NameCensus.

UK surname

Beadle

An occupational surname referring to a church official or parish constable.

In the 1881 census there were 2,109 people recorded with the Beadle surname, ranking it #2,096 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,033, ranked #2,219, down from #2,096 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Erith, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beadle is 3,335 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.8%.

1881 census count

2,109

Ranked #2,096

Modern count

3,033

2016, ranked #2,219

Peak year

2000

3,335 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Beadle had 2,109 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,096 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,033 in 2016, ranked #2,219.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,157 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Beadle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beadle surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Beadle 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 1,245 #2,299
1861 historical 1,155 #2,441
1881 historical 2,109 #2,096
1891 historical 2,334 #2,013
1901 historical 2,810 #1,984
1911 historical 3,157 #1,651
1997 modern 3,246 #1,979
1998 modern 3,330 #2,009
1999 modern 3,325 #2,036
2000 modern 3,335 #2,020
2001 modern 3,219 #2,044
2002 modern 3,245 #2,073
2003 modern 3,160 #2,079
2004 modern 3,093 #2,123
2005 modern 2,984 #2,168
2006 modern 3,022 #2,150
2007 modern 3,084 #2,126
2008 modern 3,082 #2,140
2009 modern 3,175 #2,131
2010 modern 3,266 #2,122
2011 modern 3,207 #2,125
2012 modern 3,068 #2,180
2013 modern 3,126 #2,177
2014 modern 3,144 #2,183
2015 modern 3,080 #2,192
2016 modern 3,033 #2,219

Geography

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Where Beadles are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire and County Durham. 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 Erith Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Middleton-in-Teesdale Durham
5 Great and Little Totham, Goldhanger, Heybridge, Tolleshunt Major, Tolleshunt Knights, Tolleshunt Dar Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 031 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 County Durham 064 County Durham
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 021 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 County Durham 065 County Durham
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 033 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Beadle

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Beadle

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Beadle, 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 Beadle surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Beadle 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Beadle is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Beadle 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

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

Meaning and origin of Beadle

The surname Beadle originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "bydel," which means messenger or summoner. Initially, it referred to a minor parish official who assisted in church services and kept order.

The earliest known record of the name Beadle appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Bedellus" in Hampshire. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname were active in the region during the Norman Conquest.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name Beadle was commonly found in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. Some variations in spelling included Bedell, Bedyll, and Biddell.

One notable early bearer of the name was William Beadle, a clergyman and chancellor of the University of Cambridge, who lived from around 1330 to 1395. Another was John Beadle, a 15th-century landowner and Member of Parliament for Salisbury in 1455.

In the 16th century, the Beadle family established themselves in the village of Beadle's Green, now part of Redditch, Worcestershire. This place name likely derived from their surname.

During the English Civil War (1642-1651), a Captain John Beadle fought for the Parliamentarian forces and was involved in the siege of Colchester in 1648.

In the 18th century, Thomas Beadle (1708-1789) was a renowned English clockmaker and inventor from London, known for his innovative timepieces and horological contributions.

Another notable figure was Charles Beadle (1825-1897), a British journalist and author who wrote extensively on social and political issues, including works on the condition of the working class in England.

The surname Beadle has also been present in other parts of the English-speaking world, including the United States and Canada, where it was brought by early British settlers and immigrants.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Beadle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beadle 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 435 Beadles recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.35x.

County Total Index
Surrey 435 4.35x
Kent 395 5.64x
Middlesex 277 1.35x
Durham 244 4.00x
Essex 241 5.95x
Yorkshire 214 1.05x
Hertfordshire 69 4.88x
Lancashire 38 0.16x
Sussex 21 0.61x
Cheshire 18 0.40x
Devon 17 0.40x
Westmorland 15 3.33x
Gloucestershire 13 0.32x
Hampshire 12 0.29x
Cumberland 10 0.57x
Leicestershire 10 0.44x
Staffordshire 10 0.14x
Shropshire 9 0.51x
Cornwall 8 0.34x
Rutland 7 4.65x
Herefordshire 6 0.71x
Northumberland 6 0.20x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.18x
Montgomeryshire 4 0.85x
Northamptonshire 4 0.21x
Monmouthshire 3 0.20x
Warwickshire 3 0.06x
Lincolnshire 2 0.06x
Channel Islands 1 0.16x
Derbyshire 1 0.03x
Glamorgan 1 0.03x
Lanarkshire 1 0.02x
Oxfordshire 1 0.08x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.15x
Royal Navy 1 0.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Erith in Kent leads with 77 Beadles recorded in 1881 and an index of 111.66x.

