NameCensus.

UK surname

Benjafield

In the 1881 census there were 157 people recorded with the Benjafield surname, ranking it #15,046 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 309, ranked #14,442, up from #15,046 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stalbridge, London parishes and Chard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Somerset, Mole Valley and Colchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Benjafield is 329 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 96.8%.

1881 census count

157

Ranked #15,046

Modern count

309

2016, ranked #14,442

Peak year

2014

329 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Benjafield had 157 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,046 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 309 in 2016, ranked #14,442.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 253 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Benjafield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Benjafield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Benjafield 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 109 #16,212
1861 historical 126 #17,569
1881 historical 157 #15,046
1891 historical 195 #15,211
1901 historical 204 #14,925
1911 historical 253 #12,776
1997 modern 301 #13,492
1998 modern 324 #13,189
1999 modern 305 #13,808
2000 modern 293 #14,141
2001 modern 290 #14,033
2002 modern 308 #13,763
2003 modern 295 #13,964
2004 modern 287 #14,286
2005 modern 280 #14,452
2006 modern 285 #14,361
2007 modern 276 #14,855
2008 modern 285 #14,647
2009 modern 293 #14,669
2010 modern 295 #14,911
2011 modern 310 #14,292
2012 modern 308 #14,259
2013 modern 326 #13,893
2014 modern 329 #13,918
2015 modern 314 #14,275
2016 modern 309 #14,442

Geography

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Where Benjafields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stalbridge, London parishes, Chard and Great Yarmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Somerset, Mole Valley, Colchester and Broxbourne. 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 Stalbridge Dorset
2 London parishes London 1
3 Chard Somerset
4 London parishes London 3
5 Great Yarmouth Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Somerset 008 South Somerset
2 Mole Valley 003 Mole Valley
3 Colchester 021 Colchester
4 Broxbourne 002 Broxbourne
5 Broxbourne 003 Broxbourne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Benjafield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Benjafield

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Benjafield, 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 Benjafield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Benjafield 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, Benjafield 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

Benjafield 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

Benjafield falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Benjafield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Benjafield 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. Somerset leads with 53 Benjafields recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.06x.

County Total Index
Somerset 53 22.06x
Middlesex 34 2.28x
Dorset 23 23.48x
Hampshire 14 4.58x
Surrey 11 1.51x
Wiltshire 11 8.34x
Devon 1 0.32x
Essex 1 0.34x
Midlothian 1 0.50x
Royal Navy 1 5.62x
Staffordshire 1 0.20x
Suffolk 1 0.55x
Warwickshire 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wincanton in Somerset leads with 17 Benjafields recorded in 1881 and an index of 1370.97x.

Place Total Index
Wincanton 17 1370.97x
Chard 11 378.01x
Ebbesborne Wake 10 7142.86x
Kensington London 10 12.05x
South Brewham 10 5555.56x
Stalbridge 10 1075.27x
Tottenham 10 42.07x
Sparsholt 9 4090.91x
Camberwell 5 5.25x
Cameley 5 1851.85x
East Stour 5 2173.91x
Limehouse London 5 30.53x
Northwood 5 114.68x
Chelsea London 4 8.89x
Henstridge 4 606.06x
Islington London 4 2.77x
Motcombe 4 555.56x
South Petherton 4 322.58x
Manston 3 3000.00x
Lambeth 2 1.54x
Leatherhead 2 109.89x
Aston 1 0.97x
Battersea 1 1.82x
Castle Cary 1 95.24x
Cheddar 1 82.64x
Colchester St Botolph 1 39.84x
Croydon 1 2.48x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.24x
Gillingham 1 59.52x
Harborne 1 6.20x
Herringfleet 1 833.33x
Mere 1 66.67x
Royal Navy 1 6.58x
Sampford Peverell 1 303.03x
Westminster St John 1 5.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Elizabeth 6
Alice 4
Emma 4
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Bertha 2
Caroline 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Sarah 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Adaline 1
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Daisy 1
Eda 1
Elizth. 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Florance 1
Harriett 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Kathleen 1
Leah 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Margrat 1
Maria 1
Marion 1
Maud 1
Minnie 1
Nettie 1
Rosa 1
Sabina 1
Sara 1
Susanah 1
Theresa 1
Unity 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 8
Alfred 4
Frederick 4
Henry 4
William 4
Albert 3
Charles 3
Edwin 3
Eli 3
John 3
Allan 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Fredrick 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
James 2
Nathaniel 2
Samuel 2
Abednago 1
C. 1
Clive 1
Edgar 1
Edmund 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Hadley 1
Jno. 1
Lewis 1
Percy 1
Sam 1
Sidney 1
Silas 1
Uriah 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Benjafield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Benjafield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 157 people were recorded with the Benjafield surname. That placed it at #15,046 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Benjafield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 309 in 2016. That gives Benjafield a modern rank of #14,442.

What does the Benjafield map show?

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