NameCensus.

UK surname

Beman

An English surname derived from the Old French "be(a)u" meaning handsome or good and "homme" meaning man.

In the 1881 census there were 131 people recorded with the Beman surname, ranking it #16,824 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 83, ranked #32,815, down from #16,824 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Margaret Westminster, London parishes and Farnham Royal. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, Caerphilly and Sandwell.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beman is 159 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 36.6%.

1881 census count

131

Ranked #16,824

Modern count

83

2016, ranked #32,815

Peak year

1851

159 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 1998

Key insights

  • Beman had 131 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,824 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 83 in 2016, ranked #32,815.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 159 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Beman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Beman 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 159 #12,400
1861 historical 116 #18,751
1881 historical 131 #16,824
1891 historical 99 #24,200
1901 historical 120 #20,545
1911 historical 132 #19,313
1997 modern 114 #24,967
1998 modern 109 #26,273
1999 modern 107 #26,754
2000 modern 102 #27,425
2001 modern 99 #27,534
2002 modern 95 #28,666
2003 modern 95 #28,536
2004 modern 99 #28,136
2005 modern 94 #28,973
2006 modern 85 #30,556
2007 modern 82 #31,295
2008 modern 88 #30,857
2009 modern 91 #30,944
2010 modern 97 #30,697
2011 modern 89 #31,659
2012 modern 79 #32,966
2013 modern 85 #32,658
2014 modern 91 #32,219
2015 modern 90 #32,245
2016 modern 83 #32,815

Geography

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Where Bemans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Margaret Westminster, London parishes, Farnham Royal, St Dunstan Stepney and Enstone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, Caerphilly, Sandwell and Calderdale. 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 St Margaret Westminster London (West Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Farnham Royal Buckinghamshire
4 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
5 Enstone Oxfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 107 Leeds
2 Caerphilly 005 Caerphilly
3 Sandwell 037 Sandwell
4 Calderdale 017 Calderdale
5 Leeds 102 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Beman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Beman

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Beman is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Beman 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

Beman falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Beman

The surname BEMAN is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from the Old English words "beo" meaning bee and "mann" meaning man, possibly referring to someone who kept bees or lived near a place where bees were prevalent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BEMAN can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Beoman" in this historical document, suggesting its existence in the 11th century.

During the 13th century, the name BEMAN began appearing in various county records across England, including the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire, where a certain Robert Beman is mentioned in 1275. This indicates that the name had spread and gained recognition in different regions of the country by this time.

The surname BEMAN is also associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was John Beman (1495-1572), a prominent English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Gloucester from 1548 to 1552. Another notable bearer of this name was Thomas Beman (1573-1642), an English playwright and poet who was part of the literary circle surrounding William Shakespeare.

In the 17th century, the BEMAN surname was found in various parishes and records across England, such as the parish registers of St. Mary's Church in Warwick, where a family by the name of Beman is recorded in the 1620s. This suggests that the name had established itself as a well-known surname by this period.

Across the Atlantic, the BEMAN name also made its mark in the early days of the American colonies. One notable example is Nathaniel Beman (1689-1765), a colonial settler and farmer who was among the first English settlers in the town of Ashfield, Massachusetts.

Throughout history, the BEMAN surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Beeman, Beaman, and Beemon, reflecting the regional differences and linguistic changes over time. However, the core origins of the name can be traced back to its English roots and its potential association with beekeeping or specific locations where bees were abundant.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Beman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beman 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. Middlesex leads with 47 Bemans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.65x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 47 3.65x
Warwickshire 17 5.24x
Gloucestershire 12 4.75x
Shropshire 12 10.79x
Oxfordshire 9 11.32x
Yorkshire 7 0.55x
Berkshire 4 4.14x
Staffordshire 4 0.92x
Surrey 4 0.64x
Cornwall 3 2.06x
Northamptonshire 3 2.48x
Buckinghamshire 2 2.57x
Lancashire 2 0.13x
Worcestershire 2 1.19x
Cheshire 1 0.35x
Montgomeryshire 1 3.39x
Norfolk 1 0.51x
Royal Navy 1 6.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mile End Old Town London in Middlesex leads with 15 Bemans recorded in 1881 and an index of 54.74x.

Place Total Index
Mile End Old Town London 15 54.74x
Aston 11 12.30x
Chipping Campden 8 975.61x
Westminster St Margaret 8 128.82x
Leeds 7 9.72x
Wellington 7 112.00x
Bow London 5 30.51x
Chastleton 5 5555.56x
Birmingham 4 3.70x
Bray 4 140.85x
Kingswinford 4 25.35x
Lambeth 4 3.56x
Shrewsbury St Julian 4 145.45x
St Luke London 4 19.37x
St Pancras London 4 3.86x
Bromley London 3 10.59x
Ealing 3 26.06x
Overstone 3 3750.00x
Saltash 3 265.49x
Uxbridge 3 204.08x
Farnham Royal 2 434.78x
Harvington 2 909.09x
Sherborne 2 800.00x
Toxteth Park 2 3.87x
Barford St Michael 1 769.23x
Cheltenham 1 5.13x
Chester St John Baptist 1 19.57x
Chipping Norton 1 54.35x
Enstone 1 204.08x
Flitcham Cum Appleton 1 476.19x
Forden 1 250.00x
Hanwell 1 43.86x
Lilleshall 1 58.82x
Nuneaton 1 26.60x
Royal Navy 1 7.63x
Sevenhampton 1 454.55x
Teddington London 1 34.25x
Warwick St Mary 1 35.46x
Woolvercot 1 312.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 8
George 7
Benjamin 5
John 5
Charles 4
Edward 4
Henry 4
Frederick 3
James 3
Richard 3
Harry 2
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Clifford 1
Ernest 1
Eugene 1
F.Thos. 1
Francis 1
Herbert 1
Joseph 1
Oliver 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1
W.E. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Beman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 131 people were recorded with the Beman surname. That placed it at #16,824 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 83 in 2016. That gives Beman a modern rank of #32,815.

What does the Beman surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old French "be(a)u" meaning handsome or good and "homme" meaning man.

What does the Beman map show?

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