightshire 11 0.20x
Anglesey 10 0.15x
Dunbartonshire 10 0.10x
East Lothian 10 0.20x
Isle of Man 10 0.14x
Montgomeryshire 10 0.11x
Selkirkshire 10 0.29x
Ayrshire 9 0.03x
Inverness-shire 7 0.06x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.04x
Pembrokeshire 6 0.05x
Angus 5 0.01x
Dumfriesshire 5 0.06x
Merionethshire 5 0.07x
Brecknockshire 3 0.04x
Clackmannanshire 2 0.06x
Kincardineshire 2 0.04x
Morayshire 2 0.03x
Banffshire 1 0.01x
Berwickshire 1 0.02x
Peeblesshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 497 Barkers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.32x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 497 2.32x
Stoke Upon Trent 419 3.06x
Stansfield 348 24.96x
Sheffield 315 2.61x
Islington London 305 0.82x
Lambeth 271 0.81x
Nottingham St Mary 256 1.92x
Brightside Bierlow 231 3.11x
St Pancras London 224 0.73x
Horton In Bradford 210 3.55x
West Ham 210 1.26x
Camberwell 209 0.86x
St Marylebone London 209 1.02x
Blackburn 207 1.72x
Shoreditch London 206 1.24x
Bradford 196 2.14x
Birmingham 192 0.60x
Hackney London 179 0.84x
Oldham 178 1.22x
Ecclesall Bierlow 177 2.30x
Sculcoates 175 2.91x
Manchester 174 0.85x
Aston 172 0.65x
Bethnal Green London 171 1.03x
Salford 166 1.24x
Hunslet 159 2.69x
Clayton 155 16.72x
Saffron Walden 155 19.44x
Halifax 146 2.63x
Kensington London 145 0.68x
Preston 144 1.19x
Eckington 143 9.84x
Toxteth Park 143 0.93x
Spotland 142 2.82x
Nether Hallam 140 2.73x
Liverpool 138 0.50x
Croydon 134 1.30x
Holy Trinity 131 1.44x
Langfield 129 19.46x
Loughborough 123 6.40x
Mile End Old Town London 123 1.51x
Hammersmith London 121 1.28x
Bowling 115 3.07x
Paddington London 115 0.82x
Kidderminster Borough 111 3.80x
Mirfield 111 5.34x
Ashton Under Lyne 107 1.08x
Todmorden Walsden 107 8.80x
Derby St Peter 103 5.40x
Great Grimsby 103 2.65x
Newington 103 0.73x
Northowram 103 3.88x
West Derby 102 0.77x
Derby St Werburgh 101 2.92x
Middlesbrough 101 2.05x
Bromley London 100 1.19x
Darlington 100 2.28x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 98 2.78x
Ilkeston 95 5.66x
Hulme 94 0.99x
Manningham 94 2.01x
Chelsea London 93 0.81x
Battersea 92 0.65x
Bury 92 1.78x
Everton 92 0.64x
Deptford St Paul 91 0.90x
Tottenham 89 1.46x
Alfreton 88 4.84x
Burnley 88 2.30x
Chesterfield 88 3.92x
Chorlton On Medlock 88 1.22x
Habergham Eaves 88 2.12x
Wigan 88 1.39x
North Bierley 87 4.25x
Scarborough 86 2.50x
St George Hanover Square 86 1.28x
Poplar London 84 1.16x
Kingswinford 83 1.77x
Leicester St Margaret 82 0.79x
St Luke London 79 1.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2,705
Elizabeth 1,535
Sarah 1,510
Ann 776
Jane 764
Emma 650
Annie 614
Eliza 601
Alice 594
Ellen 556
Hannah 545
Emily 418
Martha 386
Margaret 351
Harriet 265
Edith 235
Ada 221
Maria 221
Louisa 219
Florence 208
Charlotte 199
Clara 191
Fanny 189
Caroline 162
Catherine 157
Frances 153
Lucy 146
Kate 137
Susan 137
Harriett 131
Anne 128
Isabella 117
Agnes 111
Amelia 106
Rose 105
Susannah 103
Rebecca 100
Esther 89
Ruth 84
Lydia 79
Elizth. 75
Eleanor 74
Ethel 73
Julia 72
Matilda 70
Betsy 69
Minnie 67
Gertrude 63
Sophia 62
Laura 60

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2,352
William 2,266
George 1,424
Thomas 1,219
James 1,181
Joseph 810
Charles 778
Henry 703
Robert 535
Alfred 433
Arthur 395
Edward 366
Samuel 366
Frederick 326
Walter 302
Richard 259
Albert 254
Harry 238
Herbert 196
Frank 180
Ernest 131
Wm. 126
Benjamin 123
Edwin 122
Fred 122
David 121
Francis 115
Tom 84
Thos. 79
Daniel 64
Geo. 64
Isaac 60
Christopher 55
Mark 53
Abraham 47
Peter 47
Edmund 45
Fredrick 44
Percy 44
Stephen 40
Fredk. 39
Jno. 35
Jonathan 34
Alexander 32
Chas. 31
Leonard 31
Ralph 30
Horace 29
Joshua 28
Harold 27

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 Barker households.

FAQ

Barker surname: questions and answers

How common was the Barker surname in 1881?

In 1881, 39,196 people were recorded with the Barker surname. That placed it at #78 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Barker surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 46,160 in 2016. That gives Barker a modern rank of #108.

What does the Barker surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who stripped bark from trees for tanning.

What does the Barker map show?

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