NameCensus.

UK surname

Bevins

Derived from a French place name, likely referring to someone from a town called Beauvain or Beauvoir.

In the 1881 census there were 378 people recorded with the Bevins surname, ranking it #8,288 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 392, ranked #12,052, down from #8,288 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Newbold Verdon and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Lakeland, Tameside and Warwick.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bevins is 464 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.7%.

1881 census count

378

Ranked #8,288

Modern count

392

2016, ranked #12,052

Peak year

1911

464 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bevins had 378 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,288 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 392 in 2016, ranked #12,052.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 464 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Bevins surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bevins surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bevins 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 211 #9,997
1861 historical 155 #14,881
1881 historical 378 #8,288
1891 historical 304 #11,005
1901 historical 389 #9,666
1911 historical 464 #8,307
1997 modern 393 #11,144
1998 modern 423 #10,899
1999 modern 429 #10,874
2000 modern 422 #10,960
2001 modern 411 #11,003
2002 modern 427 #10,900
2003 modern 421 #10,844
2004 modern 416 #10,963
2005 modern 397 #11,250
2006 modern 382 #11,626
2007 modern 391 #11,570
2008 modern 392 #11,661
2009 modern 397 #11,793
2010 modern 398 #12,039
2011 modern 379 #12,343
2012 modern 381 #12,152
2013 modern 390 #12,151
2014 modern 400 #12,006
2015 modern 395 #12,015
2016 modern 392 #12,052

Geography

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Where Bevins' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Newbold Verdon, Manchester, Colton and Abbots Bromley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Lakeland, Tameside, Warwick and Stratford-on-Avon. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Newbold Verdon Leicestershire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Colton Lancashire
5 Abbots Bromley Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Lakeland 012 South Lakeland
2 Tameside 027 Tameside
3 Warwick 004 Warwick
4 South Lakeland 014 South Lakeland
5 Stratford-on-Avon 006 Stratford-on-Avon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bevins

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bevins

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Bevins surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Bevins household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Bevins 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

Bevins 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

Bevins falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bevins

The surname Bevins is of English origin, emerging in the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old French personal name "Bevin" or "Bevyn", a diminutive form of the name "Beves" or "Bevis". This name is thought to have originated from the Old German name "Bavo", which means "brave" or "valiant".

The Bevins surname is believed to have first appeared in records during the 13th century in various counties across England, including Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Devon. It is likely that the name was brought to England by Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bevins surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Berkshire from 1273, which mentions a person named "Walter Bevyn". The Bevins name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a "John Bevyn" is listed.

In the 15th century, the surname was sometimes spelled as "Bevans", as evidenced by a record from 1469 mentioning a "John Bevans" from Gloucestershire. This alternative spelling may have been influenced by the place name "Bevan" or "Bevan's Hill" in Gloucestershire.

Notable individuals with the Bevins surname throughout history include:

1. Richard Bevins (c.1550-1628), an English Puritan minister and author known for his work "A Treatise on the Lord's Supper".

2. John Bevins (1588-1647), an English clergyman and author of the book "De Vitae Aeternae Termino" (On the End of Eternal Life).

3. William Bevins (1639-1696), an English Quaker writer and activist who was imprisoned for his religious beliefs.

4. Ephraim Bevins (1672-1738), an English Quaker minister and author of several religious works.

5. Thomas Bevins (1701-1773), an English surveyor and cartographer who produced maps of various counties in England.

While the Bevins surname has origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through British emigration and colonization.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bevins families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bevins 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. Leicestershire leads with 79 Bevins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.64x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 79 19.64x
Lancashire 75 1.74x
Staffordshire 75 6.12x
Surrey 31 1.75x
Warwickshire 24 2.62x
Middlesex 20 0.55x
Yorkshire 19 0.53x
Cheshire 6 0.75x
Lanarkshire 6 0.51x
Northumberland 6 1.11x
Angus 5 1.49x
Hampshire 5 0.67x
Derbyshire 3 0.53x
Durham 3 0.28x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.61x
Sussex 3 0.49x
Wiltshire 3 0.93x
Kent 2 0.16x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.65x
Essex 1 0.14x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.87x
Worcestershire 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bradford in Lancashire leads with 23 Bevins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 114.14x.

