NameCensus.

UK surname

Bent

An English surname derived from the Old English word "benet," meaning "bent grass" or referring to someone who lived near a bent.

In the 1881 census there were 2,190 people recorded with the Bent surname, ranking it #2,026 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,906, ranked #2,320, down from #2,026 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Eccles, Manchester and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton, Derbyshire Dales and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bent is 3,025 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.7%.

1881 census count

2,190

Ranked #2,026

Modern count

2,906

2016, ranked #2,320

Peak year

2010

3,025 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bent had 2,190 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,026 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,906 in 2016, ranked #2,320.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,783 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Bent surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bent surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bent 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 1,462 #1,964
1861 historical 1,819 #1,594
1881 historical 2,190 #2,026
1891 historical 2,311 #2,027
1901 historical 2,552 #2,156
1911 historical 2,783 #1,869
1997 modern 2,953 #2,195
1998 modern 2,987 #2,252
1999 modern 2,978 #2,281
2000 modern 3,022 #2,230
2001 modern 2,935 #2,245
2002 modern 2,977 #2,258
2003 modern 2,891 #2,274
2004 modern 2,912 #2,255
2005 modern 2,861 #2,269
2006 modern 2,893 #2,240
2007 modern 2,878 #2,277
2008 modern 2,892 #2,282
2009 modern 2,961 #2,288
2010 modern 3,025 #2,286
2011 modern 2,954 #2,310
2012 modern 2,825 #2,365
2013 modern 2,937 #2,317
2014 modern 2,998 #2,290
2015 modern 2,945 #2,299
2016 modern 2,906 #2,320

Geography

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Where Bents are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Eccles, Manchester, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Leigh and Luton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton, Derbyshire Dales, Kirklees and Wigan. 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 Eccles Lancashire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 Leigh Lancashire
5 Luton Bedfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 034 Bolton
2 Derbyshire Dales 006 Derbyshire Dales
3 Kirklees 025 Kirklees
4 Wigan 033 Wigan
5 Wigan 037 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bent

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bent

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Bent surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Bent household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Bent is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bent 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

Bent falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bent is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bent

The surname "BENT" is of English origin and can be traced back to the early medieval period. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bente," which means a coarse grass or reed. It is likely that the name was initially given as a nickname to someone who lived near an area overgrown with reeds or coarse grass.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the earliest known record of surnames in England, there are several entries with variations of the name, such as "Bente" and "Bente de la Bente." These early spellings suggest that the name was initially a descriptive one, referring to a person's proximity to a specific location or feature.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "BENT" was William Bent, who lived in Berkshire, England, in the 13th century. His name appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners in England at the time.

Another notable figure with the surname "BENT" was John Bent, a 14th-century English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He is mentioned in several historical documents from the time, including the City of London's Letter Books.

In the 16th century, the name "BENT" was also found in various place names in England, such as Bentley and Bentworth, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and the Old English word "bente."

Sir John Bent (1565-1618) was a prominent English politician and landowner during the reign of King James I. He served as a Member of Parliament for Kent and was knighted in 1603.

Samuel Bent (1776-1842) was an English inventor and engineer who is credited with developing the world's first successful working model of a patented machine for producing continuous lengths of flat iron bars, known as the "flat bar mill."

Silas Bent (1768-1854) was an American Revolutionary War soldier and early pioneer who settled in the Missouri Territory. He is known for establishing the Bent's Old Fort, an important trading post on the Santa Fe Trail.

