NameCensus.

UK surname

Barnacle

A surname derived from the word for a marine crustacean that clings to surfaces.

In the 1881 census there were 362 people recorded with the Barnacle surname, ranking it #8,561 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 406, ranked #11,754, down from #8,561 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rugby, London parishes and Misterton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leicester, Melton and Stafford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Barnacle is 509 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.2%.

1881 census count

362

Ranked #8,561

Modern count

406

2016, ranked #11,754

Peak year

1911

509 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Barnacle had 362 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,561 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 406 in 2016, ranked #11,754.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 509 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Barnacle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Barnacle surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Barnacle 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 222 #9,597
1861 historical 208 #11,642
1881 historical 362 #8,561
1891 historical 417 #8,579
1901 historical 469 #8,444
1911 historical 509 #7,732
1997 modern 406 #10,889
1998 modern 424 #10,880
1999 modern 441 #10,631
2000 modern 446 #10,516
2001 modern 438 #10,462
2002 modern 437 #10,693
2003 modern 437 #10,539
2004 modern 429 #10,718
2005 modern 420 #10,781
2006 modern 418 #10,861
2007 modern 412 #11,116
2008 modern 416 #11,121
2009 modern 425 #11,161
2010 modern 423 #11,470
2011 modern 428 #11,219
2012 modern 409 #11,547
2013 modern 414 #11,624
2014 modern 409 #11,808
2015 modern 405 #11,800
2016 modern 406 #11,754

Geography

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Where Barnacles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rugby, London parishes, Misterton, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leicester, Melton, Stafford, Warwick and Coventry. 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 Rugby Warwickshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Misterton Leicestershire
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leicester 003 Leicester
2 Melton 006 Melton
3 Stafford 008 Stafford
4 Warwick 005 Warwick
5 Coventry 018 Coventry

Forenames

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First names often paired with Barnacle

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Barnacle

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Barnacle surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Barnacle household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Barnacle 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

Barnacle is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Barnacle 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 Barnacle is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Barnacle

The surname Barnacle originates from England, with its roots tracing back to the 14th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "bernacle," which referred to a type of wild goose once believed to grow from barnacle shells attached to driftwood.

This peculiar belief stemmed from medieval bestiaries and folklore, and the name Barnacle was likely initially adopted as a nickname or a descriptive surname for individuals who may have lived near coastal areas where these barnacle geese were found.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Barnacle surname can be found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, dated around 1317, where a person named Richard Barnacle is mentioned.

The Barnacle name also appears in the records of the Poll Tax in Yorkshire in 1379, indicating its presence in the region during that time period.

In the 15th century, the Barnacle surname was found in various parts of England, with records showing individuals bearing the name in counties such as Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Lancashire.

A notable individual with the Barnacle surname was Sir John Barnacle, a member of the English gentry who lived in the early 16th century and served as a Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire in 1542.

Another prominent figure was Sir Matthew Barnacle, a successful merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London in the late 16th century, who was born around 1550.

In the 17th century, the Barnacle name gained prominence with the birth of Nathaniel Barnacle (1628-1712), an English Puritan clergyman and writer who served as the vicar of St. Andrew's Church in Plymouth.

The 18th century saw the rise of John Barnacle (1718-1789), a renowned English architect and surveyor who was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings in London.

In the 19th century, one of the most notable individuals with the Barnacle surname was Sir Nathaniel Barnacle (1829-1901), a British naval officer and explorer who participated in several Arctic expeditions and served as the Chief Naval Officer of the Admiralty from 1884 to 1889.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Barnacle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Barnacle 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. Warwickshire leads with 167 Barnacles recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.75x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 167 18.75x
Leicestershire 62 15.84x
Middlesex 21 0.59x
Lancashire 18 0.43x
Staffordshire 16 1.34x
Kent 15 1.25x
Lincolnshire 12 2.13x
Yorkshire 11 0.31x
Nottinghamshire 8 1.68x
Hampshire 5 0.69x
Cheshire 4 0.51x
Derbyshire 4 0.72x
Surrey 4 0.23x
Worcestershire 4 0.87x
Somerset 3 0.53x
Devon 2 0.27x
Northamptonshire 2 0.60x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.45x
Durham 1 0.10x
Huntingdonshire 1 1.43x
Oxfordshire 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Coventry St Michael in Warwickshire leads with 45 Barnacles recorded in 1881 and an index of 157.29x.

