NameCensus.

UK surname

Bex

A variant surname derived from Becks, a location name meaning "one who lived by a stream."

In the 1881 census there were 125 people recorded with the Bex surname, ranking it #17,335 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 154, ranked #23,293, down from #17,335 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Godalming, Binham and Lamberhurst. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East, Barnet and Newark and Sherwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bex is 189 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.2%.

1881 census count

125

Ranked #17,335

Modern count

154

2016, ranked #23,293

Peak year

1999

189 bearers

Map years

5

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bex had 125 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,335 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016, ranked #23,293.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 163 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Bex surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bex surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bex 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 73 #20,581
1881 historical 125 #17,335
1891 historical 5 #33,939
1901 historical 163 #17,205
1997 modern 184 #18,580
1998 modern 185 #18,973
1999 modern 189 #18,862
2000 modern 183 #19,239
2001 modern 174 #19,562
2002 modern 174 #19,971
2003 modern 163 #20,554
2004 modern 160 #20,926
2005 modern 151 #21,667
2006 modern 150 #21,915
2007 modern 155 #21,726
2008 modern 162 #21,350
2009 modern 160 #21,978
2010 modern 163 #22,205
2011 modern 163 #21,983
2012 modern 148 #23,457
2013 modern 156 #23,004
2014 modern 159 #22,930
2015 modern 156 #23,106
2016 modern 154 #23,293

Geography

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Where Bex' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Godalming, Binham, Lamberhurst, London parishes and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East, Barnet, Newark and Sherwood, Sheffield and Leeds. 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 Godalming Surrey
2 Binham Norfolk
3 Lamberhurst Sussex
4 London parishes London 3
5 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 016 Cheshire East
2 Barnet 001 Barnet
3 Newark and Sherwood 005 Newark and Sherwood
4 Sheffield 017 Sheffield
5 Leeds 045 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bex

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bex

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Bex is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bex is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bex falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bex is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bex

The surname Bex originates from England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bec," meaning a stream or brook, and "bece," meaning a beech tree. The name was likely given to families who lived near a stream or a beech tree grove.

Bex is a locational surname, meaning it originated from a specific place. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it is listed as "Thomas de Bek." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place called Bek or Bec in Oxfordshire.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a place called "Beche" is mentioned, which could be the origin of the Bex surname. This place was located in Berkshire, and it is possible that some families from this area adopted the name Bex.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Bex was William Bex, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. Another early record is of John Bex, who was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1379.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, variations of the name, such as Beks, Becks, and Bekes, were also found in various records across England.

One notable individual with the surname Bex was Thomas Bex, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Norwich, who lived during the late 15th century. Another was John Bex, a landowner and farmer from Oxfordshire, who was born around 1520 and died in 1598.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Bex family had a presence in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, and Lincolnshire. One prominent figure was Edward Bex, a lawyer and member of the Parliament of England, who lived from 1605 to 1671.

In the 18th century, the name Bex appeared in the records of various parishes in Kent, Sussex, and Somerset. One notable individual was William Bex, a renowned architect and builder who designed several churches and public buildings in London between 1720 and 1780.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bex families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bex 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. Surrey leads with 57 Bex' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.60x.

County Total Index
Surrey 57 9.60x
Kent 24 5.77x
Northamptonshire 19 16.57x
Norfolk 9 4.80x
Essex 5 2.08x
Hampshire 3 1.20x
Middlesex 2 0.16x
Derbyshire 1 0.52x
Devon 1 0.39x
Lancashire 1 0.07x
Suffolk 1 0.67x
Sussex 1 0.49x
Yorkshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Godalming in Surrey leads with 14 Bex' recorded in 1881 and an index of 374.33x.

Place Total Index
Godalming 14 374.33x
Peterborough 11 132.53x
Bexley 10 271.74x
Sanderstead 9 5625.00x
Richmond 8 96.15x
Crayford 7 384.62x
Barnes 6 239.04x
Camberwell 6 7.71x
Croydon 6 18.20x
Northampton St Sepulchre 6 102.92x
Shereford 6 15000.00x
Lambeth 4 3.76x
Leyton 4 96.39x
Aldershot 3 35.84x
Mitcham 3 80.00x
Fakenham 2 217.39x
Kensington London 2 2.95x
Maidstone 2 16.14x
Northampton All Sts 2 51.41x
Plumstead 2 14.43x
Assington 1 322.58x
Broadwater 1 21.23x
Coulsdon 1 92.59x
Everton 1 2.17x
Exeter St Martin 1 1250.00x
Fakenham Alethorpe 1 434.78x
Lewisham 1 4.51x
Leyton Low 1 20.45x
Mickleover 1 169.49x
Ramsgate 1 14.73x
Scarborough 1 9.11x
Woolwich 1 6.51x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Bex surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bex surname in 1881?

In 1881, 125 people were recorded with the Bex surname. That placed it at #17,335 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bex surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016. That gives Bex a modern rank of #23,293.

What does the Bex surname mean?

A variant surname derived from Becks, a location name meaning "one who lived by a stream."

What does the Bex map show?

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