The surname "BENT" has been carried by various notable individuals throughout history, reflecting its enduring presence in the English-speaking world. While its origins may have been humble, referring to someone living near reeds or coarse grass, the name has since gained a rich historical significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bent families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bent 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. Lancashire leads with 725 Bents recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.87x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 725 2.87x
Leicestershire 292 12.37x
Middlesex 202 0.95x
Warwickshire 115 2.14x
Yorkshire 96 0.46x
Cheshire 76 1.62x
Worcestershire 61 2.19x
Bedfordshire 60 5.44x
Cambridgeshire 59 4.38x
Staffordshire 41 0.57x
Nottinghamshire 38 1.32x
Kent 36 0.50x
Surrey 34 0.33x
Durham 32 0.51x
Gloucestershire 29 0.69x
Hertfordshire 27 1.84x
Northamptonshire 23 1.15x
Sussex 23 0.64x
Suffolk 22 0.85x
Cumberland 21 1.15x
Wiltshire 21 1.12x
Lincolnshire 17 0.50x
Herefordshire 16 1.83x
Devon 14 0.32x
Somerset 11 0.32x
Derbyshire 10 0.30x
Dorset 9 0.64x
Huntingdonshire 9 2.13x
Essex 8 0.19x
Berkshire 7 0.44x
Hampshire 7 0.16x
Norfolk 7 0.21x
Ayrshire 5 0.31x
Glamorgan 4 0.11x
Monmouthshire 4 0.26x
Montgomeryshire 4 0.82x
Rutland 3 1.92x
Lanarkshire 2 0.03x
Northumberland 2 0.06x
Shropshire 2 0.11x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.12x
Cornwall 1 0.04x
Flintshire 1 0.17x
Oxfordshire 1 0.08x
Renfrewshire 1 0.06x
Royal Navy 1 0.39x
Westmorland 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 81 Bents recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.07x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 81 14.07x
Aston 66 4.47x
Luton 60 31.45x
Manchester 60 5.28x
Salford 59 7.94x
Barton Upon Irwell 54 28.40x
Islington London 41 1.99x
Dudley 34 10.06x
Lowton 34 197.90x
Pennington In Leigh 33 68.10x
Pendleton In Salford 32 10.63x
Birmingham 31 1.73x
Hyde 28 20.19x
Liverpool 28 1.83x
Barnsley 26 11.95x
Worsley 23 14.77x
Leicester All Sts 22 47.46x
Leicester St Mary 21 11.01x
Hulme 20 3.79x
Loughborough 20 18.68x
St Pancras London 20 1.17x
Hackney London 19 1.59x
Stockport 19 7.86x
Atherton 18 19.58x
Desford 18 274.81x
Manea 18 211.76x
Moss Side 18 13.54x
Prestwich 18 28.57x
Bedford 17 32.18x
Ashton Under Lyne 16 2.90x
Flixton 16 123.65x
Nottingham St Mary 16 2.16x
Reddish 16 45.99x
Brighton 15 2.07x
Hinckley 15 26.80x
Leicester Newarke 15 121.85x
Newton In Makerfield 14 18.10x
Stretford 14 10.07x
Toxteth Park 14 1.64x
Bethnal Green London 13 1.41x
Billesdon 13 212.77x
Harpenden 13 58.09x
Sutton 13 116.28x
Whitehaven 13 13.31x
Ardwick 12 5.27x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 12 22.21x
Abram 11 56.76x
Deal 11 17.76x
Lambeth 11 0.59x
Oldham 11 1.35x
West Derby 11 1.49x
Everton 10 1.24x
Hindley 10 9.29x
Lea Bailey 10 492.61x
Market Bosworth 10 117.37x
Newton 10 5.14x
Orcop 10 247.52x
Staines 10 29.66x
Stretham 10 103.63x
Swindon 10 6.85x
Westbury On Severn 10 60.46x
Belgrave 9 16.90x
Droylsden 9 10.92x
Hartest 9 200.45x
Northampton Priory St 9 7.49x
Ratcliffe London 9 7.66x
Aylestone 8 42.99x
Cadeby 8 720.72x
Chorlton On Medlock 8 1.99x
Clare 8 64.41x
Great Bedwin 8 59.84x
Hornsey 8 2.97x
Kings Norton 8 3.21x
Leicester St Martin 8 50.47x
Mansfield 8 8.06x
Stoke Upon Trent 8 1.05x
Walton On Hill 8 5.85x
Edgbaston 7 4.21x
Limehouse London 7 3.00x
Rothley 7 91.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 177
Sarah 90
Elizabeth 86
Ann 40
Eliza 36
Emma 36
Jane 35
Alice 33
Ellen 32
Margaret 31
Hannah 29
Martha 25
Annie 24
Emily 22
Florence 17
Catherine 16
Ada 15
Charlotte 14
Edith 13
Harriet 13
Esther 12
Maria 12
Clara 10
Lucy 10
Betsy 9
Caroline 9
Fanny 9
Frances 9
Agnes 8
Elizth. 8
Rebecca 8
Gertrude 7
Louisa 7
Amelia 6
Minnie 6
Anne 5
Grace 5
Helen 5
Henrietta 5
Julia 5
Rose 5
Ruth 5
Harriett 4
Isabella 4
Kate 4
Lizzie 4
Matilda 4
Selina 4
Amy 3
Anna 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 161
William 113
Thomas 83
James 74
George 60
Joseph 44
Henry 40
Charles 37
Samuel 30
Richard 26
Alfred 23
Arthur 23
Edward 19
Frederick 18
Harry 16
Walter 15
Edwin 11
Robert 11
Albert 9
Ernest 9
Frank 9
Herbert 8
Peter 8
Francis 7
Isaac 7
Joshua 7
Daniel 6
Matthew 6
Wm. 5
Enoch 4
Josiah 4
Stephen 4
Thos. 4
Tom 4
Benjamin 3
David 3
Fredrick 3
Geo. 3
Peers 3
Percy 3
Buckley 2
Fred 2
Freddy 2
Fredk. 2
Mark 2
Michael 2
Ralph 2
Reginald 2
Saml. 2
Sidney 2

FAQ

Bent surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bent surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,190 people were recorded with the Bent surname. That placed it at #2,026 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bent surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,906 in 2016. That gives Bent a modern rank of #2,320.

What does the Bent surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old English word "benet," meaning "bent grass" or referring to someone who lived near a bent.

What does the Bent map show?

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