NameCensus.

UK surname

Bickers

An occupational surname referring to someone who quarreled or argued frequently.

In the 1881 census there were 344 people recorded with the Bickers surname, ranking it #8,864 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 502, ranked #9,961, down from #8,864 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Llanrwst, Llanddoged. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ipswich, Mid Suffolk and Suffolk Coastal.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bickers is 550 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.9%.

1881 census count

344

Ranked #8,864

Modern count

502

2016, ranked #9,961

Peak year

2000

550 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bickers had 344 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,864 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 502 in 2016, ranked #9,961.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 514 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bickers surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bickers surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bickers 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 285 #7,952
1861 historical 223 #10,942
1881 historical 344 #8,864
1891 historical 441 #8,197
1901 historical 444 #8,792
1911 historical 514 #7,669
1997 modern 547 #8,694
1998 modern 536 #9,099
1999 modern 545 #9,044
2000 modern 550 #8,943
2001 modern 540 #8,919
2002 modern 549 #8,989
2003 modern 513 #9,314
2004 modern 517 #9,288
2005 modern 493 #9,536
2006 modern 488 #9,648
2007 modern 486 #9,771
2008 modern 481 #9,930
2009 modern 498 #9,894
2010 modern 509 #9,916
2011 modern 513 #9,765
2012 modern 492 #9,989
2013 modern 517 #9,766
2014 modern 511 #9,927
2015 modern 502 #9,972
2016 modern 502 #9,961

Geography

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Where Bickers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Llanrwst, Llanddoged, Thirsk and Madeley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ipswich, Mid Suffolk and Suffolk Coastal. 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 Manchester Lancashire
3 Llanrwst, Llanddoged Denbighshire
4 Thirsk Yorkshire, North Riding
5 Madeley Shropshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ipswich 007 Ipswich
2 Mid Suffolk 003 Mid Suffolk
3 Suffolk Coastal 010 Suffolk Coastal
4 Mid Suffolk 004 Mid Suffolk
5 Ipswich 008 Ipswich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bickers

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bickers

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Bickers surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bickers household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bickers is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bickers is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bickers falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bickers

The surname Bickers is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "bycgan," which means "to buy" or "to trade." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who was involved in the buying and selling of goods, such as a merchant or a trader.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bickers can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Bycger" and "Bickere," indicating that it was already in use by the 11th century.

Throughout the centuries, the name Bickers has been associated with various locations across England. For example, there are records of individuals with this surname residing in areas like Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire. The name may also have connections to certain place names, such as Bicker, a village in Lincolnshire, or Bickerton, a town in Cheshire.

One notable individual with the surname Bickers was John Bickers, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a prominent English merchant and served as the Lord Mayor of York in 1611. Another individual of note was Robert Bickers, an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Tewkesbury in the 17th century.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure with the surname Bickers was Sir Michael Bickers, a British naval officer who played a significant role in the Seven Years' War. He was born in 1725 and served as the Governor of Newfoundland from 1760 to 1763.

Moving into the 19th century, one notable individual was Charles Bickers, an English architect who was born in 1818 and designed several notable buildings, including the Church of St. John the Baptist in Liverpool.

In more recent times, a well-known figure with the surname Bickers was Robert Bickers, a British historian and academic who specialized in the study of modern China. He was born in 1947 and served as a professor at the University of Bristol.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bickers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bickers 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. Suffolk leads with 90 Bickers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.28x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 90 22.28x
Middlesex 66 1.99x
Yorkshire 54 1.64x
Surrey 28 1.73x
Lancashire 27 0.69x
Norfolk 21 4.12x
Shropshire 13 4.54x
Ayrshire 7 2.82x
Hampshire 7 1.03x
Renfrewshire 7 2.72x
Essex 6 0.92x
Devon 5 0.72x
Caernarfonshire 3 2.24x
Denbighshire 2 1.60x
Dorset 1 0.46x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.22x
Roxburghshire 1 1.66x
Royal Navy 1 2.53x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wangford in Suffolk leads with 17 Bickers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2236.84x.

