NameCensus.

UK surname

Barnaby

Derived from a place name meaning "Beornwald's homestead" in Old English, referring to a person who lived there.

In the 1881 census there were 595 people recorded with the Barnaby surname, ranking it #5,878 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 858, ranked #6,528, down from #5,878 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, Tunbridge, Bidborough and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caerphilly, New Forest and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Barnaby is 860 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.2%.

1881 census count

595

Ranked #5,878

Modern count

858

2016, ranked #6,528

Peak year

2014

860 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Barnaby had 595 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,878 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 858 in 2016, ranked #6,528.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 623 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Barnaby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Barnaby surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Barnaby 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 392 #6,129
1861 historical 330 #7,721
1881 historical 595 #5,878
1891 historical 557 #6,807
1901 historical 614 #6,953
1911 historical 623 #6,640
1997 modern 731 #7,000
1998 modern 776 #6,925
1999 modern 778 #6,942
2000 modern 789 #6,850
2001 modern 774 #6,824
2002 modern 804 #6,747
2003 modern 785 #6,757
2004 modern 783 #6,791
2005 modern 787 #6,689
2006 modern 778 #6,786
2007 modern 775 #6,873
2008 modern 788 #6,839
2009 modern 830 #6,688
2010 modern 859 #6,636
2011 modern 836 #6,699
2012 modern 827 #6,666
2013 modern 847 #6,659
2014 modern 860 #6,608
2015 modern 859 #6,543
2016 modern 858 #6,528

Geography

Back to top

Where Barnabys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes, King's Lynn St Margaret and Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caerphilly, New Forest, Leeds, Wakefield and Lincoln. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 King's Lynn St Margaret Norfolk
5 Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caerphilly 020 Caerphilly
2 New Forest 001 New Forest
3 Leeds 107 Leeds
4 Wakefield 011 Wakefield
5 Lincoln 011 Lincoln

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Barnaby

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Barnaby

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Barnaby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Barnaby household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Barnaby is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Barnaby 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

Barnaby falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Barnaby

The surname Barnaby originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "beorn," meaning warrior or nobleman, and "bi," meaning a dwelling or village. The name, therefore, likely referred to someone living in or near a village inhabited or owned by a warrior or nobleman.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Barnaby appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1196, where a person named Willelmus Bernaby is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, making this an important historical reference for the name's existence in medieval England.

The name Barnaby also appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landholders in England. This further solidifies the name's presence in the country during the 13th century. Variations of the spelling, such as Berneby and Bernaby, were common in these early records.

In the 14th century, the name Barnaby was associated with several notable individuals. John Barnaby, born around 1320, was a prominent English landowner and Knight of the Shire for Gloucestershire in the Parliament of 1344. Another John Barnaby, born in 1385, was a member of the influential Barnaby family of Leicestershire and served as the High Sheriff of Leicestershire and Warwickshire in 1418.

During the 16th century, the name Barnaby gained further prominence with individuals like Thomas Barnaby (1508-1557), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Leicester and was a staunch supporter of the Protestant Reformation. Another notable figure was John Barnaby (1542-1618), a renowned English jurist and Member of Parliament for Worcestershire.

In the 17th century, Nathaniel Barnaby (1628-1701) was a respected English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "A Faithful Remonstrance to the Bishop of Lincoln" and "The Life and Death of Mr. William Whately."

Throughout history, the surname Barnaby has been associated with various places and locations, such as Barnaby Gate in Nottinghamshire, Barnaby Moor in Cheshire, and Barnaby Castle in County Durham, further reflecting the name's deep roots in England's historical geography.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Barnaby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Barnaby 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. Kent leads with 81 Barnabys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.08x.

County Total Index
Kent 81 4.08x
Lincolnshire 80 8.59x
Middlesex 72 1.24x
Yorkshire 67 1.16x
Suffolk 59 8.32x
Norfolk 27 3.02x
Surrey 27 0.95x
Lancashire 25 0.36x
Durham 23 1.33x
Staffordshire 23 1.17x
Hampshire 19 1.59x
Wiltshire 13 2.52x
Hertfordshire 12 2.99x
Essex 11 0.96x
Argyllshire 8 4.93x
Glamorgan 7 0.69x
Montgomeryshire 7 5.25x
Buckinghamshire 6 1.70x
Gloucestershire 5 0.44x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.64x
Dorset 3 0.78x
Northamptonshire 3 0.55x
Berkshire 2 0.46x
Devon 2 0.17x
Monmouthshire 2 0.48x
Shropshire 2 0.40x
Sussex 2 0.20x
Angus 1 0.19x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.27x
Oxfordshire 1 0.28x
Royal Navy 1 1.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holy Trinity in Yorkshire leads with 26 Barnabys recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.73x.

