NameCensus.

UK surname

Birch

An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a birch tree or in a birch forest.

In the 1881 census there were 12,264 people recorded with the Birch surname, ranking it #348 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 16,961, ranked #368, down from #348 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Walsall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Staffordshire Moorlands and Rochdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Birch is 17,679 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.3%.

1881 census count

12,264

Ranked #348

Modern count

16,961

2016, ranked #368

Peak year

1999

17,679 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Birch had 12,264 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #348 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 16,961 in 2016, ranked #368.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 16,707 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Birch surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Birch surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Birch 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 7,407 #380
1861 historical 7,557 #374
1881 historical 12,264 #348
1891 historical 12,271 #364
1901 historical 15,103 #346
1911 historical 16,707 #286
1997 modern 16,844 #352
1998 modern 17,555 #351
1999 modern 17,679 #353
2000 modern 17,605 #352
2001 modern 17,237 #351
2002 modern 17,467 #356
2003 modern 17,006 #357
2004 modern 16,970 #357
2005 modern 16,634 #358
2006 modern 16,513 #361
2007 modern 16,549 #364
2008 modern 16,569 #366
2009 modern 17,016 #363
2010 modern 17,256 #366
2011 modern 17,085 #366
2012 modern 16,831 #363
2013 modern 17,228 #364
2014 modern 17,320 #365
2015 modern 17,089 #367
2016 modern 16,961 #368

Geography

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Where Birchs are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Staffordshire Moorlands and Rochdale. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Walsall Staffordshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 010 Shropshire
2 Staffordshire Moorlands 006 Staffordshire Moorlands
3 Shropshire 005 Shropshire
4 Rochdale 018 Rochdale
5 Staffordshire Moorlands 005 Staffordshire Moorlands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Birch

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Birch

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

Birch is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Birch

The surname BIRCH is of English origin and derives from the Old English word 'birce', meaning the birch tree. It originally referred to someone living near birch trees or in an area abundant with birch.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with early records showing variations such as Birche, Byrche, and Burch. One of the earliest known references is found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a Thomas de la Birche is mentioned.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several place names containing the element 'birch', such as Birchanger in Essex and Birchover in Derbyshire, indicating the prevalence of birch trees in those areas.

Notable individuals bearing the surname BIRCH include Thomas Birch (1705-1766), an English historian and biographer known for his works on the lives of illustrious persons. Another prominent figure was Samuel Birch (1813-1885), an English Egyptologist and a renowned expert on Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Sir John Birch (1615-1691) was an English Baptist minister and one of the founders of the Particular Baptists. He played a significant role in the development of the Baptist denomination in England.

In the literary world, Anna Laetitia Barbauld (née Aikin) (1743-1825), an English poet and essayist, was born Anna Laetitia Birch before her marriage.

Thomas Birch (1779-1851), an English civil engineer, is remembered for his contributions to the construction of the renowned Menai Suspension Bridge in Wales, which was completed in 1826.

The BIRCH surname has a long and rich history, with its roots firmly planted in the English countryside and its branches extending to various fields, including literature, religion, history, and engineering.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Birch families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Birch 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 2,253 Birchs recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.59x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2,253 1.59x
Staffordshire 1,751 4.33x
Middlesex 1,237 1.03x
Yorkshire 1,075 0.91x
Warwickshire 744 2.46x
Surrey 500 0.86x
Worcestershire 454 2.90x
Kent 438 1.07x
Cheshire 398 1.51x
Buckinghamshire 366 5.06x
Nottinghamshire 319 1.98x
Shropshire 296 2.86x
Derbyshire 285 1.52x
Leicestershire 226 1.70x
Hertfordshire 178 2.16x
Essex 168 0.71x
Northamptonshire 142 1.26x
Hampshire 137 0.56x
Lincolnshire 123 0.64x
Suffolk 116 0.80x
Sussex 108 0.54x
Gloucestershire 99 0.42x
Durham 84 0.24x
Norfolk 83 0.45x
Berkshire 69 0.77x
Devon 64 0.26x
Bedfordshire 59 0.95x
Herefordshire 52 1.06x
Flintshire 39 1.21x
Cornwall 38 0.28x
Denbighshire 38 0.84x
Somerset 38 0.20x
Wiltshire 30 0.28x
Glamorgan 25 0.12x
Lanarkshire 22 0.06x
Oxfordshire 22 0.30x
Pembrokeshire 19 0.50x
Ayrshire 17 0.19x
Northumberland 17 0.10x
Cambridgeshire 14 0.18x
Dorset 13 0.17x
Midlothian 13 0.08x
Monmouthshire 10 0.12x
Royal Navy 10 0.70x
Rutland 10 1.14x
Angus 9 0.08x
Cumberland 7 0.07x
Radnorshire 7 0.72x
Montgomeryshire 6 0.22x
Brecknockshire 5 0.21x
Inverness-shire 5 0.14x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.04x
Caernarfonshire 4 0.08x
Channel Islands 4 0.11x
Isle of Man 4 0.18x
Westmorland 4 0.15x
Anglesey 2 0.09x
Perthshire 2 0.04x
Roxburghshire 2 0.09x
Wigtownshire 2 0.13x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.04x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.03x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.04x
Renfrewshire 1 0.01x
Stirlingshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 257 Birchs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.09x.

