NameCensus.

UK surname

Birchmore

A surname referencing someone who lived near a birch tree grove or forest.

In the 1881 census there were 155 people recorded with the Birchmore surname, ranking it #15,174 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 326, ranked #13,896, up from #15,174 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kensworth, Willesden and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bracknell Forest, Wigan and Torridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Birchmore is 354 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 110.3%.

1881 census count

155

Ranked #15,174

Modern count

326

2016, ranked #13,896

Peak year

1998

354 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Birchmore had 155 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,174 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 326 in 2016, ranked #13,896.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 260 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Birchmore surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Birchmore surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Birchmore 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 90 #18,317
1861 historical 106 #20,147
1881 historical 155 #15,174
1891 historical 205 #14,649
1901 historical 245 #13,298
1911 historical 260 #12,561
1997 modern 329 #12,734
1998 modern 354 #12,438
1999 modern 337 #12,942
2000 modern 333 #12,999
2001 modern 336 #12,721
2002 modern 339 #12,911
2003 modern 330 #12,971
2004 modern 330 #12,994
2005 modern 321 #13,195
2006 modern 314 #13,474
2007 modern 312 #13,674
2008 modern 312 #13,764
2009 modern 309 #14,135
2010 modern 335 #13,645
2011 modern 319 #14,000
2012 modern 316 #13,994
2013 modern 330 #13,777
2014 modern 327 #13,976
2015 modern 333 #13,676
2016 modern 326 #13,896

Geography

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Where Birchmores are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kensworth, Willesden, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Pancras and Bulwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bracknell Forest, Wigan, Torridge, Swale and North Devon. 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 Kensworth Bedfordshire
2 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Bulwell Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bracknell Forest 005 Bracknell Forest
2 Wigan 024 Wigan
3 Torridge 004 Torridge
4 Swale 003 Swale
5 North Devon 008 North Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Birchmore

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Birchmore

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Birchmore is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Birchmore is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Birchmore falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Birchmore

The surname Birchmore has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "birce" meaning birch tree, and "mor" meaning a moor or moorland. This suggests that the name likely originated from a location or settlement near a birch-covered moorland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentions a William de Birchemore residing in Buckinghamshire. This spelling variation, with the addition of the prefix "de" indicating "of" or "from," points to the name's locational origins.

The Birchmore name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Warwickshire during the medieval period. In the 14th century, records show a John Birchemore holding lands in the village of Finmere, Oxfordshire.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the form of Birchmore in the parish records of Tadmarton, Oxfordshire, where a family by that name resided for several generations. One notable figure from this era was Richard Birchmore (c. 1520-1585), a respected Anglican clergyman who served as the Rector of Launton, Oxfordshire.

Moving into the 17th century, the Birchmore surname gained recognition with Sir John Birchmore (c. 1600-1670), a prominent lawyer and Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire. He played a significant role in the English Civil War, initially supporting the Parliamentarian cause but later switching sides to the Royalists.

Another notable figure was Thomas Birchmore (1705-1768), an English writer and translator who published works on theology and philosophy. His most famous work was a translation of the French philosopher Pierre Bayle's "Historical and Critical Dictionary" into English.

In the 19th century, the Birchmore name gained prominence in the literary world with the poet and essayist John Dyke Birchmore (1809-1884). He was a prolific writer and contributed to various publications, including the famous "Cornhill Magazine."

While the name has its roots in England, over the centuries, individuals bearing the Birchmore surname have migrated to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, where their descendants continue to carry on this historic surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Birchmore families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Birchmore 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 37 Birchmores recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.45x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 37 2.45x
Surrey 37 5.02x
Hertfordshire 35 33.59x
Bedfordshire 25 31.94x
Staffordshire 9 1.76x
Nottinghamshire 5 2.45x
Norfolk 3 1.29x
Warwickshire 2 0.52x
Yorkshire 2 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Battersea in Surrey leads with 21 Birchmores recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.75x.

Place Total Index
Battersea 21 37.75x
Luton 14 103.32x
St Pancras London 12 9.86x
Islington London 10 6.82x
Harborne 9 55.01x
St Albans St Michael 9 775.86x
Kensworth 8 2352.94x
Abbots Langley 6 387.10x
Caddington 6 521.74x
Bulwell 5 112.87x
Camberwell 5 5.18x
Dunstable 5 207.47x
Great Gaddesden 4 816.33x
Hackney London 4 4.72x
St Andrew Holborn London 4 61.07x
Sutton 4 75.05x
Kings Langley 3 394.74x
Norwich St Stephen 3 140.85x
Wandsworth 3 20.62x
Birmingham 2 1.57x
Cheam 2 253.16x
Paddington London 2 3.60x
Redbourn 2 175.44x
St Albans St Peter 2 56.82x
All Hallows London Wall 1 588.24x
Bow London 1 5.19x
Chipping Barnet 1 250.00x
Chipping Barnet 1 54.95x
Clerkenwell London 1 2.80x
East Ardsley 1 76.92x
Lambeth 1 0.76x
Mile End Old Town London 1 3.11x
Putney 1 14.51x
Sheffield 1 2.10x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 9
Mary 8
Emily 6
Eliza 5
Kate 5
Ann 3
Emma 3
Jane 3
Sarah 3
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Louisa 2
Ada 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Catharene 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Fanney 1
Fanny 1
Henrietta 1
Jessie 1
John 1
Julia 1
Lizzie 1
Mariyan 1
Marmont 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1
Rebecca 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
George 10
Thomas 6
John 5
Robert 5
Alfred 4
James 4
Charles 3
Daniel 3
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
Hy. 2
Joseph 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Bertie 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Leonard 1
Richard 1
Sarah 1
Thos. 1
W. 1
Wm. 1
Wm.T. 1

FAQ

Birchmore surname: questions and answers

How common was the Birchmore surname in 1881?

In 1881, 155 people were recorded with the Birchmore surname. That placed it at #15,174 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Birchmore surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 326 in 2016. That gives Birchmore a modern rank of #13,896.

What does the Birchmore surname mean?

A surname referencing someone who lived near a birch tree grove or forest.

What does the Birchmore map show?

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