NameCensus.

UK surname

Bastable

An English surname derived from a location name, possibly "Bestable" in Sussex.

In the 1881 census there were 582 people recorded with the Bastable surname, ranking it #5,992 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 990, ranked #5,847, up from #5,992 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rowley Regis, London parishes and Portsmouth, Portsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sandwell, North Dorset and Forth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bastable is 1,088 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 70.1%.

1881 census count

582

Ranked #5,992

Modern count

990

2016, ranked #5,847

Peak year

1998

1,088 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bastable had 582 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,992 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 990 in 2016, ranked #5,847.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 944 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Bastable surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bastable surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bastable 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 347 #6,781
1861 historical 383 #6,680
1881 historical 582 #5,992
1891 historical 658 #5,904
1901 historical 826 #5,476
1911 historical 944 #4,767
1997 modern 1,034 #5,336
1998 modern 1,088 #5,307
1999 modern 1,067 #5,409
2000 modern 1,052 #5,462
2001 modern 1,014 #5,522
2002 modern 1,049 #5,470
2003 modern 1,030 #5,468
2004 modern 1,029 #5,482
2005 modern 1,011 #5,500
2006 modern 1,008 #5,530
2007 modern 1,011 #5,554
2008 modern 1,023 #5,542
2009 modern 1,050 #5,552
2010 modern 1,047 #5,661
2011 modern 1,020 #5,728
2012 modern 1,012 #5,688
2013 modern 1,011 #5,770
2014 modern 1,010 #5,813
2015 modern 1,008 #5,773
2016 modern 990 #5,847

Geography

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Where Bastables are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rowley Regis, London parishes, Portsmouth, Portsea, Marnhull and Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sandwell, North Dorset, Forth and Wolverhampton. 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 Rowley Regis Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
4 Marnhull Dorset
5 Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sandwell 029 Sandwell
2 North Dorset 004 North Dorset
3 Forth Stirling
4 Wolverhampton 011 Wolverhampton
5 Sandwell 014 Sandwell

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bastable

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bastable

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Bastable surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Bastable household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Bastable is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bastable is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Bastable

The surname Bastable is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the early medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "bæst" meaning "bark" or "bast" (the fibrous inner bark of a tree), and "able" meaning "a dwelling place or habitation." The name likely referred to someone who lived near or in a dwelling made of bark or bast materials.

The name is found in various early records, including the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from the year 1196, where a Robert Bastable is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals with the surname Bastable, such as William Bastable from Cambridgeshire.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is Robert Bastable, who was born in Somerset, England, around 1250. Another early bearer of the name was John Bastable, a merchant from Bristol, who was recorded in the city's records in the late 14th century.

In the 15th century, the name Bastable appeared in the parish records of several English counties, including Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. The spellings varied, with forms such as Bastabil, Bastabill, and Bastabell being used.

A notable individual with the surname was Sir Edward Bastable, a military officer who served in the English Civil War during the 17th century. He was born in Somerset in 1595 and fought for the Parliamentarian forces.

Another prominent figure was William Bastable, a playwright and poet from Devon, England, who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He is known for his play "The Travels of Three English Gentlemen," which was published in 1695.

In the 18th century, the name Bastable was associated with several places in England, such as Bastable Hill in Gloucestershire and Bastable Farm in Somerset. This suggests that the name may have been derived from or influenced by a specific location.

The 19th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals with the surname Bastable, including Charles Bastable, a British author and journalist who was born in 1820 and wrote extensively on historical and political subjects.

One of the most famous bearers of the name was Edith Nesbit (née Edith Bastable), a renowned children's author who lived from 1858 to 1924. She is best known for her works such as "The Railway Children" and "The Story of the Treasure Seekers."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bastable families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bastable 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. Dorset leads with 138 Bastables recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.04x.

County Total Index
Dorset 138 37.04x
Hampshire 70 6.02x
Worcestershire 61 8.23x
Staffordshire 52 2.71x
Middlesex 51 0.90x
Somerset 46 5.03x
Kent 38 1.96x
Surrey 28 1.01x
Sussex 24 2.51x
Warwickshire 18 1.26x
Devon 17 1.44x
Essex 10 0.89x
Glamorgan 5 0.51x
Yorkshire 5 0.09x
Derbyshire 4 0.45x
Gloucestershire 4 0.36x
Lancashire 4 0.06x
Cheshire 2 0.16x
Leicestershire 2 0.32x
Wiltshire 2 0.40x
Midlothian 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. Marnhull in Dorset leads with 45 Bastables recorded in 1881 and an index of 1660.52x.

