NameCensus.

UK surname

Beale

Derived from a place name meaning "beautiful" in Old French or from the Old English word for "bee hill."

In the 1881 census there were 3,777 people recorded with the Beale surname, ranking it #1,212 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,696, ranked #1,177, up from #1,212 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and Portsmouth, Portsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Purbeck, North Warwickshire and Bridgend.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beale is 6,059 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.8%.

1881 census count

3,777

Ranked #1,212

Modern count

5,696

2016, ranked #1,177

Peak year

1999

6,059 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Beale had 3,777 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,212 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,696 in 2016, ranked #1,177.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,702 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Beale surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beale surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Beale 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 2,473 #1,201
1861 historical 2,410 #1,213
1881 historical 3,777 #1,212
1891 historical 4,361 #1,086
1901 historical 5,033 #1,115
1911 historical 5,702 #919
1997 modern 5,820 #1,126
1998 modern 6,029 #1,127
1999 modern 6,059 #1,128
2000 modern 5,983 #1,135
2001 modern 5,823 #1,139
2002 modern 5,871 #1,151
2003 modern 5,753 #1,152
2004 modern 5,742 #1,149
2005 modern 5,594 #1,155
2006 modern 5,552 #1,168
2007 modern 5,576 #1,168
2008 modern 5,649 #1,160
2009 modern 5,777 #1,159
2010 modern 5,895 #1,165
2011 modern 5,788 #1,171
2012 modern 5,639 #1,175
2013 modern 5,755 #1,173
2014 modern 5,721 #1,193
2015 modern 5,708 #1,181
2016 modern 5,696 #1,177

Geography

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Where Beales are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lambeth, Portsmouth, Portsea and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Purbeck, North Warwickshire, Bridgend, Wiltshire and Cotswold. 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 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Purbeck 006 Purbeck
2 North Warwickshire 003 North Warwickshire
3 Bridgend 019 Bridgend
4 Wiltshire 023 Wiltshire
5 Cotswold 001 Cotswold

Forenames

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First names often paired with Beale

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Beale

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Beale is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Beale 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

Beale falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Beale 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 Beale, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Beale

The surname Beale is believed to have originated in England and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "beal" or "bel," meaning a hill or a ring-shaped area of land. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a hill or on elevated ground.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Beale can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property in England. The name appears in various spellings, including Bele, Beale, and Bele.

In the medieval period, the name Beale was particularly prevalent in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex in eastern England. Records from this time show individuals with the surname Beale holding land and occupying positions of authority in these areas.

One notable individual bearing the surname Beale was William Beale (c. 1460-1507), a merchant and politician from London. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1494 and was a member of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers.

Another prominent figure was Robert Beale (c. 1541-1601), who served as a clerk and advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. He was involved in various diplomatic missions and played a significant role in the intelligence network of the Elizabethan government.

In the 17th century, the name Beale was associated with the village of Beale in Worcestershire, which was likely named after an individual or family with the surname. A notable example is John Beale (1603-1683), a Puritan clergyman and author who served as the rector of Yealmpton in Devon.

The 18th century saw the rise of Mary Beale (1633-1699), one of the first professional female painters in England. She was renowned for her portraits and was appointed as the principal painter to Mary of Modena, the wife of King James II.

