NameCensus.

UK surname

Bartholomew

Son of Talmai, an Aramaic name meaning "furrowed" or "rich in land."

In the 1881 census there were 2,425 people recorded with the Bartholomew surname, ranking it #1,831 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,368, ranked #2,014, down from #1,831 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and Rotherham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rotherham, West Berkshire and Rother.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bartholomew is 3,518 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.9%.

1881 census count

2,425

Ranked #1,831

Modern count

3,368

2016, ranked #2,014

Peak year

2002

3,518 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bartholomew had 2,425 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,831 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,368 in 2016, ranked #2,014.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,122 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bartholomew surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bartholomew surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bartholomew 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 1,544 #1,854
1861 historical 1,429 #1,987
1881 historical 2,425 #1,831
1891 historical 2,356 #1,992
1901 historical 3,106 #1,803
1911 historical 3,122 #1,670
1997 modern 3,342 #1,934
1998 modern 3,452 #1,940
1999 modern 3,515 #1,929
2000 modern 3,501 #1,936
2001 modern 3,425 #1,932
2002 modern 3,518 #1,927
2003 modern 3,403 #1,947
2004 modern 3,387 #1,958
2005 modern 3,334 #1,958
2006 modern 3,312 #1,975
2007 modern 3,315 #1,999
2008 modern 3,337 #2,002
2009 modern 3,386 #2,026
2010 modern 3,412 #2,045
2011 modern 3,422 #2,014
2012 modern 3,342 #2,018
2013 modern 3,435 #1,995
2014 modern 3,440 #2,009
2015 modern 3,420 #1,997
2016 modern 3,368 #2,014

Geography

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Where Bartholomews are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Rotherham, West Berkshire, Rother and West Oxfordshire. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Rotherham Yorkshire, West Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rotherham 026 Rotherham
2 Rotherham 019 Rotherham
3 West Berkshire 012 West Berkshire
4 Rother 007 Rother
5 West Oxfordshire 001 West Oxfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bartholomew

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bartholomew

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

Bartholomew 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

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

Meaning and origin of Bartholomew

The surname Bartholomew is of English origin, derived from the given name Bartholomew. It is believed to have originated as an occupational surname for a person who worked as a tanner or leather worker. The name is derived from the Aramaic bar-Talmay, meaning "son of the furrows," referring to the process of tanning leather.

In England, the name Bartholomew can be traced back to the 12th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1176, where a Hugo Bartholomew is mentioned.

The Bartholomew surname is also associated with various places in England, such as Bartholomew Close in London, which was named after the Priory of St. Bartholomew, founded in 1123. Other place names related to the surname include Bartholomew Fair, an annual event held in London from the 12th to the 19th century.

Notable historical figures with the surname Bartholomew include John Bartholomew (1805-1861), a Scottish cartographer and engraver who founded the famous map-making firm John Bartholomew and Son. Another prominent individual was William Bartholomew (1793-1850), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Polytechnic Institution.

In the literary world, the surname Bartholomew is associated with James Bartholomew (1737-1799), an English poet and editor who published works such as "The Beauties of Shakespeare" and "The Poetical Works of John Dryden."

Bartholomew Richard Taunton (1770-1859) was an English topographer and author who wrote several works on the history and antiquities of various counties in England, including "The Antiquities of Wiltshire" and "The Topographical Description of Somersetshire."

The Bartholomew surname also has connections to the Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. While the name itself is not explicitly mentioned, there are references to individuals with the given name Bartholomew, indicating the presence of the name in England during the Norman period.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bartholomew families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bartholomew 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 339 Bartholomews recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.20x.

County Total Index
Kent 339 4.20x
Middlesex 323 1.37x
Surrey 249 2.16x
Yorkshire 214 0.91x
Sussex 211 5.29x
Essex 186 3.98x
Hampshire 144 2.97x
Berkshire 128 7.21x
Lincolnshire 100 2.65x
Wiltshire 59 2.82x
Lancashire 55 0.20x
Midlothian 46 1.45x
Stirlingshire 37 4.24x
Warwickshire 30 0.50x
Somerset 29 0.76x
Derbyshire 27 0.73x
Devon 26 0.53x
Suffolk 20 0.69x
Gloucestershire 18 0.39x
Dorset 16 1.03x
Staffordshire 14 0.18x
Fife 12 0.86x
Norfolk 12 0.33x
Lanarkshire 11 0.14x
Shropshire 11 0.54x
Durham 10 0.14x
Nottinghamshire 9 0.28x
Oxfordshire 9 0.62x
Bedfordshire 8 0.65x
Cambridgeshire 8 0.53x
Glamorgan 8 0.19x
Hertfordshire 8 0.49x
Northamptonshire 7 0.31x
Renfrewshire 6 0.33x
Cumberland 5 0.25x
West Lothian 5 1.40x
Angus 4 0.18x
Buteshire 4 2.79x
Northumberland 4 0.11x
Worcestershire 4 0.13x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.14x
Cheshire 2 0.04x
Leicestershire 2 0.08x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.16x
Royal Navy 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Earls Colne in Essex leads with 70 Bartholomews recorded in 1881 and an index of 543.48x.

