NameCensus.

UK surname

Berrisford

A locational surname deriving from a place name in either Staffordshire or Derbyshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 916 people recorded with the Berrisford surname, ranking it #4,185 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 960, ranked #5,989, down from #4,185 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Norton-in-the-Moors, Duffield and Leek. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Staffordshire Moorlands, Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Berrisford is 1,022 in 2003. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.8%.

1881 census count

916

Ranked #4,185

Modern count

960

2016, ranked #5,989

Peak year

2003

1,022 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Berrisford had 916 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,185 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 960 in 2016, ranked #5,989.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 933 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Berrisford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Berrisford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Berrisford 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 617 #4,187
1861 historical 595 #4,454
1881 historical 916 #4,185
1891 historical 818 #4,951
1901 historical 848 #5,369
1911 historical 933 #4,812
1997 modern 698 #7,262
1998 modern 980 #5,771
1999 modern 993 #5,745
2000 modern 1,011 #5,634
2001 modern 1,007 #5,554
2002 modern 1,014 #5,626
2003 modern 1,022 #5,500
2004 modern 1,002 #5,590
2005 modern 984 #5,620
2006 modern 981 #5,641
2007 modern 982 #5,690
2008 modern 989 #5,699
2009 modern 999 #5,770
2010 modern 1,009 #5,844
2011 modern 1,007 #5,787
2012 modern 997 #5,749
2013 modern 982 #5,910
2014 modern 981 #5,950
2015 modern 977 #5,919
2016 modern 960 #5,989

Geography

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Where Berrisfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Norton-in-the-Moors, Duffield, Leek, Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Staffordshire Moorlands, Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme. 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 Norton-in-the-Moors Staffordshire
2 Duffield Derbyshire
3 Leek Staffordshire
4 Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall Staffordshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Staffordshire Moorlands 008 Staffordshire Moorlands
2 Staffordshire Moorlands 006 Staffordshire Moorlands
3 Stoke-on-Trent 020 Stoke-on-Trent
4 Newcastle-under-Lyme 016 Newcastle-under-Lyme
5 Newcastle-under-Lyme 005 Newcastle-under-Lyme

Forenames

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First names often paired with Berrisford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Berrisford

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

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Berrisford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Berrisford 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 predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Berrisford is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Berrisford is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Berrisford 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 Berrisford is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Berrisford

The surname Berrisford is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the region of Staffordshire, England, during the medieval period. The name is thought to be derived from a combination of the Old English words "burh," meaning fortified place or manor, and "ford," referring to a shallow river crossing.

The earliest known record of the Berrisford surname dates back to the 13th century in the Staffordshire Pipe Rolls of 1242, where it appears as "Burhford." Over time, the spelling evolved to its current form, Berrisford. This name suggests a connection to a specific place, likely a manor or village near a ford over a river or stream.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are references to places with similar names, such as "Buresford" and "Burford," which may have been the origin of the Berrisford name.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Berrisford surname was John Berrisford, born around 1450 in Staffordshire. He was a landowner and played a role in local affairs during the Wars of the Roses.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Berrisford (1577-1642), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Staffordshire during the reign of King Charles I. He was a prominent figure in the English Civil War and supported the Royalist cause.

In the 17th century, Richard Berrisford (1629-1705) was a prominent clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Bakewell in Derbyshire. He wrote several religious works and was known for his sermons.

During the 18th century, John Berrisford (1718-1788) was a successful merchant and businessman in London. He amassed a considerable fortune through his trading ventures and was involved in various philanthropic endeavors.

One of the most famous individuals with the Berrisford surname was Admiral Sir William Berrisford (1829-1908), a distinguished naval officer in the British Royal Navy. He served in several notable campaigns, including the Crimean War and the Second Opium War, and was awarded numerous honors for his service.

