NameCensus.

UK surname

Bestwick

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "the best village or homestead".

In the 1881 census there were 511 people recorded with the Bestwick surname, ranking it #6,667 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,012, ranked #5,752, up from #6,667 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sawley, Leek and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Amber Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bestwick is 1,078 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 98.0%.

1881 census count

511

Ranked #6,667

Modern count

1,012

2016, ranked #5,752

Peak year

1999

1,078 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bestwick had 511 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,667 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,012 in 2016, ranked #5,752.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 723 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bestwick surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bestwick surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bestwick 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 338 #6,943
1861 historical 419 #6,133
1881 historical 511 #6,667
1891 historical 599 #6,391
1901 historical 693 #6,339
1911 historical 723 #5,920
1997 modern 1,022 #5,385
1998 modern 1,076 #5,353
1999 modern 1,078 #5,370
2000 modern 1,068 #5,389
2001 modern 1,020 #5,497
2002 modern 1,040 #5,508
2003 modern 1,018 #5,514
2004 modern 1,041 #5,431
2005 modern 1,031 #5,411
2006 modern 997 #5,581
2007 modern 986 #5,670
2008 modern 993 #5,682
2009 modern 1,018 #5,681
2010 modern 1,045 #5,666
2011 modern 1,033 #5,668
2012 modern 1,025 #5,629
2013 modern 1,044 #5,643
2014 modern 1,036 #5,696
2015 modern 1,009 #5,769
2016 modern 1,012 #5,752

Geography

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Where Bestwicks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sawley, Leek, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Chesterfield and Heanor. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Amber Valley. 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 Sawley Derbyshire
2 Leek Staffordshire
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Chesterfield Derbyshire
5 Heanor Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Amber Valley 008 Amber Valley
2 Amber Valley 017 Amber Valley
3 Amber Valley 013 Amber Valley
4 Amber Valley 009 Amber Valley
5 Amber Valley 015 Amber Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bestwick

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bestwick

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

Bestwick 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

Bestwick falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bestwick

The surname Bestwick originated in England, arising in the medieval period. It is thought to derive from the Old English words "best" meaning good or excellent, and "wic" meaning a dwelling or village. Thus, Bestwick likely referred to someone who lived in or came from the "best village" or an exceptionally good settlement.

The name appears to have arisen in the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire in northern England. Early recordings show variations like Bestwyk, Bestwike, and Bestwicke before settling into the modern Bestwick spelling. No definitive link has been found to a specific place called Bestwick, suggesting it may have been a descriptive surname rather than a locational one.

One of the earliest known references is a John de Bestwyk listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax returns of 1379. The Domesday Book, the great census of 1086, does not appear to contain any instances of the name, indicating it arose somewhat later during the Middle Ages.

Notable early bearers include William Bestwick (c.1515-1584), a English Protestant martyr burned at the stake under Queen Mary I's reign for his reformist beliefs. Later came Robert Bestwick (1701-1784), a British surveyor and engineer who worked on early canal projects like the Bridgewater Canal.

The 19th century brought several accomplished individuals, such as John Bestwick (1827-1901), a British Methodist missionary who worked in Sierra Leone, and James Wallwork Bestwick (1833-1898), a noted English architect responsible for buildings like the John Rylands Library in Manchester.

Into the 1900s, we find figures like Philip Bestwick (1913-1985), a British World War II bomber pilot who later worked in advertising, and Douglas Bestwick (1936-2008), a Canadian politician who served as a Member of Parliament.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bestwick families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bestwick 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 211 Bestwicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.09x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 211 27.09x
Staffordshire 116 6.91x
Nottinghamshire 80 11.93x
Lancashire 45 0.76x
Yorkshire 23 0.47x
Cheshire 9 0.82x
Leicestershire 7 1.27x
Lincolnshire 5 0.63x
Northumberland 5 0.68x
Kent 3 0.18x
Northamptonshire 3 0.64x
Somerset 2 0.25x
East Lothian 1 1.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Heanor in Derbyshire leads with 58 Bestwicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 497.85x.

