NameCensus.

UK surname

Bellard

A French occupational surname for a shepherd or one who rings church bells.

In the 1881 census there were 97 people recorded with the Bellard surname, ranking it #20,127 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 109, ranked #29,402, down from #20,127 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, Toxteth Park and West Derby. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St. Helens, Copeland and Kingston upon Hull.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bellard is 173 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.4%.

1881 census count

97

Ranked #20,127

Modern count

109

2016, ranked #29,402

Peak year

1861

173 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bellard had 97 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,127 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016, ranked #29,402.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 173 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Bellard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bellard surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bellard 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 105 #16,618
1861 historical 173 #13,553
1881 historical 97 #20,127
1891 historical 113 #22,162
1901 historical 120 #20,545
1911 historical 114 #21,064
1997 modern 150 #21,119
1998 modern 145 #22,139
1999 modern 135 #23,279
2000 modern 134 #23,358
2001 modern 137 #22,740
2002 modern 124 #24,616
2003 modern 118 #25,146
2004 modern 123 #24,679
2005 modern 122 #24,817
2006 modern 122 #25,010
2007 modern 122 #25,353
2008 modern 119 #26,067
2009 modern 120 #26,496
2010 modern 123 #26,728
2011 modern 122 #26,647
2012 modern 110 #28,514
2013 modern 112 #28,675
2014 modern 112 #28,934
2015 modern 104 #30,269
2016 modern 109 #29,402

Geography

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Where Bellards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, Toxteth Park, West Derby, Liverpool and Walton-on-the-Hill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St. Helens, Copeland, Kingston upon Hull and Liverpool. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 West Derby Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St. Helens 009 St. Helens
2 Copeland 004 Copeland
3 Kingston upon Hull 023 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 St. Helens 016 St. Helens
5 Liverpool 050 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bellard

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bellard

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bellard 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

Bellard is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Bellard

The surname Bellard is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "bel," meaning beautiful or handsome, combined with the suffix "-ard," which was commonly used to form surnames from personal characteristics or physical descriptions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bellard can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name may have been introduced to England shortly after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Belard, Bellarde, and Bellart, in records from the regions of Normandy and Picardy in northern France. It is believed that the name may have originated in these areas and later spread to other parts of France and Europe.

One notable bearer of the Bellard surname was Jean Bellard, a French mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1595 to 1668. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and was a member of the prestigious Académie Royale des Sciences in Paris.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Bellard family settled in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti). One of their descendants, Pierre Bellard, was a prominent figure in the Haitian Revolution and served as a general in the revolutionary forces led by Toussaint Louverture.

Another notable figure with the Bellard surname was Eugène Bellard, a French sculptor born in 1837. He achieved recognition for his works depicting historical and mythological subjects and was awarded the Légion d'Honneur, France's highest civilian honor.

In England, the name Bellard can be traced back to the 14th century, with records showing individuals with this surname residing in various counties, including Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. One example is William Bellard, who was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire in 1332.

While the Bellard surname has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and various European countries. Over time, the name has also undergone minor spelling variations, such as Belard, Bellarte, and Bellarde, reflecting regional differences in pronunciation and written records.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bellard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bellard 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. Lancashire leads with 47 Bellards recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.14x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 47 4.14x
Yorkshire 25 2.64x
Surrey 7 1.50x
Middlesex 6 0.63x
Nottinghamshire 6 4.66x
Cheshire 3 1.42x
Staffordshire 2 0.62x
Leicestershire 1 0.94x
Royal Navy 1 8.78x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hessle In Sculcoates in Yorkshire leads with 14 Bellards recorded in 1881 and an index of 1666.67x.

Place Total Index
Hessle In Sculcoates 14 1666.67x
Liverpool 12 17.42x
Kirkdale 10 52.41x
West Derby 10 30.14x
Widnes 7 85.57x
Southwark St Olave 6 821.92x
Babworth 5 2083.33x
Newington 5 191.57x
Holy Trinity 3 13.17x
Shoreditch London 3 7.24x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 3 91.74x
Castle Northwich 2 285.71x
Cottingham 2 98.04x
Hackney London 2 3.73x
Rowley Regis 2 22.25x
Toxteth Park 2 5.21x
Barnton 1 200.00x
Bethnal Green London 1 2.41x
Bridlington 1 46.08x
Castle Donnington 1 113.64x
Croydon 1 3.87x
Eccleston In Prescot 1 17.57x
Radford 1 15.27x
Royal Navy 1 10.27x
Sutton 1 26.32x
Walton On Hill 1 16.29x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
Joseph 6
George 5
Samuel 4
William 4
James 3
Thomas 3
Charles 1
David 1
Dennis 1
Edwd. 1
Fred. 1
Jane 1
Janie 1
Percy 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Bellard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bellard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 97 people were recorded with the Bellard surname. That placed it at #20,127 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bellard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016. That gives Bellard a modern rank of #29,402.

What does the Bellard surname mean?

A French occupational surname for a shepherd or one who rings church bells.

What does the Bellard map show?

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