NameCensus.

UK surname

Bickley

Derived from a place name meaning "bee wood clearing" in Old English, referring to a person who lived there.

In the 1881 census there were 1,239 people recorded with the Bickley surname, ranking it #3,275 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,447, ranked #4,244, down from #3,275 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken and Ellesmere (Ellesmere), Welshampton, Whittington, Halston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Warwickshire, Walsall and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bickley is 1,612 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.8%.

1881 census count

1,239

Ranked #3,275

Modern count

1,447

2016, ranked #4,244

Peak year

2000

1,612 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bickley had 1,239 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,275 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,447 in 2016, ranked #4,244.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,573 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bickley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bickley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bickley 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 772 #3,459
1861 historical 847 #3,265
1881 historical 1,239 #3,275
1891 historical 1,206 #3,557
1901 historical 1,446 #3,521
1911 historical 1,573 #3,086
1997 modern 1,478 #3,957
1998 modern 1,569 #3,894
1999 modern 1,597 #3,884
2000 modern 1,612 #3,825
2001 modern 1,581 #3,818
2002 modern 1,588 #3,884
2003 modern 1,528 #3,935
2004 modern 1,495 #4,016
2005 modern 1,442 #4,090
2006 modern 1,456 #4,064
2007 modern 1,457 #4,100
2008 modern 1,449 #4,139
2009 modern 1,504 #4,110
2010 modern 1,491 #4,201
2011 modern 1,482 #4,190
2012 modern 1,457 #4,177
2013 modern 1,478 #4,200
2014 modern 1,493 #4,190
2015 modern 1,455 #4,237
2016 modern 1,447 #4,244

Geography

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Where Bickleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken, Ellesmere (Ellesmere), Welshampton, Whittington, Halston, Walsall and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Warwickshire, Walsall, Cheshire West and Chester and Mid Devon. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire
3 Ellesmere (Ellesmere), Welshampton, Whittington, Halston Shropshire
4 Walsall Staffordshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Warwickshire 003 North Warwickshire
2 Walsall 002 Walsall
3 Walsall 016 Walsall
4 Cheshire West and Chester 047 Cheshire West and Chester
5 Mid Devon 010 Mid Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bickley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bickley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bickley, 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 Bickley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bickley 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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Bickley is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Bickley is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Bickley

The surname Bickley is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "bic" meaning a brook or stream, and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow. The name likely originated in the medieval period, referring to someone who lived near a brook in a meadow or clearing.

The surname is found in various historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bichelei" and "Bichelie". This suggests the name was already established in parts of England by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Sir John Bickley, a knight who lived in Cheshire, England, in the 13th century. Another early bearer was Richard Bickley, a member of the English Parliament from Worcestershire in the late 14th century.

The surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Bickley in Cheshire, Bickley in Bromley (Greater London), and Bickley in Devon. These places likely gave rise to some instances of the surname, as it was common for people to adopt their place of residence as a surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Bickley throughout history include:

1. George Whiting Bickley (1819-1867), an English architect known for designing churches and public buildings in London and other parts of England.

2. Alured Bickley (1888-1954), a British army officer and writer who served in World War I and wrote several books on military history and strategy.

3. Frances Bickley (1784-1844), an English author and poet who wrote several works of fiction and poetry in the early 19th century.

4. Albert Claudius Bickley (1839-1926), a British civil servant and administrator who served as the Chief Secretary of the Federated Malay States from 1897 to 1902.

5. William Bickley (1617-1671), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Sion College in London in the mid-17th century.

