NameCensus.

UK surname

Birdseye

An occupational surname referring to a bird watcher or hunter.

In the 1881 census there were 120 people recorded with the Birdseye surname, ranking it #17,756 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 130, ranked #26,152, down from #17,756 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Winslow, London parishes and St John Hackney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Somerset, Luton and Wycombe.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Birdseye is 170 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.3%.

1881 census count

120

Ranked #17,756

Modern count

130

2016, ranked #26,152

Peak year

2002

170 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Birdseye had 120 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,756 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 130 in 2016, ranked #26,152.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 155 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Birdseye surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Birdseye surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Birdseye 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 117 #15,456
1861 historical 117 #18,635
1881 historical 120 #17,756
1891 historical 152 #18,163
1901 historical 146 #18,335
1911 historical 155 #17,485
1997 modern 155 #20,684
1998 modern 164 #20,505
1999 modern 169 #20,233
2000 modern 165 #20,501
2001 modern 164 #20,279
2002 modern 170 #20,243
2003 modern 150 #21,669
2004 modern 147 #22,094
2005 modern 137 #23,110
2006 modern 130 #24,053
2007 modern 133 #24,059
2008 modern 136 #24,004
2009 modern 135 #24,594
2010 modern 139 #24,688
2011 modern 132 #25,303
2012 modern 140 #24,376
2013 modern 140 #24,779
2014 modern 143 #24,621
2015 modern 140 #24,836
2016 modern 130 #26,152

Geography

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Where Birdseyes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Winslow, London parishes, St John Hackney and Chesham (incl. Chartridge, Billington & Latimers with Waterside. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Somerset, Luton, Wycombe, Milton Keynes and East 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 Winslow Buckinghamshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
5 Chesham (incl. Chartridge, Billington & Latimers with Waterside Buckinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Somerset 010 South Somerset
2 Luton 020 Luton
3 Wycombe 003 Wycombe
4 Milton Keynes 027 Milton Keynes
5 East Devon 004 East Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Birdseye

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Birdseye

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Birdseye surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Birdseye household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Birdseye 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

Birdseye is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Birdseye

The surname Birdseye originated in England during the late medieval period. It is a locational name derived from a place called Birdseye, which is located in the county of Suffolk. The name itself is a combination of the Old English words "bridd" meaning bird and "ege" meaning island or dry ground in a fen.

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Birdseye can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1327, where a Richard Birdseye is mentioned. The name also appears in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1433, which refers to a Thomas Byrdeseye.

During the 16th century, the name was sometimes spelled as Byrdeseye or Birdsey. In the Visitation of Essex in 1612, a coat of arms was granted to the Birdseye family, indicating their status and recognition as a notable family in the region.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Birdseye was John Birdseye, born around 1540 in Stratford, Essex. He was a prominent landowner and served as a Justice of the Peace in the county.

Another notable figure was Edward Birdseye, born in 1615 in Stratford, Essex. He was a clergyman and served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in the nearby village of Little Baddow.

In the 17th century, Thomas Birdseye, born in 1636 in Wethersfield, Essex, immigrated to the American colonies and settled in Stratford, Connecticut. He and his descendants played an important role in the early history of the region.

During the 18th century, a prominent member of the Birdseye family was John Birdseye, born in 1707 in Stratford, Connecticut. He was a successful merchant and landowner, and served as a Colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, Clarence Birdseye, born in 1886 in Brooklyn, New York, was an American inventor and entrepreneur. He is credited with developing and popularizing the process of freezing food for preservation, which revolutionized the food industry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Birdseye families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Birdseye 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 39 Birdseyes recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.33x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 39 3.33x
Surrey 24 4.21x
Essex 17 7.36x
Kent 12 3.01x
Buckinghamshire 9 12.72x
Berkshire 8 9.11x
Lancashire 4 0.29x
Suffolk 3 2.10x
Oxfordshire 2 2.77x
Sussex 2 1.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 16 Birdseyes recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.39x.

Place Total Index
Hackney London 16 24.39x
Kelvedon 15 2419.35x
Newington 10 23.13x
Lee 9 155.17x
Clewer 7 194.44x
Islington London 7 6.17x
Uxbridge 5 373.13x
Barton Upon Irwell 4 38.28x
Hillingdon 4 107.24x
Kingston On Thames 4 29.20x
Acton 3 43.73x
Aldeburgh 3 357.14x
Chesham 3 114.94x
Croydon 3 9.48x
Great Marlow 3 157.07x
Lambeth 3 2.94x
Clapham 2 13.67x
Ewell 2 166.67x
Sutton Valence 2 444.44x
Towersey 2 1428.57x
Witney 2 165.29x
Bromley 1 16.42x
Chester All Sts 1 526.32x
Clerkenwell London 1 3.62x
Kensington London 1 1.54x
Lewes All Sts 1 126.58x
Little Braxted 1 2000.00x
Stoke Newington London 1 10.96x
Uckfield 1 116.28x
Upton Cum Chalvey 1 35.46x
Wantage 1 71.43x
Willesden 1 9.07x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 9
John 7
William 7
James 6
Edward 5
Joseph 4
Charles 3
Henry 3
Herbert 2
Arthur 1
Frederick 1
Fredk.H. 1
George 1
Harry 1
Johnathan 1
Jonathon 1
Martin 1
Stephen 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Birdseye surname: questions and answers

How common was the Birdseye surname in 1881?

In 1881, 120 people were recorded with the Birdseye surname. That placed it at #17,756 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Birdseye surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 130 in 2016. That gives Birdseye a modern rank of #26,152.

What does the Birdseye surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a bird watcher or hunter.

What does the Birdseye map show?

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