NameCensus.

UK surname

Beswick

A surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller at the bent-ridge meadow" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 2,922 people recorded with the Beswick surname, ranking it #1,532 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,259, ranked #2,087, down from #1,532 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Stockport and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lancaster, High Peak and Tameside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beswick is 3,803 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.5%.

1881 census count

2,922

Ranked #1,532

Modern count

3,259

2016, ranked #2,087

Peak year

1911

3,803 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Beswick had 2,922 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,532 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,259 in 2016, ranked #2,087.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,803 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Beswick surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beswick surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Beswick 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 1,964 #1,474
1861 historical 1,636 #1,745
1881 historical 2,922 #1,532
1891 historical 3,010 #1,562
1901 historical 3,644 #1,541
1911 historical 3,803 #1,361
1997 modern 3,445 #1,878
1998 modern 3,617 #1,869
1999 modern 3,622 #1,875
2000 modern 3,618 #1,877
2001 modern 3,516 #1,879
2002 modern 3,587 #1,889
2003 modern 3,470 #1,911
2004 modern 3,435 #1,925
2005 modern 3,378 #1,931
2006 modern 3,356 #1,942
2007 modern 3,380 #1,946
2008 modern 3,411 #1,946
2009 modern 3,446 #1,981
2010 modern 3,519 #1,978
2011 modern 3,438 #2,004
2012 modern 3,319 #2,033
2013 modern 3,360 #2,041
2014 modern 3,342 #2,064
2015 modern 3,315 #2,058
2016 modern 3,259 #2,087

Geography

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Where Beswicks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Stockport, Manchester, Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) and Ashton-under-Lyne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lancaster, High Peak, Tameside and Stockport. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) Lancashire
5 Ashton-under-Lyne Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lancaster 016 Lancaster
2 High Peak 013 High Peak
3 High Peak 010 High Peak
4 Tameside 001 Tameside
5 Stockport 027 Stockport

Forenames

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First names often paired with Beswick

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Beswick

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Beswick surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Beswick household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Beswick 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

Beswick is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Beswick 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 Beswick is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Beswick

The surname Beswick has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from the place name Beswick, which itself comes from the Old English words "besc" meaning "a bush" and "wic" meaning "a dwelling" or "village." This suggests that the name originated from people who hailed from a settlement or village surrounded by bushes or thickets.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Beswick can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and property values commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this record, the name appears as "Beswic," referring to a place in Staffordshire.

Over time, the name evolved through various spellings, including Beswyke, Besewyke, and Beswicke, before settling into its modern form of Beswick. Some of these variants were influenced by regional dialects and the personal preferences of scribes who recorded the name.

One notable individual bearing the Beswick name was John Beswick (c. 1501–1567), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Norfolk. Another was Sir William Beswick (1588–1646), a prominent English soldier and landowner who fought in the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Thomas Beswick (1740–1832) founded the renowned Beswick Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. This company became renowned for its high-quality ceramics and figurines, particularly those depicting animals and horses.

Moving into the 19th century, we encounter Samuel Beswick (1807–1876), an English industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the city of Manchester.

Finally, in the 20th century, there was Walter Beswick (1900–1988), a British artist known for his landscape paintings and depictions of rural life in England.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the surname Beswick throughout history, showcasing the name's longevity and its deep roots in English heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Beswick families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beswick 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. Lancashire leads with 1,608 Beswicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.75x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,608 4.75x
Cheshire 470 7.46x
Yorkshire 250 0.88x
Staffordshire 160 1.66x
Derbyshire 85 1.90x
Middlesex 85 0.30x
Surrey 36 0.26x
Nottinghamshire 31 0.81x
Northumberland 28 0.66x
Worcestershire 25 0.67x
Durham 18 0.21x
Leicestershire 15 0.47x
Warwickshire 12 0.17x
Gloucestershire 11 0.20x
Hampshire 11 0.19x
Lanarkshire 9 0.10x
Kent 8 0.08x
Lincolnshire 8 0.18x
Shropshire 8 0.32x
Sussex 8 0.17x
Cumberland 5 0.20x
Isle of Man 5 0.94x
Renfrewshire 5 0.23x
Devon 4 0.07x
Midlothian 4 0.10x
Northamptonshire 4 0.15x
Berkshire 3 0.14x
Norfolk 3 0.07x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.33x
Somerset 3 0.07x
Denbighshire 1 0.09x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 122 Beswicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.16x.

