NameCensus.

UK surname

Beedle

An English surname derived from the Old English words meaning "bee" and "meadow".

In the 1881 census there were 385 people recorded with the Beedle surname, ranking it #8,179 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 551, ranked #9,266, down from #8,179 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tipton otherwise Tibington, London parishes and Newdigate. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beedle is 584 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.1%.

1881 census count

385

Ranked #8,179

Modern count

551

2016, ranked #9,266

Peak year

1999

584 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Beedle had 385 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,179 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 551 in 2016, ranked #9,266.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 558 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Beedle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beedle surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Beedle 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 365 #6,492
1861 historical 335 #7,610
1881 historical 385 #8,179
1891 historical 413 #8,638
1901 historical 445 #8,782
1911 historical 558 #7,202
1997 modern 579 #8,354
1998 modern 577 #8,597
1999 modern 584 #8,595
2000 modern 584 #8,567
2001 modern 575 #8,530
2002 modern 565 #8,802
2003 modern 543 #8,932
2004 modern 531 #9,100
2005 modern 531 #9,034
2006 modern 535 #9,007
2007 modern 542 #8,991
2008 modern 544 #9,041
2009 modern 555 #9,103
2010 modern 552 #9,338
2011 modern 550 #9,268
2012 modern 553 #9,126
2013 modern 568 #9,080
2014 modern 573 #9,089
2015 modern 554 #9,252
2016 modern 551 #9,266

Geography

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Where Beedles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tipton otherwise Tibington, London parishes, Newdigate, Llanidloes and Llangirrig. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees. 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 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Newdigate Surrey
4 Llanidloes Montgomeryshire
5 Llangirrig Montgomeryshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 003 Wakefield
2 Wakefield 002 Wakefield
3 Redcar and Cleveland 016 Redcar and Cleveland
4 Redcar and Cleveland 013 Redcar and Cleveland
5 Stockton-on-Tees 001 Stockton-on-Tees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Beedle

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Beedle

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Beedle surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Beedle household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Beedle is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Beedle 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

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

Meaning and origin of Beedle

The surname "BEEDLE" is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "bydel," which means "beadle" or "messenger." The name likely originated in the southern counties of England, such as Dorset, Somerset, and Wiltshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which list a John Bydel from Gloucestershire. The Beedle surname also appears in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334 for Somerset, where it is spelled as "Bydle."

In the 15th century, the name is mentioned in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence written by members of the Paston family in Norfolk. A letter dated 1459 refers to a John Bydell, who was a servant of Sir John Fastolf.

The Beedle surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Beedly in Worcestershire and Beedles in Oxfordshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

One notable figure with the surname Beedle was Thomas Beedle (1670-1744), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "An Essay on the Primitive Inhabitants of Great Britain and Ireland" (1724).

Another person of note was Samuel Beedle (1787-1868), an English agriculturist and farmer who introduced several agricultural innovations and improvements in the early 19th century.

In the 19th century, Edward Beedle (1810-1895) was a prominent architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. James the Less in Pimlico.

The Beedle surname was also carried by John Beedle (1844-1910), an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century.

Finally, Hilderic Beedle (1895-1968) was a British artist and illustrator known for his portraits and illustrations in books and magazines during the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Beedle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beedle 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. Yorkshire leads with 95 Beedles recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.56x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 95 2.56x
Surrey 41 2.25x
Montgomeryshire 39 45.43x
Staffordshire 39 3.08x
Middlesex 32 0.85x
Devon 30 3.85x
Kent 22 1.72x
Lancashire 18 0.41x
Durham 13 1.17x
Gloucestershire 13 1.77x
Northumberland 10 1.79x
Somerset 8 1.33x
Oxfordshire 7 3.03x
Shropshire 6 1.85x
Brecknockshire 4 5.34x
Lanarkshire 3 0.25x
Leicestershire 1 0.24x
Lincolnshire 1 0.17x
Norfolk 1 0.17x
Worcestershire 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tipton in Staffordshire leads with 24 Beedles recorded in 1881 and an index of 61.98x.