While the surname Bickley is not among the most common in English-speaking countries, it has a long and well-documented history, with roots stretching back to medieval England and various notable bearers throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bickley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bickley 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. Staffordshire leads with 382 Bickleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.35x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 382 9.35x
Warwickshire 171 5.60x
Devon 122 4.84x
Shropshire 103 9.85x
Middlesex 86 0.71x
Cheshire 64 2.39x
Lancashire 46 0.32x
Worcestershire 35 2.21x
Somerset 32 1.64x
Leicestershire 30 2.24x
Surrey 26 0.44x
Nottinghamshire 16 0.98x
Yorkshire 15 0.13x
Gloucestershire 13 0.55x
Cambridgeshire 11 1.43x
Durham 10 0.28x
Flintshire 10 3.07x
Sussex 10 0.49x
Glamorgan 9 0.43x
Monmouthshire 8 0.91x
Denbighshire 7 1.53x
Kent 7 0.17x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.68x
Cornwall 5 0.36x
Hampshire 5 0.20x
Essex 4 0.17x
Dorset 2 0.25x
Lanarkshire 2 0.05x
Northamptonshire 2 0.18x
Berkshire 1 0.11x
Hertfordshire 1 0.12x
Royal Navy 1 0.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 66 Bickleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.49x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 66 6.49x
Walsall Foreign 53 25.11x
Wolverhampton 36 11.46x
Shrewsbury St Mary 28 67.85x
Coventry St Michael 26 26.51x
Plymouth St Andrew 24 12.36x
Ellesmere 22 122.49x
Aston 20 2.38x
Norton Canes 19 127.60x
Stafford St Mary 18 31.12x
Kings Norton 17 11.99x
Pelsall 17 139.92x
Nottingham St Mary 16 3.79x
Hulme 15 5.00x
Madeley 15 147.20x
West Bromwich 15 6.41x
Willenhall 15 19.60x
Aldridge 14 178.34x
Cannock 14 19.64x
Hackney London 14 2.06x
Rushall 14 58.21x
Castle Church 12 48.86x
St George In East London 12 10.54x
Chester St John Baptist 11 22.90x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 11 32.89x
Shoreditch London 11 2.10x
Bilston 10 12.63x
Brewood 10 84.89x
Esh 10 38.15x
Handsworth 10 9.93x
Harpford 10 884.96x
Brighton 9 2.19x
East Budleigh 9 75.82x
Hinstock 9 251.40x
Kingswinford 9 6.07x
Llandaff 9 12.83x
Malpas Iscoyd 9 529.41x
St Pancras London 9 0.92x
Wednesfield 9 14.97x
Wem 9 57.84x
Wootton Wawen 9 93.56x
Dudley 8 4.16x
Islington London 8 0.68x
Old Stratford 8 46.30x
Solihull 8 36.45x
St Marylebone London 8 1.24x
Stoke Upon Trent 8 1.85x
Wellington 8 30.28x
Coventry Holy Trinity 7 7.68x
Lichfield St Michael 7 54.56x
Shrewsbury St Chad 7 19.07x
Sutton Coldfield 7 21.81x
Tettenhall 7 28.02x
Ashill 6 307.69x
Betley 6 176.47x
Birkenhead 6 2.82x
Bootle Cum Linacre 6 5.26x
Brymbo 6 37.69x
Burntwood Edial 6 22.99x
Camberwell 6 0.78x
Chester St Oswald 6 12.40x
Clist Honiton 6 480.00x
Delamere 6 250.00x
Edgbaston 6 6.34x
Essington 6 111.32x
Leicester St Margaret 6 1.83x
Leicester St Mary 6 5.53x
Lymm 6 30.88x
Oldham 6 1.29x
Stone 6 11.48x
Taunton St James 6 21.11x
Walkington 6 147.78x
Warwick St Mary 6 22.64x
Wolstanton 6 4.83x
Bow London 5 3.24x
Exeter Heavitree 5 26.61x
Greenwich 5 2.59x
Tanworth 5 61.96x
Tranmere 5 5.09x
Wolborough 5 15.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 85
John 64
Thomas 49
Charles 37
James 34
Joseph 30
Henry 28
George 26
Samuel 26
Edward 21
Alfred 13
Benjamin 10
Walter 10
Albert 9
Arthur 9
David 9
Robert 9
Elijah 7
Frederick 7
Richard 7
Francis 6
Harry 6
Wm. 6
Thos. 5
Edwin 4
Enock 4
Herbert 4
Isaac 4
Peter 4
Andrew 3
Emanuel 3
Enoch 3
Ernest 3
Frank 3
Percy 3
Saml. 3
Agustus 2
Ed. 2
Edw. 2
Fines 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Rowland 2
Stephen 2
Bernard 1
Bertland 1
Elias 1
Ensign 1
Hurlet 1
Issac 1

FAQ

Bickley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bickley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,239 people were recorded with the Bickley surname. That placed it at #3,275 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bickley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,447 in 2016. That gives Bickley a modern rank of #4,244.

What does the Bickley surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "bee wood clearing" in Old English, referring to a person who lived there.

What does the Bickley map show?

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