NameCensus.

UK surname

Bidewell

In the 1881 census there were 104 people recorded with the Bidewell surname, ranking it #19,296 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 143, ranked #24,505, down from #19,296 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Carleton Forehoe, London parishes and St Anne Limehouse. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Breckland, Bromley and North Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bidewell is 177 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.5%.

1881 census count

104

Ranked #19,296

Modern count

143

2016, ranked #24,505

Peak year

1911

177 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bidewell had 104 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,296 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016, ranked #24,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 177 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Bidewell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bidewell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bidewell 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 43 #25,518
1861 historical 54 #27,127
1881 historical 104 #19,296
1891 historical 163 #17,300
1901 historical 167 #16,943
1911 historical 177 #16,129
1997 modern 163 #20,038
1998 modern 165 #20,423
1999 modern 162 #20,781
2000 modern 176 #19,698
2001 modern 167 #20,060
2002 modern 165 #20,619
2003 modern 158 #20,952
2004 modern 148 #22,000
2005 modern 146 #22,146
2006 modern 148 #22,111
2007 modern 144 #22,804
2008 modern 148 #22,627
2009 modern 160 #21,978
2010 modern 157 #22,800
2011 modern 146 #23,736
2012 modern 147 #23,567
2013 modern 148 #23,884
2014 modern 146 #24,274
2015 modern 145 #24,246
2016 modern 143 #24,505

Geography

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Where Bidewells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Carleton Forehoe, London parishes, St Anne Limehouse, Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Breckland, Bromley and North Norfolk. 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 Carleton Forehoe Norfolk
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Anne Limehouse London (East Districts)
4 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Breckland 002 Breckland
2 Breckland 011 Breckland
3 Bromley 037 Bromley
4 North Norfolk 009 North Norfolk
5 Breckland 001 Breckland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bidewell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bidewell

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Bidewell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Bidewell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Bidewell 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

Bidewell is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bidewell 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 Bidewell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Bidewell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bidewell 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. Norfolk leads with 69 Bidewells recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.24x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 69 44.24x
Middlesex 15 1.48x
Yorkshire 5 0.50x
Gloucestershire 4 2.01x
Surrey 4 0.81x
Derbyshire 3 1.89x
Kent 2 0.58x
Berkshire 1 1.31x
Sussex 1 0.58x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Carleton Forehoe in Norfolk leads with 15 Bidewells recorded in 1881 and an index of 30000.00x.

Place Total Index
Carleton Forehoe 15 30000.00x
Limehouse London 13 116.70x
Forncett St Peter 10 4761.90x
Hardingham 9 5000.00x
Wymondham 9 566.04x
Earlham 6 7500.00x
East Tuddenham 5 3125.00x
Avening 4 571.43x
Heigham 4 47.79x
Wilton In Guisbrough 4 888.89x
Fairfield 3 283.02x
Lambeth 3 3.39x
Holt 2 377.36x
Loose 2 392.16x
Norwich St Edmund 2 800.00x
Scole Cum Frenze 2 869.57x
Alburgh 1 454.55x
Bodham 1 1000.00x
Eastbourne 1 12.71x
Lockngtn In Kilnwck 1 555.56x
Newington 1 2.67x
Norwich St Stephen 1 69.93x
Old Windsor 1 113.64x
Shipdham 1 188.68x
Shoreditch London 1 2.27x
St Pancras London 1 1.22x
Worthing 1 2500.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Emma 5
Elizabeth 3
Emily 3
Anna 2
Bertha 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Harriett 2
Harriot 2
Maria 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Ann 1
Edith 1
Elenor 1
Eliza 1
Elizh. 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Jamima 1
Jane 1
Jemima 1
Julia 1
Katy 1
Mabel 1
Mary 1
Maude 1
Rachael 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Sarah 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
George 7
William 7
Edward 4
Henry 4
Robert 4
Arthur 2
James 2
Samuel 2
Willam 2
Archibald 1
Charles 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Harry 1
Infant 1
Marcellins 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Bidewell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bidewell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 104 people were recorded with the Bidewell surname. That placed it at #19,296 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bidewell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016. That gives Bidewell a modern rank of #24,505.

What does the Bidewell map show?

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