NameCensus.

UK surname

Blamires

An English locational surname likely referring to someone from a place containing bleak moors.

In the 1881 census there were 367 people recorded with the Blamires surname, ranking it #8,475 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 250, ranked #16,792, down from #8,475 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Birstall, Bradford and Halifax. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Calderdale, Kirklees and Eden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blamires is 380 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 31.9%.

1881 census count

367

Ranked #8,475

Modern count

250

2016, ranked #16,792

Peak year

1911

380 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Blamires had 367 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,475 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 250 in 2016, ranked #16,792.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 380 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Blamires surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Blamires surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Blamires 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 223 #9,562
1861 historical 187 #12,690
1881 historical 367 #8,475
1891 historical 326 #10,405
1901 historical 360 #10,212
1911 historical 380 #9,655
1997 modern 240 #15,678
1998 modern 246 #15,864
1999 modern 260 #15,390
2000 modern 245 #15,955
2001 modern 238 #16,004
2002 modern 242 #16,186
2003 modern 244 #15,861
2004 modern 234 #16,416
2005 modern 226 #16,782
2006 modern 221 #17,149
2007 modern 217 #17,520
2008 modern 227 #17,196
2009 modern 229 #17,431
2010 modern 225 #18,000
2011 modern 228 #17,673
2012 modern 237 #17,132
2013 modern 255 #16,551
2014 modern 253 #16,774
2015 modern 256 #16,524
2016 modern 250 #16,792

Geography

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Where Blamires' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Birstall, Bradford, Halifax and Batley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Calderdale, Kirklees, Eden, Scarborough and Bradford. 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 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Calderdale 026 Calderdale
2 Kirklees 003 Kirklees
3 Eden 001 Eden
4 Scarborough 013 Scarborough
5 Bradford 046 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Blamires

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Blamires

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Blamires is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Blamires is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Blamires falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Blamires is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Blamires

The surname Blamires is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "blam" meaning "remnant" or "stump" and "hyrst" meaning "wooded hill." It likely originated in the northern counties of Yorkshire or Lancashire, where it was first recorded in the 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where it is spelled "de Blamire." This suggests the name may have originated as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a wooded hill with a remnant or stump.

By the 13th century, variations such as "Blaymire" and "Blaymers" were also recorded in Yorkshire, indicating the name's evolution over time. It is possible the name was initially associated with a specific place or landmark, though no definitive records remain.

A notable early bearer of the name was William Blamyre, a yeoman farmer from Rylstone, Yorkshire, who was mentioned in the Bolton Priory Compotus of 1473-74. This document recorded the accounts and transactions of the local priory, providing a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people at the time.

In the 16th century, the Blamires family was well-established in Yorkshire, with several members serving as church wardens and parish officials in places like Kildwick and Gargrave. One particularly prominent individual was John Blamires (1508-1580), a wealthy landowner and benefactor who contributed funds for the construction of Kildwick's parish church.

As the surname spread across England, it also found its way into various historical records and manuscripts. For example, the Blamires name appears in the Hearth Tax Rolls of Westmorland from the late 17th century, suggesting the family had established roots in that region as well.

Other notable individuals with the surname include Sir Thomas Blamires (1722-1794), a successful merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of York, and William Blamires (1790-1862), an English artist and portrait painter best known for his works depicting literary figures like William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Blamires families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blamires 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. Yorkshire leads with 340 Blamires' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.61x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 340 9.61x
Durham 10 0.94x
Surrey 6 0.34x
Lanarkshire 4 0.35x
Staffordshire 3 0.25x
Hampshire 2 0.27x
Lancashire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cleckheaton in Yorkshire leads with 101 Blamires' recorded in 1881 and an index of 775.13x.

Place Total Index
Cleckheaton 101 775.13x
Horton In Bradford 53 95.93x
Manningham 29 66.54x
Bradford 11 12.84x
Gomersal 11 66.63x
Liversedge 11 69.84x
Shildon 10 117.10x
Almondbury 9 52.60x
Halifax 9 17.33x
Hartshead 9 566.04x
Lockwood 9 70.70x
Batley 8 23.80x
Gildersome 8 188.24x
Darton 7 193.37x
Dewsbury 7 19.29x
Drighlington 7 135.92x
Sowerby In Halifax 7 60.50x
Lambeth 6 1.93x
Leeds 6 3.00x
North Bierley 6 31.41x
Hunslet 5 9.06x
Northowram 5 20.15x
Hamilton 4 12.42x
Wakefield 4 14.73x
Wortley In Bramley 4 14.28x
Burton Extra 3 43.42x
Morley 3 16.31x
Shitlington 3 81.97x
Heaton 2 52.63x
Huddersfield 2 3.88x
Aldershot 1 4.08x
Barnsley 1 2.74x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 1 8.26x
Colne 1 7.92x
Headingley Cum Burley 1 4.39x
Shadwell 1 74.07x
St Lawrence 1 333.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 26
Sarah 19
Elizabeth 13
Emily 10
Ann 8
Emma 7
Jane 7
Martha 7
Annie 6
Alice 5
Clara 5
Eliza 5
Harriet 4
Ada 3
Edith 3
Hannah 3
Lydia 3
Margaret 3
Nancy 3
Agnes 2
Ellen 2
Esther 2
Fanny 2
Gertrude 2
Harriett 2
Susannah 2
Anne 1
Betsy 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Cordelia 1
Frances 1
Grace 1
Helen 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Lilly 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Margeret 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Minnie 1
Nany 1
Polly 1
Prudence 1
Rebecca 1
Rosey 1
Zilpha 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 16
William 14
Joseph 13
George 9
James 9
Henry 6
Edward 5
Fred 5
Albert 4
Arthur 4
Benjamin 4
Ernest 4
Harry 4
Sam 4
Alfred 3
Charles 3
Edwin 3
Herbert 3
Joshua 3
Alexander 2
Ben 2
Emmanuel 2
Frank 2
Gorge 2
Isaac 2
Saml. 2
Samuel 2
Stephen 2
Anthony 1
Bill 1
Charley 1
Dan 1
David 1
Ellis 1
Esau 1
F. 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Geo.Hy. 1
Gerald 1
Hiram 1
Hirst 1
Hodgson 1
Jacob 1
Jesse 1
Jno. 1
Job 1
Joe 1
Joe. 1
Jonathan 1

FAQ

Blamires surname: questions and answers

How common was the Blamires surname in 1881?

In 1881, 367 people were recorded with the Blamires surname. That placed it at #8,475 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Blamires surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 250 in 2016. That gives Blamires a modern rank of #16,792.

What does the Blamires surname mean?

An English locational surname likely referring to someone from a place containing bleak moors.

What does the Blamires map show?

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