NameCensus.

UK surname

Blyth

A habitation name from any of several places in England named Blyth.

In the 1881 census there were 4,714 people recorded with the Blyth surname, ranking it #941 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,536, ranked #1,212, down from #941 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Edinburgh and Great Yarmouth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ14, North East Lincolnshire and IZ10.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blyth is 5,863 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 17.4%.

1881 census count

4,714

Ranked #941

Modern count

5,536

2016, ranked #1,212

Peak year

1999

5,863 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Blyth had 4,714 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #941 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,536 in 2016, ranked #1,212.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,591 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Blyth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Blyth surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Blyth 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 3,345 #864
1861 historical 3,398 #832
1881 historical 4,714 #941
1891 historical 5,093 #922
1901 historical 5,591 #997
1911 historical 3,862 #1,343
1997 modern 5,584 #1,166
1998 modern 5,773 #1,174
1999 modern 5,863 #1,161
2000 modern 5,753 #1,176
2001 modern 5,650 #1,175
2002 modern 5,755 #1,178
2003 modern 5,569 #1,185
2004 modern 5,558 #1,180
2005 modern 5,548 #1,165
2006 modern 5,569 #1,163
2007 modern 5,583 #1,166
2008 modern 5,568 #1,178
2009 modern 5,737 #1,168
2010 modern 5,748 #1,203
2011 modern 5,650 #1,203
2012 modern 5,504 #1,212
2013 modern 5,565 #1,223
2014 modern 5,656 #1,209
2015 modern 5,548 #1,216
2016 modern 5,536 #1,212

Geography

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Where Blyths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Edinburgh, Great Yarmouth, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ14, North East Lincolnshire, IZ10, Northfield and Piershill and East Riding of Yorkshire. 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 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Great Yarmouth Norfolk
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ14 East Lothian
2 North East Lincolnshire 001 North East Lincolnshire
3 IZ10 East Lothian
4 Northfield and Piershill City of Edinburgh
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 039 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Blyth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Blyth

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Blyth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Blyth household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Blyth is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Blyth 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

Blyth falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Blyth

The surname Blyth originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "blyđe," which meant "blithe" or "joyous." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a cheerful or merry person.

In its earliest recorded forms, the surname appeared as Blithe or Blythe. It is found in various ancient records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is mentioned as a place name in Nottinghamshire.

The earliest known bearer of the surname Blyth was Robert de Blythe, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland in 1197. Another early reference is to Walter de Blythe, mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219.

The name Blyth is also associated with several place names in England, such as Blyth in Northumberland and Blyth in Nottinghamshire. These locations likely derived their names from the Old English word "bliđe," meaning "gentle" or "pleasant," referring to the nature of the area.

One notable bearer of the surname was Sir John Blyth (c. 1465 - c. 1530), an English politician and diplomat who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1521. Another prominent figure was Geoffrey Blyth (1580 - 1663), an English Puritan minister and author who wrote several religious works.

In the literary world, Samuel Blyth (1784 - 1831) was a Scottish poet and writer, best known for his collection of poems titled "The Cottager's Muse." Another writer was James Blyth (1839 - 1906), a Scottish author and journalist who contributed to various newspapers and magazines.

