NameCensus.

UK surname

Birkenshaw

In the 1881 census there were 319 people recorded with the Birkenshaw surname, ranking it #9,326 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 161, ranked #22,606, down from #9,326 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Silkstone, London parishes and Batley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, East Cambridgeshire and North West Leicestershire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Birkenshaw is 406 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 49.5%.

1881 census count

319

Ranked #9,326

Modern count

161

2016, ranked #22,606

Peak year

1891

406 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Birkenshaw had 319 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,326 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 161 in 2016, ranked #22,606.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 406 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Birkenshaw surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Birkenshaw surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Birkenshaw 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 150 #12,905
1861 historical 241 #10,192
1881 historical 319 #9,326
1891 historical 406 #8,765
1901 historical 397 #9,521
1911 historical 343 #10,416
1997 modern 170 #19,505
1998 modern 172 #19,883
1999 modern 191 #18,744
2000 modern 189 #18,860
2001 modern 185 #18,840
2002 modern 181 #19,463
2003 modern 174 #19,760
2004 modern 175 #19,805
2005 modern 174 #19,783
2006 modern 170 #20,214
2007 modern 168 #20,634
2008 modern 171 #20,595
2009 modern 178 #20,486
2010 modern 176 #21,101
2011 modern 169 #21,499
2012 modern 161 #22,157
2013 modern 160 #22,621
2014 modern 165 #22,356
2015 modern 162 #22,509
2016 modern 161 #22,606

Geography

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Where Birkenshaws are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Silkstone, London parishes, Batley, Wakefield and Huddersfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, East Cambridgeshire, North West Leicestershire and Leeds. 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 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Huddersfield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 002 Kirklees
2 East Cambridgeshire 005 East Cambridgeshire
3 North West Leicestershire 011 North West Leicestershire
4 Kirklees 006 Kirklees
5 Leeds 096 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Birkenshaw

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Birkenshaw

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Birkenshaw surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Birkenshaw household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Birkenshaw 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

Birkenshaw is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Birkenshaw families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Birkenshaw 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. Yorkshire leads with 222 Birkenshaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.22x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 222 7.22x
Middlesex 23 0.74x
Lancashire 17 0.46x
Kent 13 1.23x
Staffordshire 12 1.15x
Warwickshire 9 1.15x
Lanarkshire 6 0.60x
Nottinghamshire 6 1.44x
Derbyshire 5 1.03x
Cheshire 1 0.15x
Durham 1 0.11x
Hampshire 1 0.16x
Northumberland 1 0.22x
Sussex 1 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. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 29 Birkenshaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.71x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 29 16.71x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 19 133.05x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 16 152.24x
Deptford St Paul 13 15.93x
Horton In Bradford 13 27.08x
Almondbury 11 74.02x
Hunslet 11 22.95x
Wath On Dearne 11 179.45x
Birmingham 9 3.45x
Huddersfield 8 17.87x
Wetherby 8 400.00x
Aismunderby Cum 7 804.60x
St Giles In Fields London 7 45.99x
Stoke Upon Trent 7 6.30x
Barony 6 2.36x
Wakefield 6 25.42x
Clifton In York 5 77.76x
Dalton In Huddersfield 5 72.57x
Hampstead London 5 10.35x
Heckmondwike 5 50.56x
Oldham 5 4.21x
Sheffield 5 5.11x
Sprotborough 5 2083.33x
Wolstanton 5 15.72x
Dewsbury 4 12.69x
Longwood 4 80.81x
Scrooby 4 1904.76x
Armley 3 22.12x
Bradford 3 4.03x
Claylane 3 44.44x
Cleckheaton 3 26.50x
Denton 3 36.76x
Doncaster 3 13.36x
Edmonton 3 12.00x
Gomersal 3 20.91x
Manchester 3 1.81x
Soothill 3 27.03x
St Anne Soho London 3 16.94x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 2 17.92x
Awkley 2 689.66x
Hammersmith London 2 2.62x
Headingley Cum Burley 2 10.11x
Heston 2 19.42x
Monk Bretton 2 64.31x
Saddleworth 2 8.44x
Sandal Magna 2 43.96x
Wortley In Bramley 2 8.22x
Adwick Le Street 1 370.37x
Bardsey Cum Rigton 1 294.12x
Barnsley 1 3.15x
Beverley Parks 1 277.78x
Bilton In Wetherby 1 400.00x
Blackburn 1 1.02x
Blackrod 1 21.88x
Carisbrooke 1 11.33x
Chadderton 1 5.56x
Chesterfield 1 5.49x
Clifford Cum Boston 1 36.23x
Darlington 1 2.81x
Dukinfield 1 3.16x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 1.60x
Elton 1 7.86x
Glossop Dale 1 4.40x
Goole 1 19.42x
Great Little Marsden 1 5.93x
Hampole 1 769.23x
Hastings St Leonards 1 13.00x
Holbeck 1 4.91x
Hunshelf 1 66.23x
Islington London 1 0.33x
Kirkby In Ashfield 1 22.37x
Newark Upon Trent 1 6.65x
North Elmshall 1 333.33x
Pannal 1 33.90x
Ripon 1 14.03x
Stainton In Doncaster 1 416.67x
Todmorden Walsden 1 10.14x
Westgate 1 3.50x
York Holy Trinity 1 37.59x
York St Mary 1 7.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 18
William 13
George 12
Thomas 12
Joseph 7
Charles 6
Edward 5
Henry 4
James 4
Walter 4
Ernest 3
Richard 3
Arthur 2
Frank 2
Joe 2
Jonathon 2
Matthew 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Thos. 2
Wilfred 2
Abel 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Benjn.Thos. 1
Christopher 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Erwin 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.E. 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
J. 1
J.H. 1
Jas. 1
Jesse 1
Jonathan 1
Lawrence 1
Lenoard 1
Perceval 1
Rachel 1
Ralph 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Theopilus 1
Tom 1
Warwick 1

FAQ

Birkenshaw surname: questions and answers

How common was the Birkenshaw surname in 1881?

In 1881, 319 people were recorded with the Birkenshaw surname. That placed it at #9,326 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Birkenshaw surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 161 in 2016. That gives Birkenshaw a modern rank of #22,606.

What does the Birkenshaw map show?

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