NameCensus.

UK surname

Bithell

A topographic surname referring to someone living near a hill or knoll.

In the 1881 census there were 431 people recorded with the Bithell surname, ranking it #7,555 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,108, ranked #5,305, up from #7,555 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Chester St Oswald, Little St John, Cathedral Church, St Peter, St Bridget, St Martin, Holy Trinity, Wigan and Hawarden. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Flintshire, Wrexham and Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bithell is 1,165 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 157.1%.

1881 census count

431

Ranked #7,555

Modern count

1,108

2016, ranked #5,305

Peak year

2009

1,165 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bithell had 431 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,555 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,108 in 2016, ranked #5,305.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 812 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Bithell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bithell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bithell 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 337 #6,953
1861 historical 292 #8,626
1881 historical 431 #7,555
1891 historical 507 #7,349
1901 historical 642 #6,705
1911 historical 812 #5,416
1997 modern 948 #5,727
1998 modern 1,096 #5,283
1999 modern 1,123 #5,207
2000 modern 1,112 #5,223
2001 modern 1,106 #5,145
2002 modern 1,101 #5,272
2003 modern 1,107 #5,154
2004 modern 1,109 #5,154
2005 modern 1,106 #5,107
2006 modern 1,095 #5,159
2007 modern 1,092 #5,216
2008 modern 1,144 #5,044
2009 modern 1,165 #5,068
2010 modern 1,157 #5,209
2011 modern 1,132 #5,244
2012 modern 1,115 #5,228
2013 modern 1,125 #5,279
2014 modern 1,136 #5,261
2015 modern 1,133 #5,220
2016 modern 1,108 #5,305

Geography

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Where Bithells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Chester St Oswald, Little St John, Cathedral Church, St Peter, St Bridget, St Martin, Holy Trinity, Wigan, Hawarden, Flint and Chester St John the Baptist, St Mary-on-the-Hill, St Olave, St Michael, Spittle Boughton, Chester Ca. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Flintshire, Wrexham, Wigan and Newcastle-under-Lyme. 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 Chester St Oswald, Little St John, Cathedral Church, St Peter, St Bridget, St Martin, Holy Trinity Cheshire
2 Wigan Lancashire
3 Hawarden Cheshire
4 Flint Flintshire
5 Chester St John the Baptist, St Mary-on-the-Hill, St Olave, St Michael, Spittle Boughton, Chester Ca Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Flintshire 005 Flintshire
2 Wrexham 020 Wrexham
3 Wigan 016 Wigan
4 Newcastle-under-Lyme 010 Newcastle-under-Lyme
5 Flintshire 004 Flintshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bithell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bithell

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

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Bithell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Bithell 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Bithell 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

Bithell is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bithell 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 Bithell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bithell

The surname Bithell originated in the Cheshire region of England. It is derived from the Old English words 'byth' meaning valley and 'hyll' meaning hill, indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a valley or hill.

The earliest known recording of the name Bithell dates back to the 13th century. In the Feet of Fines for Cheshire in 1292, a certain Richard de Bythull is mentioned, indicating the name's presence in the region during that time.

Variations in the spelling of the name can be found in historical records, including Bythull, Bythell, and Bythyll. These variations likely arose due to the inconsistent spelling practices of the time and regional dialects.

One notable individual bearing the surname Bithell was William Bithell, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Chester during the late 16th century. He served as Mayor of Chester in 1579 and was involved in various civic affairs.

In the 17th century, the name Bithell appeared in the parish records of Nantwich, a town in Cheshire. One entry from 1662 records the baptism of John Bithell, son of Thomas Bithell and his wife Elizabeth.

The surname Bithell has been associated with several place names in the Cheshire region, such as Bithell's Green and Bithell's Lane, further cementing its local origins.

During the 18th century, a notable figure was Robert Bithell, a celebrated clockmaker from Nantwich. Born in 1737, he crafted intricate longcase clocks that were highly sought after and are now considered valuable antiques.

Another individual of note was Thomas Bithell, a prominent architect and surveyor based in Chester during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in the city, including the Grosvenor Bridge and the Northgate prison.

In the 19th century, a member of the Bithell family, John Bithell, served as the High Sheriff of Cheshire in 1858, reflecting the family's continued prominence in the region.

While the surname Bithell is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history rooted in the Cheshire region, with numerous individuals bearing the name leaving their mark across various fields over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bithell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bithell 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 154 Bithells recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.09x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 154 3.09x
Cheshire 100 10.78x
Flintshire 58 51.32x
Denbighshire 41 25.82x
Warwickshire 23 2.17x
Staffordshire 21 1.48x
Shropshire 7 1.93x
Derbyshire 6 0.91x
Hampshire 6 0.70x
Middlesex 5 0.12x
Bedfordshire 4 1.84x
Herefordshire 4 2.32x
Sussex 1 0.14x
Worcestershire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wigan in Lancashire leads with 37 Bithells recorded in 1881 and an index of 53.08x.

