NameCensus.

UK surname

Barns

In the 1881 census there were 1,942 people recorded with the Barns surname, ranking it #2,252 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 558, ranked #9,187, down from #2,252 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barking and Dagenham, Southend-on-Sea and Wealden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Barns is 3,482 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 71.3%.

1881 census count

1,942

Ranked #2,252

Modern count

558

2016, ranked #9,187

Peak year

1851

3,482 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Barns had 1,942 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,252 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 558 in 2016, ranked #9,187.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,482 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Barns surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Barns surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Barns 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 3,482 #819
1861 historical 2,735 #1,073
1881 historical 1,942 #2,252
1891 historical 1,990 #2,316
1901 historical 1,170 #4,174
1911 historical 1,011 #4,501
1997 modern 415 #10,709
1998 modern 428 #10,810
1999 modern 438 #10,695
2000 modern 433 #10,750
2001 modern 429 #10,634
2002 modern 439 #10,656
2003 modern 421 #10,844
2004 modern 441 #10,474
2005 modern 453 #10,155
2006 modern 440 #10,435
2007 modern 450 #10,335
2008 modern 467 #10,146
2009 modern 489 #10,034
2010 modern 506 #9,971
2011 modern 493 #10,056
2012 modern 504 #9,803
2013 modern 518 #9,755
2014 modern 523 #9,770
2015 modern 531 #9,584
2016 modern 558 #9,187

Geography

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Where Barns' are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Barking and Dagenham, Southend-on-Sea, Wealden, Cherwell and Castle Point. 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 3
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barking and Dagenham 023 Barking and Dagenham
2 Southend-on-Sea 013 Southend-on-Sea
3 Wealden 005 Wealden
4 Cherwell 005 Cherwell
5 Castle Point 010 Castle Point

Forenames

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First names often paired with Barns

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Barns

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Barns surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Barns household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Barns 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

