NameCensus.

UK surname

Beamer

An occupational surname for a trumpeter or hornblower, derived from the German word "Boehmer" meaning "Bohemian."

In the 1881 census there were 74 people recorded with the Beamer surname, ranking it #23,062 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 117, ranked #28,033, down from #23,062 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Toxteth Park, Liverpool and West Derby. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Salford, East Devon and Dudley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beamer is 118 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 58.1%.

1881 census count

74

Ranked #23,062

Modern count

117

2016, ranked #28,033

Peak year

1911

118 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Beamer had 74 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,062 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016, ranked #28,033.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 118 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Beamer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beamer surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Beamer 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 52 #23,915
1861 historical 71 #24,765
1881 historical 74 #23,062
1891 historical 114 #22,006
1901 historical 103 #22,444
1911 historical 118 #20,649
1997 modern 112 #25,244
1998 modern 107 #26,555
1999 modern 110 #26,315
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 109 #26,059
2002 modern 109 #26,552
2003 modern 103 #27,234
2004 modern 98 #28,297
2005 modern 101 #27,854
2006 modern 104 #27,646
2007 modern 102 #28,351
2008 modern 103 #28,519
2009 modern 113 #27,520
2010 modern 118 #27,404
2011 modern 113 #27,967
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 116 #27,992
2014 modern 110 #29,294
2015 modern 113 #28,645
2016 modern 117 #28,033

Geography

Back to top

Where Beamers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Toxteth Park, Liverpool, West Derby, Bampton and Sefton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Salford, East Devon, Dudley, Hart and Liverpool. 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 Toxteth Park Lancashire
2 Liverpool Lancashire
3 West Derby Lancashire
4 Bampton Devon
5 Sefton Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Salford 021 Salford
2 East Devon 008 East Devon
3 Dudley 042 Dudley
4 Hart 001 Hart
5 Liverpool 006 Liverpool

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Beamer

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Beamer

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Beamer 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

Beamer is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Beamer

The surname "BEAMER" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from an occupational name, referring to an individual who worked as a maker or seller of beams, which were large wooden structural elements used in construction.

One of the earliest records of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where it appears as "Robertus le Bemere." This spelling variation suggests that the name may have initially been associated with the Old English word "beam," meaning a tree trunk or large wooden beam.

In the 14th century, the surname is also recorded in various forms such as "le Bemer," "le Bemere," and "le Beamer" in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Essex. These variations likely reflect regional dialects and the transition from the use of the prefix "le" (meaning "the") to the more modern form.

One notable individual bearing this name was John Beamer, who lived in the 15th century and was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1459. Another early record is that of William Beamer, who was listed in the Feet of Fines for Norfolk in 1524.

In the 16th century, the surname appears to have been concentrated in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, with several individuals bearing the name appearing in parish records and tax rolls. One such example is Thomas Beamer, who was born in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, in 1567.

The surname "BEAMER" has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Beamersyde in Northumberland and Beamish in County Durham. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in certain regions.

Other notable individuals with the surname "BEAMER" throughout history include:

1. Sir John Beamer (1592-1667), an English politician and landowner from Norfolk. 2. William Beamer (1635-1697), an English merchant and trader who was involved in the early colonization of Virginia. 3. Mary Beamer (1701-1765), a Quaker minister and activist from Pennsylvania. 4. James Beamer (1784-1856), an American soldier who fought in the War of 1812. 5. George Beamer (1820-1901), a Canadian businessman and philanthropist from Ontario.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Beamer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beamer 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. Lancashire leads with 29 Beamers recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.39x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 29 3.39x
Cheshire 20 12.56x
Devon 7 4.66x
Derbyshire 5 4.43x
Somerset 5 4.30x
Essex 4 2.81x
Northumberland 2 1.86x
Hampshire 1 0.68x
Surrey 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Toxteth Park in Lancashire leads with 14 Beamers recorded in 1881 and an index of 48.29x.

Place Total Index
Toxteth Park 14 48.29x
Oxton 10 1111.11x
Rainow 10 3125.00x
Everton 6 21.99x
Liverpool 6 11.54x
Bampton 5 1086.96x
Litchurch 5 109.89x
West Ham 4 12.72x
Crowcombe 3 2727.27x
Clatworthy 2 3333.33x
East Stonehouse 2 67.57x
Portgate 2 10000.00x
West Derby 2 7.98x
Aldershot 1 20.20x
Newington 1 3.75x
Salford 1 3.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 6
James 5
Charles 4
Edward 4
George 4
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Daniel 1
Frank 1
Joseph 1
Lewis 1
Reuben 1
Richard 1
Solomon 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1
William 1

FAQ

Beamer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beamer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 74 people were recorded with the Beamer surname. That placed it at #23,062 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beamer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016. That gives Beamer a modern rank of #28,033.

What does the Beamer surname mean?

An occupational surname for a trumpeter or hornblower, derived from the German word "Boehmer" meaning "Bohemian."

What does the Beamer map show?

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