NameCensus.

UK surname

Beresford

A topographic surname derived from an Old English phrase meaning "bear's ford" or "stream frequented by bears."

In the 1881 census there were 2,196 people recorded with the Beresford surname, ranking it #2,021 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,566, ranked #1,206, up from #2,021 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Duffield, London parishes and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Derbyshire Dales, Amber Valley and Alloa South and East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beresford is 5,742 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 153.5%.

1881 census count

2,196

Ranked #2,021

Modern count

5,566

2016, ranked #1,206

Peak year

2002

5,742 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Beresford had 2,196 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,021 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,566 in 2016, ranked #1,206.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,294 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Beresford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beresford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Beresford 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 1,085 #2,590
1861 historical 1,002 #2,783
1881 historical 2,196 #2,021
1891 historical 2,732 #1,731
1901 historical 3,557 #1,572
1911 historical 4,294 #1,205
1997 modern 5,511 #1,183
1998 modern 5,727 #1,186
1999 modern 5,741 #1,190
2000 modern 5,714 #1,189
2001 modern 5,606 #1,186
2002 modern 5,742 #1,180
2003 modern 5,583 #1,180
2004 modern 5,501 #1,200
2005 modern 5,444 #1,187
2006 modern 5,425 #1,193
2007 modern 5,468 #1,193
2008 modern 5,502 #1,195
2009 modern 5,604 #1,206
2010 modern 5,716 #1,209
2011 modern 5,713 #1,185
2012 modern 5,622 #1,183
2013 modern 5,673 #1,195
2014 modern 5,672 #1,205
2015 modern 5,573 #1,212
2016 modern 5,566 #1,206

Geography

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Where Beresfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Duffield, London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Manchester and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Derbyshire Dales, Amber Valley and Alloa South and East. 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 Duffield Derbyshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Derbyshire Dales 003 Derbyshire Dales
2 Amber Valley 012 Amber Valley
3 Amber Valley 005 Amber Valley
4 Alloa South and East Clackmannanshire
5 Derbyshire Dales 008 Derbyshire Dales

Forenames

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First names often paired with Beresford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Beresford

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Beresford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Beresford 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Beresford is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Beresford is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Beresford

The surname Beresford is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "bere" meaning "barley" and "ford" meaning "a shallow river crossing." It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, possibly as a locational name referring to a place where barley was grown near a ford or river crossing.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Beresford can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Beres-forde" in Yorkshire. This suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Beresfords were landowners and minor nobility in various parts of England, particularly in Derbyshire and Staffordshire. The name is associated with several places, such as Beresford Dale in Staffordshire and Beresford in Derbyshire.

One notable figure from the Beresford family was William Beresford (c. 1305-1361), who served as the Lord Chancellor of England under King Edward III. Another prominent individual was Humphrey Beresford (1536-1611), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the Beresford family gained prominence through their military exploits. Sir Tristram Beresford (1594-1673) was a distinguished cavalier during the English Civil War, serving under King Charles I. His son, Sir Michael Beresford (1637-1705), was also a notable military commander and served as the Governor of Dublin.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, several members of the Beresford family achieved high ranks and honors in the British Army. Lord William Carr Beresford (1768-1854) was a prominent military leader who played a significant role in the Napoleonic Wars, serving as the commander of the Portuguese army and later as the Master-General of the Ordnance.

Another notable figure was Lord John George Beresford (1773-1862), a British naval officer and politician who served as the First Lord of the Admiralty and was instrumental in promoting reforms in the Royal Navy.

The Beresford name has also been associated with various places in England, such as Beresford Hall in Staffordshire and Beresford Street in London, reflecting the family's historical influence and landholdings.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Beresford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beresford 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. Derbyshire leads with 416 Beresfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.35x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 416 12.35x
Staffordshire 291 4.01x
Middlesex 243 1.13x
Lancashire 228 0.89x
Yorkshire 209 0.98x
Warwickshire 147 2.71x
Cheshire 100 2.11x
Nottinghamshire 70 2.41x
Worcestershire 60 2.14x
Surrey 54 0.52x
Durham 52 0.81x
Lanarkshire 40 0.57x
Essex 30 0.71x
Kent 29 0.40x
Shropshire 26 1.40x
Norfolk 25 0.76x
Leicestershire 22 0.92x
Glamorgan 19 0.51x
Hampshire 19 0.43x
Gloucestershire 13 0.31x
Cambridgeshire 9 0.66x
Huntingdonshire 8 1.87x
Somerset 8 0.23x
Suffolk 8 0.31x
Isle of Man 7 1.75x
Sussex 7 0.19x
Merionethshire 6 1.52x
Oxfordshire 6 0.45x
Westmorland 5 1.06x
Northamptonshire 4 0.20x
Stirlingshire 4 0.50x
Argyllshire 3 0.50x
Carmarthenshire 3 0.33x
Clackmannanshire 3 1.69x
Devon 3 0.07x
Dorset 3 0.21x
Herefordshire 3 0.34x
Hertfordshire 3 0.20x
Northumberland 3 0.09x
Wiltshire 3 0.16x
Berkshire 2 0.12x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.15x
Flintshire 2 0.35x
Lincolnshire 2 0.06x
Perthshire 2 0.21x
Channel Islands 1 0.16x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Peeblesshire 1 0.99x
Royal Navy 1 0.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Belper in Derbyshire leads with 63 Beresfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 96.45x.