Lastly, Sir Benjamin Blyth (1819 - 1900) was a British civil servant and administrator who served as the Governor of the Bahamas from 1864 to 1871.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the surname Blyth throughout history, highlighting its English origins and the diverse fields in which its bearers have made their mark.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Blyth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blyth 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. Norfolk leads with 730 Blyths recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.31x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 730 10.31x
Fife 591 21.68x
Middlesex 483 1.05x
Midlothian 350 5.67x
Yorkshire 250 0.55x
Essex 228 2.51x
Lanarkshire 200 1.34x
Angus 165 3.87x
Durham 156 1.14x
Northumberland 152 2.22x
Suffolk 130 2.32x
Ayrshire 124 3.60x
Surrey 96 0.43x
Kent 86 0.55x
Perthshire 85 4.11x
Lincolnshire 77 1.05x
Lancashire 71 0.13x
Warwickshire 64 0.55x
Selkirkshire 59 14.16x
Hampshire 57 0.60x
Roxburghshire 51 6.11x
Staffordshire 49 0.32x
Renfrewshire 42 1.18x
Northamptonshire 30 0.69x
Sussex 29 0.37x
Kinross-shire 26 22.33x
Dunbartonshire 24 1.94x
Derbyshire 23 0.32x
Dumfriesshire 22 2.16x
Stirlingshire 20 1.18x
Cambridgeshire 17 0.58x
Cheshire 17 0.17x
Berwickshire 16 2.87x
Cornwall 15 0.29x
East Lothian 15 2.46x
Devon 13 0.14x
Worcestershire 12 0.20x
Hertfordshire 11 0.35x
Aberdeenshire 10 0.23x
Cumberland 10 0.25x
Isle of Man 9 1.05x
Shropshire 9 0.23x
Somerset 9 0.12x
Bedfordshire 8 0.34x
Kirkcudbrightshire 8 1.20x
Nottinghamshire 8 0.13x
Leicestershire 7 0.14x
Oxfordshire 7 0.25x
Berkshire 6 0.17x
Dorset 6 0.20x
Gloucestershire 6 0.07x
Kincardineshire 4 0.71x
Peeblesshire 4 1.85x
Banffshire 3 0.31x
Clackmannanshire 3 0.79x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.28x
Morayshire 3 0.42x
Royal Navy 3 0.55x
Anglesey 2 0.25x
Argyllshire 2 0.16x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.05x
Herefordshire 1 0.05x
Inverness-shire 1 0.07x
West Lothian 1 0.14x
Wigtownshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 167 Blyths recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.73x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 167 6.73x
Dundee 95 5.96x
Great Yarmouth 87 14.83x
Newburgh 76 219.46x
Heigham 75 19.73x
Dysart 72 39.22x
Govan 71 1.93x
Muirkirk 61 75.37x
St Pancras London 53 1.43x
Gorleston 46 32.28x
Barony 45 1.19x
Bishopwearmouth 45 3.83x
Dunfermline 45 10.73x
Glasgow 44 1.66x
South Leith 41 5.91x
Islington London 39 0.87x
Kensington London 38 1.48x
Lakenham 37 36.78x
Bethnal Green London 35 1.75x
Sculcoates 33 4.56x
Holy Trinity 32 2.92x
Mile End Old Town London 30 3.06x
Cupar 29 24.46x
Maybole 27 25.73x
St Marylebone London 27 1.10x
Westminster St James 27 5.70x
Selkirk 26 22.15x
Tweedmouth 26 30.43x
Kettle 25 76.38x
Kirkcaldy 24 17.75x
Liff Benvie 24 3.71x
Blairgowrie 23 28.13x
Ceres 23 70.19x
Shoreditch London 23 1.15x
Birmingham 22 0.57x
Portsea 22 1.19x
St George Hanover Square 22 2.71x
Bromley London 21 2.07x
Horsford 21 191.08x
Leuchars 21 60.90x
North Creake 21 217.39x
Rotherhithe 21 3.69x
Beath 20 23.22x
Brighton 20 1.28x
Burntisland 19 24.93x
Markinch 19 20.53x
Norwich St Clement 19 23.15x
Scoonie 19 32.18x
Abbotshall 18 17.67x
Bermondsey 18 1.31x
Brightlingsea 18 34.66x
Moffat 18 38.77x
Wymondham 18 24.86x
Aston 17 0.53x
Auchterderran 17 24.80x
North Leith 17 5.95x
Abbey 16 2.94x
Chirton 16 10.32x
Deptford St Paul 16 1.32x
Edinburgh Canongate 16 10.19x
Edinburgh St Marys 16 13.34x
Falkland 16 37.31x
Forfar 16 6.93x
Hamilton 16 3.85x
Wolverhampton 16 1.34x
South Lynn 15 18.77x
East Dereham 14 15.65x
Galashiels 14 9.09x
Kilrenny 14 27.76x
Stranton 14 3.04x
Tanfield 14 8.59x
Wivenhoe 14 38.78x
Caistor Next Yarmouth 13 52.17x
Chelmsford 13 8.33x
Cromer 13 51.63x
Earsdon 13 23.32x
Lewisham 13 1.55x
Norwich St Stephen 13 20.00x
Tottenham 13 1.77x
West Ham 13 0.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 169
Elizabeth 111
Sarah 67
Eliza 49
Alice 48
Ann 47
Jane 44
Emma 42
Ellen 38
Margaret 35
Emily 33
Edith 31
Annie 26
Charlotte 26
Hannah 26
Maria 24
Louisa 22
Catherine 21
Kate 21
Harriet 20
Florence 19
Martha 19
Isabella 18
Caroline 17
Frances 15
Ada 14
Susan 14
Clara 12
Harriett 12
Ethel 11
Jessie 11
Amelia 10
Julia 10
Rebecca 10
Elizth. 9
Fanny 9
Gertrude 9
Lucy 9
Susannah 9
Mabel 8
Agnes 7
Eleanor 7
Esther 7
Grace 7
Helen 7
Anna 6
Anne 6
Matilda 6
Minnie 6
Rose 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 180
John 154
Thomas 99
James 91
George 80
Charles 76
Robert 53
Alfred 44
Henry 38
Arthur 37
Walter 34
Edward 32
Joseph 29
Frederick 27
Samuel 26
Albert 19
Ernest 17
Isaac 16
Benjamin 14
Harry 14
Herbert 14
David 13
Matthew 11
Richard 11
Wm. 11
Stephen 8
Alexander 7
Chas. 7
Frank 6
Harold 6
Joshua 6
Thos. 6
Andrew 5
Francis 5
Fred 5
Horace 5
Mathew 5
Clifford 4
Edwin 4
Frederic 4
Jonathan 4
Percy 4
Peter 4
Daniel 3
Edgar 3
Edmund 3
Fredk. 3
Josiah 3
Philip 3
Victor 3

FAQ

Blyth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Blyth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,714 people were recorded with the Blyth surname. That placed it at #941 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Blyth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,536 in 2016. That gives Blyth a modern rank of #1,212.

What does the Blyth surname mean?

A habitation name from any of several places in England named Blyth.

What does the Blyth map show?

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