NameCensus.

UK surname

Bellshaw

In the 1881 census there were 33 people recorded with the Bellshaw surname, ranking it #28,965 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 170, ranked #21,801, up from #28,965 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Garelochhead, Black Isle South and Rothesay Town.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bellshaw is 170 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 415.2%.

1881 census count

33

Ranked #28,965

Modern count

170

2016, ranked #21,801

Peak year

2014

170 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bellshaw had 33 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,965 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 170 in 2016, ranked #21,801.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 75 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Bellshaw surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bellshaw surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bellshaw 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 32 #27,570
1861 historical 20 #31,364
1881 historical 33 #28,965
1891 historical 41 #31,095
1901 historical 75 #25,852
1911 historical 5 #33,427
1997 modern 111 #25,394
1998 modern 118 #25,041
1999 modern 124 #24,508
2000 modern 119 #25,072
2001 modern 127 #23,781
2002 modern 139 #22,991
2003 modern 136 #23,045
2004 modern 140 #22,793
2005 modern 139 #22,887
2006 modern 145 #22,420
2007 modern 144 #22,804
2008 modern 144 #23,037
2009 modern 149 #23,031
2010 modern 160 #22,487
2011 modern 158 #22,473
2012 modern 165 #21,782
2013 modern 168 #21,914
2014 modern 170 #21,914
2015 modern 167 #22,066
2016 modern 170 #21,801

Geography

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Where Bellshaws are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Garelochhead, Black Isle South, Rothesay Town, Helensburgh Centre and Elderslie and Phoenix. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Garelochhead Argyll and Bute
2 Black Isle South Highland
3 Rothesay Town Argyll and Bute
4 Helensburgh Centre Argyll and Bute
5 Elderslie and Phoenix Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bellshaw

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bellshaw

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Bellshaw surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Bellshaw household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Bellshaw 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

Bellshaw is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bellshaw falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bellshaw is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 15-20 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

3
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bellshaw, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Bellshaw families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bellshaw 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. Lanarkshire leads with 10 Bellshaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.61x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 10 9.61x
Middlesex 7 2.18x
Yorkshire 6 1.88x
Lancashire 4 1.05x
Ayrshire 2 8.31x
Bedfordshire 2 12.01x
Somerset 2 3.86x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 10 Bellshaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.87x.

Place Total Index
Govan 10 38.87x
Islington London 6 19.24x
North Meols 3 80.21x
Sutton 3 833.33x
Beith 2 277.78x
Durston 2 10000.00x
Luton 2 69.44x
Morley 2 120.48x
Bow London 1 24.45x
Sheffield 1 9.85x
Walton On Hill 1 48.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 3
Mary 2
Ann 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Rose 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 3
William 3
John 2
Harry 1
James 1
R.T. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Bellshaw households.

FAQ

Bellshaw surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bellshaw surname in 1881?

In 1881, 33 people were recorded with the Bellshaw surname. That placed it at #28,965 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bellshaw surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 170 in 2016. That gives Bellshaw a modern rank of #21,801.

What does the Bellshaw map show?

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