NameCensus.

UK surname

Bensley

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Benn's lea" or meadow.

In the 1881 census there were 519 people recorded with the Bensley surname, ranking it #6,572 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 768, ranked #7,143, down from #6,572 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sporle with Palgrave, Gorleston and Walsham, North. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Great Yarmouth and North Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bensley is 792 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 48.0%.

1881 census count

519

Ranked #6,572

Modern count

768

2016, ranked #7,143

Peak year

2010

792 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bensley had 519 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,572 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 768 in 2016, ranked #7,143.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 777 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Bensley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bensley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bensley 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 556 #4,560
1861 historical 722 #3,767
1881 historical 519 #6,572
1891 historical 777 #5,166
1901 historical 654 #6,607
1911 historical 640 #6,517
1997 modern 727 #7,035
1998 modern 742 #7,161
1999 modern 749 #7,153
2000 modern 721 #7,339
2001 modern 727 #7,146
2002 modern 779 #6,925
2003 modern 755 #6,982
2004 modern 750 #7,015
2005 modern 727 #7,121
2006 modern 730 #7,132
2007 modern 741 #7,122
2008 modern 747 #7,129
2009 modern 751 #7,235
2010 modern 792 #7,088
2011 modern 755 #7,266
2012 modern 764 #7,126
2013 modern 782 #7,100
2014 modern 789 #7,086
2015 modern 776 #7,111
2016 modern 768 #7,143

Geography

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Where Bensleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sporle with Palgrave, Gorleston, Walsham, North, Potter Heigham and Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Great Yarmouth and North Norfolk. 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 Sporle with Palgrave Norfolk
2 Gorleston Suffolk
3 Walsham, North Norfolk
4 Potter Heigham Norfolk
5 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Great Yarmouth 001 Great Yarmouth
2 Great Yarmouth 002 Great Yarmouth
3 North Norfolk 010 North Norfolk
4 Great Yarmouth 009 Great Yarmouth
5 Great Yarmouth 003 Great Yarmouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bensley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bensley

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Bensley is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Bensley 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

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

Meaning and origin of Bensley

The surname Bensley is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "bene" meaning bean and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked in a bean field.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bensley name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which mentions a John de Benesley. This particular spelling variation indicates that the name may have originally been a locational surname, referring to a place called Bensley or a similar-sounding name.

In the late 14th century, the Bensley surname appeared in various records across different counties in England. For instance, the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379 listed a William Bensley, while the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1380 mentioned a Robert Bensley.

Throughout the centuries, the Bensley name has been associated with several notable individuals. One such person was Sir Robert Bensley (1543-1617), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

Another notable Bensley was Thomas Bensley (1764-1835), an English engraver and antiquarian who was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1806. He is particularly known for his engravings of ancient monuments and architectural works.

In the 19th century, Robert Russell Bensley (1807-1859) was a British surgeon and anatomist who made significant contributions to the study of comparative anatomy. He served as a lecturer at the Royal College of Surgeons and published several influential works on animal anatomy.

William Bensley (1834-1901) was an English landscape painter and engraver who gained recognition for his depictions of rural scenes and landscapes. Some of his works can be found in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Tate Britain.

Lastly, Herbert Bensley (1862-1945) was a British actor and playwright who had a prolific career on the stage in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is particularly remembered for his performances in Shakespearean plays and his adaptation of the novel "The Prisoner of Zenda" for the stage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bensley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bensley 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. Norfolk leads with 244 Bensleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.59x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 244 31.59x
Middlesex 65 1.29x
Suffolk 49 8.01x
Durham 26 1.74x
Surrey 25 1.02x
Yorkshire 25 0.50x
Lancashire 13 0.22x
Kent 11 0.64x
Essex 9 0.91x
Staffordshire 8 0.47x
Sussex 8 0.94x
Northumberland 7 0.94x
Bedfordshire 5 1.92x
Cheshire 5 0.45x
Derbyshire 5 0.64x
Lincolnshire 4 0.50x
Warwickshire 2 0.16x
Devon 1 0.10x
Gloucestershire 1 0.10x
Leicestershire 1 0.18x
Shropshire 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Yarmouth in Norfolk leads with 37 Bensleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 57.83x.