Place Total Index
Belper 63 96.45x
Birmingham 48 2.65x
Aston 46 3.08x
Alstonefield 42 1203.44x
Eckington 36 43.99x
Buckden 29 1324.20x
Nottingham St Mary 29 3.87x
Heanor 28 55.58x
Hulme 27 5.06x
Shoreditch London 27 2.89x
Sheffield 26 3.83x
Chesterfield 25 19.79x
Oldbury 24 17.36x
Staveley 24 40.13x
Leeds 23 1.91x
New Monkland 22 10.69x
Norton In Moors 22 57.22x
Lambeth 20 1.07x
Litchurch 20 14.75x
Sutton Coldfield 20 35.06x
Sutton In Macclesfield 20 40.58x
Wolverhampton 20 3.58x
Gorton 18 7.50x
St George Hanover Square 18 4.75x
Swansea Town 18 5.86x
Wednesfield 18 16.84x
Ashton Under Lyne 17 3.05x
Fawfieldhead 16 343.35x
Kensington London 16 1.34x
Brimington 15 58.64x
Leek Lowe 15 15.52x
Lenton 15 21.96x
Liverpool 15 0.97x
Sawley 15 147.64x
Clerkenwell London 14 2.76x
Kingsley 14 103.40x
Alfreton 13 12.70x
Hackney London 13 1.08x
Islington London 13 0.62x
Manchester 13 1.13x
Monks Coppenhall 13 7.25x
Stoke Upon Trent 13 1.69x
Westminster St John 13 4.96x
Edgbaston 12 7.13x
Macclesfield 12 5.68x
North Wingfield 12 79.68x
St Giles In Fields London 12 11.37x
St Pancras London 12 0.69x
Baxterley 11 413.53x
Gillingham 11 7.27x
Long Eaton 11 24.74x
Pendleton In Salford 11 3.62x
Southcoates 11 9.29x
St Marylebone London 11 0.96x
Tanfield 11 14.45x
Yardley 11 15.30x
Ardwick 10 4.34x
Bethnal Green London 10 1.07x
Brightside Bierlow 10 2.39x
Bromley London 10 2.11x
Gateshead 10 2.09x
Marsden In Huddersfield 10 198.02x
Newcastle Under Lyme 10 7.78x
North Rode 10 515.46x
Salford 10 1.33x
Swinton In Rotherham 10 17.73x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 2.22x
Ecclesall Bierlow 9 2.08x
Fairfield 9 39.95x
Farnham 9 11.04x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 9 9.06x
Parwich 9 260.12x
Rowley Regis 9 4.45x
St Martin 9 43.29x
Tissington 9 329.67x
Wetton 9 373.44x
Billesdon 8 129.45x
Crich 8 36.38x
Glossop Dale 8 5.07x
West Bromwich 8 1.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 148
Elizabeth 97
Sarah 85
Hannah 47
Emma 45
Annie 38
Ann 32
Alice 31
Eliza 30
Jane 27
Emily 23
Ellen 18
Florence 17
Charlotte 16
Harriet 16
Louisa 16
Maria 15
Edith 14
Martha 14
Margaret 13
Agnes 12
Caroline 12
Fanny 11
Anne 10
Lucy 10
Ada 9
Matilda 9
Frances 8
Catherine 7
Clara 7
Amy 6
Elizth. 6
Harriett 6
Selina 6
Gertrude 5
Maud 5
Amelia 4
Francis 4
Grace 4
Helen 4
Isabella 4
Lydia 4
May 4
Rose 4
Sophia 4
Susan 4
Susannah 4
Kate 3
Lilian 3
Lizzie 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 125
William 120
George 88
Joseph 76
Thomas 64
James 61
Charles 55
Henry 44
Samuel 34
Alfred 30
Arthur 24
Isaac 15
Albert 13
Edward 13
Robert 12
Francis 11
Frank 11
Frederick 11
Harry 11
Herbert 11
Richard 11
David 8
Edwin 8
Ralph 8
Walter 8
Marcus 7
Geo. 6
Wm. 6
Frederic 5
Tom 5
Benjamin 4
Christopher 4
Ernest 4
Peter 4
Thos. 4
Abraham 3
Andrew 3
Edgar 3
Israel 3
Jabez 3
Job 3
Matthew 3
Noah 3
Alexander 2
Ambrose 2
Cecil 2
Chas. 2
Chas.W. 2
Jos. 2
Louis 2

FAQ

Beresford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beresford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,196 people were recorded with the Beresford surname. That placed it at #2,021 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beresford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,566 in 2016. That gives Beresford a modern rank of #1,206.

What does the Beresford surname mean?

A topographic surname derived from an Old English phrase meaning "bear's ford" or "stream frequented by bears."

What does the Beresford map show?

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