NameCensus.

UK surname

Beverley

A habitational name for someone from any of the various places called Beverley in England.

In the 1881 census there were 904 people recorded with the Beverley surname, ranking it #4,221 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,286, ranked #4,660, down from #4,221 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Warkworth and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, Northumberland and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beverley is 1,390 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.3%.

1881 census count

904

Ranked #4,221

Modern count

1,286

2016, ranked #4,660

Peak year

2000

1,390 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Beverley had 904 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,221 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,286 in 2016, ranked #4,660.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,262 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Beverley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beverley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Beverley 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 440 #5,586
1861 historical 552 #4,768
1881 historical 904 #4,221
1891 historical 1,039 #4,022
1901 historical 1,262 #3,922
1911 historical 1,244 #3,810
1997 modern 1,350 #4,263
1998 modern 1,370 #4,348
1999 modern 1,365 #4,403
2000 modern 1,390 #4,312
2001 modern 1,348 #4,338
2002 modern 1,385 #4,330
2003 modern 1,346 #4,360
2004 modern 1,342 #4,377
2005 modern 1,322 #4,380
2006 modern 1,325 #4,382
2007 modern 1,330 #4,403
2008 modern 1,334 #4,413
2009 modern 1,372 #4,396
2010 modern 1,381 #4,454
2011 modern 1,356 #4,476
2012 modern 1,329 #4,483
2013 modern 1,335 #4,545
2014 modern 1,331 #4,583
2015 modern 1,314 #4,584
2016 modern 1,286 #4,660

Geography

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Where Beverleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Warkworth, London parishes, Manchester and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley, Northumberland, Leeds, Gateshead and Calderdale. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Warkworth Northumberland
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 021 Barnsley
2 Northumberland 008 Northumberland
3 Leeds 076 Leeds
4 Gateshead 004 Gateshead
5 Calderdale 015 Calderdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Beverley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Beverley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Beverley, 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 Beverley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Beverley 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Beverley is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Beverley 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

Beverley 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 Beverley 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 Beverley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Beverley

The surname Beverley originated in England, deriving from the town of Beverley in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The name of the town itself is thought to come from the Old English words "beofor" meaning beaver and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow, suggesting it was once a place where beavers dwelled.

Records indicate the town of Beverley was already well-established by the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, which mentions it as "Beverlac" and "Beverlicum." This early spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Beverley was Robert de Beverley, a 13th-century English cleric and theologian who served as Chancellor of the University of Oxford in the 1240s. Another notable early bearer was John Beverley, a 14th-century English military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War.

In the 16th century, John Beverley (c.1510-1558) was an English Catholic martyr who was hanged, drawn, and quartered for his religious beliefs during the Protestant Reformation under Queen Elizabeth I. Around the same time, Robert Beverley (1537-1616) was an English Protestant clergyman and author of works on theology and history.

Moving into the 17th century, William Beverley (c.1615-1686) was a wealthy English landowner and colonial official who served as clerk of the Virginia House of Burgesses in the American colonies. His son, Robert Beverley (1673-1722), was a prominent historian and author of "The History and Present State of Virginia."

Another famous bearer was the 18th-century English dramatist and actor John Beverley (1677-1759), known for his plays "The Gamester" and "The Conscious Lovers." In the 19th century, Robert Beverley (1805-1871) was a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Canadian Parliament.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Beverley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beverley 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. Yorkshire leads with 327 Beverleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.74x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 327 3.74x
Lancashire 117 1.12x
Lincolnshire 87 6.17x
Middlesex 81 0.92x
Derbyshire 53 3.84x
Norfolk 47 3.47x
Northumberland 47 3.58x
Surrey 27 0.63x
Durham 18 0.69x
Aberdeenshire 10 1.22x
Kent 10 0.33x
Gloucestershire 9 0.52x
Lanarkshire 9 0.32x
Essex 8 0.46x
Herefordshire 8 2.21x
Cheshire 7 0.36x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.50x
Suffolk 6 0.56x
Warwickshire 5 0.22x
Hampshire 4 0.22x
Somerset 3 0.21x
Sussex 3 0.20x
Dorset 2 0.35x
Fife 2 0.38x
Glamorgan 2 0.13x
Roxburghshire 2 1.25x
Angus 1 0.12x
Berkshire 1 0.15x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.18x
Wigtownshire 1 0.85x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Northowram in Yorkshire leads with 40 Beverleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 65.28x.

