NameCensus.

UK surname

Bilsby

In the 1881 census there were 76 people recorded with the Bilsby surname, ranking it #22,745 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 188, ranked #20,417, up from #22,745 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rother, Tendring and Hastings.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bilsby is 193 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 147.4%.

1881 census count

76

Ranked #22,745

Modern count

188

2016, ranked #20,417

Peak year

2010

193 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bilsby had 76 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,745 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 188 in 2016, ranked #20,417.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 92 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Bilsby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bilsby surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bilsby 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 23 #29,205
1861 historical 44 #28,433
1881 historical 76 #22,745
1891 historical 72 #27,804
1901 historical 64 #27,010
1911 historical 92 #23,580
1997 modern 177 #19,018
1998 modern 178 #19,452
1999 modern 174 #19,870
2000 modern 181 #19,360
2001 modern 176 #19,415
2002 modern 179 #19,598
2003 modern 169 #20,092
2004 modern 174 #19,871
2005 modern 174 #19,783
2006 modern 173 #19,995
2007 modern 173 #20,243
2008 modern 177 #20,169
2009 modern 192 #19,527
2010 modern 193 #19,880
2011 modern 187 #20,132
2012 modern 191 #19,802
2013 modern 191 #20,124
2014 modern 192 #20,230
2015 modern 188 #20,417
2016 modern 188 #20,417

Geography

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Where Bilsbys 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 Rother, Tendring, Hastings, Dudley and Eastbourne. 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 Rother 002 Rother
2 Tendring 010 Tendring
3 Hastings 004 Hastings
4 Dudley 022 Dudley
5 Eastbourne 010 Eastbourne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bilsby

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bilsby

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bilsby, 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 Bilsby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Bilsby 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Bilsby is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bilsby is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bilsby 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 Bilsby 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 Bilsby, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Bilsby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bilsby 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. Sussex leads with 17 Bilsbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.60x.

County Total Index
Sussex 17 13.60x
Kent 16 6.33x
Lincolnshire 15 12.66x
Yorkshire 13 1.77x
Northamptonshire 8 11.48x
Lancashire 4 0.45x
Surrey 3 0.83x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. New Romney in Kent leads with 14 Bilsbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5384.62x.

Place Total Index
New Romney 14 5384.62x
Clee With Weelsby 9 347.49x
Ore 8 860.22x
Peterborough 8 158.42x
Hastings St Mary In The 7 262.17x
Holy Trinity 7 39.62x
Surfleet 6 2400.00x
Southcoates 5 122.55x
Tottington Lower End 4 95.69x
Battersea 3 11.00x
Folkestone 2 40.73x
Brampton Bierlow 1 106.38x
Rye 1 84.03x
Subdeanery 1 105.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Frances 3
Fanny 2
Sarah 2
Sophia 2
Ada 1
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Betty 1
Charlotte 1
Elizabeth 1
Ethel 1
Jane 1
Lilley 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Martha 1
Maryon 1
Matilda 1
Mercy 1
Milicent 1
Minnie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
Charles 6
James 4
William 3
Daniel 2
George 2
Henry 2
Herbert 2
Martin 2
Walter 2
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Joseph 1
Matthew 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1
Watler 1
Willm. 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 Bilsby households.

FAQ

Bilsby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bilsby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 76 people were recorded with the Bilsby surname. That placed it at #22,745 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bilsby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 188 in 2016. That gives Bilsby a modern rank of #20,417.

What does the Bilsby map show?

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