NameCensus.

UK surname

Baskerville

An English locational surname derived from the town of Baskerville in Herefordshire, meaning "Bosgere's stream" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 707 people recorded with the Baskerville surname, ranking it #5,139 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 955, ranked #6,017, down from #5,139 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Wolstanton and Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lichfield, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Blaenau Gwent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Baskerville is 1,062 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.1%.

1881 census count

707

Ranked #5,139

Modern count

955

2016, ranked #6,017

Peak year

1999

1,062 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Baskerville had 707 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,139 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 955 in 2016, ranked #6,017.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 872 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Baskerville surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Baskerville surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Baskerville 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 364 #6,509
1861 historical 359 #7,113
1881 historical 707 #5,139
1891 historical 707 #5,553
1901 historical 842 #5,407
1911 historical 872 #5,098
1997 modern 848 #6,255
1998 modern 1,020 #5,591
1999 modern 1,062 #5,428
2000 modern 1,014 #5,614
2001 modern 967 #5,741
2002 modern 999 #5,691
2003 modern 979 #5,689
2004 modern 975 #5,710
2005 modern 948 #5,794
2006 modern 955 #5,770
2007 modern 947 #5,864
2008 modern 951 #5,873
2009 modern 970 #5,903
2010 modern 960 #6,071
2011 modern 968 #5,971
2012 modern 932 #6,084
2013 modern 943 #6,117
2014 modern 940 #6,178
2015 modern 942 #6,111
2016 modern 955 #6,017

Geography

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Where Baskervilles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Wolstanton, Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston, Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) and Ashwater. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lichfield, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Blaenau Gwent, South Oxfordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Wolstanton Staffordshire
3 Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston Devon
4 Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) Devon
5 Ashwater Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lichfield 002 Lichfield
2 Newcastle-under-Lyme 003 Newcastle-under-Lyme
3 Blaenau Gwent 008 Blaenau Gwent
4 South Oxfordshire 005 South Oxfordshire
5 Stoke-on-Trent 005 Stoke-on-Trent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Baskerville

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Baskerville

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

Baskerville is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Baskerville falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Baskerville

The surname Baskerville originates from the English county of Herefordshire, near the border with Wales. It is derived from the Old English words "bæcc" meaning "ridge" and "villa" meaning "farm" or "settlement", indicating that the earliest bearers of this name lived near a ridged area or hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Baskerville name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Bascvilla" in Herefordshire. This suggests that the name had already been in use for some time before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

During the Middle Ages, the Baskerville family was prominent in Herefordshire and neighboring counties. They owned lands and estates in the region, and some members served as knights and local officials. One notable individual was Sir John Baskerville (c. 1286-1347), who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence under King Edward III.

In the 16th century, the Baskerville family gained further prominence with John Baskerville (1706-1775), a renowned printer, type designer, and innovator in the printing industry. His typefaces and printing techniques were widely admired and influential, and he is considered one of the greatest typographers of all time.

Another famous bearer of the Baskerville name was Sir Walter Baskerville (1775-1868), a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament. He is also remembered for his efforts in promoting agricultural improvements and education in Herefordshire.

The Baskerville name has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Baskerville Court in Herefordshire and Baskerville Hall in Worcestershire. These locations likely took their names from the family's landholdings and residences in those areas.

Other notable individuals with the Baskerville surname include Ralph Baskerville (1884-1961), an English cricketer who played for Warwickshire County Cricket Club, and Charles Baskerville (1870-1922), an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Delaware.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Baskerville families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Baskerville 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. Cheshire leads with 176 Baskervilles recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.54x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 176 11.54x
Devon 138 9.60x
Lancashire 56 0.68x
Middlesex 50 0.72x
Herefordshire 46 16.24x
Staffordshire 44 1.89x
Gloucestershire 22 1.62x
Cornwall 21 2.69x
Yorkshire 21 0.31x
Oxfordshire 19 4.45x
Warwickshire 16 0.92x
Glamorgan 11 0.91x
Surrey 11 0.33x
Lanarkshire 10 0.45x
Kent 7 0.30x
Monmouthshire 7 1.40x
Somerset 7 0.63x
Carmarthenshire 6 2.06x
Radnorshire 5 8.97x
Worcestershire 5 0.55x
Brecknockshire 4 2.90x
Hampshire 4 0.28x
Norfolk 4 0.38x
Sussex 4 0.34x
Bedfordshire 3 0.84x
Northumberland 3 0.29x
Angus 2 0.31x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.21x
Wigtownshire 2 2.18x
Durham 1 0.05x
Royal Navy 1 1.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ermington in Devon leads with 24 Baskervilles recorded in 1881 and an index of 458.89x.

