NameCensus.

UK surname

Bignell

A locative name referring to someone from a place called Bignell.

In the 1881 census there were 1,205 people recorded with the Bignell surname, ranking it #3,350 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,245, ranked #2,892, up from #3,350 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Paulerspury and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Babergh, Aylesbury Vale and Hillingdon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bignell is 2,457 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 86.3%.

1881 census count

1,205

Ranked #3,350

Modern count

2,245

2016, ranked #2,892

Peak year

2000

2,457 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bignell had 1,205 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,350 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,245 in 2016, ranked #2,892.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,004 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bignell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bignell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bignell 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 801 #3,341
1861 historical 787 #3,503
1881 historical 1,205 #3,350
1891 historical 1,446 #3,030
1901 historical 1,763 #2,944
1911 historical 2,004 #2,480
1997 modern 2,316 #2,686
1998 modern 2,396 #2,709
1999 modern 2,412 #2,711
2000 modern 2,457 #2,657
2001 modern 2,380 #2,681
2002 modern 2,388 #2,724
2003 modern 2,301 #2,752
2004 modern 2,274 #2,773
2005 modern 2,210 #2,822
2006 modern 2,190 #2,853
2007 modern 2,174 #2,883
2008 modern 2,200 #2,882
2009 modern 2,296 #2,839
2010 modern 2,341 #2,851
2011 modern 2,280 #2,877
2012 modern 2,215 #2,902
2013 modern 2,295 #2,859
2014 modern 2,305 #2,860
2015 modern 2,255 #2,890
2016 modern 2,245 #2,892

Geography

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Where Bignells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Paulerspury, Lambeth and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Babergh, Aylesbury Vale, Hillingdon, Torridge and Dartford. 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 1
2 Paulerspury Northamptonshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Babergh 004 Babergh
2 Aylesbury Vale 007 Aylesbury Vale
3 Hillingdon 003 Hillingdon
4 Torridge 001 Torridge
5 Dartford 004 Dartford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bignell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bignell

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Bignell 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

Bignell is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bignell falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bignell 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bignell

The surname Bignell has its origin in England and dates back to the late medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place name like "Bignall" or "Bignell", which are found in various counties across England, including Staffordshire, Oxfordshire, and Shropshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bignell can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from the year 1327, where a William de Bignell is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in that region during the 14th century.

The name Bignell is likely derived from the Old English words "bigg" or "big", meaning "big" or "large", and "næll" or "nell", meaning "a nook or corner of land". Thus, the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or owned a large parcel of land or a prominent corner of land.

In the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, there is a reference to a place called "Bignelle", which further supports the theory that the surname Bignell originated from a place name in that region.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Bignell was John Bignell, who was born around 1540 in Somerset, England. Another notable figure was Richard Bignell, a member of the English Parliament who represented the borough of Taunton in Somerset during the 17th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname Bignell include:

1. Thomas Bignell (1719-1793), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Bristol and the surrounding areas. 2. Henry Bignell (1780-1855), a British naval officer and explorer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later surveyed the Pacific Northwest region of North America. 3. John Bignell (1805-1889), a British politician and Member of Parliament for the constituency of Maldon in Essex from 1857 to 1868. 4. Edith Bignell (1885-1971), a British author and playwright who wrote several successful novels and plays in the early 20th century. 5. Reginald Bignell (1904-1981), a Canadian journalist and author who wrote extensively about the history and culture of Canada's First Nations peoples.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bignell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bignell 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. Middlesex leads with 193 Bignells recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.64x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 193 1.64x
Sussex 172 8.68x
Hampshire 170 7.06x
Surrey 151 2.64x
Gloucestershire 125 5.42x
Kent 76 1.90x
Hertfordshire 72 8.89x
Buckinghamshire 65 9.15x
Northamptonshire 50 4.52x
Devon 21 0.86x
Warwickshire 19 0.64x
Berkshire 16 1.81x
Lanarkshire 10 0.26x
Wiltshire 10 0.96x
Essex 8 0.34x
Worcestershire 7 0.46x
Somerset 6 0.32x
Staffordshire 5 0.13x
Yorkshire 5 0.04x
Denbighshire 3 0.68x
Cheshire 2 0.08x
Derbyshire 2 0.11x
Lancashire 2 0.01x
Morayshire 2 1.10x
Oxfordshire 2 0.28x
Suffolk 2 0.14x
Anglesey 1 0.48x
Bedfordshire 1 0.16x
Dorset 1 0.13x
Flintshire 1 0.32x
Glamorgan 1 0.05x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.43x
Norfolk 1 0.06x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.06x
Royal Navy 1 0.71x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 47 Bignells recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.95x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 47 9.95x
Paulerspury 42 915.03x
Brighton 41 10.25x
Eastbourne 29 31.80x
Shipton Moyne 21 1228.07x
Harefield 20 330.58x
St Pancras London 20 2.11x
Croydon 19 5.98x
Great Hampden 17 1650.49x
Hailsham 17 141.78x
Chelsea London 15 4.23x
Heston 15 38.42x
Islington London 15 1.32x
Tetbury 15 114.77x
Camberwell 13 1.73x
St Marylebone London 13 2.07x
Winterbourne 13 102.04x
Aylesbury 12 38.11x
Carisbrooke 12 35.87x
Lambeth 12 1.17x
Rickmansworth 12 53.79x
Shoreditch London 12 2.36x
Streatham 12 13.76x
Aldenham 11 149.25x
Aston 11 1.35x
Clayton 11 147.26x
Deptford St Paul 11 3.56x
South Stoneham 11 21.05x
Southampton St Mary 11 7.26x
Barony 10 1.04x
Clapham 10 6.81x
Hampstead London 10 5.46x
Hastings St Mary 10 20.28x
Keymer 10 71.48x
St Mary Extra 10 51.57x
Wimbledon 10 15.55x
Bermondsey 9 2.57x
Brading 9 28.11x
Bristol St George 9 8.44x
Hackney London 9 1.37x
Kensington London 9 1.38x
Norwood 9 33.48x
Wendover 9 117.49x
Westbourne 9 91.19x
Fordwich 8 869.57x
Headbourne Worthy 8 824.74x
Northchurch 8 92.49x
Shenley 8 149.81x
Sutton 8 19.31x
Woking 8 23.18x
Wormleighton 8 860.22x
Battersea 7 1.62x
Berkhampstead 7 38.44x
Bray 7 27.01x
Datchet 7 144.03x
Freshwater 7 63.58x
Greenwich 7 3.74x
Maidstone 7 5.86x
Pyecombe 7 507.25x
Rockhampton 7 786.52x
Stoke Gifford 7 503.60x
Wotton Under Edge 7 51.51x
Beckenham 6 11.44x
Botley 6 138.25x
Bristol St James In 6 17.70x
Brixham 6 21.16x
Catherington 6 112.78x
Cheltenham 6 3.37x
East Wickham 6 126.05x
Farnham 6 13.47x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 6 14.22x
Haslemere 6 133.04x
Hollington 6 85.11x
Hove 6 6.90x
Lee 6 1224.49x
Lingfield 6 53.76x
Meon Stoke 6 314.14x
Sarratt 6 212.77x
West Ham 6 1.17x
Wivelsfield 6 77.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 75
George 59
John 56
James 35
Charles 31
Thomas 31
Joseph 27
Henry 21
Frederick 19
Robert 15
Alfred 14
Harry 13
Albert 12
Arthur 12
Richard 11
Edward 10
Ernest 9
David 8
Walter 8
Herbert 7
Francis 6
Edwin 5
Samuel 5
Benjamin 4
Frank 4
Alexander 3
Archibald 3
Isaac 3
Leonard 3
Reuben 3
Aaron 2
Alf 2
Attwood 2
Daniel 2
Ebenezer 2
Edmund 2
Frederic 2
Fredrick 2
J. 2
Jabez 2
Job 2
Tom 2
Willm. 2
Egbert 1
Emmanuel 1
Jas. 1
Jedidiah 1
Jesse 1
Joel 1
Worthy 1

FAQ

Bignell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bignell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,205 people were recorded with the Bignell surname. That placed it at #3,350 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bignell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,245 in 2016. That gives Bignell a modern rank of #2,892.

What does the Bignell surname mean?

A locative name referring to someone from a place called Bignell.

What does the Bignell map show?

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