Place Total Index
Northowram 40 65.28x
Brightside Bierlow 34 19.84x
Hauxley 25 853.24x
Manchester 20 4.25x
Mirfield 20 41.68x
Leeds 17 3.45x
Sheffield 17 6.11x
Hunslet 15 11.01x
Kirmington 15 1209.68x
Kirton In Lindsey 15 268.34x
Huddersfield 12 9.43x
Glossop Dale 11 17.01x
Hornsey 11 9.86x
Howden 11 185.19x
East Chevington 10 229.36x
Hunstanton 10 218.34x
Kensington London 10 2.04x
Paddington London 10 3.08x
St Clement Danes London 10 54.79x
Ashton Under Lyne 9 3.94x
Deptford St Paul 9 3.88x
Halifax 9 7.02x
Holy Trinity 9 4.28x
Stretford 9 15.63x
Bowling 8 9.24x
Castleton 8 408.16x
Chapel En Le Frith 8 63.44x
Clifford 8 334.73x
Gorton 8 8.13x
Handsworth 8 34.63x
Lambeth 8 1.04x
North Cave Drewton 8 232.56x
Oldham 8 2.37x
Rishworth 8 238.81x
Salford 8 2.60x
Winshill 8 90.91x
Disley Stanley 7 69.86x
Fakenham 7 104.79x
Gate Fulford 7 34.30x
Heaton Norris 7 11.75x
Islington London 7 0.82x
Amble 6 100.50x
Bootle Cum Linacre 6 7.22x
Clifford Cum Boston 6 76.34x
Hartington Upper 6 91.05x
Manton 6 1428.57x
Skircoat 6 17.41x
Soyland 6 57.25x
St George Hanover Square 6 3.86x
St Swithin Lincoln 6 27.06x
Binbrooke 5 142.45x
Blackburn 5 1.80x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 5 3.07x
Camberwell 5 0.89x
Clapham 5 4.54x
Dodworth 5 55.07x
Eastoft 5 273.22x
Gateshead 5 2.55x
Gorbals 5 29.53x
Grimoldby 5 454.55x
Horton In Bradford 5 3.66x
Norton 5 43.94x
Nottingham St Mary 5 1.63x
Poringland 5 352.11x
Rotherham 5 10.15x
South Ormsby 5 561.80x
St Pancras London 5 0.70x
Tealby 5 252.53x
Ulceby 5 145.77x
Westoe 5 3.36x
Willington 5 32.98x
Bermondsey 4 1.52x
Cheetham 4 5.12x
Hackney London 4 0.81x
Middlesbrough 4 3.51x
Overstrand 4 579.71x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 4 9.85x
Stoke Holy Cross 4 317.46x
Thurne 4 625.00x
Warley 4 15.84x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 44
William 44
George 37
Thomas 36
Joseph 28
Henry 18
James 17
Edward 16
Charles 12
Samuel 11
Albert 9
Arthur 9
Robert 9
Fred 8
Richard 7
Walter 6
Alfred 5
Ernest 5
Tom 5
Peter 4
Benjamin 3
Christopher 3
Francis 3
Fred. 3
Herbert 3
Jeremiah 3
Michael 3
Wilson 3
Wm. 3
Addison 2
Arnold 2
Dan 2
Edwin 2
Elijah 2
Harry 2
Howard 2
Hubert 2
Jefferey 2
Joshua 2
Matthew 2
Percy 2
Sam 2
Soloman 2
Alexander 1
Benjn. 1
Edgar 1
Enock 1
Israel 1
Jas.Robt. 1
Wright 1

FAQ

Beverley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beverley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 904 people were recorded with the Beverley surname. That placed it at #4,221 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beverley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,286 in 2016. That gives Beverley a modern rank of #4,660.

What does the Beverley surname mean?

A habitational name for someone from any of the various places called Beverley in England.

What does the Beverley map show?

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