NameCensus.

UK surname

Bellairs

A variant of the French surname Bellaire meaning "beautiful countryside".

In the 1881 census there were 150 people recorded with the Bellairs surname, ranking it #15,489 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 101, ranked #30,929, down from #15,489 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bedworth, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, East Northamptonshire and South Kesteven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bellairs is 191 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 32.7%.

1881 census count

150

Ranked #15,489

Modern count

101

2016, ranked #30,929

Peak year

1911

191 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bellairs had 150 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,489 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016, ranked #30,929.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 191 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Bellairs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bellairs surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bellairs 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 90 #18,317
1861 historical 79 #23,702
1881 historical 150 #15,489
1891 historical 172 #16,663
1901 historical 175 #16,469
1911 historical 191 #15,392
1997 modern 106 #26,057
1998 modern 105 #26,822
1999 modern 108 #26,602
2000 modern 99 #27,845
2001 modern 100 #27,402
2002 modern 96 #28,534
2003 modern 90 #29,260
2004 modern 91 #29,345
2005 modern 83 #30,486
2006 modern 87 #30,292
2007 modern 90 #30,228
2008 modern 92 #30,286
2009 modern 101 #29,445
2010 modern 108 #28,996
2011 modern 101 #29,938
2012 modern 88 #32,064
2013 modern 100 #30,773
2014 modern 102 #30,714
2015 modern 103 #30,444
2016 modern 101 #30,929

Geography

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Where Bellairs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bedworth, London parishes, Manchester, Deeping, Market and Sutton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, East Northamptonshire, South Kesteven, Dartford and Cheshire East. 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 Bedworth Warwickshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Deeping, Market Lincolnshire
5 Sutton Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 002 Cornwall
2 East Northamptonshire 001 East Northamptonshire
3 South Kesteven 014 South Kesteven
4 Dartford 005 Dartford
5 Cheshire East 046 Cheshire East

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bellairs

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bellairs

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bellairs, 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 Bellairs surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Bellairs 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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Bellairs is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Bellairs 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

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

Meaning and origin of Bellairs

The surname BELLAIRS originated in England in the early medieval period. It is a locational surname, derived from the Old English words 'belle' meaning 'bell' and 'aers' meaning 'houses' or 'dwellings'. This suggests the name was initially given to someone who lived near a building housing bells, likely a church or priory.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled 'Belleris'. This entry refers to a landowner named Radulfus de Belleris in Lincolnshire. Over time, the name evolved through various spellings such as Belers, Belayres, and Belleres before settling on the modern form of BELLAIRS.

The BELLAIRS family was particularly prominent in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire during the Middle Ages. In the 13th century, a Robert de Belers served as Sheriff of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. A century later, John Bellers (c.1350-1410) was a successful wool merchant and landowner in Leicestershire.

During the English Civil War, Sir Thomasine Bellers (1615-1672) was a Royalist commander who fought for King Charles I. After the Restoration, he was rewarded with land grants in Ireland for his loyalty.

In the 18th century, John Bellers (1654-1725) was a prominent Quaker writer and economist who advocated for social reforms and the establishment of "Colleges of Industry" to help the poor.

George Bellairs (1808-1892) was a renowned English architect and church restorer who worked on many significant projects, including the restoration of Lincoln Cathedral and the construction of Sandringham House.

Throughout its long history, the BELLAIRS name has maintained a strong connection to Lincolnshire and the East Midlands region of England, though bearers of the name can now be found across the United Kingdom and other parts of the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bellairs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bellairs 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. Lincolnshire leads with 29 Bellairs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.40x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 29 12.40x
Hampshire 17 5.67x
Middlesex 16 1.09x
Cambridgeshire 13 14.03x
Warwickshire 11 2.98x
Northamptonshire 10 7.27x
Leicestershire 9 5.55x
Surrey 9 1.26x
Yorkshire 9 0.62x
Durham 7 1.61x
Staffordshire 6 1.21x
Kent 4 0.80x
Lancashire 3 0.17x
Rutland 3 27.93x
Cheshire 1 0.31x
Norfolk 1 0.44x
Pembrokeshire 1 2.15x
Perthshire 1 1.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire leads with 9 Bellairs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 12857.14x.

Place Total Index
Bolton Abbey 9 12857.14x
St George Hanover Square 8 31.03x
Sutton 8 1038.96x
Bishopwearmouth 7 18.74x
Gedney Hill 7 4375.00x
Holdenhurst 7 88.95x
Chelsea London 6 13.61x
Christchurch 6 92.31x
Handsworth 6 49.30x
Holbeach 6 229.89x
Manthorpe Cum Little 6 335.20x
Newborough 6 1714.29x
Goadby Marwood 5 6250.00x
Long Itchington 5 862.07x
Wisbech St Peter 5 107.53x
Bermondsey 4 9.18x
Cheriton 4 197.04x
Nuneaton 4 93.68x
Crowland 3 204.08x
Greetham 3 1034.48x
Irthlingborough 3 222.22x
Skirbeck 3 229.01x
Titchfield 3 132.74x
Deeping St James 2 240.96x
Leamington Priors 2 22.03x
Leicester St Mary 2 15.26x
Poulton With Fearnhead 2 540.54x
Rotherhithe 2 11.06x
St Swithin Lincoln 2 54.35x
Ardwick 1 6.39x
Battersea 1 1.86x
Chertsey 1 21.69x
Egham 1 22.83x
Haverfordwest St Mary 1 149.25x
Hound 1 49.02x
Hunstanton 1 131.58x
Leicester All Sts 1 31.35x
Logie 1 42.37x
Marple 1 45.05x
Melton Mowbray 1 34.25x
Peterborough 1 10.04x
St Pancras London 1 0.85x
Westminster St James 1 6.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Florence 4
Sarah 4
Elizabeth 3
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Martha 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Dorothy 2
Eleanor 2
Eliza 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Millicent 2
Minnie 2
Amelia 1
Amye 1
Anna 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Berta 1
Betsy 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Constance 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.E. 1
Emilinda 1
Ennis 1
Ermine 1
Ermintrude 1
Eva 1
Frances 1
Frederica 1
Hylda 1
Ida 1
Irene 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Laura 1
Lavinia 1
Lilian 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Menta 1
Nona 1
Phoebe 1
Rachel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
Arthur 3
Charles 3
David 3
Henry 3
Alfred 2
Benjamin 2
George 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
William 2
A.De 1
Alban 1
Albert 1
Cecil 1
Clement 1
Clifford 1
E.H. 1
Earnest 1
Eli 1
Eric 1
Ernest 1
Evered 1
Fredrick 1
Gilbert 1
Guy 1
Jas.Harrington 1
Joseph 1
Kenneth 1
Leonard 1
Leopold 1
Perkins 1
Ralph 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Stevenson 1
Vincent 1
Walford 1

FAQ

Bellairs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bellairs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 150 people were recorded with the Bellairs surname. That placed it at #15,489 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bellairs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016. That gives Bellairs a modern rank of #30,929.

What does the Bellairs surname mean?

A variant of the French surname Bellaire meaning "beautiful countryside".

What does the Bellairs map show?

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