NameCensus.

UK surname

Birt

Derived from the Old English word "beorht," meaning "bright," referring to someone with a cheerful or lively disposition.

In the 1881 census there were 1,263 people recorded with the Birt surname, ranking it #3,228 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,483, ranked #4,159, down from #3,228 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newland (Bream, Clearwell, Newland, Coleford), West Dean, London parishes and St Marylebone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leicester, Gloucester and Stroud.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Birt is 1,613 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 17.4%.

1881 census count

1,263

Ranked #3,228

Modern count

1,483

2016, ranked #4,159

Peak year

2000

1,613 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Birt had 1,263 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,228 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,483 in 2016, ranked #4,159.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,451 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Birt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Birt surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Birt 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 1,003 #2,785
1861 historical 795 #3,460
1881 historical 1,263 #3,228
1891 historical 1,220 #3,526
1901 historical 1,451 #3,507
1911 historical 1,412 #3,415
1997 modern 1,512 #3,877
1998 modern 1,585 #3,866
1999 modern 1,607 #3,855
2000 modern 1,613 #3,821
2001 modern 1,564 #3,863
2002 modern 1,588 #3,884
2003 modern 1,571 #3,834
2004 modern 1,543 #3,902
2005 modern 1,491 #3,982
2006 modern 1,482 #4,007
2007 modern 1,475 #4,060
2008 modern 1,500 #4,032
2009 modern 1,511 #4,091
2010 modern 1,555 #4,069
2011 modern 1,554 #4,023
2012 modern 1,509 #4,062
2013 modern 1,548 #4,032
2014 modern 1,539 #4,088
2015 modern 1,504 #4,126
2016 modern 1,483 #4,159

Geography

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Where Birts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newland (Bream, Clearwell, Newland, Coleford), West Dean, London parishes, St Marylebone, Cheltenham and Painswick. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leicester, Gloucester, Stroud and Rossendale. 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 Newland (Bream, Clearwell, Newland, Coleford), West Dean Monmouthshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
4 Cheltenham Gloucestershire
5 Painswick Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leicester 011 Leicester
2 Gloucester 004 Gloucester
3 Gloucester 009 Gloucester
4 Stroud 008 Stroud
5 Rossendale 010 Rossendale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Birt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Birt

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Birt 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

Birt 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

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

Meaning and origin of Birt

The surname Birt is of English origin, derived from the Old English word 'byrht' meaning bright or shining. It is believed to have originated as a nickname for someone with a bright or radiant complexion or personality.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various counties across southern England, including Somerset, Dorset, and Devon. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Birt, mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1268.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, which documented landholders and their holdings. The entry mentions a John Birt, who held land in the village of Nettlebed.

The Birt surname has also been found in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a Thomas Birt is listed as a taxpayer. Additionally, the name appears in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1380, with a Richard Birt recorded as a resident.

Variations in the spelling of the surname, such as Birte, Birt, and Byrte, can be found in various historical documents from different regions of England.

Notable individuals with the surname Birt include:

1. Sir Jonathan Birt (c. 1550-1614), an English merchant and the first Governor of the East India Company from 1601 to 1614. 2. William Radcliffe Birt (1804-1881), an English lawyer and author who wrote several works on legal history and jurisprudence. 3. Nathaniel Birt (1762-1841), an English Nonconformist minister and author of several religious works. 4. John Birt (1744-1822), an English botanist and co-founder of the Linnean Society of London in 1788. 5. Theodora Birt (1874-1962), a British painter and illustrator known for her portraits and landscape paintings.

The Birt surname has a rich history rooted in medieval England, with various instances of the name appearing in historical records and documents from different regions. While its origins can be traced back to Old English, the name has evolved over the centuries and has been associated with notable individuals in various fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Birt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Birt 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. Gloucestershire leads with 371 Birts recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.27x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 371 15.27x
Middlesex 176 1.42x
Warwickshire 78 2.50x
Kent 69 1.63x
Surrey 64 1.06x
Worcestershire 59 3.65x
Hampshire 57 2.24x
Essex 34 1.39x
Somerset 32 1.60x
Glamorgan 30 1.39x
Suffolk 29 1.92x
Northamptonshire 26 2.23x
Oxfordshire 26 3.40x
Lancashire 23 0.16x
Monmouthshire 23 2.57x
Herefordshire 22 4.33x
Staffordshire 19 0.45x
Cambridgeshire 18 2.29x
Sussex 17 0.81x
Channel Islands 11 3.00x
Yorkshire 10 0.08x
Berkshire 9 0.97x
Derbyshire 9 0.46x
Devon 8 0.31x
Durham 6 0.16x
Shropshire 6 0.56x
Dorset 5 0.61x
Hertfordshire 5 0.59x
Midlothian 5 0.30x
Cheshire 4 0.15x
Norfolk 4 0.21x
Wiltshire 3 0.27x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.81x
Renfrewshire 2 0.21x
Royal Navy 2 1.35x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.13x
Cumberland 1 0.09x
Leicestershire 1 0.07x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.25x
Radnorshire 1 1.00x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Painswick in Gloucestershire leads with 81 Birts recorded in 1881 and an index of 471.48x.