Place Total Index
Great Yarmouth 37 57.83x
Potter Heigham 19 2676.06x
Ratcliffe London 17 61.28x
Gorleston 14 90.03x
Welney 13 734.46x
Eaton St Andrew 12 560.75x
Battersea 11 5.95x
Hempnall 11 728.48x
Heigham 10 24.12x
Sporle With Palgrave 10 800.00x
Walsoken 10 215.52x
East Ham 9 48.91x
North Walsham 9 161.58x
Catfield 8 733.95x
East Somerton 8 10000.00x
Egglescliffe 8 707.96x
Handsworth 7 16.75x
Hilgay 7 241.38x
Limehouse London 7 12.69x
Loddon 7 351.76x
Over Darwen 7 14.70x
Shottesham All Sts 7 1076.92x
Somerleyton 7 679.61x
Bradwell 6 625.00x
Brisley 6 1016.95x
Ealing 6 13.36x
Epsom 6 50.29x
Hunwick Helmington 6 167.13x
Long Melford 6 105.45x
Middlesbrough 6 9.26x
Mundesley 6 923.08x
Stranton 6 11.93x
Caston 5 531.91x
Eckington 5 26.16x
Hastings St Mary 5 23.72x
Kempston 5 84.60x
Lambeth 5 1.14x
Little Plumstead 5 877.19x
North Elmham 5 267.38x
Norwich St Paul 5 108.23x
Poplar London 5 5.27x
Stowmarket 5 70.72x
Blundeston 4 325.20x
Clee With Weelsby 4 22.75x
Easingwold 4 113.96x
Fritton 4 909.09x
Hornsey 4 6.30x
Kensington London 4 1.43x
St Andrew Holborn London 4 18.39x
Wallsend 4 16.88x
Bowling 3 6.08x
Cheetham 3 6.75x
Durham St Nicholas 3 81.74x
Elswick 3 5.03x
Hammersmith London 3 2.42x
Islington London 3 0.62x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 3 12.94x
Manningham 3 4.89x
North Pickenham 3 697.67x
Ranworth 3 576.92x
Southrepps 3 201.34x
St George Hanover Square 3 3.39x
Strood 3 30.67x
Swanton Morley 3 252.10x
Armley 2 9.11x
Barking 2 63.09x
Bethnal Green London 2 0.92x
Birmingham 2 0.47x
Brighton 2 1.17x
Bromley 2 7.66x
Golcar 2 15.20x
Honing 2 363.64x
Lewisham 2 2.19x
Linthorpe 2 6.73x
Lydd 2 54.50x
Macclesfield 2 4.06x
Newton In Makerfield 2 10.96x
Runham 2 129.87x
St Pancras London 2 0.49x
West Somerton 2 500.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 37
John 24
James 20
George 17
Robert 15
Charles 11
Thomas 10
Henry 8
Samuel 6
Walter 6
Alfred 5
Arthur 5
Frederick 5
Edward 4
Frank 4
Herbert 4
Harry 3
Joseph 3
Wm. 3
Benjamin 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Fred 2
Frederic 2
Infant 2
Jesse 2
Robt. 2
Anthony 1
Arther 1
Augustus 1
Baron 1
Brightmore 1
Christopher 1
Clement 1
Edmund 1
Elias 1
Elijah 1
Harman 1
Jas. 1
Jermiah 1
Johnar 1
Neville 1
Oliver 1
Orlando 1
Percey 1
Percival 1
Peter 1
Phillip 1
Richd. 1

FAQ

Bensley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bensley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 519 people were recorded with the Bensley surname. That placed it at #6,572 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bensley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 768 in 2016. That gives Bensley a modern rank of #7,143.

What does the Bensley surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Benn's lea" or meadow.

What does the Bensley map show?

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