NameCensus.

UK surname

Bellingham

A place name deriving from an English town called "Bellingham".

In the 1881 census there were 1,094 people recorded with the Bellingham surname, ranking it #3,635 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,485, ranked #4,157, down from #3,635 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Erith, Wolverhampton and Tunbridge, Bidborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wolverhampton, Shropshire and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bellingham is 1,550 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.7%.

1881 census count

1,094

Ranked #3,635

Modern count

1,485

2016, ranked #4,157

Peak year

2014

1,550 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bellingham had 1,094 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,635 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,485 in 2016, ranked #4,157.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,463 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Bellingham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bellingham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bellingham 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 624 #4,149
1861 historical 701 #3,863
1881 historical 1,094 #3,635
1891 historical 1,223 #3,516
1901 historical 1,421 #3,566
1911 historical 1,463 #3,295
1997 modern 1,453 #4,022
1998 modern 1,519 #4,000
1999 modern 1,511 #4,049
2000 modern 1,478 #4,110
2001 modern 1,467 #4,064
2002 modern 1,505 #4,064
2003 modern 1,437 #4,135
2004 modern 1,434 #4,146
2005 modern 1,458 #4,053
2006 modern 1,433 #4,121
2007 modern 1,422 #4,179
2008 modern 1,430 #4,189
2009 modern 1,482 #4,154
2010 modern 1,491 #4,201
2011 modern 1,475 #4,202
2012 modern 1,484 #4,130
2013 modern 1,520 #4,114
2014 modern 1,550 #4,051
2015 modern 1,515 #4,103
2016 modern 1,485 #4,157

Geography

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Where Bellinghams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Erith, Wolverhampton, Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes and Maidstone, Linton, Loddington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wolverhampton, Shropshire, County Durham and Wrexham. 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 Erith Kent
2 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
3 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 Maidstone, Linton, Loddington Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wolverhampton 008 Wolverhampton
2 Shropshire 003 Shropshire
3 Wolverhampton 012 Wolverhampton
4 County Durham 032 County Durham
5 Wrexham 017 Wrexham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bellingham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bellingham

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Bellingham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bellingham household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Bellingham 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

Bellingham is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bellingham falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bellingham

The surname Bellingham originated in England, and the earliest records of this name can be traced back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "bell" and "inga," which together mean "the dwellers at the bell house" or "the people living near the bell." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near a bell tower or a place where bells were made or used.

The surname Bellingham is closely associated with the town of the same name in Northumbria, England. In the Domesday Book of 1086, the town was recorded as "Bellingaham," which supports the theory that the name originated from the Old English words mentioned earlier.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bellingham surname dates back to 1166 when Henry de Bellingaham was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland. Another early record is from 1221, when Richard de Bellingham was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Lincolnshire.

In the 13th century, the surname Bellingham was also found in various parts of Yorkshire, including Robert de Bellingham, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1279.

Sir Roger Bellingham (1519-1604) was a prominent figure in Tudor England. He served as the Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1597 to 1599 and played a significant role in suppressing the Nine Years' War in Ireland.

Another notable bearer of the Bellingham surname was Richard Bellingham (1592-1672), who was an early settler in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and served as the governor of the colony from 1641 to 1642 and again from 1654 to 1665.

In the 18th century, Sir William Bellingham (1714-1793) was a prominent British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy and was later appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of Gibraltar.

John Bellingham (1770-1811) was a British merchant and assassin who gained notoriety for assassinating Spencer Perceval, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, in 1812.

Lastly, Lytton Bellingham (1850-1914) was a British actor and playwright who gained popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for his roles in numerous plays and productions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bellingham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bellingham 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. Kent leads with 267 Bellinghams recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.27x.

County Total Index
Kent 267 7.27x
Middlesex 134 1.25x
Staffordshire 132 3.63x
Sussex 113 6.23x
Shropshire 85 9.14x
Worcestershire 54 3.84x
Lancashire 51 0.40x
Surrey 47 0.90x
Yorkshire 31 0.29x
Stirlingshire 29 7.31x
Glamorgan 18 0.96x
Essex 15 0.71x
Cumberland 12 1.30x
Lanarkshire 12 0.34x
Cheshire 10 0.42x
Durham 10 0.31x
Channel Islands 9 2.82x
Cornwall 9 0.74x
Hampshire 9 0.41x
Gloucestershire 8 0.38x
Renfrewshire 6 0.72x
Devon 5 0.22x
Northumberland 5 0.31x
Suffolk 5 0.38x
Roxburghshire 4 2.05x
Derbyshire 3 0.18x
Herefordshire 3 0.68x
Rutland 3 3.80x
Warwickshire 3 0.11x
Dorset 2 0.28x
Leicestershire 2 0.17x
Monmouthshire 2 0.26x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.15x
Lincolnshire 1 0.06x
Northamptonshire 1 0.10x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.07x
Somerset 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. Falkirk in Stirlingshire leads with 29 Bellinghams recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.22x.