Place Total Index
Holy Trinity 26 18.73x
Lowestoft 21 62.67x
Tonbridge 15 20.93x
South Lynn 14 138.61x
Wednesfield 13 44.94x
St Pancras London 12 2.56x
Amesbury 11 488.89x
Lewisham 11 10.38x
Brightside Bierlow 10 8.84x
Gillingham 10 24.41x
Greenwich 10 10.79x
Shoreditch London 10 3.96x
Buckland 9 1250.00x
Isleworth 9 34.76x
Islington London 9 1.59x
Portsea 9 3.85x
Ashby 8 273.97x
Campbeltown 8 40.90x
Great Barr 8 355.56x
Rotherhithe 8 11.12x
Sculcoates 8 8.74x
Southwark St George Martyr 8 6.83x
Stockton On Tees 8 9.58x
Chilton 7 129.39x
East Ham 7 32.82x
Gorleston 7 38.85x
Luddington 7 588.24x
Mendham 7 463.58x
Montgomery 7 294.12x
Orpington 7 115.13x
Cleethorpes 6 109.49x
Great Grimsby 6 10.15x
Great Yarmouth 6 8.09x
Harefield 6 200.00x
Hornsey 6 8.15x
Kensington London 6 1.85x
Llandaff 6 17.79x
Southampton St Michael 6 152.67x
Stallingborough 6 625.00x
Withington 6 26.95x
Worlaby 6 517.24x
Laceby 5 246.31x
Lee 5 17.33x
Metfield 5 431.03x
Nettleham 5 261.78x
Newington 5 2.32x
North Owersby 5 735.29x
St Martin Lincoln 5 57.87x
Chatham 4 7.32x
Clee With Weelsby 4 19.63x
Friern Barnet 4 31.18x
Horncastle 4 41.62x
Scarborough 4 7.63x
Sunderland 4 13.07x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 4 20.11x
West Derby 4 1.98x
Westbury On Trym 4 10.34x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 1.99x
Aylesbury 3 19.23x
Bramfield 3 240.00x
Dallington 3 93.17x
Gainsborough 3 13.67x
Gateshead 3 2.31x
Great Wigborough 3 566.04x
Hopton 3 171.43x
Kelsale 3 152.28x
Liversedge 3 11.68x
Milton In Gravesend 3 10.07x
Rochester St Nicholas 3 48.54x
Sixhills 3 857.14x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 3 11.19x
Staythorpe 3 3333.33x
Woolwich 3 4.09x
Wrotham 3 45.59x
Affpuddle 2 206.19x
Maidstone 2 3.38x
Necton 2 126.58x
Plumstead 2 3.02x
Rufford 2 110.50x
St Peterat Arches 2 188.68x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 42
John 32
George 25
Henry 19
Charles 13
James 12
Thomas 12
Edward 9
Joseph 9
Samuel 8
Alfred 7
Benjamin 7
Robert 7
Walter 5
Arthur 4
Edwin 4
Harry 4
Frank 3
Albert 2
Frederick 2
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
Nathaniel 2
Samuell 2
Wm. 2
Abraham 1
Andrew 1
Ben 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edwyn 1
Ernest 1
Eustace 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Hiram 1
I. 1
Jas.M. 1
Jethro 1
Lewis 1
Llewellyn 1
Martin 1
Richard 1
Sidney 1
Stanley 1
W. 1
Willm. 1
Wm.F. 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Barnaby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Barnaby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 595 people were recorded with the Barnaby surname. That placed it at #5,878 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Barnaby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 858 in 2016. That gives Barnaby a modern rank of #6,528.

What does the Barnaby surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "Beornwald's homestead" in Old English, referring to a person who lived there.

What does the Barnaby map show?

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