NameCensus.

UK surname

Beadnell

A locational surname referring to someone from Beadnell, a village in Northumberland.

In the 1881 census there were 125 people recorded with the Beadnell surname, ranking it #17,335 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 130, ranked #26,152, down from #17,335 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Whitby, Gateshead and Kyloe, Holy Island, Ancroft. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ryedale, Selby and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beadnell is 159 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.0%.

1881 census count

125

Ranked #17,335

Modern count

130

2016, ranked #26,152

Peak year

1901

159 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Beadnell had 125 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,335 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 130 in 2016, ranked #26,152.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 159 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Beadnell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beadnell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Beadnell 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 87 #18,695
1861 historical 123 #17,914
1881 historical 125 #17,335
1891 historical 139 #19,311
1901 historical 159 #17,442
1911 historical 148 #18,023
1997 modern 153 #20,868
1998 modern 157 #21,058
1999 modern 155 #21,375
2000 modern 149 #21,874
2001 modern 144 #22,040
2002 modern 141 #22,794
2003 modern 140 #22,634
2004 modern 134 #23,425
2005 modern 127 #24,178
2006 modern 129 #24,165
2007 modern 127 #24,748
2008 modern 132 #24,476
2009 modern 134 #24,711
2010 modern 133 #25,379
2011 modern 136 #24,819
2012 modern 133 #25,187
2013 modern 129 #26,211
2014 modern 129 #26,352
2015 modern 127 #26,494
2016 modern 130 #26,152

Geography

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Where Beadnells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Whitby, Gateshead, Kyloe, Holy Island, Ancroft, Bishop Wearmouth and Scarborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ryedale, Selby, Northumberland and Redcar and Cleveland. 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 Whitby Yorkshire, North Riding
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Kyloe, Holy Island, Ancroft Northumberland
4 Bishop Wearmouth Durham
5 Scarborough Yorkshire, North Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ryedale 003 Ryedale
2 Selby 004 Selby
3 Northumberland 017 Northumberland
4 Northumberland 020 Northumberland
5 Redcar and Cleveland 007 Redcar and Cleveland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Beadnell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Beadnell

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Beadnell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Beadnell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Beadnell 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

Beadnell 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

Beadnell falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Beadnell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Beadnell

The surname Beadnell originated in England, specifically in the county of Northumberland. The name is believed to have derived from the place name "Beadnell," a small village located on the North Sea coast of Northumberland. The earliest known spelling of the place name was "Bedenhalla," which translates from Old English to "Bedun's nook or corner of land."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Beadnell can be found in the Northumberland Pipe Rolls of 1230, where a person named Richard de Bedenhall is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use as a surname by the early 13th century.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the village of Beadnell is recorded as "Badenhall," which further reinforces the historical connection between the surname and the place name.

A notable individual bearing the Beadnell surname was Sir Thomas Beadnell (c.1550-1624), an English merchant and member of the Company of Merchant Adventurers. He was a significant figure in the early English trade with Russia and the Baltic region.

Another prominent person was Henry Beadnell (1780-1854), an English naval officer and hydrographer. He conducted extensive surveys of the Red Sea and the coast of Arabia, contributing significantly to the mapping of those regions.

In the late 18th century, a family by the name of Beadnell resided at Beadnell Hall, a manor house located in the village of Beadnell. This further solidifies the connection between the surname and the geographic location.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, various spellings of the surname were used, including Bednell, Bednall, and Bedenell, reflecting the evolution of the name over time.

Notably, John Beadnell (1784-1861), a British surveyor and geologist, made significant contributions to the understanding of the geology of Egypt. He conducted surveys along the Nile Valley and discovered several important fossil sites.

While the surname Beadnell is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history rooted in the northern county of Northumberland and the village that shares its name. The name's origins can be traced back to the 11th century and the Norman conquest, reflecting the linguistic influences that shaped the English language and its place names.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Beadnell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beadnell 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 50 Beadnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.17x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 50 4.17x
Durham 42 11.67x
Northumberland 13 7.22x
Merionethshire 5 22.59x
Essex 4 1.68x
Gloucestershire 3 1.26x
Shropshire 2 1.91x
Surrey 2 0.34x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.37x
Dumfriesshire 1 3.74x
Middlesex 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whitby in Yorkshire leads with 15 Beadnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 371.29x.

Place Total Index
Whitby 15 371.29x
Scarborough 10 91.83x
Pittington 9 891.09x
Holy Island 8 3478.26x
Whitburn 8 952.38x
Bishopwearmouth 7 22.66x
Holbeck 7 88.16x
York St Nicholas In 7 1044.78x
St Giles 6 266.67x
Ampleforth Oswaldkirk 5 4166.67x
Bedlington 5 83.19x
Towyn 5 359.71x
Leyton Low 4 82.47x
Westoe 4 19.61x
Cheltenham 3 16.39x
Framwellgate 3 140.85x
Helmsley 2 312.50x
Linthorpe 2 27.97x
Newington 2 4.48x
Shrewsbury St Chad 2 54.50x
Stokesley 2 266.67x
Dumfries 1 37.88x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 6.42x
Middle Temple London 1 2500.00x
Seaton With Slingley 1 1250.00x
Stockton On Tees 1 5.77x
Stranton 1 8.26x
Trimdon 1 78.74x
Wycombe 1 18.35x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Jane 8
Elizabeth 4
Margaret 4
Ann 3
Ellen 2
Hannah 2
Matilda 2
Rachel 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Edith 1
Eliz. 1
Elonor 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Euphemia 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Grace 1
Hanah 1
Isabella 1
Jemima 1
Lydia 1
Margeret 1
Margt. 1
Mielicent 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
Thomas 8
Charles 6
Robert 6
William 6
George 3
James 3
Harry 2
Henry 2
Joshua 2
Bower 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fredr. 1
Joseph 1
Matthew 1
Montgomery 1
Percy 1
Robt. 1

FAQ

Beadnell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beadnell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 125 people were recorded with the Beadnell surname. That placed it at #17,335 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beadnell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 130 in 2016. That gives Beadnell a modern rank of #26,152.

What does the Beadnell surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Beadnell, a village in Northumberland.

What does the Beadnell map show?

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