Place Total Index
Painswick 81 471.48x
Cheltenham 42 22.40x
Stroud 35 74.03x
Birmingham 24 2.30x
Lambeth 23 2.13x
St Pancras London 22 2.21x
St Marylebone London 21 3.17x
West Ham 19 3.52x
Westbury On Severn East 17 30.95x
Aston 16 1.86x
Bow London 15 9.51x
Dursley 15 150.15x
Hackney London 15 2.16x
Toxteth Park 14 2.81x
West Dean 14 35.47x
Bedminster 13 6.94x
Leckhampton 13 86.84x
St Woollos 13 13.01x
Lydney 12 95.69x
Camberwell 11 1.39x
Neithrop 11 42.78x
Shoreditch London 11 2.05x
St Helier 11 9.20x
Westminster St James 11 8.64x
Kensington London 10 1.45x
Llandaff 10 13.93x
Newland 10 48.97x
Northampton Priory St 10 14.30x
Plumstead 10 7.10x
Aldershot 9 10.58x
Alfreton 9 15.27x
Coaley 9 287.54x
St George Hanover Square 9 4.12x
Swansea Town 9 5.09x
Whistones 9 76.86x
Edgbaston 8 8.26x
Fareham 8 26.21x
Pershore Holy Cross 8 77.15x
Polesworth 8 53.94x
Ross 8 39.58x
Rugeley 8 26.66x
St Gilesin Fields London 8 76.34x
Studley 8 59.88x
Bermondsey 7 1.90x
Brighton 7 1.66x
Chatteris 7 34.97x
Churcham 7 324.07x
Deptford St Paul 7 2.15x
Eastington 7 87.06x
Finchley 7 14.74x
March 7 26.64x
Northampton St Sepulchre 7 11.81x
Smarden 7 144.93x
South Stoneham 7 12.71x
St Thomas Winchester 7 39.04x
Waltham Holy Cross 7 30.62x
Wapley Codrington 7 598.29x
Whittington 7 443.04x
Beckenham 6 10.86x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 6 27.11x
Bristol St Paul In 6 9.27x
Charlton Kings 6 35.69x
Christchurch 6 10.90x
Eldersfield 6 236.22x
Harescombe 6 952.38x
High Ham 6 126.32x
Leamington Priors 6 7.80x
Mile End Old Town London 6 2.28x
Oxford St Thomas 6 16.81x
Rodborough 6 51.15x
Southampton All Sts 6 13.77x
Wargrave 6 75.09x
Worcester St John 6 31.06x
Cardiff St Mary 5 4.21x
Caterham 5 18.74x
Cranbrook 5 27.93x
Gloucester St John Baptist 5 31.87x
Hougham 5 19.90x
Swanscombe 5 26.33x
Wednesbury 5 4.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 77
Elizabeth 49
Sarah 44
Alice 31
Eliza 26
Ellen 21
Annie 16
Emily 16
Hannah 16
Ann 14
Fanny 14
Emma 13
Jane 13
Harriet 12
Louisa 11
Maria 11
Charlotte 10
Edith 10
Susan 10
Ada 9
Agnes 7
Anne 7
Caroline 7
Kate 7
Martha 7
Amy 6
Catherine 6
Florence 6
Clara 5
Frances 5
Julia 5
Rose 5
Amelia 4
Anna 4
Beatrice 4
Esther 4
Gertrude 4
Mabel 4
Matilda 4
Ruth 4
Eleanor 3
Jessie 3
Lilly 3
Margaret 3
Minnie 3
Rachel 3
Rebecca 3
Lousia 2
Lucy 2
Lydia 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 88
George 46
James 46
Henry 36
John 32
Thomas 31
Charles 25
Alfred 21
Joseph 19
Arthur 15
Frank 13
Richard 13
Edward 11
Frederick 11
Samuel 11
Robert 10
Albert 9
Sidney 8
Walter 8
Francis 7
Harry 7
Edwin 6
Daniel 5
Herbert 5
Ernest 4
Thos. 4
Benjamin 3
David 3
Fred 3
Isaac 3
Oliver 3
Andrew 2
Augustus 2
Cornelius 2
Emanuel 2
Hezekiah 2
Percy 2
Stephen 2
Sydney 2
Allan 1
Allen 1
Authur 1
Clarence 1
Claude 1
Clement 1
Douglas 1
Harford 1
Harriet 1
Hartford 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Birt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Birt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,263 people were recorded with the Birt surname. That placed it at #3,228 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Birt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,483 in 2016. That gives Birt a modern rank of #4,159.

What does the Birt surname mean?

Derived from the Old English word "beorht," meaning "bright," referring to someone with a cheerful or lively disposition.

What does the Birt map show?

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