Place Total Index
Coventry St Michael 45 157.29x
Dunchurch 21 1721.31x
Leicester St Margaret 16 16.76x
Aston 15 6.12x
Coventry Holy Trinity 14 52.65x
Manthorpe Cum Little 12 277.78x
Misterton 12 2033.90x
Leicester All Sts 11 143.04x
Warwick St Mary 11 142.30x
Old Stratford 9 178.57x
Penkridge 9 293.16x
Shoreditch London 9 5.88x
Barkby 8 1052.63x
Foleshill 7 74.71x
Warwick St Nicholas 7 107.20x
Birmingham 6 2.02x
Deptford St Nicholas 6 62.76x
Knighton 6 271.49x
Leeds 6 3.04x
Nottingham St Mary 6 4.87x
Woolwich 6 13.48x
Barlaston 5 505.05x
Berkswell 5 284.09x
Bonchurch 5 609.76x
Enfield 5 21.58x
Liverpool 5 1.96x
Preston 5 4.46x
Stratford On Avon 5 101.21x
Whitefriars Precinct 5 892.86x
Wroxhall 5 2380.95x
Leicester Newarke 4 196.08x
Rugby 4 33.20x
Yardley 4 33.90x
Leamington Priors 3 13.69x
Leatherhead 3 69.61x
Rainford 3 66.23x
Walcot 3 9.91x
Barrow In Furness 2 3.51x
Bearsted 2 273.97x
Belgrave 2 22.62x
Chesterfield 2 9.65x
Halifax 2 3.89x
Handsworth 2 21.62x
Harbury 2 137.93x
Knutsford Nether 2 42.46x
Lighthorne 2 465.12x
Northampton All Sts 2 17.75x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 3.53x
Radford 2 8.27x
Sapcote 2 238.10x
Birkenhead 1 1.61x
Broughton 1 142.86x
Croydon 1 1.05x
Darlington 1 2.47x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.08x
Derby All Sts 1 21.65x
Derby St Alkmund 1 6.04x
Ditton 1 58.48x
Fulham London 1 1.95x
Hilton 1 232.56x
Holy Trinity St Mary 1 18.76x
Hyde 1 4.35x
Long Itchington 1 71.94x
Lutterworth 1 41.84x
Mancetter 1 39.06x
Napton On Hill 1 93.46x
Poplar London 1 1.50x
Salford 1 0.81x
Solihull 1 15.63x
Southam 1 46.30x
St Benedict Cambridge 1 79.37x
Ufton 1 416.67x
Walton On Hill 1 4.41x
Wednesbury 1 3.36x
Wolverhampton 1 1.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Elizabeth 15
Ellen 13
Emma 13
Hannah 11
Ann 9
Sarah 9
Eliza 7
Emily 7
Margaret 5
Ada 4
Alice 4
Clara 4
Harriet 4
Anne 3
Annie 3
Charlotte 3
Edith 3
Harriett 3
Jane 3
Bertha 2
Florence 2
Lucy 2
Mabel 2
Martha 2
Rose 2
Sophia 2
Winefred 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Anny 1
Beatrice 1
Beka 1
Caroline 1
Elizabett 1
Elizth. 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Gertrude 1
Helen 1
Hilda 1
Katharine 1
Lilian 1
Lillian 1
Louisa 1
Margareeta 1
Maria 1
Olive 1
Rebecca 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 33
John 23
George 19
Thomas 11
Charles 10
Arthur 8
James 8
Walter 6
David 5
Henry 5
Edwin 4
Joseph 4
Frederick 3
Robert 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Andrew 2
Ernest 2
Herbert 2
Michael 2
Samuel 2
Wm. 2
A.G. 1
Archdale 1
Aubrey 1
Bernard 1
Bertie 1
Bruce 1
Chas. 1
Dennis 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Giles 1
Harry 1
Lewis 1
Loftus 1
Martin 1
Robt. 1
Thos. 1
Wm.Jas. 1

FAQ

Barnacle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Barnacle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 362 people were recorded with the Barnacle surname. That placed it at #8,561 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Barnacle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 406 in 2016. That gives Barnacle a modern rank of #11,754.

What does the Barnacle surname mean?

A surname derived from the word for a marine crustacean that clings to surfaces.

What does the Barnacle map show?

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