NameCensus.

UK surname

Bixby

A topographic surname referring to someone living by an enclosure or settlement, from Old English "bī" and "cot."

In the 1881 census there were 120 people recorded with the Bixby surname, ranking it #17,756 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 204, ranked #19,320, down from #17,756 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ipswich St Helen, Barking and Wandsworth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Colchester, Mole Valley and Braintree.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bixby is 228 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 70.0%.

1881 census count

120

Ranked #17,756

Modern count

204

2016, ranked #19,320

Peak year

1999

228 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bixby had 120 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,756 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 204 in 2016, ranked #19,320.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 221 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Bixby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bixby surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bixby 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 79 #19,712
1861 historical 40 #28,970
1881 historical 120 #17,756
1891 historical 155 #17,920
1901 historical 173 #16,579
1911 historical 221 #14,044
1997 modern 192 #18,103
1998 modern 220 #17,074
1999 modern 228 #16,790
2000 modern 220 #17,138
2001 modern 213 #17,267
2002 modern 215 #17,487
2003 modern 204 #17,909
2004 modern 201 #18,168
2005 modern 197 #18,339
2006 modern 206 #17,945
2007 modern 212 #17,803
2008 modern 217 #17,693
2009 modern 214 #18,220
2010 modern 217 #18,443
2011 modern 213 #18,502
2012 modern 202 #19,084
2013 modern 204 #19,276
2014 modern 210 #19,064
2015 modern 210 #18,958
2016 modern 204 #19,320

Geography

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Where Bixbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ipswich St Helen, Barking, Wandsworth, Dagenham and Ipswich St Mary Stoke. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Colchester, Mole Valley, Braintree, Epping Forest and Great Yarmouth. 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 Ipswich St Helen Suffolk
2 Barking Essex
3 Wandsworth London (South Districts)
4 Dagenham Essex
5 Ipswich St Mary Stoke Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Colchester 021 Colchester
2 Mole Valley 010 Mole Valley
3 Braintree 017 Braintree
4 Epping Forest 003 Epping Forest
5 Great Yarmouth 003 Great Yarmouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bixby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bixby

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Bixby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Bixby 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 often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Bixby is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bixby 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

Bixby falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bixby

The surname Bixby is of English origin, and it is believed to have originated in the county of Oxfordshire, England, during the medieval period. Bixby is thought to be a locational name derived from the village of Byxley, which was recorded as "Bixlege" in the Domesday Book of 1086.

The name Bixby is believed to have evolved from the Old English words "bix" and "leah," which together mean "a clearing in the box trees." This suggests that the original settlement was located in an area surrounded by box trees, a type of evergreen shrub or small tree native to parts of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bixby can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire, dated 1195, where a person named Walter de Bixlege is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Bixley, Byxley, and Byxlie, reflecting the different spellings and pronunciations that were common during that period.

A notable individual with the surname Bixby was Sir Thomas Bixby (c. 1535-1614), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Taunton in 1597 and 1604. Another notable figure was Benjamin Bixby (1763-1825), an American soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War and later became a prominent merchant in New Hampshire.

Other noteworthy individuals with the surname Bixby include Joseph Bixby (1784-1864), a pioneer settler in Oregon and one of the founders of the town of Bixby, Oregon; Maynard Bixby (1853-1935), an American architect and designer known for his work in San Francisco; and Walter Bixby (1857-1943), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Long Beach Community Hospital in California.

The name Bixby has also been associated with various place names in England and the United States, such as Bixby, Oklahoma, a town named after the Bixby family who settled there in the late 19th century, and Bixby Creek Bridge, a historic concrete arch bridge located on the Big Sur coast of California.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bixby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bixby 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. Suffolk leads with 46 Bixbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.27x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 46 32.27x
Essex 44 19.05x
Middlesex 20 1.71x
Surrey 8 1.40x
Gloucestershire 1 0.44x
Oxfordshire 1 1.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barking in Essex leads with 37 Bixbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 547.34x.

Place Total Index
Barking 37 547.34x
Long Melford 16 1212.12x
Ipswich St Helen 14 828.40x
Dorking 7 182.77x
St Andrew Holborn London 7 138.07x
Dagenham 6 437.96x
Ousden 6 5000.00x
St George In East London 6 54.50x
Copdock 4 3076.92x
Whepstead 3 1200.00x
Clerkenwell London 2 7.24x
Paddington London 2 4.65x
St Pancras London 2 2.12x
Ensham 1 270.27x
Hargrave 1 588.24x
Holbrook 1 322.58x
Ipswich St Margaret 1 20.66x
Romford 1 27.40x
Salperton 1 1666.67x
St Marylebone London 1 1.60x
Wandsworth 1 8.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Elizabeth 6
Emily 5
Eliza 3
Annie 2
Charlotte 2
Honor 2
Laura 2
Rosanna 2
Alice 1
Angeline 1
Ann 1
Anna 1
Bessie 1
Dorothy 1
Elizbeth 1
Elizth.B. 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Georgina 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Ida 1
Jannie 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Lucey 1
Mabel 1
Margt 1
Maria 1
Minnie 1
Miriam 1
Ruth 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Robert 8
William 8
George 7
Charles 5
Arthur 4
Edward 3
Thomas 3
Alfred 2
James 2
Joseph 2
Josiah 2
Philip 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Elisha 1
Emanuel 1
Frederick 1
Geo.Herbert 1
Henery 1
Henry 1
Montague 1
Norman 1
Plilip 1
Robt. 1
Robt.G.F. 1
Wm.B. 1

FAQ

Bixby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bixby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 120 people were recorded with the Bixby surname. That placed it at #17,756 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bixby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 204 in 2016. That gives Bixby a modern rank of #19,320.

What does the Bixby surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone living by an enclosure or settlement, from Old English "bī" and "cot."

What does the Bixby map show?

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