Place Total Index
Falkirk 29 31.22x
Tonbridge 29 21.90x
Dudley 28 16.39x
Maidstone 26 23.78x
Erith 22 60.82x
Wolverhampton 22 7.88x
Ticehurst 21 189.19x
Sevenoaks 20 67.20x
Westminster St John 19 14.50x
Islington London 17 1.63x
Kingswinford 17 12.89x
Camberwell 16 2.33x
Hackney London 15 2.49x
Tipton 14 12.59x
Burslem 12 11.53x
Hodnet 12 165.29x
Milton In Gravesend 12 21.80x
Salehurst 12 152.67x
Ulcombe 12 495.87x
Wednesfield 12 22.45x
Burnley 11 10.23x
Edgmond 11 107.53x
Goudhurst 11 108.27x
Leeds 11 1.83x
Brightside Bierlow 10 4.78x
Lewisham 10 5.11x
St Martin In Fields 10 15.52x
St Marylebone London 10 1.74x
St Pancras London 10 1.15x
Stoke Upon Trent 10 2.60x
Waldron 10 202.43x
Barming 9 357.14x
Bethnal Green London 9 1.93x
Brighton 9 2.46x
Cardiff St Mary 9 8.72x
Ellesmere 9 56.39x
Lamberhurst 9 196.94x
Rotherfield 9 56.36x
Sedgley 9 6.67x
Southwark Christchurch 9 17.85x
St Columb Minor 9 87.98x
St Helier 9 8.67x
Accrington 8 6.89x
Ellesmere Kenwick 8 1818.18x
Great Malvern 8 27.29x
Prees 8 70.67x
Rock 8 142.60x
Salford 8 2.13x
West Rainton 8 80.73x
Arlecdon 7 28.41x
Boxley 7 124.11x
Eccleshall 7 50.84x
Fletching 7 86.21x
Gnosall 7 79.82x
Hastingleigh 7 833.33x
Lilleshall 7 49.26x
Mile End Old Town London 7 3.06x
Shoreditch London 7 1.50x
The Hill 7 77.61x
Wolstanton 7 6.35x
Wrotham 7 57.57x
Canterbury St Mary 6 24.35x
East Peckham 6 78.74x
Farningham 6 182.37x
Lambeth 6 0.64x
Monks Coppenhall 6 6.69x
Swansea Town 6 3.91x
Warrington 6 3.96x
Westerham 6 70.84x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 5 5.03x
Bothwell 5 5.30x
East Grinstead 5 19.47x
Eyton Upon Wild Moors 5 312.50x
Godstone 5 53.25x
Hillingdon 5 14.58x
Ramsgate 5 8.34x
Seaton 5 46.25x
Tudeley 5 247.52x
Wadhurst 5 41.98x
Wellington 5 9.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 64
John 43
George 40
James 36
Thomas 30
Richard 19
Henry 18
Albert 16
Charles 15
Joseph 15
Arthur 14
Alfred 12
Edward 11
Walter 10
Frederick 9
Herbert 8
Robert 8
Benjamin 6
Samuel 6
Wm. 6
Alan 4
David 4
Frank 4
Fredrick 4
Edwin 3
Francis 3
Harry 3
Horace 3
Jesse 3
Andrew 2
Augustus 2
Eli 2
F. 2
Fredk. 2
Jas. 2
Moses 2
Percy 2
Sampson 2
Samual 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Amos 1
Beng. 1
Benjam 1
Edmond 1
Enock 1
Foley 1
Horatio 1
Jacob 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Bellingham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bellingham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,094 people were recorded with the Bellingham surname. That placed it at #3,635 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bellingham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,485 in 2016. That gives Bellingham a modern rank of #4,157.

What does the Bellingham surname mean?

A place name deriving from an English town called "Bellingham".

What does the Bellingham map show?

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