Place Total Index
Ermington 24 458.89x
Nether Alderley 20 1481.48x
Chelford 17 2297.30x
Birmingham 13 2.24x
Sandbach 13 100.00x
Macclesfield 12 17.71x
Widnes 12 20.30x
Ashwater 11 539.22x
Cranage 11 1057.69x
Knutsford Nether 11 119.31x
Oxford St Ebbe 11 87.65x
Wolstanton 11 15.54x
Bow London 10 11.37x
Cheetham 10 16.36x
Cornwood 10 363.64x
Govan 10 1.81x
Ystradyfodwg 10 9.48x
Berry Pomeroy 9 378.15x
Bowling 9 13.28x
Eccleston 9 1184.21x
Islington London 9 1.34x
Tarrington 9 762.71x
Burslem 8 11.98x
Exeter St Sidwell 8 24.30x
Hackney London 8 2.07x
Lambeth 8 1.33x
Ugborough 8 229.89x
Warrington 8 8.23x
Audley 7 30.34x
Bradford 7 4.23x
Lower Withington 7 1842.11x
Stoke Damerel 7 6.96x
Sydenham Damerel 7 630.63x
Altrincham 6 22.52x
Bosbury 6 256.41x
Carmarthen St Peter 6 24.12x
Compton Gifford 6 133.04x
High Leigh 6 298.51x
Plymouth Charles The 6 9.47x
Shiplake 6 413.79x
Stretton In Chester 6 2608.70x
Sutton In Macclesfield 6 37.93x
Tranmere 6 10.71x
Whitstone 6 618.56x
Wolstanton Oldcott 6 71.09x
Adlington 5 245.10x
Avenbury 5 520.83x
Burghill 5 155.76x
Hurdsfield 5 53.30x
Leominster Out 5 187.27x
Old Withington 5 362.32x
Pendleton In Salford 5 5.12x
Runcorn 5 14.22x
St Thomas Apostle 5 207.47x
Tarporley 5 156.74x
Westbury On Trym 5 10.90x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 5 36.85x
Bathwick 4 32.52x
Brandon 4 70.05x
Bridestow 4 263.16x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 4 3.14x
Chatham 4 6.17x
Clyro 4 231.21x
Handsworth 4 6.96x
Llangattock Llingoed 4 952.38x
Llangenny 4 336.13x
Mere 4 330.58x
St Mary Magdalene 4 69.57x
Stretford 4 8.87x
Tupsley 4 166.67x
Bristol St Michael 3 25.84x
Exeter St David 3 24.43x
Hulme 3 1.75x
Leek Lowe 3 9.67x
Leigh 3 27.40x
Oldham 3 1.13x
Staverton 3 169.49x
Tamerton Foliott 3 108.30x
Werrington 3 192.31x
Wolverhampton 3 1.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Thomas 40
William 38
John 37
James 23
George 17
Henry 16
Walter 10
Charles 9
Joseph 7
Arthur 6
Samuel 6
Philip 5
Robert 5
Albert 4
David 4
Edwin 4
Francis 4
Harry 4
Richard 4
Alfred 3
Benjamin 3
Daniel 3
Fred 3
Thos. 3
Wm. 3
Andrew 2
Edmund 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Geo. 2
Isaac 2
Peter 2
Ralph 2
Randle 2
Stanley 2
Willm. 2
Alexander 1
Chas.G. 1
Chas.H.B. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.Edward 1
Geo.Fred 1
Jesse 1
Lee 1
Mark 1
Michael 1
Nicholas 1
Percey 1
Wm.W. 1

FAQ

Baskerville surname: questions and answers

How common was the Baskerville surname in 1881?

In 1881, 707 people were recorded with the Baskerville surname. That placed it at #5,139 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Baskerville surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 955 in 2016. That gives Baskerville a modern rank of #6,017.

What does the Baskerville surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from the town of Baskerville in Herefordshire, meaning "Bosgere's stream" in Old English.

What does the Baskerville map show?

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