NameCensus.

UK surname

Beckford

A habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places in England named Beckford, meaning "ford by a stream."

In the 1881 census there were 153 people recorded with the Beckford surname, ranking it #15,320 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,591, ranked #3,903, up from #15,320 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Newcastle All Saints and Wargrave. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Birmingham and Sandwell.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beckford is 1,718 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 939.9%.

1881 census count

153

Ranked #15,320

Modern count

1,591

2016, ranked #3,903

Peak year

2010

1,718 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Beckford had 153 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,320 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,591 in 2016, ranked #3,903.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 250 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Beckford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beckford surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Beckford 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 134 #14,033
1861 historical 115 #18,880
1881 historical 153 #15,320
1891 historical 160 #17,555
1901 historical 200 #15,120
1911 historical 250 #12,918
1997 modern 1,236 #4,595
1998 modern 1,274 #4,656
1999 modern 1,287 #4,640
2000 modern 1,308 #4,551
2001 modern 1,266 #4,592
2002 modern 1,381 #4,338
2003 modern 1,361 #4,315
2004 modern 1,414 #4,185
2005 modern 1,440 #4,094
2006 modern 1,483 #4,003
2007 modern 1,522 #3,944
2008 modern 1,553 #3,895
2009 modern 1,665 #3,754
2010 modern 1,718 #3,716
2011 modern 1,653 #3,812
2012 modern 1,580 #3,895
2013 modern 1,607 #3,895
2014 modern 1,619 #3,898
2015 modern 1,592 #3,917
2016 modern 1,591 #3,903

Geography

Back to top

Where Beckfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Newcastle All Saints, Wargrave, St John Hackney and Hurley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Birmingham and Sandwell. 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 3
2 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
3 Wargrave Berkshire
4 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
5 Hurley Berkshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Birmingham 047 Birmingham
2 Sandwell 026 Sandwell
3 Birmingham 036 Birmingham
4 Birmingham 053 Birmingham
5 Birmingham 031 Birmingham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Beckford

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Beckford

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Beckford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Beckford 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Beckford is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Beckford is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Beckford falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Beckford 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
Other Ethnic Group

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

Meaning and origin of Beckford

The surname Beckford is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "bec" meaning a stream or brook, and "ford" referring to a shallow crossing or ford across a river. This indicates that the name likely originated from a place name describing a settlement near a stream or river crossing.

The earliest recorded instances of the Beckford surname can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of England, including Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire. The name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the Beckford surname was William de Beckford, who was born in the late 12th century and served as a knight and landowner in Gloucestershire. Another notable figure was Alderman John Beckford, a wealthy merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1770.

In the 18th century, William Beckford (1760-1844) rose to prominence as a wealthy English novelist, art collector, and eccentric. He is best known for his gothic novel "Vathek," which was published in 1786 and was a significant influence on the development of the gothic fiction genre.

Another prominent individual with the Beckford surname was Peter Beckford (1643-1710), who was a renowned English author, agriculturalist, and politician. He wrote several influential works on hunting and agriculture, including "Thoughts on Hunting" and "Thoughts upon Hare and Fox Hunting."

In the 19th century, Susan Elizabeth Beckford (1824-1899) was a notable English author and playwright. She wrote several novels and plays, including "The Cloisters of St. Mary's" and "The Prince's Dressing Case."

The Beckford name has also been associated with various places throughout England, including Beckford in Gloucestershire, Beckford in Worcestershire, and Beckford in Somerset. These place names likely originated from the same Old English roots as the surname, further reinforcing the connection between the name and geographic locations near streams or river crossings.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Beckford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beckford 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. Kent leads with 29 Beckfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.35x.

County Total Index
Kent 29 5.35x
Middlesex 26 1.64x
Berkshire 24 20.11x
Essex 13 4.14x
Hertfordshire 12 10.95x
Hampshire 11 3.38x
Channel Islands 10 21.23x
Cornwall 8 4.44x
Leicestershire 8 4.54x
Surrey 6 0.77x
Dorset 4 3.83x
Buckinghamshire 3 3.12x
Devon 3 0.91x
Oxfordshire 3 3.06x
Lancashire 1 0.05x
Northamptonshire 1 0.67x
Northumberland 1 0.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Woolwich in Kent leads with 13 Beckfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 64.87x.

Place Total Index
Woolwich 13 64.87x
Hurley 11 1774.19x
Westmill 11 5500.00x
Eaton 8 4210.53x
Hackney London 8 8.98x
St Martin 8 276.82x
West Ham 8 11.55x
Beckenham 7 98.73x
Madron Penzance 7 106.87x
Deptford St Nicholas 5 116.28x
Walthamstow 5 44.25x
Bloxworth 4 2857.14x
Portsea 4 6.26x
Wargrave 4 388.35x
Bethnal Green London 3 4.34x
Islington London 3 1.95x
Keston 3 750.00x
Shottesbrook 3 3333.33x
Wycombe 3 41.90x
Brixham 2 52.22x
Cookham 2 53.76x
Cove 2 465.12x
Ham 2 571.43x
Hardwick 2 2000.00x
Paddington London 2 3.42x
Sherfield Upon Loddon 2 571.43x
Southampton All Sts 2 35.78x
St George Bloomsbury 2 21.93x
St Marylebone London 2 2.36x
Wandsworth 2 13.07x
Bow London 1 4.94x
Bray 1 28.49x
Bromley 1 12.09x
Camberwell 1 0.98x
Croydon 1 2.33x
Farnborough 1 29.24x
Fulham London 1 4.34x
Henley On Thames 1 49.75x
Kensington London 1 1.13x
Maker 1 60.24x
North Huish 1 500.00x
Northampton St Giles 1 17.54x
Poplar London 1 3.33x
Reading St Lawrence 1 39.22x
Reading St Mary 1 10.46x
Seghill 1 86.21x
St Helier 1 6.52x
St Martin In Fields 1 10.50x
St Pancras London 1 0.78x
St Saviour 1 38.46x
Tilehurst 1 41.49x
Toxteth Park 1 1.57x
Ware 1 31.85x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Beckford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beckford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 153 people were recorded with the Beckford surname. That placed it at #15,320 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beckford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,591 in 2016. That gives Beckford a modern rank of #3,903.

What does the Beckford surname mean?

A habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places in England named Beckford, meaning "ford by a stream."

What does the Beckford map show?

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