NameCensus.

UK surname

Beadell

A surname likely derived from an Old English name "Beaduheald" meaning "battle hero."

In the 1881 census there were 140 people recorded with the Beadell surname, ranking it #16,151 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 139, ranked #25,001, down from #16,151 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Great and Little Totham, Goldhanger, Heybridge, Tolleshunt Major, Tolleshunt Knights, Tolleshunt Dar. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tameside, Braintree and Amber Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beadell is 223 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.7%.

1881 census count

140

Ranked #16,151

Modern count

139

2016, ranked #25,001

Peak year

1911

223 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Beadell had 140 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,151 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 139 in 2016, ranked #25,001.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 223 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Beadell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beadell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Beadell 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 92 #18,050
1861 historical 115 #18,880
1881 historical 140 #16,151
1891 historical 155 #17,920
1901 historical 197 #15,272
1911 historical 223 #13,951
1997 modern 180 #18,812
1998 modern 192 #18,561
1999 modern 194 #18,579
2000 modern 188 #18,916
2001 modern 178 #19,288
2002 modern 175 #19,902
2003 modern 163 #20,554
2004 modern 168 #20,300
2005 modern 164 #20,552
2006 modern 166 #20,534
2007 modern 158 #21,464
2008 modern 163 #21,238
2009 modern 159 #22,072
2010 modern 161 #22,385
2011 modern 164 #21,900
2012 modern 154 #22,870
2013 modern 150 #23,653
2014 modern 146 #24,274
2015 modern 140 #24,836
2016 modern 139 #25,001

Geography

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Where Beadells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Great and Little Totham, Goldhanger, Heybridge, Tolleshunt Major, Tolleshunt Knights, Tolleshunt Dar and St Luke. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tameside, Braintree, Amber Valley, Arun and Barking and Dagenham. 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 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Great and Little Totham, Goldhanger, Heybridge, Tolleshunt Major, Tolleshunt Knights, Tolleshunt Dar Essex
5 St Luke London (Central Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tameside 029 Tameside
2 Braintree 018 Braintree
3 Amber Valley 008 Amber Valley
4 Arun 016 Arun
5 Barking and Dagenham 019 Barking and Dagenham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Beadell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Beadell

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Beadell 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

Beadell is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Beadell

The surname BEADELL originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words 'bead' meaning prayer and 'heal' meaning a hall or dwelling, suggesting it was initially used to refer to a person living in a building associated with prayer or religious activities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BEADELL appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1195, where it is spelled as 'Bedehale'. This early spelling variation reflects the name's evolution over time.

In the 13th century, the name BEADELL was found in various historical records across different regions of England, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it appears as 'Bedhall'.

The BEADELL surname is also mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1310, indicating its presence in that county during the early 14th century.

Notable individuals with the BEADELL surname throughout history include:

1. John Beadell (c. 1490 - 1572), an English landowner and merchant from Leicestershire. 2. Thomas Beadell (1566 - 1637), a prominent clergyman and author from Gloucestershire, known for his theological writings. 3. William Beadell (1705 - 1784), a successful businessman and landowner from Nottinghamshire, who played a role in the development of the local coal mining industry. 4. Elizabeth Beadell (1776 - 1856), a renowned philanthropist and advocate for educational reform in Norfolk. 5. Sir Henry Beadell (1818 - 1892), a British military officer and explorer who mapped parts of Australia and the Northern Territory during the 19th century.

The BEADELL surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Beadell Farm in Gloucestershire and Beadell Pond in Wiltshire, further highlighting its historical roots and geographical connections within the country.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Beadell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beadell 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. Surrey leads with 62 Beadells recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.32x.

County Total Index
Surrey 62 9.32x
Middlesex 51 3.73x
Essex 11 4.08x
Kent 9 1.93x
Durham 3 0.74x
Hertfordshire 1 1.06x
Sussex 1 0.43x
Wiltshire 1 0.83x
Yorkshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cranleigh in Surrey leads with 11 Beadells recorded in 1881 and an index of 1134.02x.

Place Total Index
Cranleigh 11 1134.02x
Chelsham 8 3809.52x
Clerkenwell London 7 21.72x
Croydon 7 18.95x
Dorking 7 156.60x
Wonersh 7 843.37x
Hackney London 6 7.84x
Paddington London 6 11.95x
Penge 6 68.81x
Goldhanger 5 2173.91x
Great Baddow 5 520.83x
Lewisham 5 20.13x
Richmond 5 53.65x
St Anne Soho London 5 64.10x
St Luke London 5 22.83x
Hammersmith London 4 11.89x
Newington 4 7.93x
Westminster St James 4 28.49x
Snodland 3 227.27x
Bethnal Green London 2 3.37x
Hornsey 2 11.58x
Kensington London 2 2.63x
South Shields 2 55.25x
St Gilesin Fields London 2 172.41x
St Marylebone London 2 2.74x
Warlingham 2 370.37x
Bushey 1 44.64x
Camberwell 1 1.15x
Caterham 1 34.01x
Clapham 1 5.86x
Devizes St James 1 62.50x
Epsom 1 30.86x
Gillingham 1 10.41x
Hook 1 33.56x
Hove 1 9.90x
Lambeth 1 0.84x
Pinner 1 83.33x
South Bedburn Hamsterley 1 625.00x
St Botolph Aldgate London 1 35.59x
St Pancras London 1 0.91x
Upminster 1 178.57x
Whitechapel London 1 7.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Elizabeth 7
Emily 6
Sarah 6
Alice 4
Annie 4
Ann 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Ada 2
Florence 2
Goodworth 2
Louisa 2
Betsy 1
Clara 1
Emma 1
Florance 1
Gertrude 1
Harriett 1
Jane 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Lillian 1
Margaret 1
Minnie 1
Rose 1
Sabina 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Henry 8
William 8
Thomas 7
James 6
Charles 5
Albert 4
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Frederick 3
George 3
John 2
Robert 2
Walter 2
Christopher 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Emily 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Joseph 1
Nathaniel 1
Robt. 1
Theophilus 1
Theopulus 1
W. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Beadell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beadell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 140 people were recorded with the Beadell surname. That placed it at #16,151 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beadell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 139 in 2016. That gives Beadell a modern rank of #25,001.

What does the Beadell surname mean?

A surname likely derived from an Old English name "Beaduheald" meaning "battle hero."

What does the Beadell map show?

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