Place Total Index
Earls Colne 70 543.48x
Portsea 59 6.21x
Camberwell 50 3.31x
Lambeth 50 2.43x
Hackney London 48 3.62x
Eastbourne 44 23.98x
Great Bedwin 40 269.36x
Sevenoaks 40 61.15x
Whiston 30 265.96x
Islington London 27 1.18x
Swanscombe 27 74.48x
Ecclesall Bierlow 26 5.46x
Farnham 26 29.02x
Rawmarsh 26 31.41x
Lewisham 25 5.81x
Brighton 24 2.98x
St Pancras London 22 1.16x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 21 1.65x
Kensington London 21 1.60x
St Marylebone London 21 1.66x
Brightside Bierlow 20 4.35x
Maidstone 19 7.91x
Birmingham 18 0.91x
Reading St Mary 18 12.66x
Polmont 17 52.80x
Ticehurst 17 69.67x
Plumstead 16 5.95x
Richmond 16 9.91x
Sheffield 16 2.14x
Woolwich 16 5.37x
Seaford 15 110.62x
Stone In Dartford 15 72.46x
Titchfield 15 41.06x
Barnsley 14 5.79x
Clerkenwell London 14 2.51x
Gorleston 14 19.13x
Bradford 13 2.29x
East Ham 13 15.01x
Paddington London 12 1.38x
Speen 12 41.32x
West Ham 12 1.16x
Alverstoke 11 6.27x
Durleigh 11 654.76x
Halstead 11 20.20x
Mile End Old Town London 11 2.19x
Milton In Gravesend 11 9.09x
Chelsea London 10 1.40x
Dorchester Holy Trinity 10 79.55x
Goudhurst 10 44.78x
Highclere 10 327.87x
Kingston On Thames 10 3.61x
Leamington Priors 10 6.82x
Rotherham 10 7.57x
Rotherhithe 10 3.42x
West Wickham 10 128.37x
Wootton Bassett 10 54.98x
Battersea 9 1.03x
Bromley London 9 1.73x
Folkestone 9 5.75x
Liverpool 9 0.53x
Ludlow St Lawrence 9 22.15x
Mayfield 9 38.17x
North Rauceby 9 410.96x
Streatham 9 5.13x
Twickenham 9 8.88x
Auchtertool 8 137.93x
Bishopstone 8 352.42x
Little Barford 8 522.88x
Minster In Sheppey 8 5.99x
Newington 8 0.92x
Poulton Barre 8 25.06x
Reading St Giles 8 4.59x
Rye 8 21.11x
St George Hanover Square 8 1.92x
St Ninians 8 9.26x
Tonbridge 8 2.75x
Toxteth Park 8 0.84x
Walton On Hill 8 5.26x
West Hendred 8 278.75x
White Colne 8 264.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 127
Elizabeth 84
Sarah 66
Ellen 49
Ann 48
Alice 46
Annie 43
Eliza 43
Emma 42
Jane 35
Emily 26
Louisa 24
Caroline 23
Fanny 20
Lucy 19
Maria 19
Hannah 18
Ada 17
Edith 16
Florence 15
Kate 14
Charlotte 13
Rose 13
Harriet 12
Martha 12
Clara 11
Matilda 11
Amelia 10
Anne 10
Frances 10
Harriett 9
Julia 9
Margaret 9
Susan 9
Rebecca 7
Sophia 7
Betsy 6
Catherine 6
Esther 6
Ethel 6
Ruth 6
Grace 5
Isabella 5
Jessie 5
Lizzie 5
Minnie 5
Agnes 4
Anna 4
Lilly 4
Rosa 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 129
John 99
George 94
Thomas 65
James 63
Henry 57
Charles 56
Arthur 37
Alfred 31
Edward 30
Joseph 28
Walter 23
Harry 22
Frederick 20
Robert 17
Albert 16
Wm. 16
Richard 14
Edwin 13
Samuel 12
Francis 11
Frank 10
Herbert 10
Thos. 9
Benjamin 8
Chas. 8
Ernest 8
David 6
Amos 5
Tom 5
Christopher 4
Geo. 4
Hugh 4
Jas. 4
Percy 4
Stephen 4
Willie 4
Andrew 3
Edgar 3
Enoch 3
Fred 3
Fredrick 3
Hy. 3
Isaac 3
Jeremiah 3
Jno. 3
Peter 3
Chas.Wm. 2
Fanny 2
Sydney 2

FAQ

Bartholomew surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bartholomew surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,425 people were recorded with the Bartholomew surname. That placed it at #1,831 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bartholomew surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,368 in 2016. That gives Bartholomew a modern rank of #2,014.

What does the Bartholomew surname mean?

Son of Talmai, an Aramaic name meaning "furrowed" or "rich in land."

What does the Bartholomew map show?

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