In the 19th century, Thomas Beale (1807-1849) was a prominent figure in Virginia, best known for allegedly leaving behind a treasure trove of valuables and encrypted texts, which became known as the "Beale Ciphers." The existence and authenticity of this treasure have been debated for decades.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Beale who have made their mark throughout history, reflecting the rich heritage and evolution of this English surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Beale families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beale 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. Middlesex leads with 679 Beales recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.83x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 679 1.83x
Surrey 401 2.22x
Kent 287 2.27x
Hampshire 245 3.22x
Warwickshire 219 2.34x
Sussex 177 2.83x
Dorset 154 6.33x
Gloucestershire 139 1.91x
Hertfordshire 120 4.70x
Yorkshire 119 0.32x
Worcestershire 93 1.92x
Lancashire 87 0.20x
Somerset 87 1.46x
Essex 80 1.09x
Wiltshire 79 2.41x
Devon 78 1.01x
Leicestershire 70 1.70x
Northamptonshire 63 1.81x
Berkshire 56 2.01x
Oxfordshire 56 2.45x
Cambridgeshire 48 2.04x
Glamorgan 45 0.70x
Staffordshire 42 0.34x
Buckinghamshire 35 1.56x
Cornwall 34 0.81x
Derbyshire 31 0.53x
Nottinghamshire 27 0.54x
Shropshire 25 0.78x
Channel Islands 22 2.00x
Suffolk 17 0.38x
Bedfordshire 15 0.78x
Cumberland 15 0.47x
Huntingdonshire 14 1.90x
Lanarkshire 12 0.10x
Cheshire 11 0.13x
Lincolnshire 11 0.19x
Monmouthshire 11 0.41x
Norfolk 10 0.18x
Durham 9 0.08x
Herefordshire 9 0.59x
Caernarfonshire 8 0.53x
East Lothian 8 1.63x
Angus 7 0.20x
Flintshire 6 0.60x
Banffshire 5 0.65x
Berwickshire 5 1.11x
Perthshire 5 0.30x
Denbighshire 4 0.29x
Northumberland 4 0.07x
Fife 3 0.14x
Royal Navy 3 0.68x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.06x
Merionethshire 2 0.29x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.17x
Anglesey 1 0.15x
Cardiganshire 1 0.11x
Midlothian 1 0.02x
Renfrewshire 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. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 103 Beales recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.19x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 103 3.19x
Islington London 91 2.53x
Aston 68 2.64x
Bethnal Green London 53 3.29x
Battersea 50 3.66x
Shoreditch London 50 3.11x
St Pancras London 47 1.57x
Hackney London 45 2.16x
Portsea 45 3.02x
Greenwich 42 7.12x
Kensington London 42 2.04x
Maidstone 36 9.55x
Royston 35 160.77x
Overton 32 175.92x
St George Hanover Square 28 4.29x
Camberwell 27 1.14x
Cranborne 27 91.77x
Nuneaton 25 23.08x
Cheshunt 24 26.86x
Hinckley 24 24.61x
Bow London 23 4.87x
Croydon 23 2.29x
Hammersmith London 22 2.41x
Portsmouth 22 12.57x
St Marylebone London 22 1.11x
Wellingborough 22 12.55x
West Ham 22 1.36x
East Farleigh 21 98.96x
Melcombe Regis 21 20.82x
Southwark St George Martyr 21 2.81x
Tottenham 20 3.39x
Northwood 19 17.56x
Rodmarton 19 391.75x
Bermondsey 18 1.63x
Brighton 18 1.43x
Witney 18 47.01x
Wycombe 18 10.77x
Coventry St Michael 17 5.66x
Newington 17 1.24x
Cheltenham 16 2.85x
Limehouse London 16 3.93x
Paddington London 16 1.17x
St Bartholomew Great 16 47.42x
St Sampson 16 32.32x
Birmingham 15 0.48x
Bridgewater 15 9.26x
Chatham 15 4.31x
Redmarley 15 118.20x
Chelsea London 14 1.25x
Derby St Peter 14 7.57x
Neithrop 14 18.19x
Reigate Foreign 14 7.16x
St John Near Swansea 14 17.54x
Tonbridge 14 3.07x
Holdenhurst 13 6.52x
Leicester St Margaret 13 1.30x
Mile End Old Town London 13 1.65x
Newent 13 35.17x
Plymouth St Andrew 13 2.19x
St Thomas Winchester 13 24.23x
York St Mary 13 8.54x
Burton Upon Trent 12 4.10x
Chorlton On Medlock 12 1.72x
Deptford St Paul 12 1.23x
Oxford St Thomas 12 11.23x
Rotherhithe 12 2.62x
Sutton 12 9.18x
Barony 11 0.36x
Bromley London 11 1.35x
Castlemorton 11 116.03x
Holy Trinity Cambridge 11 43.15x
Hulme 11 1.20x
Plumstead 11 2.61x
Putney 11 6.51x
Reading St Giles 11 4.03x
Acton 10 4.60x
Aldershot 10 3.93x
Ealing 10 3.02x
Hankerton 10 231.48x
St Martin In Fields 10 4.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 218
Sarah 141
Elizabeth 135
Jane 71
Ann 70
Eliza 65
Emily 62
Annie 59
Emma 54
Ellen 48
Alice 42
Louisa 34
Hannah 33
Charlotte 32
Ada 31
Caroline 30
Clara 29
Harriet 29
Fanny 28
Florence 26
Kate 26
Edith 25
Martha 24
Anne 23
Catherine 19
Frances 16
Lucy 16
Maria 16
Matilda 15
Rose 14
Amelia 13
Laura 13
Susannah 13
Agnes 12
Harriett 11
Julia 11
Margaret 11
Rebecca 10
Ruth 10
Bessie 9
Helen 9
Isabella 8
Jessie 8
Lydia 8
Sophia 8
Susan 8
Elizth. 7
Esther 7
Ethel 7
Minnie 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 222
John 170
George 152
Henry 110
Charles 105
James 97
Thomas 84
Alfred 59
Joseph 54
Edward 44
Richard 44
Frederick 41
Arthur 37
Albert 31
Walter 30
Robert 29
Samuel 27
Harry 22
Ernest 20
Herbert 18
Benjamin 17
Frank 16
Edwin 13
Daniel 12
David 11
Sidney 10
Thos. 8
Alexander 7
Chas. 7
Francis 7
Lewis 7
Tom 7
Edmund 6
Isaac 6
Willm. 6
Fredk. 5
Fred 4
Sydney 4
Abraham 3
Bertram 3
Charley 3
Earnest 3
Frederic 3
Harold 3
Job 3
Jos. 3
Josiah 3
Louis 3
Stanley 3
Stephen 3

FAQ

Beale surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beale surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,777 people were recorded with the Beale surname. That placed it at #1,212 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beale surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,696 in 2016. That gives Beale a modern rank of #1,177.

What does the Beale surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "beautiful" in Old French or from the Old English word for "bee hill."

What does the Beale map show?

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