NameCensus.

UK surname

Bobin

A surname derived from a French nickname for a burly or stout person.

In the 1881 census there were 25 people recorded with the Bobin surname, ranking it #30,077 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 100, ranked #31,123, down from #30,077 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hackney, Hartlepool and Southend-on-Sea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bobin is 102 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 300.0%.

1881 census count

25

Ranked #30,077

Modern count

100

2016, ranked #31,123

Peak year

2015

102 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bobin had 25 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,077 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 100 in 2016, ranked #31,123.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 84 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Bobin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bobin surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bobin 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 24 #29,038
1861 historical 22 #31,140
1881 historical 25 #30,077
1891 historical 31 #31,820
1901 historical 84 #24,759
1911 historical 34 #29,600
1997 modern 80 #29,554
1998 modern 85 #29,439
1999 modern 84 #29,700
2000 modern 96 #28,299
2001 modern 88 #29,056
2002 modern 88 #29,534
2003 modern 90 #29,260
2004 modern 88 #29,758
2005 modern 87 #29,966
2006 modern 85 #30,556
2007 modern 79 #31,628
2008 modern 84 #31,370
2009 modern 89 #31,235
2010 modern 98 #30,540
2011 modern 93 #31,169
2012 modern 100 #30,258
2013 modern 98 #31,078
2014 modern 101 #30,855
2015 modern 102 #30,624
2016 modern 100 #31,123

Geography

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Where Bobins 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 Hackney, Hartlepool, Southend-on-Sea and Cornwall. 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 Hackney 021 Hackney
2 Hartlepool 002 Hartlepool
3 Southend-on-Sea 016 Southend-on-Sea
4 Southend-on-Sea 009 Southend-on-Sea
5 Cornwall 064 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bobin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bobin

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bobin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Bobin 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

Bobin 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 Bobin 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 Bobin, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bobin

The surname Bobin is believed to have originated in France, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is thought to have derived from the French word "bobin," which means "small bobbin" or "spool," typically used for winding thread or yarn. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals involved in the textile or weaving industries during the Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded instances of the Bobin surname date back to the 13th century. One notable example is found in the "Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Sainte-Colombe de Sens," a collection of charters and documents from the Abbey of Sainte-Colombe in Sens, France, where a certain Jacobus Bobin is mentioned in 1274.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various historical records, including the "Registres de la Noblesse" (Registers of Nobility) from the Duchy of Burgundy. This suggests that some members of the Bobin family may have held noble or privileged status during this period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Bobin name was Jean Bobin, a French poet and playwright born around 1520 in Paris. He is best known for his play "La Rencontre," which was performed at the court of King Henry II of France in the mid-16th century.

Another notable figure was Pierre Bobin, a French architect and engineer who lived from 1594 to 1658. He was involved in the construction of several notable buildings in Paris, including the Pavillon de l'Horloge at the Louvre Palace.

In the 17th century, the name Bobin appears in the records of the French colony of Quebec, Canada. One such record mentions a Jacques Bobin, who was born in France in 1642 and later settled in Quebec City.

During the 18th century, the Bobin surname was found in various regions of France, including Normandy and Brittany. One notable individual from this period was Jean-Baptiste Bobin, a French playwright and librettist born in Paris in 1746. He is best known for his collaborations with the composer André Grétry.

In the 19th century, the name Bobin continued to be present in France, with several individuals bearing this surname achieving recognition in various fields. One such figure was Louis-Alexandre Bobin, a French painter and engraver born in 1818 in Paris. He is known for his portraits and historical paintings.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bobin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bobin 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. Kent leads with 20 Bobins recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.06x.

County Total Index
Kent 20 24.06x
Buckinghamshire 5 33.94x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Deptford St Paul in Kent leads with 9 Bobins recorded in 1881 and an index of 140.41x.

Place Total Index
Deptford St Paul 9 140.41x
Upton Cum Chalvey 5 847.46x
Gillingham 4 233.92x
Lewisham 3 67.72x
Greenwich 2 51.55x
Woolwich 2 65.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 2
Eliza 2
Agnes 1
Annie 1
Elizabeth 1
Esther 1
Hepzebeth 1
Jane 1
Lydia 1
Martha 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Edward 2
John 2
Joseph 2
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Henry 1
James 1
Reuben 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 Bobin households.

FAQ

Bobin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bobin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 25 people were recorded with the Bobin surname. That placed it at #30,077 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bobin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 100 in 2016. That gives Bobin a modern rank of #31,123.

What does the Bobin surname mean?

A surname derived from a French nickname for a burly or stout person.

What does the Bobin map show?

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