Place Total Index
Tipton 24 61.98x
Fylingdales 20 1081.08x
Llanidloes 18 283.02x
Norton Canes 15 325.38x
Castleford 14 103.55x
Llangurig 14 679.61x
Eskdaleside 12 659.34x
Eltringham 10 1666.67x
Bitton 9 140.85x
Rochester St Margaret 9 66.77x
St Marylebone London 9 4.50x
Calverley Cum Farsley 8 75.90x
Kenton 8 325.20x
Bermondsey 7 6.28x
Capel 7 406.98x
Everton 7 4.94x
Guisbrough 7 86.31x
Newdigate 7 823.53x
Oxford St Thomas 7 64.87x
Stranton 7 18.66x
Weston Super Mare 7 45.99x
Whitwood 7 132.83x
Folkestone 6 24.20x
Hartlepool 6 37.88x
Hunslet 6 10.37x
Melling 6 582.52x
N Lydbury 6 476.19x
St Katherine Creechurch 6 937.50x
Tref Eglwys 6 256.41x
Camberwell 5 2.09x
Lambeth 5 1.53x
Tiverton 5 37.23x
Willand 5 1162.79x
Deptford St Paul 4 4.06x
Llanvigan 4 571.43x
Bampton 3 125.52x
Barony 3 0.98x
Bradford 3 3.34x
Egton 3 184.05x
Fulham London 3 5.52x
Gloucester St Nicholas 3 88.24x
Newington 3 2.17x
Paddington London 3 2.18x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 5.00x
Towerof London London 3 252.10x
Toxteth Park 3 1.99x
Holbeck 2 8.13x
Islington London 2 0.55x
Leeds 2 0.95x
Plymouth Charles The 2 5.82x
Rotherhithe 2 4.32x
Ruswarp 2 48.43x
Stone In Dartford 2 60.98x
Sutton Stoneferry 2 18.83x
Wortley In Bramley 2 6.80x
Battersea 1 0.73x
Berriew 1 42.19x
Bickleigh 1 131.58x
Carshalton 1 14.33x
Charterhouse London 1 56.50x
Clifton 1 2.69x
Devonport 1 11.16x
Ecclesfield 1 3.67x
Exeter St Mary Arches 1 136.99x
Great Yarmouth 1 2.10x
Kensington London 1 0.48x
Kings Norton 1 2.28x
Kingston On Thames 1 2.28x
Liverpool 1 0.37x
Manningham 1 2.19x
Northfleet 1 8.88x
Norwood 1 11.67x
Pendleton In Salford 1 1.89x
Ryton 1 370.37x
Skelton In Guisbrough 1 9.96x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.33x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.52x
St Pancras London 1 0.33x
Tavistock 1 11.26x
Whitby 1 7.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 20
Elizabeth 12
Sarah 12
Eliza 10
Hannah 10
Ann 9
Annie 7
Jane 7
Ellen 6
Margaret 6
Catherine 5
Martha 5
Caroline 3
Charlotte 3
Emma 3
Isabella 3
Maria 3
Susannah 3
Ada 2
Anne 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Eleanor 2
Elizth. 2
Emily 2
Louisa 2
Margret 2
Sophia 2
Bessie 1
Dorothy 1
Elizh.A.E. 1
Ester 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Floria 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Lilly 1
Louise 1
Lucy 1
Marcia 1
Minnie 1
Nancy 1
Ophilia 1
Polly 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Rebecker 1
Winnifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 28
John 26
Thomas 22
Joseph 9
Richard 9
George 8
Robert 8
Alfred 7
Edward 7
Henry 7
Charles 6
Thos. 6
Herbert 4
James 4
Wm. 4
Arthur 3
Francis 3
Harry 3
Philip 3
Albert 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Mathew 2
Newton 2
Robt. 2
Walter 2
Abraham 1
Andrew 1
Asquith 1
David 1
Ebenezer 1
Edwin 1
Evan 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Irvine 1
Jas. 1
Jesse 1
Josh. 1
Leonard 1
Mark 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Morgan 1
Moses 1
Stainthorpe 1
Syd. 1

FAQ

Beedle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beedle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 385 people were recorded with the Beedle surname. That placed it at #8,179 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beedle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 551 in 2016. That gives Beedle a modern rank of #9,266.

What does the Beedle surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old English words meaning "bee" and "meadow".

What does the Beedle map show?

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