Barns is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Barns falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Barns families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Barns 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. Lancashire leads with 243 Barns' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.09x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 243 1.09x
Middlesex 227 1.20x
Surrey 132 1.44x
Devon 105 2.68x
Sussex 98 3.08x
Yorkshire 98 0.52x
Wiltshire 62 3.72x
Gloucestershire 61 1.65x
Kent 57 0.89x
Cornwall 50 2.34x
Lanarkshire 43 0.71x
Hampshire 40 1.04x
Berkshire 39 2.76x
Cheshire 38 0.91x
Durham 38 0.68x
Fife 37 3.32x
Northumberland 37 1.32x
Warwickshire 37 0.78x
Staffordshire 34 0.53x
Essex 30 0.81x
Roxburghshire 29 8.50x
Cumberland 27 1.66x
Oxfordshire 23 1.98x
Buckinghamshire 22 1.93x
Northamptonshire 21 1.18x
Norfolk 20 0.69x
Derbyshire 19 0.64x
Glamorgan 19 0.58x
Angus 18 1.03x
Leicestershire 18 0.86x
Hertfordshire 15 1.15x
Nottinghamshire 15 0.59x
Shropshire 15 0.92x
Cambridgeshire 14 1.17x
Suffolk 14 0.61x
Lincolnshire 12 0.40x
Worcestershire 12 0.49x
Dorset 11 0.89x
Bedfordshire 10 1.02x
Ayrshire 9 0.64x
Dunbartonshire 9 1.78x
Midlothian 9 0.36x
Monmouthshire 9 0.66x
Renfrewshire 9 0.62x
Berwickshire 7 3.07x
Somerset 7 0.23x
Huntingdonshire 6 1.60x
Selkirkshire 6 3.52x
Perthshire 4 0.47x
Westmorland 4 0.97x
East Lothian 3 1.20x
Stirlingshire 3 0.43x
Denbighshire 2 0.28x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.33x
Royal Navy 2 0.89x
Herefordshire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 38 Barns' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.08x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 38 2.08x
Battersea 32 4.61x
Shoreditch London 26 3.18x
Ludgvan 21 123.46x
Mile End Old Town London 19 4.74x
St Pancras London 19 1.25x
East Budleigh 18 97.40x
Liff Benvie 17 6.41x
Liverpool 17 1.25x
Turton 17 46.42x
Kirkdale 16 4.25x
Leicester St Margaret 16 3.14x
Oldham 16 2.22x
Paddington London 16 2.31x
St Luke London 15 4.96x
Newchurch 14 7.65x
Nottingham St Mary 14 2.13x
Shalbourn 14 264.15x
Spotland 14 5.63x
Wandsworth 14 7.72x
Barony 13 0.84x
Charlwood 13 147.73x
Kirkcaldy 13 23.50x
Stapleton 13 18.54x
Birmingham 12 0.76x
Brighton 12 1.87x
Chester St John Baptist 12 16.05x
Churchstow 12 506.33x
Hackney London 12 1.14x
Ilfracombe 12 29.72x
Lambeth 12 0.73x
Wallsend 12 13.49x
Ecclesfield 11 8.03x
Faversham 11 17.94x
Hambleden 11 112.94x
Aldeburgh 10 73.58x
Ancrum 10 112.99x
Camberwell 10 0.83x
Cardiff St John 10 9.33x
Dalserf 10 16.44x
Leeds 10 0.95x
Markinch 10 26.41x
Salford 10 1.52x
Tenterden 10 44.09x
Aston 9 0.69x
Bicester Market End 9 42.12x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 9 2.59x
Broadwater 9 12.35x
Buckfastleigh 9 49.72x
Church 9 28.50x
Harrow 9 31.25x
Mortlake 9 21.99x
St Just In Penwith 9 21.74x
Storrington 9 103.21x
Swindon 9 6.96x
Wales 9 61.02x
Bethnal Green London 8 0.98x
Cheetham 8 4.80x
Chinnor 8 99.26x
Flitwick 8 151.52x
Hornsey 8 3.36x
Kensington London 8 0.76x
Lower Darwen 8 27.26x
Mundham 8 421.05x
Old Kilpatrick 8 13.37x
Sheffield 8 1.35x
Speen 8 34.56x
St Andrew Holborn London 8 9.81x
St Marylebone London 8 0.80x
Trevethin 8 6.22x
Walsall Foreign 8 2.43x
Westfield 8 117.82x
Wolstanton 8 4.14x
Wylam 8 129.45x
Chipping Barnet 7 30.81x
Cocking 7 187.67x
Dalton In Furness 7 8.11x
Hullavington 7 173.27x
Prittlewell 7 13.58x
Solihull 7 20.49x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 124
Elizabeth 76
Sarah 52
Ann 33
Jane 29
Eliza 28
Emma 28
Ellen 26
Annie 20
Margaret 18
Alice 17
Catherine 14
Clara 14
Harriet 14
Ada 13
Emily 13
Louisa 13
Martha 13
Edith 12
Hannah 12
Agnes 11
Maria 11
Kate 10
Charlotte 9
Frances 9
Susan 9
Caroline 8
Isabella 8
Fanny 7
Ruth 7
Amelia 6
Florence 6
Grace 6
Matilda 6
Sophia 6
Adelaide 5
Anna 5
Ethel 5
Jessie 5
Elizth. 4
Gertrude 4
Lucy 4
Margret 4
Rose 4
Amy 3
Bridget 3
Janet 3
Lilian 3
May 3
Minnie 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 124
John 103
Thomas 71
George 65
James 58
Charles 31
Joseph 30
Henry 29
Alfred 21
Edward 20
Robert 17
Samuel 17
Richard 16
Arthur 11
Frank 11
Frederick 11
Stephen 11
Harry 10
Walter 10
Benjamin 9
Herbert 9
Albert 8
Edwin 7
David 6
Isaac 6
Ernest 5
Francis 5
Fred 5
Fredrick 4
Jesse 4
Mark 4
Alexander 3
Cornelius 3
Geo. 3
Joshua 3
Mathew 3
Nicholas 3
Patrick 3
Earnest 2
Edgar 2
Fredk. 2
Jno. 2
Jonathan 2
Matthew 2
Michael 2
Tom 2
Willm. 2
Benjn 1
Eli 1
Elizth. 1

FAQ

Barns surname: questions and answers

How common was the Barns surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,942 people were recorded with the Barns surname. That placed it at #2,252 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Barns surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 558 in 2016. That gives Barns a modern rank of #9,187.

What does the Barns map show?

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