UK surname
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "beaver stream."
In the 1881 census there were 50 people recorded with the Bever surname, ranking it #26,587 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 41, ranked #35,388, down from #26,587 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Manchester, St John Hackney and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bever is 123 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 18.0%.
1881 census count
50
Ranked #26,587
Modern count
41
2016, ranked #35,388
Peak year
1851
123 bearers
Map years
2
1851 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Bever surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Bever surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 123 | #14,886 |
| 1861 | historical | 113 | #19,151 |
| 1881 | historical | 50 | #26,587 |
| 1891 | historical | 44 | #30,838 |
| 1901 | historical | 37 | #30,009 |
| 1911 | historical | 44 | #28,454 |
| 1997 | modern | 43 | #33,361 |
| 1998 | modern | 41 | #33,747 |
| 1999 | modern | 45 | #33,511 |
| 2000 | modern | 47 | #33,358 |
| 2001 | modern | 43 | #33,576 |
| 2002 | modern | 51 | #33,193 |
| 2003 | modern | 42 | #34,040 |
| 2004 | modern | 41 | #34,306 |
| 2005 | modern | 33 | #35,119 |
| 2006 | modern | 35 | #35,191 |
| 2007 | modern | 38 | #35,153 |
| 2008 | modern | 32 | #35,610 |
| 2009 | modern | 36 | #35,496 |
| 2010 | modern | 37 | #35,566 |
| 2011 | modern | 37 | #35,553 |
| 2012 | modern | 40 | #35,369 |
| 2013 | modern | 40 | #35,439 |
| 2014 | modern | 40 | #35,454 |
| 2015 | modern | 40 | #35,422 |
| 2016 | modern | 41 | #35,388 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Manchester, St John Hackney, Bradford, Kirkburton and Dewsbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 2 | St John Hackney | London (North Districts) |
| 3 | Bradford | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 4 | Kirkburton | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 5 | Dewsbury | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Bever surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bever, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Bever surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Bever household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Bever is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bever is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Bever, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Bever originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas surrounding the city of Hamburg. It likely emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Old Low German word "bever," which means "beaver." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been associated with the hunting or trading of beavers, or perhaps resided near a body of water where beavers were commonly found.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bever surname can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, dating back to the 14th century. In this document, a merchant named Hinrich Bever is mentioned in a transaction from the year 1378.
The Bever surname also appears in various other historical records from the region, such as the Hamburgisches Urkundenbuch, which contains references to individuals with this name in the 15th and 16th centuries. For example, a certain Claus Bever is listed as a resident of Hamburg in the year 1487.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Bever surname began to spread beyond northern Germany, as families migrated to other parts of Europe and even to the Americas. One notable individual from this period was Johann Bever, a German Protestant theologian born in 1594 in the town of Schmalkalden. He authored several religious works and served as a pastor in various churches throughout Germany.
In the 18th century, the Bever surname gained prominence in the Netherlands, where a family of that name became influential in the textile industry. Jacob Bever (1720-1786), a successful cloth merchant from Amsterdam, was known for his philanthropic efforts and his support of various charitable organizations.
Another notable figure with the Bever surname was Sir Thomas Bever Lees (1825-1891), a British businessman and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of Manchester from 1887 to 1888. He was also a Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party.
While the Bever surname has its roots in northern Germany, it has since spread to various other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in the region surrounding Hamburg, where it likely emerged as a name associated with the beaver or those involved in the trade or hunting of these animals.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bever surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 22 Bevers recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.65x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire | 22 | 4.65x |
| Middlesex | 16 | 3.35x |
| Cheshire | 6 | 5.69x |
| Gloucestershire | 1 | 1.07x |
| Huntingdonshire | 1 | 10.54x |
| Kent | 1 | 0.61x |
| Lancashire | 1 | 0.18x |
| Surrey | 1 | 0.43x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 11 Bevers recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.04x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Hackney London | 11 | 41.04x |
| Hartshead | 9 | 4285.71x |
| Manningham | 6 | 102.92x |
| Mottram | 6 | 1250.00x |
| Keighley | 4 | 79.21x |
| St Marylebone London | 2 | 7.84x |
| Bethnal Green London | 1 | 4.82x |
| Bristol St Philip Jacob | 1 | 11.33x |
| Ecclesfield | 1 | 28.82x |
| Gravesend | 1 | 72.46x |
| Horton In Bradford | 1 | 13.51x |
| Lambeth | 1 | 2.40x |
| Manchester | 1 | 3.92x |
| Orton Waterville | 1 | 2000.00x |
| St Clement Danes London | 1 | 101.01x |
| St Pancras London | 1 | 2.60x |
| Wilton In Pickering | 1 | 3333.33x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bever surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bever surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Bever households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 11 |
| Apprentice (D) | 1 |
| Apprentice To Coal Miner Printace | 1 |
| Char Woman | 1 |
| Charwoman | 1 |
| Civil Engineer Apprentice | 1 |
| Coal Miner | 1 |
| Commission Merchts (Clerk) | 1 |
| Commission Merchts Clerk | 1 |
| Domestic Servant | 1 |
| Engineer Clerk | 1 |
| Farm Serv (Ind) | 1 |
| General Dealer | 1 |
| House Property | 1 |
| Housekeeper | 1 |
| Labourer | 1 |
| Lady | 1 |
| Milliner | 1 |
| Servant | 1 |
| Silk Mill Hand | 1 |
| Solicitor | 1 |
| Upholsterer | 1 |
| Wife | 1 |
| Worsted Spinning Overlooker | 1 |
| Worsted Weaver | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 50 people were recorded with the Bever surname. That placed it at #26,587 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 41 in 2016. That gives Bever a modern rank of #35,388.
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "beaver stream."
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bever bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.