Place Total Index
Erith 77 111.66x
Croydon 70 12.62x
Lambeth 65 3.63x
Newbiggin 60 1385.68x
Middleton In Teesdale 54 335.20x
Bromley London 46 10.19x
Wimbledon 37 32.97x
Kensington London 32 2.81x
Halstead 30 63.51x
Mile End Old Town London 29 6.64x
West Ham 27 3.02x
Mitcham 25 39.57x
Sheffield 25 3.86x
Burham 21 217.39x
Camberwell 21 1.60x
Chipstead 20 442.48x
Dartford 20 27.94x
Forest Frith 20 375.23x
Watton 20 346.62x
Newington 19 2.51x
Snodland 19 95.77x
St Pancras London 19 1.15x
Bethnal Green London 18 2.02x
Penge 18 13.74x
Reigate Foreign 18 16.63x
Betchworth 17 137.88x
Heybridge 16 135.82x
Southwark St George Martyr 16 3.88x
Holy Trinity 15 3.07x
Wilmington 15 153.53x
Bermondsey 14 2.29x
Great Wakering 14 154.70x
West Thurrock 14 104.01x
Dorking 13 19.37x
Edmonton 13 7.87x
Plumstead 13 5.57x
Tonbridge 13 5.15x
Beckenham 12 13.11x
Chelmsford 12 17.27x
Ecclesall Bierlow 12 2.90x
Greenwich 12 3.67x
Hendon 12 16.26x
Southcoates 12 10.63x
Wanstead 12 16.92x
Wrotham 12 51.75x
Childerditch 11 705.13x
Cudham 11 153.42x
Hackney London 11 0.96x
Leyton Low 11 13.36x
Maidstone 11 5.28x
Sproatley Wyton 11 380.62x
Tollesbury 11 108.48x
Banstead 10 36.93x
Barking 10 8.44x
Chelsfield 10 149.48x
Leigh 10 271.74x
Limehouse London 10 4.44x
Shoreditch London 10 1.12x
St Marylebone London 10 0.91x
Tolleshunt Major 10 350.88x
Bishopwearmouth 9 1.72x
Coulsdon 9 49.53x
Deptford St Paul 9 1.67x
Kendal 9 10.91x
Leatherhead 9 35.96x
Lewisham 9 2.41x
Ratcliffe London 9 7.94x
Sunderland 9 8.35x
Alston 8 24.58x
Buckland 8 316.21x
Cottered 8 300.75x
Crayford 8 26.17x
Eldon 8 82.73x
Kelvedon Hatch 8 304.18x
Little Bolton 8 2.56x
Monks Coppenhall 8 4.68x
Ruswarp 8 35.38x
Sowerby In Halifax 8 12.04x
St Stephen In Brannel 8 37.75x
Woolwich 8 3.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 124
Elizabeth 112
Sarah 77
Emma 53
Eliza 46
Jane 43
Ann 37
Alice 35
Annie 30
Emily 26
Edith 20
Ellen 20
Margaret 18
Florence 17
Harriet 15
Ada 14
Clara 14
Hannah 14
Charlotte 13
Rebecca 13
Martha 12
Rose 11
Agnes 10
Louisa 10
Caroline 9
Catherine 8
Frances 8
Laura 8
Lucy 8
Minnie 7
Susan 7
Esther 6
Kate 6
Anne 5
Bertha 5
Elizth. 5
Fanny 5
Grace 5
Maria 5
Amelia 4
Francis 4
Isabella 4
Rosa 4
Ruth 4
Selina 4
Amy 3
Bessie 3
Flora 3
Jessie 3
Margt. 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 128
John 104
George 82
Henry 67
James 65
Thomas 62
Charles 39
Edward 36
Joseph 35
Arthur 31
Alfred 30
Frederick 25
Robert 25
Richard 17
David 14
Walter 14
Samuel 13
Harry 10
Albert 9
Ernest 9
Herbert 9
Edwin 7
Frank 7
Wm. 7
Earnest 6
Horace 6
Benjamin 5
Fred 5
Isaac 5
Jonathan 5
Thos. 5
Andrew 4
Chas. 4
Francis 4
Fredk. 4
Daniel 3
Edmund 3
Hezekiah 3
Jas. 3
Jesse 3
Joselph 3
Joshua 3
Leonard 3
Mark 3
Percival 3
Aaron 2
Frances 2
Josiah 2
Percy 2
Peter 2

FAQ

Beadle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beadle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,109 people were recorded with the Beadle surname. That placed it at #2,096 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beadle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,033 in 2016. That gives Beadle a modern rank of #2,219.

What does the Beadle surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a church official or parish constable.

What does the Beadle map show?

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