NameCensus.

UK surname

Bibbey

A locational surname derived from a place name in Wiltshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 125 people recorded with the Bibbey surname, ranking it #17,335 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 169, ranked #21,884, down from #17,335 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Biddulph, Wolstanton and Astbury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bromsgrove, Waltham Forest and Cheshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bibbey is 183 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.2%.

1881 census count

125

Ranked #17,335

Modern count

169

2016, ranked #21,884

Peak year

2010

183 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bibbey had 125 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,335 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 169 in 2016, ranked #21,884.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 178 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Bibbey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bibbey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bibbey 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 132 #14,174
1861 historical 108 #19,856
1881 historical 125 #17,335
1891 historical 160 #17,555
1901 historical 164 #17,144
1911 historical 178 #16,073
1997 modern 123 #23,792
1998 modern 155 #21,227
1999 modern 154 #21,455
2000 modern 165 #20,501
2001 modern 154 #21,122
2002 modern 162 #20,839
2003 modern 156 #21,115
2004 modern 162 #20,756
2005 modern 157 #21,128
2006 modern 160 #21,066
2007 modern 160 #21,296
2008 modern 174 #20,385
2009 modern 177 #20,560
2010 modern 183 #20,586
2011 modern 172 #21,248
2012 modern 173 #21,135
2013 modern 174 #21,401
2014 modern 176 #21,413
2015 modern 176 #21,291
2016 modern 169 #21,884

Geography

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Where Bibbeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Biddulph, Wolstanton, Astbury, London parishes and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bromsgrove, Waltham Forest, Cheshire East and Stoke-on-Trent. 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 Biddulph Cheshire
2 Wolstanton Staffordshire
3 Astbury Cheshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bromsgrove 002 Bromsgrove
2 Waltham Forest 027 Waltham Forest
3 Cheshire East 022 Cheshire East
4 Waltham Forest 028 Waltham Forest
5 Stoke-on-Trent 017 Stoke-on-Trent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bibbey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bibbey

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Bibbey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Bibbey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Bibbey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bibbey 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

Bibbey 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 Bibbey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bibbey

The surname Bibbey is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "bybbe," which means "a little piece of land or a small field." The name was primarily found in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Worcestershire in the West Midlands region of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bibbe." This suggests that the name has been in existence since at least the 11th century.

During the 13th century, the name was often spelled as "Bibby" or "Bibbi." This variation in spelling was common in those times due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions. The name was also sometimes associated with place names, such as "Bibbury" or "Bibbington," which were small villages or hamlets in the same region.

In the 14th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir John Bibbey, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. He was born in Gloucestershire in 1320 and died in 1395.

Another prominent figure with this surname was William Bibbey, a scholar and author born in Oxfordshire in 1587. He wrote several treatises on philosophy and theology and was a fellow at Oxford University.

During the 17th century, the surname Bibbey was found in various records across the West Midlands region, indicating its continued presence in the area. One such record was the baptismal register of St. Mary's Church in Warwick, where a child named Thomas Bibbey was baptized in 1623.

In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was Elizabeth Bibbey, a writer and poet born in Worcestershire in 1745. She published a collection of poems titled "Verses on Various Occasions" in 1770.

Another individual with the surname Bibbey was Robert Bibbey, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in Gloucestershire in the late 18th century. He was born in 1752 and died in 1825.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bibbey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bibbey 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. Essex leads with 43 Bibbeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.59x.

County Total Index
Essex 43 17.59x
Middlesex 26 2.10x
Cheshire 19 6.95x
Lancashire 19 1.29x
Surrey 6 0.99x
Durham 4 1.09x
Kent 4 0.95x
Yorkshire 2 0.16x
Hertfordshire 1 1.17x
Montgomeryshire 1 3.52x
Royal Navy 1 6.78x
Sussex 1 0.48x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Newbold Astbury in Cheshire leads with 13 Bibbeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3939.39x.

Place Total Index
Newbold Astbury 13 3939.39x
Shenfield 11 1746.03x
Pemberton 9 153.58x
Ardleigh 8 1176.47x
Mile End 8 1777.78x
Brentwood 7 469.80x
Danbury 6 1463.41x
Islington London 6 5.00x
Southwark St Saviour 6 94.19x
Bethnal Green London 5 9.29x
Hackney London 5 7.20x
Newton In Makerfield 5 111.11x
Poplar London 5 21.39x
Chilton 4 347.83x
Deptford St Paul 4 12.27x
Salford 4 9.25x
Stockport 3 21.32x
Braintree 2 90.91x
Congleton 2 42.37x
Enfield 2 24.60x
Shoreditch London 2 3.72x
Sutton Stoneferry 2 56.98x
Bocking 1 68.03x
Brighton 1 2.37x
Church Lawton 1 285.71x
Churchstoke 1 185.19x
Offley 1 178.57x
Royal Navy 1 7.92x
St Michael Bassishaw 1 1111.11x
Widnes 1 9.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Elizabeth 7
Sarah 4
Ellen 3
Annie 2
Emma 2
Ida 2
Jane 2
Rosa 2
Alice 1
Allice 1
Charlotte 1
Eliz. 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Frances 1
Harriett 1
Henretta 1
Isabella 1
Madeline 1
Margaret 1
Matilda 1
Philis 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
James 7
Thomas 7
William 7
Charles 5
George 4
Henry 4
Richard 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Francis 2
Joseph 2
Samuel 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Bertie 1
Dennis 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Infant 1
Leonard 1
Newman 1
Philip 1

FAQ

Bibbey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bibbey surname in 1881?

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

How common is the Bibbey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 169 in 2016. That gives Bibbey a modern rank of #21,884.

What does the Bibbey surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in Wiltshire, England.

What does the Bibbey map show?

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