NameCensus.

UK surname

Biel

A Swiss habitational surname derived from place names meaning "hatchet" or "axe" in Middle High German.

In the 1881 census there were 8 people recorded with the Biel surname, ranking it #32,581 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 103, ranked #30,515, up from #32,581 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Lincolnshire, Chiltern and Bristol.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Biel is 103 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1187.5%.

1881 census count

8

Ranked #32,581

Modern count

103

2016, ranked #30,515

Peak year

2016

103 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Biel had 8 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,581 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016, ranked #30,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 37 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Biel surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Biel surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Biel 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 21 #29,550
1861 historical 37 #29,339
1881 historical 8 #32,581
1891 historical 24 #32,320
1901 historical 21 #31,686
1911 historical 11 #32,463
1997 modern 41 #33,552
1998 modern 44 #33,462
1999 modern 43 #33,683
2000 modern 41 #33,889
2001 modern 39 #33,923
2002 modern 39 #34,219
2003 modern 44 #33,875
2004 modern 45 #33,957
2005 modern 54 #33,433
2006 modern 59 #33,330
2007 modern 61 #33,440
2008 modern 70 #32,856
2009 modern 78 #32,471
2010 modern 80 #32,670
2011 modern 85 #32,127
2012 modern 94 #31,258
2013 modern 97 #31,239
2014 modern 94 #31,909
2015 modern 99 #31,168
2016 modern 103 #30,515

Geography

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Where Biels are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North East Lincolnshire, Chiltern, Bristol, Bradford and Weymouth and Portland. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North East Lincolnshire 006 North East Lincolnshire
2 Chiltern 006 Chiltern
3 Bristol 003 Bristol, City of
4 Bradford 010 Bradford
5 Weymouth and Portland 009 Weymouth and Portland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Biel

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Biel

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Biel, 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 Biel surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Biel 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Biel 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

Biel 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

Biel falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Biel 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Biel

The surname Biel has its origins in Germany and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "biele," which means "hill" or "slope," suggesting that the name may have originated from a geographic location or a topographic feature.

The earliest known record of the name Biel can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Lubecensis, a collection of documents related to the city of Lübeck, Germany, dated around 1270. This suggests that the name was present in Northern Germany during the Middle Ages.

In the 14th century, there are mentions of the surname Biel in various historical records, such as the Hanseatic League's trade documents. This indicates that individuals with this name were involved in the commercial activities of the powerful trading association that dominated maritime commerce in Northern Europe during that period.

One notable individual bearing the surname Biel was Gabriel Biel, a renowned German scholastic philosopher and theologian who lived from around 1420 to 1495. He was an influential figure in the late medieval period and is considered one of the last great thinkers of the scholastic tradition.

Another prominent figure with the surname Biel was Johann Christian Biel, a German astronomer born in 1711. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and is best known for his work on the orbital calculations of comets.

In the 18th century, the surname Biel can be found in various records from the German states, including birth and marriage registers. This suggests that the name had spread across various regions of Germany by this time.

The name Biel also appears in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as Switzerland and Austria, indicating that individuals with this surname may have migrated or had ancestors who emigrated from Germany to other regions.

One notable Swiss individual with the surname Biel was Johann Jakob Biel, a Swiss theologian and philosopher who lived from 1671 to 1732. He was known for his contributions to the study of natural law and moral philosophy.

The surname Biel can also be found in historical records from other parts of the world, particularly in regions with significant German immigration, such as the United States and Canada. This suggests that individuals bearing this name may have been part of the German diaspora that spread across the globe in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Biel families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Biel 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. Hampshire leads with 4 Biels recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.02x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 4 25.02x
Middlesex 3 3.85x
Kent 1 3.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Beaulieu in Hampshire leads with 4 Biels recorded in 1881 and an index of 20000.00x.

Place Total Index
Beaulieu 4 20000.00x
St Pancras London 2 31.85x
Margate St John Baptist 1 204.08x
St George Hanover Square 1 72.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizth. 1
Emmeline 1
Harriett 1
Isabella 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 1
John 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Biel households.

FAQ

Biel surname: questions and answers

How common was the Biel surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8 people were recorded with the Biel surname. That placed it at #32,581 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Biel surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016. That gives Biel a modern rank of #30,515.

What does the Biel surname mean?

A Swiss habitational surname derived from place names meaning "hatchet" or "axe" in Middle High German.

What does the Biel map show?

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