Place Total Index
Wangford 17 2236.84x
Manchester 16 9.04x
Madeley 13 123.69x
Great Yarmouth 9 21.31x
Leeds 9 4.85x
Mirfield 9 49.89x
Sibton 9 1607.14x
Shoreditch London 8 5.56x
St George Hanover Square 8 13.69x
St Pancras London 8 3.00x
Wilby 8 1509.43x
Bethnal Green London 7 4.86x
Bromley London 7 9.59x
Edmonton 7 26.20x
Erskine 7 374.33x
Heigham 7 25.58x
Ipswich St Mathew 7 61.84x
Thirsk 7 184.70x
Croydon 6 6.69x
Frostenden 6 1363.64x
Galston 6 88.37x
Great Holland 6 1304.35x
Newdigate 6 800.00x
Ratcliffe London 6 32.75x
Southampton All Sts 6 51.46x
Tadcaster West 6 230.77x
Terrington With 6 937.50x
Claydon 5 833.33x
Exeter Heavitree 5 97.09x
Ipswich St Peter 5 91.91x
Newington 5 4.08x
Oswaldtwistle 5 35.95x
Streatham 5 20.32x
Woodbridge 5 96.90x
Clifton In York 4 58.22x
Westminster St John 4 9.90x
Worlingworth 4 547.95x
Airyholm W Howthrp 3 6000.00x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 3 39.58x
Carlton Colville 3 202.70x
Clapham 3 7.24x
Hovingham 3 441.18x
Ipswich St Margaret 3 21.88x
Llandudno 3 62.76x
Mile End Old Town London 3 4.25x
Beverley St Mary 2 41.67x
Blythburgh 2 215.05x
Camberwell 2 0.94x
Debenham 2 149.25x
Ilketshall St Andrew 2 370.37x
Kensington London 2 1.08x
Langley 2 571.43x
Llanrwst Capel Garmon 2 200.00x
St Marylebone London 2 1.13x
Thurton 2 869.57x
Worsley 2 8.24x
Yeadon 2 26.95x
Amport 1 129.87x
Barsham 1 285.71x
Bedfield 1 232.56x
Bramfield 1 140.85x
Conisbrough 1 32.47x
Crumpsall 1 10.78x
Debach 1 714.29x
Diss 1 22.88x
Doncaster 1 4.16x
Gorton 1 2.70x
Holy Trinity 1 1.27x
Hoxne 1 86.96x
Kirkby In Ashfield 1 20.92x
Little Stonham 1 285.71x
Melrose 1 19.27x
Oulton 1 73.53x
Royal Navy 1 2.96x
Spitalfields London 1 4.01x
St Luke London 1 1.88x
Stradbroke 1 73.53x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 1 8.83x
Westminster St Margaret 1 6.25x
Willesden 1 3.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Elizabeth 10
Sarah 8
Alice 7
Annie 7
Ellen 7
Emma 7
Charlotte 6
Ann 5
Jane 5
Beatrice 4
Emily 4
Eliza 3
Hannah 3
Rebecca 3
Susan 3
Ada 2
Anne 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Eva 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Gertrude 2
Jemima 2
Kate 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Pamela 2
Rachel 2
Betty 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Celia 1
Charity 1
Elena 1
Elizah. 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.M. 1
Ethel 1
Harriot 1
Hatie 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Henritta 1
Hethy 1
Isabel 1
Janette 1
Lydia 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 22
John 19
James 10
Thomas 10
Robert 9
Henry 8
George 7
Samuel 7
Charles 6
Alfred 5
Arthur 5
Edgar 3
Edward 3
Frederick 3
Ambrose 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Richard 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Amos 1
Bernard 1
Edger 1
Elijah 1
Emmanuel 1
Enoch 1
Ernest 1
Esau 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.C. 1
Geo.Henry 1
Geo.Sidney 1
Harland 1
Jesse 1
Louis 1
Mathias 1
Nemiah 1
Oswald 1
Robt. 1
Stanley 1
Thos. 1
Valentine 1
Walter 1
Wilfred 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Bickers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bickers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 344 people were recorded with the Bickers surname. That placed it at #8,864 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bickers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 502 in 2016. That gives Bickers a modern rank of #9,961.

What does the Bickers surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who quarreled or argued frequently.

What does the Bickers map show?

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