NameCensus.

UK surname

Bevan

A Welsh patronymic surname meaning "son of Evan," derived from the Welsh form of the name John.

In the 1881 census there were 7,333 people recorded with the Bevan surname, ranking it #584 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 12,284, ranked #533, up from #584 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Monmouthshire, Swansea and Pembrokeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bevan is 12,678 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 67.5%.

1881 census count

7,333

Ranked #584

Modern count

12,284

2016, ranked #533

Peak year

1999

12,678 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bevan had 7,333 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #584 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 12,284 in 2016, ranked #533.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 10,909 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bevan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bevan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bevan 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 4,618 #601
1861 historical 4,272 #661
1881 historical 7,333 #584
1891 historical 7,661 #586
1901 historical 9,818 #533
1911 historical 10,909 #448
1997 modern 12,118 #509
1998 modern 12,634 #506
1999 modern 12,678 #508
2000 modern 12,583 #510
2001 modern 12,281 #512
2002 modern 12,433 #516
2003 modern 12,080 #519
2004 modern 12,083 #518
2005 modern 11,869 #521
2006 modern 11,887 #524
2007 modern 12,016 #522
2008 modern 12,049 #527
2009 modern 12,350 #525
2010 modern 12,571 #527
2011 modern 12,391 #526
2012 modern 12,234 #523
2013 modern 12,471 #525
2014 modern 12,534 #526
2015 modern 12,381 #530
2016 modern 12,284 #533

Geography

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Where Bevans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Merthyr Tydfil. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Monmouthshire, Swansea, Pembrokeshire and Forest of Dean. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Monmouthshire 005 Monmouthshire
2 Swansea 026 Swansea
3 Pembrokeshire 008 Pembrokeshire
4 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
5 Pembrokeshire 004 Pembrokeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bevan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bevan

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

Bevan is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bevan falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bevan

The surname Bevan is of Welsh origin, derived from the personal name Beva or Bevan, which itself is a pet form of the masculine name Bevyn. This name is believed to be derived from the Welsh word "bev," meaning "life" or "living." The name Bevan was first recorded in the 13th century in the southern regions of Wales, particularly in the counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire.

One of the earliest known records of the surname Bevan dates back to the 14th century, when a William Bevan was mentioned in the Calender of Patent Rolls for Glamorgan in 1349. There are also mentions of the name in the Cartae et Alia Munimenta, a collection of ancient Welsh manuscripts from the 14th and 15th centuries.

The Bevan surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most prominent figures was Aneurin Bevan (1897-1960), a Welsh Labour Party politician who played a crucial role in the establishment of the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. Another notable individual was Robert Cooper Lee Bevan (1809-1890), a British lawyer and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1858-1859.

Other notable Bevans include Edwyn Bevan (1870-1943), a British scholar and author who wrote extensively on early Christianity and the history of the Middle East, and Pauline Bevan (1908-1963), a Welsh operatic soprano who performed with the Royal Opera House and other prestigious opera companies.

The surname Bevan has also been linked to various place names in Wales, such as Bevan's Hill in Monmouthshire and Bevan's Quarry in Glamorgan. These place names likely derive from individuals with the surname Bevan who resided or owned property in those areas.

Throughout its history, the surname Bevan has undergone various spelling variations, including Bevyn, Bevan, Beaven, Beven, and Bevans. These variations reflect the linguistic and regional differences in the pronunciation and recording of the name across different parts of Wales and the United Kingdom.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bevan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bevan 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. Glamorgan leads with 2,022 Bevans recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.25x.

County Total Index
Glamorgan 2,022 16.25x
Monmouthshire 685 13.26x
Middlesex 545 0.76x
Lancashire 355 0.42x
Gloucestershire 354 2.53x
Carmarthenshire 308 10.22x
Brecknockshire 289 20.22x
Staffordshire 260 1.08x
Surrey 245 0.70x
Warwickshire 218 1.21x
Kent 215 0.88x
Herefordshire 212 7.23x
Shropshire 204 3.30x
Worcestershire 186 1.99x
Devon 122 0.82x
Cheshire 121 0.77x
Pembrokeshire 121 5.33x
Somerset 109 0.95x
Montgomeryshire 84 5.13x
Durham 66 0.31x
Flintshire 63 3.28x
Essex 59 0.42x
Hampshire 52 0.35x
Suffolk 38 0.44x
Leicestershire 36 0.45x
Yorkshire 33 0.05x
Denbighshire 30 1.11x
Cornwall 28 0.35x
Sussex 28 0.23x
Derbyshire 23 0.21x
Hertfordshire 22 0.45x
Cardiganshire 17 0.98x
Wiltshire 17 0.27x
Nottinghamshire 15 0.16x
Radnorshire 14 2.43x
Berkshire 13 0.24x
Lincolnshire 12 0.11x
Bedfordshire 11 0.30x
Buckinghamshire 11 0.25x
Dorset 10 0.21x
Northamptonshire 9 0.13x
Oxfordshire 9 0.20x
Huntingdonshire 8 0.56x
Anglesey 7 0.55x
Cambridgeshire 7 0.15x
Royal Navy 7 0.82x
Wigtownshire 7 0.74x
Caernarfonshire 5 0.17x
Lanarkshire 4 0.02x
Ross-shire 3 0.15x
Merionethshire 2 0.15x
Midlothian 2 0.02x
Northumberland 2 0.02x
Channel Islands 1 0.05x
Cumberland 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Swansea Town in Glamorgan leads with 261 Bevans recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.58x.