Place Total Index
Aston 257 3.09x
Birmingham 230 2.29x
Walsall Foreign 190 9.10x
Stoke Upon Trent 179 4.18x
Leek Lowe 144 26.79x
Leeds 130 1.94x
Manchester 119 1.86x
Chesham 114 42.74x
Everton 106 2.34x
Wolverhampton 102 3.28x
Islington London 100 0.86x
Lambeth 90 0.86x
St Marylebone London 87 1.36x
St Pancras London 84 0.87x
Camberwell 83 1.09x
Salford 82 1.96x
Kensington London 72 1.08x
West Derby 72 1.73x
Nottingham St Mary 71 1.70x
Basford 67 9.01x
Sheffield 66 1.75x
Little Bolton 65 3.56x
Oldbury 65 8.45x
Leicester St Margaret 64 1.98x
West Bromwich 64 2.77x
Liverpool 61 0.71x
Willenhall 56 7.40x
Bromley London 55 2.09x
Foleshill 54 17.00x
Toxteth Park 54 1.12x
Bury 53 3.27x
Bethnal Green London 51 0.98x
Hammersmith London 51 1.73x
Kings Norton 51 3.64x
Wellington 51 8.77x
Ashton Under Lyne 49 1.58x
Stockport 49 3.60x
Wigan 49 2.47x
Battersea 48 1.09x
Clitheroe 48 11.48x
Hackney London 48 0.72x
Pelsall 48 39.95x
Rainford 47 30.60x
Wolstanton 47 3.83x
West Ham 46 0.88x
Wycombe 46 8.53x
Hulme 43 1.45x
York St Mary 43 8.75x
Accrington 42 3.25x
Newington 42 0.95x
Watford 42 6.57x
Burton Upon Trent 41 4.34x
Great Bolton 41 2.18x
Mile End Old Town London 40 1.57x
St George Hanover Square 40 1.90x
Wednesfield 40 6.73x
Bradford 39 1.36x
Croydon 39 1.20x
Norwood 39 14.25x
Broughton In Salford 38 2.93x
Gorton 38 2.85x
Great Harwood 38 14.80x
Cannock 37 5.25x
Derby St Peter 37 6.20x
Paddington London 37 0.84x
Preston 37 0.97x
Skelmersdale 37 15.63x
Burslem 36 3.11x
Failsworth 36 11.08x
Ipstones 36 62.00x
Rowley Regis 36 3.20x
Westminster St John 36 2.47x
Brightside Bierlow 35 1.50x
Clerkenwell London 35 1.24x
Daventry 35 21.98x
Chorlton On Medlock 34 1.51x
Deptford St Paul 34 1.08x
Hampstead London 32 1.72x
Heap 32 4.25x
Wortley In Bramley 32 3.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 805
Elizabeth 527
Sarah 468
Ann 252
Emma 225
Jane 219
Eliza 204
Alice 198
Ellen 192
Annie 188
Emily 152
Hannah 148
Martha 121
Margaret 120
Harriet 94
Louisa 89
Charlotte 77
Ada 75
Fanny 75
Clara 72
Maria 72
Florence 71
Caroline 61
Catherine 58
Anne 55
Edith 53
Agnes 47
Lucy 47
Frances 40
Harriett 38
Kate 38
Lydia 34
Rebecca 27
Susannah 27
Amelia 26
Minnie 26
Sophia 26
Eleanor 24
Julia 24
Esther 23
Isabella 23
Susan 23
Matilda 22
Rose 22
Anna 21
Jessie 21
Selina 21
Amy 20
Gertrude 19
Betsy 18

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 769
John 709
Thomas 470
James 402
George 387
Joseph 283
Charles 256
Henry 232
Edward 173
Samuel 146
Alfred 142
Arthur 124
Richard 109
Frederick 99
Albert 85
Walter 82
Robert 77
Harry 68
Edwin 44
David 43
Wm. 42
Ernest 39
Frank 38
Thos. 38
Francis 34
Benjamin 33
Herbert 30
Stephen 29
Isaac 28
Peter 26
Geo. 21
Tom 21
Daniel 17
Edmund 17
Fredk. 17
Eli 16
Fredrick 16
Ralph 15
Fred 14
Leonard 14
Saml. 13
Chas. 12
Jesse 12
Christopher 11
Jonathan 11
Percy 11
Edwd. 10
Enoch 10
Jacob 10
Josiah 10

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 Birch households.

FAQ

Birch surname: questions and answers

How common was the Birch surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12,264 people were recorded with the Birch surname. That placed it at #348 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Birch surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 16,961 in 2016. That gives Birch a modern rank of #368.

What does the Birch surname mean?

An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a birch tree or in a birch forest.

What does the Birch map show?

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