NameCensus.

UK surname

Beddoes

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "bed" or "meadow".

In the 1881 census there were 542 people recorded with the Beddoes surname, ranking it #6,362 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 763, ranked #7,188, down from #6,362 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bishops Castle, Bidstone and Kidderminster. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire and Birmingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beddoes is 857 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.8%.

1881 census count

542

Ranked #6,362

Modern count

763

2016, ranked #7,188

Peak year

2002

857 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Beddoes had 542 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,362 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 763 in 2016, ranked #7,188.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 703 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Beddoes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beddoes surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Beddoes 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 364 #6,509
1861 historical 365 #7,009
1881 historical 542 #6,362
1891 historical 555 #6,831
1901 historical 671 #6,487
1911 historical 703 #6,067
1997 modern 783 #6,653
1998 modern 815 #6,660
1999 modern 827 #6,626
2000 modern 835 #6,551
2001 modern 815 #6,549
2002 modern 857 #6,427
2003 modern 833 #6,440
2004 modern 834 #6,438
2005 modern 804 #6,593
2006 modern 810 #6,557
2007 modern 795 #6,727
2008 modern 787 #6,846
2009 modern 842 #6,610
2010 modern 837 #6,774
2011 modern 814 #6,837
2012 modern 799 #6,835
2013 modern 791 #7,032
2014 modern 784 #7,120
2015 modern 761 #7,217
2016 modern 763 #7,188

Geography

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Where Beddoes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bishops Castle, Bidstone, Kidderminster, Cardiff St John and St Mary and Bitterley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire and Birmingham. 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 Bishops Castle Shropshire
2 Bidstone Cheshire
3 Kidderminster Worcestershire
4 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
5 Bitterley Shropshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 030 Shropshire
2 Shropshire 002 Shropshire
3 Shropshire 028 Shropshire
4 Shropshire 037 Shropshire
5 Birmingham 126 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Beddoes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Beddoes

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Beddoes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Beddoes household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Beddoes 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

Beddoes 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

Beddoes falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Beddoes

The surname Beddoes has its origins in England, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "bedde" meaning "bed" and "hus" meaning "house," suggesting it may have originated as a name for an innkeeper or someone who provided lodging.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Beddoes can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1230, where it appears as "Bedehus." This suggests the name may have initially been a place name, referring to a specific location or settlement.

During the Middle Ages, the Beddoes surname was concentrated in the English counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also possible that the name is derived from the village of Beddoe in Herefordshire, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Bedehov."

Among notable individuals bearing the Beddoes surname is Thomas Beddoes (1760-1808), an English physician and chemist who is credited with introducing the inhalation of gases as a medical treatment. He was also a prominent member of the Lunar Society, a prestigious group of intellectuals and industrialists in the West Midlands region of England.

Another figure of note is Thomas Lovell Beddoes (1803-1849), an English poet and playwright known for his gothic and macabre works, including the dramatic poem "Death's Jest-Book." His literary works were highly influential on later writers such as Robert Browning and Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

In the 18th century, John Beddoes (1718-1795) was a prominent English clergyman and scholar who served as the Vicar of St. Thomas's Church in Salisbury. He was also a renowned author and published several works on theology and literature.

William Beddoes (1756-1808) was a British military officer and author who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. He is best known for his memoir "Observations on the Isle of Wight," which provides valuable insights into the social and cultural life of the island during the late 18th century.

Finally, William Henry Beddoes (1845-1924) was a British scientist and inventor who made significant contributions to the field of photography. He is credited with developing the first commercially successful dry plate process, which revolutionized the photographic industry in the late 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Beddoes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beddoes 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. Shropshire leads with 231 Beddoes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 50.39x.

County Total Index
Shropshire 231 50.39x
Worcestershire 55 7.94x
Staffordshire 35 1.95x
Montgomeryshire 32 26.32x
Yorkshire 32 0.61x
Lancashire 27 0.43x
Warwickshire 27 2.02x
Herefordshire 18 8.27x
Pembrokeshire 13 7.71x
Glamorgan 12 1.30x
Middlesex 11 0.21x
Radnorshire 11 25.69x
Cheshire 10 0.85x
Surrey 9 0.35x
Denbighshire 4 2.00x
Devon 4 0.36x
Gloucestershire 3 0.29x
Hampshire 3 0.28x
Channel Islands 2 1.27x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.30x
Kent 1 0.06x
Lanarkshire 1 0.06x
Monmouthshire 1 0.26x
Somerset 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Church Stretton in Shropshire leads with 25 Beddoes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 811.69x.

