NameCensus.

UK surname

Birkenhead

In the 1881 census there were 222 people recorded with the Birkenhead surname, ranking it #12,022 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 333, ranked #13,670, down from #12,022 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Davenham, Toxteth Park and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Flintshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Birkenhead is 361 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.0%.

1881 census count

222

Ranked #12,022

Modern count

333

2016, ranked #13,670

Peak year

2002

361 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Birkenhead had 222 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,022 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 333 in 2016, ranked #13,670.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 344 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Birkenhead surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Birkenhead surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Birkenhead 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 148 #13,028
1861 historical 210 #11,551
1881 historical 222 #12,022
1891 historical 265 #12,208
1901 historical 327 #10,966
1911 historical 344 #10,386
1997 modern 319 #13,000
1998 modern 344 #12,679
1999 modern 347 #12,696
2000 modern 346 #12,670
2001 modern 340 #12,620
2002 modern 361 #12,337
2003 modern 343 #12,607
2004 modern 339 #12,744
2005 modern 340 #12,642
2006 modern 334 #12,912
2007 modern 337 #12,950
2008 modern 337 #13,068
2009 modern 339 #13,281
2010 modern 352 #13,187
2011 modern 335 #13,528
2012 modern 325 #13,720
2013 modern 321 #14,073
2014 modern 328 #13,951
2015 modern 334 #13,645
2016 modern 333 #13,670

Geography

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Where Birkenheads are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire West and Chester, Halton, Flintshire and Cheshire East. 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 Davenham Cheshire
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Childwall Lancashire
5 Preston Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire West and Chester 019 Cheshire West and Chester
2 Halton 013 Halton
3 Cheshire West and Chester 021 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Flintshire 011 Flintshire
5 Cheshire East 024 Cheshire East

Forenames

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First names often paired with Birkenhead

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Birkenhead

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Birkenhead is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Birkenhead 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

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

1881 census detail

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Birkenhead families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Birkenhead 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 105 Birkenheads recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.18x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 105 4.18x
Cheshire 73 15.62x
Warwickshire 18 3.37x
Middlesex 8 0.38x
Kent 5 0.69x
Monmouthshire 4 2.61x
Staffordshire 2 0.28x
Surrey 2 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Davenham in Cheshire leads with 15 Birkenheads recorded in 1881 and an index of 3571.43x.

Place Total Index
Davenham 15 3571.43x
Walton Le Dale 15 222.22x
Garston 13 175.44x
Kingsley 13 1494.25x
Leftwich 12 579.71x
Preston 10 14.88x
Sale 10 174.52x
Toxteth Park 10 11.76x
Birmingham 9 5.06x
Warrington 8 26.87x
West Derby 7 9.53x
Widnes 7 38.65x
Barnton 6 535.71x
Newton In Makerfield 6 78.02x
Salford 6 8.12x
Aston 5 3.40x
Brindle 5 574.71x
Broughton In Salford 5 21.78x
Shoreditch London 5 5.45x
Chatham 4 20.13x
Coventry Holy Trinity 4 25.09x
Ashton On Mersey 3 123.97x
Knutsford Nether 3 106.38x
Monks Coppenhall 3 17.02x
Pendleton In Salford 3 10.03x
Stockport 3 12.48x
Ardwick 2 8.83x
Bedwellty 2 7.40x
Birkenhead 2 5.37x
Mynyddyslwyn 2 33.11x
Westleigh 2 35.09x
Altrincham 1 12.25x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 2.51x
Clapham 1 3.78x
Dunham Massey 1 69.93x
Great Sankey 1 217.39x
Handsworth 1 5.68x
Kensington London 1 0.85x
Lambeth 1 0.54x
Lancaster 1 6.69x
Manchester 1 0.89x
Paddington London 1 1.29x
Pendlebury 1 18.87x
Poplar London 1 2.50x
Runcorn 1 9.29x
Sedgley 1 3.77x
Walmer 1 31.85x
Whalley 1 27.32x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 20
Elizabeth 11
Sarah 9
Ann 6
Ellen 5
Annie 4
Fanny 4
Alice 3
Charlotte 3
Eliza 3
Hannah 3
Lucy 3
Martha 3
Agnes 2
Emma 2
Harriet 2
Isabella 2
Margaret 2
Maud 2
Aphia 1
Caroline 1
Catherin 1
Catherine 1
Easter 1
Emiley 1
Georgiana 1
Grace 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Laura 1
Lizzey 1
Louisa 1
Margret 1
Matilda 1
Miriam 1
Pheobe 1
Rachel 1
Rose 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 17
John 13
George 11
James 9
Thomas 8
Arthur 4
Charles 4
Edward 4
Harry 4
Henry 4
Samuel 4
Ralph 3
Richard 3
Albert 2
Isaac 2
Thos. 2
Alfred 1
Edgar 1
Elijah 1
Frederick 1
Joseph 1
Joshua 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Rd. 1
Sydney 1
Willie 1
Willis 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Birkenhead surname: questions and answers

How common was the Birkenhead surname in 1881?

In 1881, 222 people were recorded with the Birkenhead surname. That placed it at #12,022 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Birkenhead surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 333 in 2016. That gives Birkenhead a modern rank of #13,670.

What does the Birkenhead map show?

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