NameCensus.

UK surname

Bastow

A surname with origins potentially related to a place name or occupation.

In the 1881 census there were 993 people recorded with the Bastow surname, ranking it #3,926 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 979, ranked #5,896, down from #3,926 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Middleton, Bradford and Keighley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Torbay and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bastow is 1,230 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.4%.

1881 census count

993

Ranked #3,926

Modern count

979

2016, ranked #5,896

Peak year

1911

1,230 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bastow had 993 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,926 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 979 in 2016, ranked #5,896.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,230 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Bastow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bastow surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Bastow 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 620 #4,170
1861 historical 531 #4,945
1881 historical 993 #3,926
1891 historical 949 #4,361
1901 historical 1,087 #4,446
1911 historical 1,230 #3,842
1997 modern 1,050 #5,269
1998 modern 1,111 #5,215
1999 modern 1,117 #5,230
2000 modern 1,090 #5,306
2001 modern 1,060 #5,323
2002 modern 1,085 #5,331
2003 modern 1,063 #5,325
2004 modern 1,042 #5,425
2005 modern 987 #5,607
2006 modern 984 #5,626
2007 modern 999 #5,614
2008 modern 996 #5,665
2009 modern 1,036 #5,612
2010 modern 1,044 #5,673
2011 modern 1,035 #5,658
2012 modern 1,026 #5,622
2013 modern 1,031 #5,694
2014 modern 1,033 #5,705
2015 modern 997 #5,818
2016 modern 979 #5,896

Geography

Back to top

Where Bastows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Middleton, Bradford and Keighley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Torbay, Bradford and Rochdale. 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 Middleton Lancashire
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 016 Wakefield
2 Torbay 001 Torbay
3 Bradford 059 Bradford
4 Rochdale 021 Rochdale
5 Bradford 010 Bradford

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Bastow

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Bastow

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Bastow is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Bastow 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

Bastow falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bastow is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bastow

The surname Bastow originates from England, with its earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "baest" meaning "bark" and "hoh" meaning "ridge or hill," indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived on a wooded ridge or hill covered in bark.

The name Bastow is primarily associated with Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it first emerged. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a person named Robertus de Bastowe is mentioned.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Bastehou, Bastehow, and Bastehowe, reflecting the local dialects and variations in spelling at the time. One notable bearer of the name was John de Bastow, who was recorded as a landowner in the village of Bastow, near Skipton in Yorkshire, in 1279.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Bastow. However, it does mention several places with similar names, such as Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire and Bassingbourn in Cambridgeshire, which may have influenced the development of the surname.

Over the centuries, the Bastow family has produced several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded was William Bastow (c. 1430 - c. 1500), a priest and scholar from Yorkshire who served as the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

Another prominent figure was Robert Bastow (c. 1530 - c. 1600), a merchant and explorer from Lancashire who was one of the first Englishmen to establish trade relations with Russia during the reign of Ivan the Terrible.

In the 18th century, John Bastow (1743 - 1822) was a distinguished mathematician and astronomer from Yorkshire, known for his contributions to the development of navigation techniques and the calculation of planetary orbits.

During the Victorian era, Mary Bastow (1825 - 1905) was a notable educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded several schools for girls in Lancashire and campaigned for equal access to education.

More recently, Peter Bastow (1924 - 2012) was a renowned artist and sculptor from Yorkshire, whose works can be found in numerous public collections and galleries across the United Kingdom.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Bastow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bastow 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. Yorkshire leads with 684 Bastows recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.15x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 684 7.15x
Lancashire 82 0.72x
Devon 72 3.59x
Middlesex 43 0.45x
Surrey 21 0.45x
Durham 16 0.56x
Lincolnshire 11 0.71x
Cheshire 9 0.42x
Nottinghamshire 9 0.69x
Gloucestershire 8 0.42x
Shropshire 7 0.84x
Cornwall 6 0.55x
Dumfriesshire 5 2.35x
Sussex 5 0.31x
Essex 4 0.21x
Kent 3 0.09x
Hertfordshire 2 0.30x
Cumberland 1 0.12x
Lanarkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. North Bierley in Yorkshire leads with 82 Bastows recorded in 1881 and an index of 158.85x.