While the surname Berrisford may have originated in a specific region of England, it has since spread to other parts of the country and beyond, with descendants bearing this name found in various parts of the world today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Berrisford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Berrisford 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. Staffordshire leads with 394 Berrisfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.08x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 394 13.08x
Derbyshire 167 11.95x
Lancashire 137 1.29x
Yorkshire 59 0.67x
Cheshire 52 2.64x
Leicestershire 41 4.14x
Nottinghamshire 30 2.49x
Norfolk 22 1.60x
Lincolnshire 5 0.35x
Channel Islands 4 1.51x
Middlesex 2 0.02x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.19x
Hampshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 117 Berrisfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.62x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 117 36.62x
Leek Lowe 44 109.75x
Heanor 26 124.40x
Audley 22 73.80x
Sheepshed 22 162.24x
Hulme 19 8.59x
Burslem 18 20.86x
Cheadle 17 117.48x
Holt 17 362.47x
Norton In Moors 17 106.58x
Manchester 16 3.36x
Caverswall 15 95.79x
Chesterfield 14 26.72x
Ecclesall Bierlow 13 7.23x
Gorton 13 13.06x
Matlock 13 69.30x
Salford 13 4.17x
Glossop Dale 12 18.34x
Newcastle Under Lyme 12 22.51x
Wolstanton 12 13.11x
Blatchinworth 11 45.61x
Cotton 11 550.00x
Westhoughton 11 38.92x
Wilford 11 325.44x
Alpraham 10 746.27x
Brinnington 10 54.32x
Checkley 10 127.88x
Sheffield 10 3.55x
Ipstones 9 207.85x
Melbourne 9 94.24x
Over Darwen 9 10.64x
South Normanton 9 91.65x
Worsbrough 9 34.72x
Bakewell 8 104.71x
Brightside Bierlow 8 4.61x
Calton 8 1081.08x
Chapel En Le Frith 8 62.70x
Hugglescote 8 54.95x
Maer 8 666.67x
Derby St Werburgh 7 8.68x
Mansfield 7 16.81x
Smallthorne 7 62.61x
Uttoxeter 7 45.40x
Wolstanton Chesterton 7 45.45x
Ardwick 6 6.28x
Blackburn 6 2.13x
Blackley 6 32.31x
Pendleton In Salford 6 4.76x
Rugeley 6 27.75x
Thelwall 6 394.74x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 5 6.07x
Calver 5 375.94x
Crich 5 54.82x
Derby St Alkmund 5 11.94x
Great Hale 5 231.48x
Guist 5 416.67x
Ollersett 5 183.15x
Saddleworth 5 7.33x
Sawley 5 118.76x
Armitage 4 102.04x
Breedon On The Hill 4 134.23x
Cheddleton 4 63.39x
Church Lawton 4 158.73x
Eckington 4 11.78x
Hucknall Under 4 64.41x
Openshaw 4 8.06x
St Peter Port 4 8.17x
Stafford St Mary 4 9.38x
Stockport 4 3.94x
Stone 4 10.38x
Sutton In Ashfield 4 15.32x
Taddington 4 320.00x
Tatenhill 4 196.08x
Yoxall 4 100.76x
Alfreton 3 7.07x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 1.78x
Hurdsfield 3 24.75x
Mirfield 3 6.18x
North Wingfield 3 48.00x
Stansfield 3 9.22x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 65
William 58
Thomas 44
James 32
George 31
Joseph 30
Samuel 24
Henry 19
Arthur 15
Charles 11
Robert 10
Edward 9
Alfred 6
Benjamin 6
Albert 5
Isaac 5
Richard 5
Abraham 4
Frederick 4
Leonard 4
Walter 4
Adam 3
Edwin 3
Eli 3
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Frank 3
Issac 3
Thos. 3
Wm. 3
Fred 2
Isaiah 2
Job 2
Matthew 2
Ralph 2
Reuben 2
Rowland 2
Ann 1
David 1
Ebenezer 1
Harry 1
Horatio 1
Howard 1
Hugh 1
Lott 1
Mary 1
Oliver 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Wm.Arthur 1

FAQ

Berrisford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Berrisford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 916 people were recorded with the Berrisford surname. That placed it at #4,185 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Berrisford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 960 in 2016. That gives Berrisford a modern rank of #5,989.

What does the Berrisford surname mean?

A locational surname deriving from a place name in either Staffordshire or Derbyshire, England.

What does the Berrisford map show?

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