Place Total Index
Swansea Town 261 25.58x
Merthyr Tydfil 155 12.96x
Ystradyfodwg 123 11.27x
Bedwellty 121 13.26x
Aston 109 2.20x
Aberdare 89 10.42x
Llanelly 89 13.12x
Birmingham 87 1.45x
Mawr 74 282.44x
Swansea St Thomas 73 58.39x
Aberystruth 71 15.59x
Pembrey 65 46.92x
Oystermouth 63 65.42x
Llantrisant 61 19.45x
St Marylebone London 53 1.39x
Llanwonno 52 11.63x
Llangynwyd Higher 51 85.33x
Swansea Higher 51 39.35x
Lambeth 50 0.80x
Rhosilly 46 567.90x
Rhyndwyclydach 46 53.28x
Walsall Foreign 46 3.69x
St Pancras London 45 0.78x
Kensington London 44 1.11x
Llanguick 44 19.73x
Loughor 42 63.56x
Clase 41 8.86x
Trevethin 39 7.99x
Wolverhampton 39 2.10x
Upper Llanvrechva 38 47.34x
Westbury On Severn East 38 11.99x
Llanover 37 20.97x
Camberwell 36 0.79x
Everton 36 1.33x
Penrice 36 566.04x
Hackney London 34 0.85x
Hay 33 62.16x
Penderyn 33 84.51x
Bedminster 32 2.96x
Coedfrank 32 37.11x
Llansamlet Higher 32 34.46x
West Ham 32 1.03x
Gelligaer 30 10.56x
Ightham 30 97.85x
Newington 30 1.14x
Kilgwrrwg 29 1150.79x
Llanvihangel Llantarnam 29 29.44x
Swansea Lower 28 44.12x
Cwmdu 27 17.81x
Shoreditch London 27 0.87x
Llanelly 26 15.20x
Llangennech 26 53.89x
Llantwit Lower 26 23.77x
Porteynon 26 460.18x
Toxteth Park 26 0.91x
St Brides Major 25 150.24x
St George Hanover Square 25 1.99x
West Derby 25 1.01x
Bethnal Green London 24 0.77x
Birkenhead 24 1.91x
St George In East London 24 3.57x
Cheltenham 23 2.13x
Islington London 23 0.33x
Salford 23 0.92x
St Woollos 23 3.99x
Bristol St George 22 3.39x
Freystrop 22 236.05x
Llandebie 22 25.18x
Monmouth 22 16.06x
Neath 22 8.69x
Hope 21 21.97x
Leominster Out 21 76.09x
Llanllwchaiarn 21 29.60x
Northfleet 21 9.77x
Widnes 21 3.43x
Llandilo Talybont 20 30.60x
North Meols 20 2.41x
Panteg 20 24.58x
Pontesbury 20 26.63x
Talgarth 20 56.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 577
Elizabeth 354
Sarah 238
Ann 200
Jane 157
Margaret 153
Eliza 106
Emma 89
Hannah 86
Annie 83
Ellen 80
Martha 79
Alice 69
Catherine 65
Emily 65
Louisa 54
Anne 45
Harriet 45
Rachel 39
Maria 35
Caroline 33
Edith 32
Florence 27
Fanny 26
Susan 26
Ada 25
Charlotte 25
Elizth. 24
Clara 21
Amelia 19
Frances 19
Lucy 19
Agnes 18
Eleanor 18
Kate 18
Esther 17
Gwenllian 17
Harriett 16
Matilda 16
Ruth 16
Gertrude 14
Julia 13
Lydia 12
Minnie 12
Sophia 12
Margret 11
Rebecca 11
Laura 10
Rosa 10
Selina 10

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 533
John 486
Thomas 335
James 206
George 186
David 139
Henry 123
Richard 107
Edward 92
Charles 82
Evan 76
Joseph 72
Alfred 65
Samuel 51
Robert 48
Arthur 47
Frederick 46
Wm. 32
Albert 31
Walter 31
Francis 30
Morgan 29
Daniel 28
Edwin 28
Ernest 23
Benjamin 20
Harry 20
Lewis 20
Rees 19
Thos. 19
Frank 17
Isaac 14
Phillip 14
Philip 13
Herbert 12
Llewelyn 11
Abraham 10
Rowland 10
Geo. 9
Griffith 9
Moses 9
Edmund 8
Tom 8
Fred 7
Sidney 7
Fredk. 6
Hopkin 6
Jacob 6
Oliver 6
Percy 6

FAQ

Bevan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bevan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7,333 people were recorded with the Bevan surname. That placed it at #584 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bevan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 12,284 in 2016. That gives Bevan a modern rank of #533.

What does the Bevan surname mean?

A Welsh patronymic surname meaning "son of Evan," derived from the Welsh form of the name John.

What does the Bevan map show?

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