NameCensus.

UK surname

Biela

A Polish surname derived from the word "bialy" meaning "white".

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St Edmundsbury, St. Helens and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Biela is 119 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

117

2016, ranked #28,033

Peak year

2010

119 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016, ranked #28,033.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Biela surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Biela surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Biela 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
1911 historical 1 #34,332
1997 modern 31 #34,582
1998 modern 30 #34,833
1999 modern 32 #34,717
2000 modern 32 #34,705
2001 modern 31 #34,648
2002 modern 33 #34,717
2003 modern 34 #34,681
2004 modern 37 #34,640
2005 modern 59 #33,008
2006 modern 69 #32,343
2007 modern 78 #31,748
2008 modern 95 #29,822
2009 modern 103 #29,127
2010 modern 119 #27,250
2011 modern 113 #27,967
2012 modern 99 #30,442
2013 modern 109 #29,209
2014 modern 118 #27,961
2015 modern 112 #28,809
2016 modern 117 #28,033

Geography

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Where Bielas 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 St Edmundsbury, St. Helens, Doncaster, Birmingham and Torridge. 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 St Edmundsbury 008 St Edmundsbury
2 St. Helens 014 St. Helens
3 Doncaster 019 Doncaster
4 Birmingham 028 Birmingham
5 Torridge 002 Torridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Biela

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Biela

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Biela 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

Biela is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Biela 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 Biela is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Biela

The surname Biela is of Polish origin, with its roots tracing back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Silesia, which was historically a part of Poland but is now divided between Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic.

The name Biela is derived from the Polish word "biały," meaning "white." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive surname, given to someone with light hair, fair skin, or perhaps a connection to the color white in some other way.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Biela can be found in a document from the town of Opole, located in modern-day Poland, dated to the late 14th century. The document mentions a "Jan Biela," who was likely a resident of the town at that time.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Biela was Jan Biela, a Polish theologian and reformer who lived from around 1495 to 1548. He was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation movement in Poland and played a significant role in translating the Bible into Polish.

Another historical figure with the surname Biela was Michał Biela, a Polish painter who lived from 1666 to 1689. He was known for his religious paintings and frescoes, many of which can still be found in churches throughout Poland.

In the 19th century, a Polish mathematician named Wilhelm Biela (1782-1856) made a significant contribution to the field of astronomy. He discovered a comet, later named Biela's Comet, which was observed to have split into two separate comets in 1846.

The surname Biela has also been associated with various place names in Poland, such as the village of Biela Rawska, located in the Łódź Voivodeship, and Biela Podlaska, a town in the Lublin Voivodeship. These place names may have influenced the spread and variations of the surname over time.

In more recent history, a notable individual with the surname Biela was Marian Biela (1903-1987), a Polish military officer and pilot who served in the Polish Air Force during World War II. He played a crucial role in the defense of Poland against the German invasion in 1939.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Biela surname: questions and answers

How common is the Biela surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016. That gives Biela a modern rank of #28,033.

What does the Biela surname mean?

A Polish surname derived from the word "bialy" meaning "white".

What does the Biela map show?

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