NameCensus.

UK surname

Bilney

In the 1881 census there were 113 people recorded with the Bilney surname, ranking it #18,412 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 106, ranked #29,927, down from #18,412 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Downham Market, Stow Bardolph, Wimbotsham and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stroud, Shepway and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bilney is 146 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 6.2%.

1881 census count

113

Ranked #18,412

Modern count

106

2016, ranked #29,927

Peak year

1911

146 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bilney had 113 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,412 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 106 in 2016, ranked #29,927.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 146 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Bilney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bilney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bilney 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 76 #20,127
1861 historical 69 #25,057
1881 historical 113 #18,412
1891 historical 133 #19,870
1901 historical 122 #20,344
1911 historical 146 #18,179
1997 modern 126 #23,461
1998 modern 129 #23,722
1999 modern 121 #24,855
2000 modern 116 #25,452
2001 modern 116 #25,089
2002 modern 120 #25,110
2003 modern 113 #25,797
2004 modern 114 #25,870
2005 modern 116 #25,564
2006 modern 112 #26,415
2007 modern 110 #27,087
2008 modern 110 #27,391
2009 modern 115 #27,207
2010 modern 116 #27,704
2011 modern 110 #28,478
2012 modern 105 #29,362
2013 modern 111 #28,856
2014 modern 110 #29,294
2015 modern 110 #29,157
2016 modern 106 #29,927

Geography

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Where Bilneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Downham Market, Stow Bardolph, Wimbotsham, Glasgow, Bradford and Woolwich. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stroud, Shepway and Bradford. 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 3
2 Downham Market, Stow Bardolph, Wimbotsham Norfolk
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Woolwich London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stroud 011 Stroud
2 Stroud 014 Stroud
3 Shepway 012 Shepway
4 Bradford 020 Bradford
5 Bradford 006 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bilney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bilney

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Bilney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bilney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Bilney 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

Bilney 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

Bilney falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bilney 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 Bilney, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Bilney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bilney 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. Suffolk leads with 35 Bilneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.31x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 35 26.31x
Kent 24 6.44x
Lanarkshire 15 4.25x
Yorkshire 12 1.11x
Essex 5 2.32x
Hampshire 5 2.23x
Middlesex 5 0.46x
Norfolk 5 2.98x
Devon 2 0.88x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.51x
Hertfordshire 1 1.33x
Leicestershire 1 0.83x
Surrey 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brandeston in Suffolk leads with 18 Bilneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 12000.00x.

Place Total Index
Brandeston 18 12000.00x
Shipley 11 195.73x
Chatham 9 87.80x
Glasgow 9 14.35x
Gillingham 8 104.17x
Woolwich 7 50.84x
Barony 6 6.71x
Framlingham 5 531.91x
Portsea 5 11.39x
Peasenhall 4 1250.00x
Woodbridge 4 235.29x
West Ham 3 6.30x
Barnstaple 2 56.02x
Brandon 2 222.22x
Bromley London 2 8.32x
Downham Market 2 173.91x
Mistley 2 344.83x
Nacton 2 1052.63x
Aylesbury 1 34.13x
Claxton 1 1250.00x
Hitchin 1 29.41x
Islington London 1 0.94x
Leicester All Sts 1 42.02x
Otley 1 416.67x
Rotherhithe 1 7.41x
St George Hanover Square 1 5.19x
St Marylebone London 1 1.71x
Tunstall 1 434.78x
Wakefield 1 12.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Sarah 7
Alice 5
Charlotte 3
Hannah 3
Maria 3
Ada 2
Jane 2
Rose 2
Amy 1
Ann 1
Betsy 1
C.M. 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Margaret 1
Minnie 1
Rachel 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 7
George 6
Alfred 4
James 4
Walter 3
Arthur 2
David 2
Francis 2
Henry 2
John 2
Robert 2
Thomas 2
William 2
Benjamin 1
Daniel 1
Frank 1
Jemeriah 1
Jones 1
Joseph 1
Wilm. 1

FAQ

Bilney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bilney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 113 people were recorded with the Bilney surname. That placed it at #18,412 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bilney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 106 in 2016. That gives Bilney a modern rank of #29,927.

What does the Bilney map show?

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