NameCensus.

UK surname

Bimson

A surname likely derived from a diminutive form of the given name Bartholomew.

In the 1881 census there were 176 people recorded with the Bimson surname, ranking it #13,930 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 218, ranked #18,481, down from #13,930 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dudley, Toxteth Park and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carlisle, Dudley and Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bimson is 328 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.9%.

1881 census count

176

Ranked #13,930

Modern count

218

2016, ranked #18,481

Peak year

1911

328 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bimson had 176 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,930 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 218 in 2016, ranked #18,481.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 328 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bimson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bimson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bimson 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 153 #12,721
1861 historical 138 #16,365
1881 historical 176 #13,930
1891 historical 259 #12,399
1901 historical 245 #13,298
1911 historical 328 #10,714
1997 modern 246 #15,445
1998 modern 262 #15,203
1999 modern 276 #14,762
2000 modern 268 #15,018
2001 modern 261 #15,066
2002 modern 273 #14,892
2003 modern 253 #15,493
2004 modern 240 #16,144
2005 modern 241 #16,036
2006 modern 245 #15,956
2007 modern 248 #15,994
2008 modern 240 #16,535
2009 modern 253 #16,283
2010 modern 250 #16,791
2011 modern 253 #16,493
2012 modern 242 #16,886
2013 modern 236 #17,472
2014 modern 231 #17,813
2015 modern 225 #18,050
2016 modern 218 #18,481

Geography

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Where Bimsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dudley, Toxteth Park, Wigan, Standish and Preston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carlisle, Dudley and Wigan. 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 Dudley Staffordshire
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Standish Lancashire
5 Preston Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carlisle 005 Carlisle
2 Carlisle 013 Carlisle
3 Dudley 018 Dudley
4 Wigan 003 Wigan
5 Wigan 040 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bimson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bimson

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bimson 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

Bimson 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

Bimson falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bimson

The surname Bimson is of English origin, believed to have originated in the county of Yorkshire during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "beam" meaning "tree" and "sunu" meaning "son," suggesting it was initially used as a descriptive name for someone who lived near a prominent tree or wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bimson can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 12th century, where a man named Robertus Bimson was listed as a landowner. This indicates that the name had already been established by that time.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Bymsone and Bymson in records from the surrounding areas of Yorkshire, including the villages of Wortley and Ecclesfield.

A notable bearer of the name was Richard Bimson, a merchant and alderman from the city of York who lived in the late 15th century. Records show that he was involved in trade with the Hanseatic League, a powerful economic alliance of merchant guilds and market towns in Northern Europe.

During the 16th century, the Bimson name spread to other parts of England, including London, where a man named John Bimson was listed as a freeman of the city in 1548.

In the 17th century, a branch of the Bimson family settled in the county of Shropshire, where they acquired land and became prominent landowners. One member of this line was Sir Thomas Bimson (1625-1694), a renowned military officer who served in the English Civil War and later became a Member of Parliament.

Another notable figure with the Bimson surname was Elizabeth Bimson (1747-1825), a renowned botanical artist from Yorkshire who published a collection of intricate plant illustrations titled "The Flora of Yorkshire."

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Bimson name continued to be found in various parts of England, with some members of the family migrating to other parts of the British Empire, including Canada and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bimson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bimson 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. Lancashire leads with 130 Bimsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.38x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 130 6.38x
Cheshire 28 7.39x
Essex 8 2.36x
Surrey 5 0.60x
Cumberland 2 1.35x
Dumfriesshire 1 2.64x
Warwickshire 1 0.23x
Worcestershire 1 0.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Monks Coppenhall in Cheshire leads with 21 Bimsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 146.85x.

Place Total Index
Monks Coppenhall 21 146.85x
Preston 18 33.03x
Wrightington 13 1460.67x
Everton 9 13.86x
Lathom 9 365.85x
Toxteth Park 9 13.05x
Atherton 8 107.96x
Walton Le Dale 8 146.25x
West Ham 8 10.69x
Bury 7 30.08x
North Meols 7 35.11x
Orell Ford 7 1891.89x
Pilling 7 729.17x
Standish With Langtree 7 278.88x
Aspull 5 104.38x
Lambeth 5 3.34x
Liverpool 5 4.04x
Leyland 4 112.99x
Chester St Mary On Hill 3 92.31x
Birkenhead 2 6.62x
Bowness 2 350.88x
Tranmere 2 14.36x
Annan 1 30.67x
Aughton 1 49.51x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 6.18x
Dudley 1 3.67x
Fishwick 1 79.37x
Ince In Makerfield 1 10.55x
Longton 1 116.28x
Ormskirk 1 25.64x
Princethorpe 1 555.56x
Warrington 1 4.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 12
Mary 8
Alice 7
Ann 6
Margaret 6
Sarah 6
Ellen 3
Emily 2
Frances 2
Grace 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Margery 2
Susannah 2
Beatrice 1
Betsy 1
Catherine 1
Cathrine 1
Eliza 1
Fanny 1
Francess 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Isabella 1
Josephine 1
Lucy 1
Margary 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Moud 1
Rose 1
Sharlotta 1
Sibyl 1
Sybal 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Bimson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bimson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 176 people were recorded with the Bimson surname. That placed it at #13,930 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bimson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 218 in 2016. That gives Bimson a modern rank of #18,481.

What does the Bimson surname mean?

A surname likely derived from a diminutive form of the given name Bartholomew.

What does the Bimson map show?

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