NameCensus.

UK surname

Belcher

An occupational surname referring to someone who belches cloth, a bleacher or finisher of woven fabric.

In the 1881 census there were 3,608 people recorded with the Belcher surname, ranking it #1,253 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,879, ranked #1,386, down from #1,253 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Marylebone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Vale of White Horse and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Belcher is 5,516 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.2%.

1881 census count

3,608

Ranked #1,253

Modern count

4,879

2016, ranked #1,386

Peak year

1999

5,516 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Belcher had 3,608 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,253 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,879 in 2016, ranked #1,386.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,169 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Belcher surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Belcher surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Belcher 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 2,367 #1,262
1861 historical 1,847 #1,566
1881 historical 3,608 #1,253
1891 historical 3,696 #1,291
1901 historical 4,705 #1,202
1911 historical 5,169 #1,012
1997 modern 5,226 #1,247
1998 modern 5,505 #1,231
1999 modern 5,516 #1,241
2000 modern 5,468 #1,249
2001 modern 5,333 #1,246
2002 modern 5,338 #1,272
2003 modern 5,187 #1,276
2004 modern 5,148 #1,290
2005 modern 5,045 #1,300
2006 modern 5,002 #1,307
2007 modern 5,000 #1,320
2008 modern 5,033 #1,320
2009 modern 5,174 #1,316
2010 modern 5,196 #1,341
2011 modern 5,141 #1,335
2012 modern 5,018 #1,335
2013 modern 5,009 #1,365
2014 modern 5,023 #1,363
2015 modern 4,921 #1,385
2016 modern 4,879 #1,386

Geography

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Where Belchers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Marylebone and Wantage. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Vale of White Horse and Rhondda Cynon Taf. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Wantage Berkshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Vale of White Horse 009 Vale of White Horse
2 Vale of White Horse 015 Vale of White Horse
3 Vale of White Horse 016 Vale of White Horse
4 Vale of White Horse 014 Vale of White Horse
5 Rhondda Cynon Taf 020 Rhondda Cynon Taf

Forenames

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First names often paired with Belcher

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Belcher

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Belcher is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Belcher is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Belcher falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Belcher

The surname Belcher originated in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "belchier," which means "to bake." It is believed that the name was originally an occupational surname given to bakers or those who worked with ovens.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a record of landowners and their properties in England, there are several references to individuals with the name Belcher or variations such as Belchier and Belcher. These entries suggest that the name was already established in various parts of the country by the 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named Ricardus le Belchier is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the transition from the French origin to its English form.

The name Belcher can also be linked to various place names in England, such as Belchers Lane in Hertfordshire and Belcher's Farm in Buckinghamshire. These locations may have been named after individuals bearing the Belcher surname or may have influenced the surname's development.

Notable individuals with the Belcher surname throughout history include:

1. John Belcher (c. 1633-1721), an English settler in Massachusetts Bay Colony who served as a member of the colonial militia. 2. Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953), a British writer and historian whose full name was Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc. 3. Andrew Belcher (1763-1841), a British naval officer and explorer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. 4. Diane Belcher (1938-2022), an American actress and voice artist known for her work in animation, including voicing characters in "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill." 5. Edward Belcher (1799-1877), a British naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic regions in the mid-19th century.

The Belcher surname has a rich history rooted in England's medieval era, originating from an occupation and evolving over centuries to become a prominent surname with notable individuals across various fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Belcher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Belcher 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. Berkshire leads with 647 Belchers recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.50x.

