NameCensus.

UK surname

Bispham

A locational surname referring to someone from Bispham, Lancashire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 177 people recorded with the Bispham surname, ranking it #13,889 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 249, ranked #16,847, down from #13,889 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Dalton-in-Furness and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ashfield, Cheshire East and Burnley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bispham is 299 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.7%.

1881 census count

177

Ranked #13,889

Modern count

249

2016, ranked #16,847

Peak year

2000

299 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bispham had 177 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,889 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 249 in 2016, ranked #16,847.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 287 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bispham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bispham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bispham 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 111 #16,006
1861 historical 137 #16,465
1881 historical 177 #13,889
1891 historical 217 #14,062
1901 historical 262 #12,740
1911 historical 287 #11,784
1997 modern 282 #14,072
1998 modern 275 #14,715
1999 modern 287 #14,374
2000 modern 299 #13,937
2001 modern 297 #13,816
2002 modern 298 #14,048
2003 modern 286 #14,259
2004 modern 281 #14,489
2005 modern 265 #15,048
2006 modern 274 #14,769
2007 modern 283 #14,579
2008 modern 278 #14,901
2009 modern 276 #15,300
2010 modern 274 #15,705
2011 modern 258 #16,284
2012 modern 255 #16,296
2013 modern 258 #16,421
2014 modern 258 #16,554
2015 modern 247 #16,941
2016 modern 249 #16,847

Geography

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Where Bisphams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Dalton-in-Furness, Liverpool, Blackburn and Coppenhall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ashfield, Cheshire East and Burnley. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 Coppenhall Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ashfield 009 Ashfield
2 Cheshire East 041 Cheshire East
3 Cheshire East 043 Cheshire East
4 Cheshire East 048 Cheshire East
5 Burnley 007 Burnley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bispham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bispham

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Bispham is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bispham 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

Bispham falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bispham 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 Bispham, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bispham

The surname Bispham originated in England and has its roots in the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "bisceop" meaning bishop and "ham" meaning homestead or village. The name likely referred to a place where a bishop resided or had land holdings.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bispham can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Biscopham" in reference to a manor in Lancashire. This suggests that the name was already well-established by the 11th century.

Over time, the spelling of the name evolved, with variations such as Bispeham, Byspham, and Biscopham being used before the modern spelling of Bispham became standardized. The name is also associated with several place names in England, including Bispham in Lancashire and Bispham in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

Notable individuals with the surname Bispham include:

1. David Bispham (1857-1921), an American operatic baritone who was particularly renowned for his performances in Wagner operas. 2. George Tucker Bispham (1838-1916), an English-born American painter and engraver known for his portraits and landscapes. 3. Henry Bispham (1791-1847), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Southwark from 1835 to 1847. 4. Thomas Bispham (1838-1916), an English-born American landscape painter who was part of the Hudson River School. 5. William Bispham (1804-1879), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Lancashire in the 1820s and 1830s.

While not as widespread as some other English surnames, Bispham has left its mark on various aspects of history, from politics and law to art and music, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore the name over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bispham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bispham 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 109 Bisphams recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.41x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 109 5.41x
Cheshire 21 5.60x
Surrey 20 2.42x
Westmorland 12 32.17x
Suffolk 4 1.93x
Warwickshire 3 0.70x
Hertfordshire 2 1.71x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.97x
Kent 1 0.17x
Middlesex 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Monks Coppenhall in Cheshire leads with 21 Bisphams recorded in 1881 and an index of 148.51x.

Place Total Index
Monks Coppenhall 21 148.51x
Blackburn 17 31.72x
Liverpool 16 13.08x
Camberwell 12 11.07x
Higher Booths 9 247.93x
Openshaw 8 84.84x
Little Bolton 7 27.03x
Barrow In Furness 6 21.91x
Beswick 6 116.50x
Undermilbeck 6 487.80x
Habergham Eaves 5 27.16x
Lathom 5 205.76x
Wigan 5 17.76x
Accrington 4 21.85x
Heversham With Milnthorpe 4 444.44x
Newington 4 6.38x
Upholland 4 155.04x
Birmingham 3 2.10x
Ipswich St Clement 3 57.03x
Lambeth 3 2.03x
East Barnet 2 86.21x
Kearsley 2 47.17x
Manchester 2 2.21x
Satterthwaite 2 769.23x
Tarbock 2 555.56x
Barton Upon Irwell 1 6.60x
Beetham 1 175.44x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 6.25x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 1 25.77x
Frindsbury 1 45.87x
Great Bolton 1 3.75x
Ince In Makerfield 1 10.67x
Kirkdale 1 2.95x
Patterdale 1 243.90x
Salford 1 1.69x
Spotland 1 4.47x
St Luke London 1 3.67x
Sutton 1 16.72x
Upper Allithwaite E 1 303.03x
Walton On Hill 1 9.17x
Wooburn 1 70.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Alice 5
Eliza 5
Elizabeth 5
Annie 4
Ellen 4
Margaret 4
Sarah 4
Ada 3
Emma 3
Jane 3
Ann 2
Barbara 2
Esther 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Isabella 2
Kate 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Nellie 2
Sophia 2
Adeliza 1
Amy 1
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Dorcas 1
Eliz. 1
Elizth. 1
Ettie 1
Helena 1
Julia 1
Lilly 1
Maggie 1
Maggy 1
Margt. 1
Marianne 1
Marth 1
Nancy 1
Priscilla 1
Rose 1
Selina 1
Susan 1
Susana 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 12
John 10
Joseph 8
George 7
Thomas 7
Henry 5
James 5
Fred 3
Robert 3
Anthony 2
Edward 2
Mathew 2
Richard 2
Agnes 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
Joshua 1
Martin 1
Napoleen 1
Richd. 1
Stephen 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Bispham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bispham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 177 people were recorded with the Bispham surname. That placed it at #13,889 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bispham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 249 in 2016. That gives Bispham a modern rank of #16,847.

What does the Bispham surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Bispham, Lancashire, England.

What does the Bispham map show?

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