Place Total Index
Wigan 37 53.08x
Ince In Makerfield 36 155.11x
Chester St John Baptist 24 143.88x
Birmingham 20 5.66x
Hindley 17 79.92x
Wrexham Regis 17 144.19x
Hawarden 16 180.18x
Wolstanton Knutton 14 161.66x
Nantwich 13 120.59x
Castleton 11 22.08x
Gresford 9 596.03x
Manchester 9 4.01x
Gresford Gwersyllt 8 162.27x
Hawarden Ewloe Town 8 655.74x
Everton 7 4.40x
Holywell 7 49.33x
Burslem 6 14.76x
Chester Holy Trinity 6 137.93x
Chester St Oswald 6 35.71x
Glossop Dale 6 19.47x
Great Boughton 6 187.50x
Halkin 6 303.03x
Halliwell 6 33.04x
Monks Coppenhall 6 17.13x
Whitchurch 6 85.11x
Barton Upon Irwell 5 13.32x
Bromborough 5 259.07x
South Stoneham 5 26.75x
Chester St Mary On Hill 4 50.25x
Esclusham Above 4 606.06x
Farndon 4 500.00x
Flint 4 62.31x
Luton 4 10.62x
Northop Golftyn 4 300.75x
Stoke Edith 4 975.61x
Abenbury Fechan 3 2000.00x
Aston 3 1.03x
Chester St Olave 3 361.45x
Dukinfield 3 7.00x
Hawarden Saltney 3 189.87x
Heaton Norris 3 10.57x
Hope 3 53.38x
Little Neston 3 201.34x
Pendleton In Salford 3 5.05x
St George Hanover Square 3 4.05x
Sutton 3 17.93x
Birkenhead 2 2.70x
Burton 2 194.17x
Flixton 2 78.13x
Northop 2 50.00x
Pennington In Leigh 2 20.90x
Toxteth Park 2 1.18x
Withnell 2 65.36x
Ashton In Makerfield 1 7.04x
Blackburn 1 0.75x
Broughton In Salford 1 2.19x
Burwardsley 1 156.25x
Chester St Martin 1 67.57x
Didsbury 1 15.11x
Egerton 1 555.56x
Frodsham 1 27.86x
Fulham London 1 1.64x
Great Bolton 1 1.51x
Hanley Castle 1 30.40x
Hawarden Pentrobin 1 55.56x
Horton 1 769.23x
Lewes St John Southover 1 21.01x
Liverpool 1 0.33x
Mickle Bridge 1 227.27x
Millbrook 1 4.61x
Moss Side 1 3.81x
Rhuddlan 1 10.05x
Saighton 1 192.31x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 0.66x
Tarporley 1 51.55x
Upton In Macclesfield 1 175.44x
Walton On Hill 1 3.70x
West Derby 1 0.69x
Westminster St Margaret 1 4.93x
Wrexham Abbot 1 25.06x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 42
Elizabeth 28
Sarah 22
Jane 10
Hannah 9
Margaret 8
Martha 8
Alice 7
Ann 5
Ellen 5
Catherine 4
Eliza 4
Harriet 4
Kate 4
Anne 3
Emma 3
Florence 3
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Emily 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Lydia 2
Abigail 1
Agnes 1
Anna 1
Bertha 1
Clara 1
D. 1
Ellinor 1
Jessie 1
Katie 1
Laura 1
Lillian 1
Lucy 1
M. 1
Maggie 1
Malia 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
May 1
Nancy 1
Nellie 1
Rachel 1
Rosehana 1
Selena 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 37
William 33
Thomas 26
Joseph 15
Charles 12
George 8
James 8
Edward 7
Robert 7
Samuel 7
Alfred 6
Frederick 5
Edwin 4
Henry 4
Arthur 3
Harry 3
Richard 3
Thos. 3
Albert 2
Elijah 2
Jethro 2
Price 2
Wm. 2
Alexander 1
Charlie 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Edmund 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Geo. 1
Hurbert 1
Hy. 1
Joshua 1
Lewis 1
Osbona 1
Peter 1
Pierce 1
Ralph 1
Saml. 1
Sarah 1
Shedrick 1
Sydney 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Bithell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bithell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 431 people were recorded with the Bithell surname. That placed it at #7,555 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bithell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,108 in 2016. That gives Bithell a modern rank of #5,305.

What does the Bithell surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone living near a hill or knoll.

What does the Bithell map show?

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