Place Total Index
Marnhull 45 1660.52x
Rowley Regis 37 69.29x
Portsea 33 14.47x
Oldbury 27 74.01x
Middlezoy 15 1339.29x
Warley Wigorn 14 593.22x
Aston 11 2.79x
Harborne 11 17.91x
Stoughton 11 901.64x
Plumstead 10 15.49x
Poole St James 10 71.43x
Botley 9 430.62x
Longfleet 9 208.33x
West Ham 9 3.64x
Arundel 8 149.25x
Canterbury St Mary 8 61.54x
Deptford St Paul 8 5.35x
Othery 8 714.29x
Stoke St Gregory 8 287.77x
Swanage 8 173.91x
Battersea 7 3.35x
Charlton Marshall 7 551.18x
Manston 7 1944.44x
St Pancras London 7 1.53x
Weston Super Mare 7 30.34x
Cakemore 6 491.80x
Hackney London 6 1.89x
Kington Magna 6 666.67x
Southwark St George Martyr 6 5.25x
Stour Provost 6 909.09x
Dudley 5 5.55x
East Orchard 5 1111.11x
Exeter St David 5 49.51x
Gillingham 5 78.13x
Hammersmith London 5 3.58x
Islington London 5 0.91x
Merthyr Tydfil 5 5.26x
Shaftesbury St Peter 5 287.36x
Southampton All Sts 5 25.04x
Southwark St John 5 28.80x
Sutton Coldfield 5 33.22x
Bermondsey 4 2.37x
Blackburn 4 2.23x
Chelsea London 4 2.34x
Christchurch 4 15.85x
Clerkenwell London 4 2.99x
Ealing 4 7.88x
East Stour 4 454.55x
Eastbourne 4 9.08x
Eling 4 33.93x
Flaxley 4 160.00x
Henstridge 4 158.73x
Holy Trinity 4 161.29x
Idsworth 4 519.48x
Kilmington 4 408.16x
Romsley 4 493.83x
Sandiacre 4 126.18x
The Hill 4 84.03x
Abbas Combe 3 447.76x
Ash Normandy 3 79.79x
Bromley 3 10.16x
Canford Magna 3 139.53x
Dover St Mary Virgin 3 16.00x
Huddersfield 3 3.66x
Kinson 3 41.21x
Mile End Old Town London 3 2.48x
Parkstone 3 68.97x
Provost Stour 3 400.00x
Ringwood 3 40.32x
Shaftesbury St James 3 153.85x
Snargate 3 1034.48x
St Giles In Fields London 3 10.77x
Sway 3 193.55x
Handsworth 2 4.23x
Hanwell 2 19.88x
Seals 2 90.09x
Shavington Cum Gresty 2 96.62x
St Martin In Fields 2 5.88x
St Marylebone London 2 0.66x
Wellesbourne Hastings 2 148.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 37
Sarah 23
Elizabeth 20
Ellen 13
Annie 11
Emma 10
Caroline 9
Alice 8
Emily 8
Jane 8
Ann 6
Eliza 6
Ada 4
Amy 4
Hannah 4
Harriet 4
Kate 4
Agnes 3
Catherine 3
Clara 3
Edith 3
Esther 3
Harriett 3
Louisa 3
Maria 3
Selina 3
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Bessie 2
Charlotte 2
Christina 2
Flora 2
Florence 2
Georgina 2
Infant 2
Lydia 2
Martha 2
Maud 2
Phoebe 2
Priscilla 2
Rachel 2
Rosa 2
Ruth 2
Amphlis 1
Arethusa 1
Beatrice 1
Dorcas 1
E.A. 1
Eleanor 1
Therza 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Bastable surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bastable surname in 1881?

In 1881, 582 people were recorded with the Bastable surname. That placed it at #5,992 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bastable surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 990 in 2016. That gives Bastable a modern rank of #5,847.

What does the Bastable surname mean?

An English surname derived from a location name, possibly "Bestable" in Sussex.

What does the Bastable map show?

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