Place Total Index
North Bierley 82 158.85x
Bradford 66 28.52x
Horton In Bradford 62 41.53x
Manningham 47 39.90x
Bowling 43 45.41x
Leeds 39 7.22x
Keighley 37 36.31x
Farnley In Bramley 27 226.32x
Middleton In Oldham 22 64.08x
Bingley 21 34.49x
Hunslet 20 13.42x
Whitwood 20 147.28x
Allerton Bywater 19 367.50x
Tong 18 97.46x
Drighlington 15 107.68x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 15 33.78x
Bondleigh 13 2096.77x
Oldham 13 3.52x
Exeter St Sidwell 12 26.09x
Allerton 9 73.83x
Meltham 9 60.52x
Normanton 9 31.33x
North Meols 9 8.03x
Nottingham St Mary 9 2.68x
Tranmere 9 11.50x
Wyke In Bradford 9 52.63x
Hackney London 8 1.48x
Hart Thorpe Bulmer 8 747.66x
Honley 8 47.82x
Northowram 8 11.93x
Tedburn St Mary 8 377.36x
Buckland Monachorum 7 163.17x
Eastville 7 588.24x
Lambeth 7 0.83x
Stranton 7 7.24x
Camberwell 6 0.97x
Gomersal 6 13.45x
Oswestry Town 6 22.48x
Spitalfields London 6 8.27x
Wortley In Bramley 6 7.92x
Altofts 5 47.39x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 5 14.40x
Annan 5 27.31x
Ardwick 5 4.84x
Binderton 5 1515.15x
Broughton In Salford 5 4.78x
Calverley Cum Farsley 5 18.42x
Crumpsall 5 18.53x
Headingley Cum Burley 5 8.12x
Kensington London 5 0.93x
Moreton Hampstead 5 96.34x
Newton Abbot St Mary 5 29.67x
Shitlington 5 50.56x
Tooting Graveney 5 38.23x
Wath On Dearne 5 26.22x
Buckfastleigh 4 43.15x
Clerkenwell London 4 1.76x
Coldridge 4 263.16x
Crompton 4 12.27x
Cury 4 279.72x
Glass Houghton 4 115.27x
Horbury 4 23.92x
Idle 4 9.02x
Layton With Warbreck 4 9.52x
Liversedge 4 9.40x
Newington 4 15.19x
Sharlston 4 63.80x
St Pancras London 4 0.52x
Westbury On Trym 4 6.24x
Armley 3 7.11x
Ashburton 3 31.25x
Battersea 3 0.85x
Bethnal Green London 3 0.72x
Chelsea London 3 1.03x
Islington London 3 0.32x
Malborough 3 37.59x
Manchester 3 0.58x
Methley 3 22.29x
Southowram 3 10.28x
Thornhill 3 10.75x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 64
William 36
James 27
Samuel 20
Thomas 20
Joseph 18
Charles 15
George 13
Robert 11
Alfred 9
David 9
Fred 9
Abraham 8
Harry 8
Henry 8
Albert 7
Arthur 7
Frederick 7
Herbert 7
Paul 7
Walter 7
Tom 6
Ernest 5
Isaac 5
Frank 4
Jonathan 4
Richard 4
Amos 3
Edward 3
Ezra 3
Jas. 3
Jonas 3
Peter 3
Stephen 3
Willie 3
Benjamin 2
Edwin 2
Harold 2
Horatio 2
Lewis 2
Lister 2
Matthew 2
Percy 2
Sam 2
Samson 2
Sidney 2
Squire 2
Stewart 2
Thos. 2
Timothy 2

FAQ

Bastow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bastow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 993 people were recorded with the Bastow surname. That placed it at #3,926 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bastow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 979 in 2016. That gives Bastow a modern rank of #5,896.

What does the Bastow surname mean?

A surname with origins potentially related to a place name or occupation.

What does the Bastow map show?

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