Place Total Index
Bradford 23 114.14x
Newbold Verdon 22 2391.30x
Lambeth 17 5.37x
Leicester St Margaret 17 17.33x
Abbots Bromley 16 879.12x
Hindley 11 59.91x
Southwark Christchurch 11 64.71x
West Bromwich 10 14.26x
Higham On The Hill 9 1607.14x
Leicester St Mary 9 27.69x
Mavesyn Ridware 9 1525.42x
Bethnal Green London 8 5.08x
Kingsley 8 350.88x
Swannington 8 536.91x
Birmingham 7 2.30x
Burton Extra 7 99.72x
St Anne Soho London 7 33.78x
Toxteth Park 7 4.80x
Wolverhampton 7 7.43x
Brightside Bierlow 6 8.51x
Hoyland Nether 6 68.03x
Mickle Bridge 6 1578.95x
Newcastle On Tyne St 6 21.44x
Old Monkland 6 12.88x
Colton 5 223.21x
Coupar Angus 5 157.23x
Coventry St Michael 5 17.01x
Openshaw 5 24.79x
West Derby 5 3.97x
Clifton On Dunsmore 4 540.54x
Fradley 4 851.06x
Peckleton 4 1212.12x
Sibson 4 851.06x
St Pancras London 4 1.37x
Ulverston 4 31.90x
Wigan 4 6.65x
Chitterne All Sts 3 555.56x
Dalton In Furness 3 18.05x
Ecclesfield 3 11.38x
Foleshill 3 31.15x
Gateshead 3 3.71x
Gorton 3 7.41x
Nottingham St Mary 3 2.37x
Oldham 3 2.16x
Rugby 3 24.23x
Ryde 3 18.77x
Sedgley 3 6.59x
Whittington 3 119.52x
Bradford 2 2.30x
Hartshorn 2 93.02x
Hastings St Mary 2 13.13x
Lichfield St Chad 2 72.73x
Newington 2 1.49x
Portsmouth 2 11.68x
Sheepy Magna 2 384.62x
Southam 2 90.09x
Tettenhall 2 26.70x
Alrewas 1 84.03x
Bagworth 1 133.33x
Bromley 1 5.30x
Brompton In Scarborough 1 116.28x
Burton Overy 1 188.68x
Camberwell 1 0.43x
Cannock 1 4.68x
Colwich 1 34.36x
Egton Cum Newland 1 80.00x
Hove 1 3.73x
Islington London 1 0.28x
Llanelly 1 2.90x
Manchester 1 0.52x
Margate St John Baptist 1 4.41x
Nailstone 1 108.70x
Narberth South 1 117.65x
Rugeley 1 11.38x
Skipton 1 8.83x
Stapenhill 1 11.82x
West Ham 1 0.63x
Wigston Magna 1 18.73x
Yardley 1 8.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 26
Sarah 21
Elizabeth 18
Hannah 9
Jane 7
Annie 6
Margaret 5
Martha 5
Amy 4
Ann 4
Emma 4
Agnes 3
Alice 3
Barbara 3
Caroline 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Sophia 3
Anne 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Eleanor 2
Elizbth. 2
Elizeberth 2
Frances 2
Gemima 2
Harriet 2
Louisa 2
Margt. 2
Maria 2
Rachel 2
Dency 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Harriett 1
Isabella 1
Jesse 1
Jessie 1
Judeth 1
Lamey 1
Lizzie 1
Luirer 1
Marth. 1
Minnie 1
Olivia 1
Pheobe 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 26
William 24
Thomas 19
George 12
Joseph 10
Alfred 7
Arthur 7
Charles 6
James 6
Walter 6
Richard 4
Samuel 4
Daniel 3
Edmund 3
Henry 3
Ralph 3
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Geo. 2
Aaron 1
Abraham 1
Alando 1
Albert 1
Allen 1
Bennet 1
Bertrand 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
G. 1
Herbert 1
Isaaca 1
Isiah 1
J.J. 1
Jacob 1
Leonard 1
Mathew 1
Morris 1
Nathaniel 1
Robert 1
Roger 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1
Thos.George 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Bevins surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bevins surname in 1881?

In 1881, 378 people were recorded with the Bevins surname. That placed it at #8,288 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bevins surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 392 in 2016. That gives Bevins a modern rank of #12,052.

What does the Bevins surname mean?

Derived from a French place name, likely referring to someone from a town called Beauvain or Beauvoir.

What does the Bevins map show?

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