NameCensus.

UK surname

Besant

An English surname derived from an Old French place name meaning "good or prosperous town".

In the 1881 census there were 277 people recorded with the Besant surname, ranking it #10,283 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 341, ranked #13,425, down from #10,283 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Hinton Martell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Tendring and North Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Besant is 492 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.1%.

1881 census count

277

Ranked #10,283

Modern count

341

2016, ranked #13,425

Peak year

1901

492 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Besant had 277 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,283 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 341 in 2016, ranked #13,425.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 492 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Besant surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Besant surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Besant 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 256 #8,629
1861 historical 204 #11,814
1881 historical 277 #10,283
1891 historical 441 #8,197
1901 historical 492 #8,149
1911 historical 441 #8,638
1997 modern 353 #12,096
1998 modern 365 #12,175
1999 modern 369 #12,147
2000 modern 370 #12,078
2001 modern 360 #12,127
2002 modern 377 #11,962
2003 modern 370 #11,919
2004 modern 364 #12,110
2005 modern 336 #12,767
2006 modern 339 #12,754
2007 modern 342 #12,809
2008 modern 330 #13,257
2009 modern 336 #13,345
2010 modern 346 #13,352
2011 modern 350 #13,086
2012 modern 339 #13,271
2013 modern 349 #13,215
2014 modern 354 #13,153
2015 modern 341 #13,425
2016 modern 341 #13,425

Geography

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Where Besants are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Hinton Martell and Christian Malford, Bremhill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Tendring, North Norfolk, Walsall and Isles. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Hinton Martell Dorset
5 Christian Malford, Bremhill Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 023 Herefordshire, County of
2 Tendring 008 Tendring
3 North Norfolk 011 North Norfolk
4 Walsall 002 Walsall
5 Isles Orkney Islands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Besant

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Besant

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Besant 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

Besant is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Besant falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Besant

The surname Besant is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "besant," which referred to a gold coin or monetary unit used in medieval Europe. The name first emerged in England during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Besant can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Besant." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name or location associated with the besant coin.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Besant family held lands and properties in various parts of England, particularly in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. One notable member of the family was Sir Walter Besant (1836-1901), a prolific English novelist and historian who co-founded the Society of Authors in 1884.

Another prominent bearer of the Besant surname was Annie Besant (1847-1933), a British socialist, theosophist, women's rights activist, and writer. She played a significant role in the Indian independence movement and served as the president of the Indian National Congress from 1917 to 1919.

In the 16th century, the Besant family had connections to the city of Oxford, with one member, Sir Thomas Besant (1547-1615), serving as the Regius Professor of Civil Law at the University of Oxford from 1594 until his death.

The Besant surname has also been associated with the town of Besant in Normandy, France, which may have been the original place from which the name derived. However, the exact origins of the name remain uncertain.

Other notable individuals with the Besant surname include Walter Besant (1901-1992), a British writer and biographer, and John Besant (1779-1838), an English engraver and author known for his contributions to the field of numismatics (the study of coins and medals).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Besant families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Besant 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. Middlesex leads with 55 Besants recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.05x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 55 2.05x
Wiltshire 48 20.23x
Hampshire 47 8.55x
Dorset 25 14.20x
Yorkshire 12 0.45x
Essex 9 1.70x
Sussex 9 1.99x
Berkshire 8 3.97x
Kent 8 0.87x
Glamorgan 7 1.50x
Surrey 7 0.54x
Monmouthshire 5 2.58x
Cambridgeshire 4 2.35x
Cheshire 4 0.68x
Lancashire 4 0.13x
Durham 3 0.38x
Gloucestershire 3 0.57x
Somerset 3 0.69x
Lincolnshire 2 0.47x
Midlothian 2 0.56x
Norfolk 2 0.48x
Suffolk 2 0.61x
Channel Islands 1 1.26x
Derbyshire 1 0.24x
Devon 1 0.18x
Montgomeryshire 1 1.63x
Northumberland 1 0.25x
Warwickshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 30 Besants recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.84x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 30 27.84x
Christian Malford 16 2222.22x
Melcombe Regis 14 191.78x
Nether Hallam 10 27.81x
Southampton St Mary 9 26.03x
Swindon 9 48.91x
Chelsea London 8 9.90x
Hinton Martel 8 2285.71x
Kensington London 7 4.69x
Lyneham 6 645.16x
Aberystruth 5 29.26x
Bishops Cannings 5 568.18x
Calne 5 102.46x
Bethnal Green London 4 3.43x
Bow London 4 11.71x
Brighton 4 4.38x
Hackney London 4 2.66x
Hastings St Leonards 4 60.15x
Limehouse London 4 13.58x
Paddington London 4 4.06x
Reading St Mary 4 24.80x
St Benedict Cambridge 4 416.67x
Swansea Town 4 10.45x
West Ham 4 3.42x
Buglawton 3 209.79x
Deptford St Paul 3 4.25x
Eglwysilan 3 37.04x
Escomb 3 81.74x
Islington London 3 1.15x
St Pancras London 3 1.39x
Acton 2 12.71x
Bray 2 33.78x
Cheetham 2 8.42x
Edinburgh St Johns 2 88.11x
Great Bedwin 2 119.05x
Ipswich St Helen 2 51.68x
Maldon St Peter 2 74.07x
Prittlewell 2 27.25x
St Andrew Holborn London 2 17.23x
St George Hanover Square 2 4.23x
Stoke 2 32.41x
Tottenham 2 4.68x
Ardingly 1 69.44x
Boston 1 7.69x
Bradford On Avon 1 13.18x
Brockenhurst 1 105.26x
Camberwell 1 0.58x
Chartham 1 43.86x
Churchstoke 1 86.21x
Cirencester 1 14.04x
Croydon 1 1.38x
Cuddington 1 200.00x
East Molesey 1 33.00x
Ecclesfield 1 5.13x
Elswick 1 3.14x
Gloucester Kingsholm St 1 51.02x
Greenwich 1 2.34x
Hampstead London 1 2.39x
Holdenhurst 1 6.93x
Hunstanton 1 71.94x
Leyton 1 10.96x
Liscard 1 9.37x
Litchurch 1 5.92x
Little Bolton 1 2.44x
Middlesbrough 1 2.89x
Norton Coleparle 1 1111.11x
Norwood 1 16.31x
Penton Mewsey 1 384.62x
Radipole 1 82.64x
Ryde 1 8.47x
Shoreditch London 1 0.86x
Sibsey 1 103.09x
South Stoneham 1 8.38x
St Peter Port 1 6.80x
St Sepulchre London 1 25.45x
Sunninghill 1 35.84x
Twerton 1 22.47x
Walcot 1 4.35x
Westminster St James 1 3.63x
Wimborne 1 46.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 16
John 12
George 11
Henry 10
Joseph 7
James 6
Thomas 6
Charles 5
Robert 5
Arthur 4
Alfred 3
Harry 3
Richard 3
Benjamin 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Albert 1
Albt.Wm. 1
Chris. 1
Christopher 1
D.C. 1
Daniel 1
Edwin 1
Elias 1
Elijah 1
Frank 1
Hedley 1
Herbert 1
Horan 1
Jessey 1
Mark 1
Ralph 1
Rose 1
Samuel 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Willm.Henry 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Besant surname: questions and answers

How common was the Besant surname in 1881?

In 1881, 277 people were recorded with the Besant surname. That placed it at #10,283 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Besant surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 341 in 2016. That gives Besant a modern rank of #13,425.

What does the Besant surname mean?

An English surname derived from an Old French place name meaning "good or prosperous town".

What does the Besant map show?

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