NameCensus.

UK surname

Blom

A Swedish ornamental surname derived from the word "blom," meaning "flower."

In the 1881 census there were 29 people recorded with the Blom surname, ranking it #29,484 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 189, ranked #20,334, up from #29,484 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland, Abbeyhill and Johnstone North West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blom is 192 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 551.7%.

1881 census count

29

Ranked #29,484

Modern count

189

2016, ranked #20,334

Peak year

2015

192 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Blom had 29 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,484 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 189 in 2016, ranked #20,334.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 68 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Blom surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Blom surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Blom 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 10 #31,497
1861 historical 59 #26,466
1881 historical 29 #29,484
1891 historical 47 #30,566
1901 historical 68 #26,598
1911 historical 57 #27,099
1997 modern 91 #28,215
1998 modern 117 #25,190
1999 modern 119 #25,095
2000 modern 111 #26,111
2001 modern 115 #25,222
2002 modern 132 #23,680
2003 modern 133 #23,359
2004 modern 142 #22,573
2005 modern 149 #21,866
2006 modern 156 #21,399
2007 modern 166 #20,811
2008 modern 166 #20,966
2009 modern 161 #21,879
2010 modern 178 #20,965
2011 modern 174 #21,096
2012 modern 183 #20,356
2013 modern 190 #20,201
2014 modern 186 #20,664
2015 modern 192 #20,138
2016 modern 189 #20,334

Geography

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Where Bloms are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Holland, Abbeyhill, Johnstone North West, Bedford and Hammersmith and Fulham. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Holland 004 South Holland
2 Abbeyhill City of Edinburgh
3 Johnstone North West Renfrewshire
4 Bedford 001 Bedford
5 Hammersmith and Fulham 020 Hammersmith and Fulham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Blom

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Blom

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Blom surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Blom 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Blom 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

Blom is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Blom 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 Blom 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Blom

The surname Blom is of Dutch origin, deriving from the Middle Dutch word "blom" or "bloom," meaning "flower." This name first emerged in the Netherlands during the medieval period, likely around the 13th or 14th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Blom surname can be found in the Guelders archives from the year 1382, which mentions a certain Henric Blom. The name was particularly prevalent in the Dutch provinces of Gelderland, Noord-Brabant, and Zuid-Holland during this time.

The Blom surname is believed to have originated as a descriptive name, perhaps referring to someone who lived near a flowering plant or worked in a profession related to flowers or horticulture. It could also have been used as a nickname for someone with a rosy complexion or a cheerful demeanor.

In the 16th century, the Blom surname can be found in various Dutch records, such as the Utrecht archives from 1572, which mention a Willem Blom. During this period, variations of the spelling, such as Bloom and Bloem, were also common.

Notable historical figures bearing the Blom surname include Matthys Blom (1619-1682), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his still-life works, and Pieter Blom (1701-1764), a Dutch architect and city planner who designed the famous Basilica of St. Willibrord in Utrecht.

Other prominent individuals with this surname are Jan Blom (1836-1904), a Dutch botanist and horticulturist who specialized in the study of orchids, and Dirk Blom (1884-1959), a Dutch politician and member of the House of Representatives.

In the literary world, the Dutch author and poet Willem Blom (1906-1999) gained recognition for his works exploring themes of rural life and the natural world.

While the Blom surname originated in the Netherlands, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Dutch migration and settlement in various countries over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Blom families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blom 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. Middlesex leads with 13 Bloms recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.76x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 13 4.76x
Lancashire 5 1.54x
Surrey 3 2.26x
Suffolk 2 6.02x
Yorkshire 2 0.74x
Dorset 1 5.58x
Midlothian 1 2.74x
Northumberland 1 2.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Botolph Aldgate London in Middlesex leads with 6 Bloms recorded in 1881 and an index of 1071.43x.

Place Total Index
St Botolph Aldgate London 6 1071.43x
Hulme 5 73.96x
St Marylebone London 3 20.59x
Hook 2 338.98x
Lowestoft 2 127.39x
Newington 2 19.84x
Chelsea London 1 12.17x
Elswick 1 30.86x
Leith North 1 1428.57x
Longfleet 1 476.19x
Mile End Old Town London 1 17.21x
Paddington London 1 9.97x
St George Hanover Square 1 20.79x
Streatham 1 49.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 3
Eleanor 1
Harriet 1
Hortense 1
Jane 1
Livey 1
Marie 1
Mary 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Cornelius 2
Edward 2
Nathan 2
Adam 1
Alpea 1
Charles 1
Francois 1
Henry 1
John 1
Lewis 1
Moses 1
Solomon 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Blom households.

FAQ

Blom surname: questions and answers

How common was the Blom surname in 1881?

In 1881, 29 people were recorded with the Blom surname. That placed it at #29,484 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Blom surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 189 in 2016. That gives Blom a modern rank of #20,334.

What does the Blom surname mean?

A Swedish ornamental surname derived from the word "blom," meaning "flower."

What does the Blom map show?

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