NameCensus.

UK surname

Bestford

In the 1881 census there were 119 people recorded with the Bestford surname, ranking it #17,841 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 370, ranked #12,591, up from #17,841 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Houghton-le-Spring (West Rainton), Pittington (Pittington) and Chollerton, Birtley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham and Sunderland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bestford is 394 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 210.9%.

1881 census count

119

Ranked #17,841

Modern count

370

2016, ranked #12,591

Peak year

2010

394 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bestford had 119 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,841 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 370 in 2016, ranked #12,591.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 231 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Bestford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bestford surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Bestford 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 78 #19,840
1861 historical 112 #19,279
1881 historical 119 #17,841
1891 historical 156 #17,842
1901 historical 217 #14,381
1911 historical 231 #13,636
1997 modern 323 #12,888
1998 modern 329 #13,070
1999 modern 327 #13,209
2000 modern 323 #13,268
2001 modern 318 #13,205
2002 modern 331 #13,115
2003 modern 334 #12,847
2004 modern 342 #12,645
2005 modern 332 #12,881
2006 modern 346 #12,539
2007 modern 358 #12,383
2008 modern 360 #12,431
2009 modern 382 #12,150
2010 modern 394 #12,131
2011 modern 383 #12,244
2012 modern 389 #11,963
2013 modern 390 #12,151
2014 modern 390 #12,239
2015 modern 375 #12,470
2016 modern 370 #12,591

Geography

Back to top

Where Bestfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Houghton-le-Spring (West Rainton), Pittington (Pittington), Chollerton, Birtley, Kelloe and Bedlington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham and Sunderland. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Houghton-le-Spring (West Rainton), Pittington (Pittington) Durham
3 Chollerton, Birtley Northumberland
4 Kelloe Durham
5 Bedlington Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 035 County Durham
2 Sunderland 033 Sunderland
3 County Durham 034 County Durham
4 County Durham 046 County Durham
5 County Durham 021 County Durham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Bestford

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Bestford

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Bestford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Bestford household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Bestford is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bestford is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bestford falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bestford is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Bestford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bestford 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. Durham leads with 96 Bestfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.03x.

County Total Index
Durham 96 28.03x
Northumberland 20 11.68x
Surrey 1 0.18x
Yorkshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Coxhoe in Durham leads with 13 Bestfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 1340.21x.

Place Total Index
Coxhoe 13 1340.21x
Brandon Byshottles 10 233.10x
East Rainton 10 1515.15x
Bedlington 9 157.34x
Bishopwearmouth 9 30.62x
Birtley 7 4666.67x
Easington 7 1400.00x
Pittington 7 729.17x
Brancepeth 6 967.74x
Cornsay 6 652.17x
Haswell 6 244.90x
Houghton Le Spring 5 210.97x
Winlaton 4 121.58x
Bishop Auckland 3 65.36x
Usworth 3 164.84x
Framwellgate 2 98.52x
Heworth 2 29.63x
Prudhoe 2 168.07x
Bournmoor 1 185.19x
Crossgate 1 66.67x
Darrington 1 476.19x
Humshaugh 1 526.32x
Middridge 1 294.12x
Newington 1 2.35x
Wylam 1 263.16x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Elizabeth 8
Ann 6
Sarah 5
Jane 4
Dorothy 3
Hannah 3
Isabella 3
Margaret 3
Annie 2
Elizth. 2
Dinah 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz. 1
Frances 1
Isabela 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 10
Robert 9
George 7
John 7
Thomas 5
James 4
Joseph 4
Edward 3
Richard 3
Matthew 2
Mattw. 2
Ralph 2
Adam 1
Anthony 1
Christopher 1
Geoe. 1
Jno. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Bestford households.

FAQ

Bestford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bestford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 119 people were recorded with the Bestford surname. That placed it at #17,841 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bestford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 370 in 2016. That gives Bestford a modern rank of #12,591.

What does the Bestford map show?

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