NameCensus.

UK surname

Bisley

In the 1881 census there were 152 people recorded with the Bisley surname, ranking it #15,372 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 125, ranked #26,827, down from #15,372 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Henley-on-Thames, Swindon, Lyddington and Barnsley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Peterborough, Watford and Tewkesbury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bisley is 182 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 17.8%.

1881 census count

152

Ranked #15,372

Modern count

125

2016, ranked #26,827

Peak year

1861

182 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bisley had 152 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,372 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 125 in 2016, ranked #26,827.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 182 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Bisley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bisley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bisley 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 182 #12,949
1881 historical 152 #15,372
1891 historical 171 #16,733
1901 historical 116 #20,933
1911 historical 165 #16,808
1997 modern 91 #28,215
1998 modern 108 #26,417
1999 modern 113 #25,913
2000 modern 113 #25,843
2001 modern 110 #25,900
2002 modern 113 #26,024
2003 modern 111 #26,091
2004 modern 111 #26,293
2005 modern 106 #27,044
2006 modern 105 #27,479
2007 modern 101 #28,505
2008 modern 107 #27,844
2009 modern 107 #28,483
2010 modern 112 #28,336
2011 modern 121 #26,789
2012 modern 114 #27,868
2013 modern 116 #27,992
2014 modern 123 #27,206
2015 modern 126 #26,654
2016 modern 125 #26,827

Geography

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Where Bisleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Henley-on-Thames, Swindon, Lyddington, Barnsley, London parishes and Rawmarsh, Wath-on-Dearn (Swinton). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Peterborough, Watford, Tewkesbury, Salford and Aylesbury Vale. 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 Henley-on-Thames Oxfordshire
2 Swindon, Lyddington Wiltshire
3 Barnsley Gloucestershire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Rawmarsh, Wath-on-Dearn (Swinton) Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Peterborough 002 Peterborough
2 Watford 004 Watford
3 Tewkesbury 001 Tewkesbury
4 Salford 030 Salford
5 Aylesbury Vale 017 Aylesbury Vale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bisley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bisley

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Bisley is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bisley is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bisley 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 Bisley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bisley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Bisley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bisley 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. Surrey leads with 65 Bisleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.00x.

County Total Index
Surrey 65 9.00x
Middlesex 21 1.42x
Gloucestershire 16 5.50x
Berkshire 11 9.88x
Sussex 9 3.60x
Yorkshire 9 0.61x
Dorset 6 6.17x
Kent 5 0.99x
Hampshire 3 0.99x
Cheshire 2 0.61x
Derbyshire 2 0.86x
Lancashire 1 0.06x
Leicestershire 1 0.61x
Monmouthshire 1 0.93x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bermondsey in Surrey leads with 21 Bisleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.58x.

Place Total Index
Bermondsey 21 47.58x
Rotherhithe 20 109.17x
Croydon 15 37.41x
Hastings St Clement 8 340.43x
Cirencester 7 177.67x
Melcombe Regis 6 148.88x
Wentworth 6 659.34x
Reading St Mary 5 56.12x
East Horsley 4 2666.67x
Hackney London 4 4.81x
Lambeth 4 3.09x
Westminster St John 4 22.15x
Woolwich 4 21.40x
Aldershot 3 29.47x
Barnsley 3 2142.86x
Chedworth 3 714.29x
Clewer 3 65.79x
Shoreditch London 3 4.67x
Cheltenham 2 8.92x
Leeds 2 2.41x
Mile End Old Town London 2 6.34x
Nantwich 2 52.63x
Norton 2 104.71x
St Pancras London 2 1.68x
Tottenham 2 8.47x
Brampton Bierlow 1 53.19x
Bristol St Augustine 1 21.32x
Deptford St Paul 1 2.56x
East West Hanney 1 227.27x
Edmonton 1 8.37x
Hastings St Mary 1 16.08x
Kensington London 1 1.21x
Limehouse London 1 6.14x
Loughborough 1 13.40x
Newington 1 1.83x
North Meols 1 5.81x
North Moreton 1 625.00x
St Martin In Fields 1 11.26x
Trevethin 1 9.88x
Wargrave 1 104.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Annie 6
Eliza 6
Jane 4
Amy 3
Ann 3
Emma 3
Lucy 3
Ada 2
Elizabeth 2
Ellen 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Anna 1
Betsey 1
Blanche 1
Bridget 1
Cassie.L. 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Eileen 1
Elaine 1
Elenor 1
Elizeth. 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Harriot 1
Isabelle 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Nellie 1
Sarah 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 9
George 8
John 8
Thomas 8
Charles 5
James 5
Alfred 3
Joseph 3
Anthony 2
Arthur 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Austin 1
Benjamin 1
Claud 1
David 1
Donald 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fredk. 1
Harold 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Jas. 1
Sam 1
Samuel 1
Stanley 1
Wilfred 1
William. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Bisley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bisley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 152 people were recorded with the Bisley surname. That placed it at #15,372 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bisley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 125 in 2016. That gives Bisley a modern rank of #26,827.

What does the Bisley map show?

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