NameCensus.

UK surname

Bednall

In the 1881 census there were 167 people recorded with the Bednall surname, ranking it #14,443 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 294, ranked #14,953, down from #14,443 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Werburgh and Normanton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Walsall and Amber Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bednall is 348 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 76.0%.

1881 census count

167

Ranked #14,443

Modern count

294

2016, ranked #14,953

Peak year

1911

348 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bednall had 167 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,443 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 294 in 2016, ranked #14,953.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 348 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bednall surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bednall surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bednall 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 71 #20,875
1861 historical 92 #22,112
1881 historical 167 #14,443
1891 historical 236 #13,278
1901 historical 326 #10,990
1911 historical 348 #10,297
1997 modern 318 #13,024
1998 modern 330 #13,046
1999 modern 328 #13,183
2000 modern 316 #13,460
2001 modern 307 #13,539
2002 modern 318 #13,475
2003 modern 308 #13,587
2004 modern 314 #13,473
2005 modern 305 #13,689
2006 modern 289 #14,234
2007 modern 294 #14,241
2008 modern 287 #14,580
2009 modern 299 #14,445
2010 modern 305 #14,561
2011 modern 311 #14,260
2012 modern 304 #14,388
2013 modern 309 #14,451
2014 modern 316 #14,301
2015 modern 303 #14,646
2016 modern 294 #14,953

Geography

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Where Bednalls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Werburgh, Normanton, Walsall and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Walsall and Amber Valley. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 St Werburgh Derbyshire
3 Normanton Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Walsall Staffordshire
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Walsall 033 Walsall
2 Amber Valley 008 Amber Valley
3 Amber Valley 005 Amber Valley
4 Amber Valley 006 Amber Valley
5 Walsall 011 Walsall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bednall

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bednall

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bednall 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

Bednall is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Bednall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bednall 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. Derbyshire leads with 41 Bednalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.08x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 41 16.08x
Staffordshire 29 5.27x
Warwickshire 24 5.84x
Nottinghamshire 23 10.48x
Lancashire 21 1.09x
Yorkshire 17 1.05x
Leicestershire 9 4.98x
Kent 1 0.18x
Lincolnshire 1 0.38x
Middlesex 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Radford in Nottinghamshire leads with 18 Bednalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 161.44x.

Place Total Index
Radford 18 161.44x
Altofts 14 786.52x
Pentrich 14 972.22x
Walsall Borough 14 327.87x
Birmingham 13 9.50x
Edgbaston 9 70.64x
Chorlton On Medlock 8 26.05x
Norbury 8 3636.36x
Walsall Foreign 7 24.65x
Derby St Peter 6 73.89x
Alfreton 5 64.52x
Newcastle Under Lyme 5 51.39x
South Croxton 5 3571.43x
Cheetham 4 27.74x
Failsworth 4 90.50x
Salford 4 7.04x
Ecclesall Bierlow 3 9.14x
Hognaston 3 1875.00x
Lenton 3 58.03x
Nailstone 2 487.80x
Smalley 2 444.44x
Stoke Upon Trent 2 3.43x
Aston 1 0.88x
Coventry St Michael 1 7.58x
Heanor 1 26.25x
Hougham 1 30.30x
Hucknall Under 1 88.50x
Hulme 1 2.48x
Ireton Wood 1 1428.57x
Kensington London 1 1.10x
Leicester St Margaret 1 2.27x
Leicester St Mary 1 6.85x
Newark Upon Trent 1 12.67x
Sedgley 1 4.90x
Skillington 1 454.55x
Staveley 1 22.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Sarah 6
Elizabeth 4
Ada 3
Alice 3
Annie 3
Harriet 3
Ann 2
Caroline 2
Ellen 2
Frances 2
Hannah 2
Hannair 2
Louisa 2
Margt. 2
Agnes 1
Anice 1
Betery 1
Betty 1
Bridget 1
Celia 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Han. 1
Harriett 1
Kezia 1
Lucy 1
Martha 1
Mildred 1
Millicent 1
Priscilla 1
Rebecca 1
Rhoda 1
Rosina 1
Ruth 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
James 8
George 6
William 6
Joseph 4
Samuel 4
Alfred 3
Charles 3
Frederick 3
Thomas 3
Albert 2
Benjamin 2
Edward 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
Isaac 2
Wm. 2
Arthur 1
Betsy 1
Chalir 1
Edmund 1
Elija 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Harold 1
Jacob 1
Jno. 1
Job 1
Mather 1
Peter 1
Saml. 1
Thos. 1
W. 1
Wm 1

FAQ

Bednall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bednall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 167 people were recorded with the Bednall surname. That placed it at #14,443 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bednall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 294 in 2016. That gives Bednall a modern rank of #14,953.

What does the Bednall map show?

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