Place Total Index
Church Stretton 25 811.69x
Birmingham 19 4.26x
Kidderminster Borough 19 46.84x
Kingswinford 16 24.60x
Ludlow St Lawrence 14 153.51x
Pembroke St Mary 13 59.85x
Churchstoke 12 524.02x
Stoke St Milborough 12 1250.00x
Neen Savage 11 1833.33x
Altofts 10 172.41x
Bishops Castle In 9 337.08x
Kerry 9 245.90x
Leintwardine 9 405.41x
Aston 8 2.17x
Bitterley 8 441.99x
Cainham 8 375.59x
Kidderminster Foreign 8 81.63x
Cardiff St Mary 7 13.75x
Edgton 7 1707.32x
Shrewsbury Holy Cross 7 138.34x
Bushbury 6 186.34x
Dudley 6 7.12x
Leebotwood 6 1875.00x
Llangunllo 6 681.82x
Monk Bretton 6 112.78x
Poplar London 6 5.99x
Shrewsbury St Julian 6 52.91x
Worthen 6 123.20x
Bromfield 5 485.44x
Chetton 5 555.56x
Halford 5 1111.11x
Kington 5 92.76x
Kirkdale 5 4.72x
Meole Brace 5 210.97x
Much Wenlock 5 118.20x
Oswestry Town 5 34.06x
Pedmore 5 549.45x
Silkstone 5 192.31x
Stanton Lacy 5 126.26x
Stourbridge 5 28.04x
Brampton Bryan 4 519.48x
Clun 4 122.70x
Cound 4 459.77x
Guildford Holy Trinity 4 81.14x
Handsworth 4 9.06x
Hopesay 4 341.88x
Kinnerley 4 183.49x
Leighton 4 740.74x
Little Bolton 4 4.94x
Manafon 4 350.88x
Roath 4 9.53x
Tenbury 4 105.54x
Tranmere 4 9.29x
West Derby 4 2.17x
Wrexham Regis 4 26.86x
Aston Botterell 3 1000.00x
Broseley 3 36.81x
Exeter St Sidwell 3 11.86x
Little Hereford 3 394.74x
Llandrinio 3 205.48x
Lye 3 26.02x
Mainstone 3 882.35x
Middleton Scriven 3 1764.71x
Norbury 3 441.18x
Oldham 3 1.48x
Preston 3 1.78x
Purston Jaglin 3 234.38x
Rowley Regis 3 6.01x
Winslow 3 400.00x
Wollescote 3 53.76x
Canon Pyon 2 157.48x
Cleobury Mortimer 2 69.20x
Droylsden 2 9.74x
Headingley Cum Burley 2 5.91x
Heyop 2 512.82x
Madeley 2 11.90x
Portsea 2 0.94x
St George Hanover Square 2 2.14x
Stokesay 2 148.15x
West Bromwich 2 1.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 34
Sarah 26
Elizabeth 23
Ann 19
Eliza 11
Jane 11
Alice 9
Emma 9
Annie 8
Hannah 7
Susan 7
Emily 6
Harriet 6
Ellen 5
Martha 5
Maria 4
Amelia 3
Edith 3
Fanny 3
Frances 3
Laura 3
Lizzie 3
Margaret 3
Anne 2
Cecilia 2
Charlotte 2
Elizth. 2
Esther 2
Florence 2
Janet 2
Louisa 2
Marianne 2
Rebecca 2
Selina 2
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Dorthy 1
Elsie 1
Emmily 1
Ester 1
Eugena 1
Eunice 1
Fanney 1
Hylda 1
James 1
Jannette 1
Jessie 1
Kathleen 1
Letitia 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 42
John 39
Thomas 23
George 19
Richard 14
Benjamin 12
Charles 10
Alfred 8
Edward 8
James 8
Edwin 6
Frank 6
Joseph 6
Samuel 6
Henry 5
Ernest 4
Arthur 3
Frederick 3
Herbert 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Francis 2
Geo. 2
Oliver 2
Owen 2
Bernard 1
Christopher 1
Clement 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Durwin 1
Earnest 1
Edmund 1
Heber 1
Jeremiah 1
Job 1
Moses 1
Percy 1
Ralph 1
Robert 1
Willm.C. 1
Wm.C. 1

FAQ

Beddoes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beddoes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 542 people were recorded with the Beddoes surname. That placed it at #6,362 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beddoes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 763 in 2016. That gives Beddoes a modern rank of #7,188.

What does the Beddoes surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "bed" or "meadow".

What does the Beddoes map show?

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