County Total Index
Berkshire 647 24.50x
Middlesex 613 1.74x
Staffordshire 319 2.69x
Oxfordshire 305 14.04x
Surrey 300 1.75x
Gloucestershire 247 3.58x
Yorkshire 136 0.39x
Warwickshire 129 1.45x
Worcestershire 103 2.24x
Kent 92 0.77x
Leicestershire 91 2.33x
Essex 67 0.96x
Lancashire 56 0.13x
Buckinghamshire 50 2.35x
Wiltshire 50 1.61x
Hampshire 38 0.53x
Hertfordshire 38 1.57x
Northamptonshire 38 1.15x
Sussex 35 0.59x
Somerset 29 0.51x
Devon 25 0.34x
Lincolnshire 23 0.41x
Herefordshire 22 1.52x
Nottinghamshire 22 0.46x
Derbyshire 20 0.36x
Shropshire 20 0.66x
Monmouthshire 16 0.63x
Suffolk 15 0.35x
Durham 9 0.09x
Cheshire 8 0.10x
Glamorgan 8 0.13x
Bedfordshire 7 0.38x
Kincardineshire 7 1.63x
Northumberland 6 0.11x
Norfolk 4 0.07x
Lanarkshire 3 0.03x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.13x
Dorset 2 0.09x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.04x
Cornwall 1 0.03x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.14x
Renfrewshire 1 0.04x
Royal Navy 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 61 Belchers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.79x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 61 1.79x
Lambeth 59 1.92x
Kensington London 47 2.40x
Wantage 47 111.61x
Birmingham 46 1.56x
Goosey 46 2371.13x
St Pancras London 46 1.62x
West Bromwich 45 6.62x
Reading St Giles 43 16.59x
St Marylebone London 42 2.24x
Aston 41 1.68x
Camberwell 40 1.78x
Abingdon St Helen 36 46.62x
Bethnal Green London 36 2.36x
Reading St Mary 36 17.02x
Darlaston 35 21.32x
Kings Norton 34 8.25x
Newington 33 2.54x
Wolverhampton 33 3.61x
Hackney London 32 1.62x
Chelsea London 28 2.64x
Ibstock 27 95.24x
Shoreditch London 27 1.77x
Cheltenham 26 4.88x
Long Wittenham 26 384.05x
East West Hanney 25 240.85x
Bristol St George 24 7.52x
Cannock 23 11.10x
Wednesbury 23 7.75x
Drayton 22 293.73x
Great Coxwell 22 647.06x
Paddington London 22 1.70x
Castleford 21 16.54x
Hammersmith London 21 2.42x
Stanton Harcourt 20 303.95x
Rowley Regis 19 5.74x
West Ham 19 1.24x
Deptford St Paul 18 1.94x
Great Faringdon 18 47.43x
Hampstead London 18 3.28x
Willesden 18 5.43x
Gnosall 17 59.30x
Harborne 17 4.47x
Kingham 17 228.49x
Newbury 17 20.09x
St George Hanover Square 17 2.74x
Battersea 16 1.24x
Eynsham 16 116.36x
Mitcham 16 14.77x
Twickenham 16 10.61x
Bradford 15 1.78x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 15 2.31x
Kingston On Thames 15 3.64x
Pontefract 15 19.97x
Appleford 14 336.54x
Brighton 14 1.17x
Dudley 14 2.51x
Oxford St Ebbe 14 21.89x
Southwark St George Martyr 14 1.98x
Blewbury 13 143.96x
Cumnor 13 106.73x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 13 10.30x
Oxford St Giles 13 12.54x
Oxford St Thomas 13 12.82x
Penkridge 13 42.44x
Bedminster 12 2.25x
Bucknell 12 376.18x
Clanfield 12 199.67x
East West Challow 12 175.18x
Hillingdon 12 10.70x
Hucknall Torkard 12 9.98x
Little Wittenham 12 888.89x
Poplar London 12 1.81x
Toxteth Park 12 0.85x
Warborough 12 144.06x
Wednesfield 12 6.87x
Wellingborough 12 7.21x
Winkfield 12 27.38x
Southwark St Saviour 11 6.08x
Thurlstone 11 31.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 208
Sarah 146
Elizabeth 113
Ann 70
Eliza 69
Emma 66
Emily 58
Annie 54
Alice 53
Ellen 53
Jane 50
Martha 45
Hannah 39
Caroline 30
Harriet 29
Florence 25
Kate 25
Edith 24
Ada 23
Maria 23
Fanny 22
Louisa 21
Clara 20
Charlotte 17
Lucy 17
Amelia 16
Anne 16
Rose 15
Esther 14
Susan 14
Catherine 12
Margaret 12
Matilda 12
Frances 10
Harriett 10
Rebecca 10
Lizzie 9
Phoebe 9
Rhoda 9
Sophia 9
Amy 8
Elizth. 8
Minnie 8
Susannah 8
Agnes 7
Beatrice 7
Helen 7
Jessie 7
Julia 7
Rosa 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 203
John 184
George 142
Thomas 118
James 113
Charles 98
Henry 88
Joseph 85
Alfred 55
Richard 43
Frederick 37
Edward 35
Albert 33
Arthur 29
Walter 23
Robert 20
Samuel 20
Edwin 19
Frank 17
Harry 17
Ernest 15
Benjamin 11
Daniel 10
Herbert 10
Wm. 10
Tom 9
David 8
Isaac 8
Percy 8
Stephen 8
Thos. 8
Francis 7
Fredrick 7
Fred 6
Sidney 6
Alexander 5
Edmund 5
Enoch 5
Fredk. 5
Geo. 5
Willie 5
Chas. 4
Edwd. 4
Jesse 4
Mark 4
Ben 3
Caleb 3
Job 3
Lawrence 3
Matthew 3

FAQ

Belcher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Belcher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,608 people were recorded with the Belcher surname. That placed it at #1,253 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Belcher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,879 in 2016. That gives Belcher a modern rank of #1,386.

What does the Belcher surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who belches cloth, a bleacher or finisher of woven fabric.

What does the Belcher map show?

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