Place Total Index
Heanor 58 497.85x
Nottingham St Mary 29 16.72x
Leek Lowe 28 125.34x
Long Eaton 27 262.65x
Radford 27 79.27x
Ashton Under Lyne 20 15.50x
Warslow Elkstone 18 1818.18x
Ilkeston 17 77.84x
Alstonefield 15 1851.85x
Derby St Peter 13 52.40x
Eastwood 12 200.00x
Cannock 11 37.54x
Brightside Bierlow 10 10.34x
Ecclesall Bierlow 10 9.97x
Horsley 10 213.22x
Quarnford 9 1216.22x
Winshill 9 181.09x
Codnor Loscoe 8 129.66x
Derby St Alkmund 8 34.28x
Heathylee 8 1126.76x
Leek Frith 7 500.00x
Barton Upon Irwell 6 13.50x
Bradnop Cawdry 6 789.47x
Derby St Werburgh 6 13.34x
Macclesfield 6 12.29x
Snenton 6 22.77x
Alnwick 5 39.28x
Cromford 5 273.22x
Oldham 5 2.62x
Seals 5 257.73x
Bradley 4 851.06x
Ellastone 4 833.33x
Grantham 4 38.57x
Linton 4 195.12x
Litchurch 4 12.76x
Osmaston 4 625.00x
Turnditch 4 769.23x
Brampton 3 27.55x
Deptford St Paul 3 2.29x
Dore 3 201.34x
Little Bolton 3 3.95x
Peterborough 3 8.85x
Selston 3 40.05x
Sheen 3 422.54x
Stapenhill 3 25.88x
Wetton 3 535.71x
Burton Upon Trent 2 5.09x
Fairfield 2 38.39x
Mottram St Andrew 2 322.58x
North Meols 2 3.46x
Penketh 2 93.90x
Shottle Postern 2 454.55x
South Normanton 2 36.56x
Weston Super Mare 2 9.89x
Yeldersley 2 666.67x
Barkestone 1 196.08x
Baslow With Bubnell 1 69.44x
Birkdale 1 6.69x
Blackburn 1 0.64x
Bredbury 1 15.72x
Chesterfield 1 3.42x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 1.07x
Etwall 1 111.11x
Glapwell 1 625.00x
Great Grimsby 1 1.98x
Hartington Nether 1 153.85x
Hucknall Torkard 1 5.88x
Hulme 1 0.81x
Leeds 1 0.36x
Longnor 1 109.89x
Loughborough 1 4.00x
Mansfield 1 4.31x
Nether Hallam 1 1.50x
Ockbrook 1 30.21x
Sheffield 1 0.64x
Sutton On Hill 1 142.86x
Tapton 1 322.58x
Tideswell 1 29.59x
Widnes 1 2.35x
Wirksworth 1 14.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 48
Sarah 26
Elizabeth 21
Annie 11
Eliza 11
Ellen 9
Ann 8
Hannah 7
Jane 7
Catherine 6
Harriet 6
Alice 5
Fanny 5
Martha 5
Anne 4
Emily 4
Harriett 4
Kate 4
Agnes 3
Edith 3
Esther 3
Louisa 3
Lucy 3
Margaret 3
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Dinah 2
Frances 2
Infant 2
Iphis 2
Rebecca 2
Angelina 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Betsy 1
Eleanor 1
Elisabeth 1
Elzth. 1
Elzth.Rushton 1
Ethel 1
Evelyn 1
Faith 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Henrietta 1
L.Ann 1
Lavina 1
Lily 1
Love 1
Thomasin 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 30
William 29
Thomas 21
George 14
James 13
Joseph 13
Henry 12
Walter 9
Charles 8
Thos. 7
Robert 6
Samuel 6
Frank 4
Jeremiah 4
Richard 4
Arthur 3
Benjamin 3
Edward 3
Frederick 3
Geo. 3
Harry 3
Albert 2
Fredrick 2
Herbert 2
Isaac 2
Noah 2
Ralph 2
Wm. 2
Alfred 1
Byron 1
Christopher 1
Colin 1
Edwd.Geo. 1
Elijah 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Fredk.W. 1
Freeman 1
Hubert 1
Jno. 1
Lawrence 1
Luke 1
Mark 1
Reubin 1
Robt. 1
Saml. 1
Seth 1
Theopholus 1
Tho. 1
Wm.John 1

FAQ

Bestwick surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bestwick surname in 1881?

In 1881, 511 people were recorded with the Bestwick surname. That placed it at #6,667 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bestwick surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,012 in 2016. That gives Bestwick a modern rank of #5,752.

What does the Bestwick surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "the best village or homestead".

What does the Bestwick map show?

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