Place Total Index
Oldham 122 11.16x
Manchester 100 6.56x
Hulme 82 11.59x
Stockport 65 20.04x
Salford 61 6.12x
Ashton Under Lyne 59 7.97x
Royton 55 53.07x
Little Bolton 51 11.71x
Macclesfield 50 17.85x
Middleton In Oldham 48 47.25x
Heaton Norris 47 24.37x
Newton 46 17.62x
Chadderton 44 26.57x
Gorton 44 13.81x
Great Bolton 39 8.69x
Pendleton In Salford 36 8.92x
Walmersley Cum 36 66.49x
Barton Upon Irwell 35 13.72x
Bradford 32 20.18x
Worsley 30 14.37x
Hollinsclough 29 850.44x
Widnes 29 11.87x
Wolstanton 29 9.91x
St Pancras London 28 1.22x
Warrington 28 6.97x
Snainton 27 356.20x
Ardwick 26 8.51x
Glossop Dale 25 11.94x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 25 25.63x
Pendlebury 24 33.55x
Cheadle 23 19.11x
Knutsford Nether 23 60.37x
Openshaw 23 14.49x
Little Hulton 22 39.22x
Over Darwen 22 8.13x
Sutton Bonnington 22 223.80x
Liverpool 21 1.02x
Norbury 21 143.05x
Broughton In Salford 20 6.46x
Bury 20 5.17x
Toft 20 1169.59x
Warley 20 24.46x
Beswick 19 21.93x
Prestwich 19 22.48x
Tonge 19 26.73x
Birtle Cum Bamford 17 76.89x
Stoke Upon Trent 17 1.66x
Lambeth 16 0.64x
Stretford 16 8.58x
Clerkenwell London 15 2.23x
Cloughton 15 280.90x
Habergham Eaves 15 4.84x
Brinnington 14 23.78x
Burslem 14 5.07x
Crowley 14 729.17x
Hinderwell 14 57.97x
Birkenhead 13 2.59x
Droylsden 13 11.76x
Islington London 13 0.47x
Leek Lowe 13 10.14x
Quarnford 13 304.45x
Sculcoates 13 2.90x
Birkdale 12 14.00x
Chorlton On Medlock 12 2.23x
Dukinfield 12 4.12x
Farnworth 12 5.91x
Golborne 12 27.17x
Hyde 12 6.45x
Saddleworth 12 5.50x
Scarborough 12 4.67x
Turton 12 21.63x
Wolverhampton 12 1.62x
Antrobus 11 254.63x
Litchurch 11 6.11x
Tottington Lower End 11 6.83x
Bexton 10 1086.96x
Bradford 10 1.46x
Garston 10 10.00x
Moss Side 10 5.61x
Newton In Ashton Under 10 16.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 244
Sarah 133
Elizabeth 107
Ann 78
Alice 62
Jane 60
Ellen 54
Hannah 49
Margaret 48
Martha 43
Annie 40
Eliza 40
Emma 35
Emily 23
Betty 18
Anne 17
Catherine 17
Harriet 15
Maria 15
Amelia 13
Caroline 13
Charlotte 13
Clara 13
Edith 13
Esther 13
Ada 11
Florence 11
Frances 10
Rebecca 10
Harriett 8
Kate 8
Louisa 8
Rachel 8
Agnes 7
Elizth. 7
Fanny 7
Jessie 7
May 7
Nancy 7
Betsy 6
Matilda 6
Nellie 6
Susannah 6
Amy 5
Lucy 5
Maggie 5
Minnie 5
Isabella 4
Margret 4
Ruth 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 191
James 162
William 147
Thomas 103
George 82
Charles 57
Joseph 55
Samuel 54
Henry 43
Robert 39
Richard 25
Frederick 18
Albert 17
Benjamin 17
Edward 17
Alfred 16
Wm. 16
Harry 14
Thos. 13
Arthur 12
Edwin 10
Frank 10
Isaac 10
Peter 10
David 9
Herbert 9
Abraham 8
Saml. 7
Walter 7
Ernest 6
Fred 6
Jas. 6
Joshua 6
Chas. 5
Amos 4
Andrew 4
Geo. 4
J. 4
Jno. 4
Richd. 4
Roger 4
Stephen 4
Abel 3
Edmund 3
Enos 3
Fredk. 3
Josh. 3
Michael 3
Percy 3
Robt. 3

FAQ

Beswick surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beswick surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,922 people were recorded with the Beswick surname. That placed it at #1,532 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beswick surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,259 in 2016. That gives Beswick a modern rank of #2,087.

What does the Beswick surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller at the bent-ridge meadow" in Old English.

What does the Beswick map show?

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