NameCensus.

UK surname

Boby

A surname possibly derived from the French word "bobe," meaning a blister or protruberance.

In the 1881 census there were 96 people recorded with the Boby surname, ranking it #20,248 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 132, ranked #25,882, down from #20,248 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St James, Lavenham and Stowmarket. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leicester, Newark and Sherwood and Northampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Boby is 132 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.5%.

1881 census count

96

Ranked #20,248

Modern count

132

2016, ranked #25,882

Peak year

2016

132 bearers

Map years

5

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Boby had 96 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,248 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016, ranked #25,882.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 124 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Boby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Boby surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Boby 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 69 #21,148
1861 historical 124 #17,797
1881 historical 96 #20,248
1891 historical 110 #22,557
1901 historical 122 #20,344
1911 historical 110 #21,519
1997 modern 70 #30,618
1998 modern 73 #30,681
1999 modern 77 #30,427
2000 modern 78 #30,361
2001 modern 76 #30,366
2002 modern 83 #30,070
2003 modern 83 #30,088
2004 modern 84 #30,244
2005 modern 83 #30,486
2006 modern 91 #29,725
2007 modern 103 #28,187
2008 modern 107 #27,844
2009 modern 112 #27,685
2010 modern 120 #27,124
2011 modern 116 #27,477
2012 modern 118 #27,250
2013 modern 123 #26,974
2014 modern 124 #27,049
2015 modern 125 #26,808
2016 modern 132 #25,882

Geography

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Where Bobys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St James, Lavenham, Stowmarket, St Leonard Shoreditch and Wyverstone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leicester, Newark and Sherwood, Northampton and IZ10. 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 St James Suffolk
2 Lavenham Suffolk
3 Stowmarket Suffolk
4 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
5 Wyverstone Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leicester 029 Leicester
2 Newark and Sherwood 004 Newark and Sherwood
3 Newark and Sherwood 011 Newark and Sherwood
4 Northampton 004 Northampton
5 IZ10 East Lothian

Forenames

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First names often paired with Boby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Boby

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Boby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Boby household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Boby 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

Boby is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Boby

The surname Boby is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "bobia," which means "little boy" or "young man." The name may have been used as a nickname or a descriptive term for a young person before becoming a hereditary surname.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Boby dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. This document lists a person named William Boby, indicating that the name was already in use at that time.

In the 14th century, the Boby surname can be found in various records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mentions a John Boby. The name also appears in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset in 1384, where a Robert Boby is recorded.

During the 16th century, the Boby surname was particularly prevalent in the county of Staffordshire. One notable figure from this era was Thomas Boby, who was born in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, around 1540. He was a Protestant clergyman and served as the vicar of All Saints' Church in Uttoxeter.

In the 17th century, the Boby surname can be found in various parish records across England. One notable individual from this period was John Boby, a merchant and landowner from Norfolk, who was born in 1625 and died in 1699.

The 18th century saw the Boby surname spread to other parts of the British Isles, including Scotland and Ireland. One notable figure from this era was William Boby, an English architect and surveyor who was born in Leicestershire in 1753 and died in 1827. He was known for his work on various churches and country houses in the region.

In the 19th century, the Boby surname continued to be found across England, with some individuals emigrating to other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada. One notable figure from this period was Henry Boby, an English cricketer who was born in Leicestershire in 1835 and played for the Marylebone Cricket Club.

Another notable individual with the Boby surname was Sir Edward Boby, a British lawyer and judge who was born in Lincolnshire in 1836 and served as a Lord Justice of Appeal from 1897 until his death in 1912.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Boby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Boby 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 57 Bobys recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.47x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 57 49.47x
Middlesex 27 2.85x
Hampshire 5 2.58x
Buckinghamshire 2 3.50x
Essex 2 1.07x
Lincolnshire 1 0.66x
Norfolk 1 0.69x
Northamptonshire 1 1.12x
Royal Navy 1 8.87x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lavenham in Suffolk leads with 11 Bobys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1833.33x.

Place Total Index
Lavenham 11 1833.33x
Stow Upland 10 2631.58x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 8 370.37x
St Pancras London 8 10.51x
Shoreditch London 7 17.07x
Wyverstone 7 7777.78x
Bury St Edmunds St James 6 194.81x
Ipswich St Margaret 5 127.88x
Portsmouth 5 112.11x
Long Melford 4 373.83x
Woodbridge 4 272.11x
Bethnal Green London 3 7.30x
Islington London 3 3.27x
Hampstead London 2 13.58x
Ibstone Stokenchurch 2 2000.00x
Ipswich St Mary At Tower 2 769.23x
St Anne Soho London 2 37.04x
Colchester St Mary At 1 151.52x
Easton 1 312.50x
Hammersmith London 1 4.29x
Mareham Le Fen 1 416.67x
Royal Navy 1 10.37x
Thetford St Mary 1 250.00x
West Ham 1 2.43x
Whitechapel London 1 10.73x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
Charles 7
Robert 5
Frederick 4
James 4
William 4
George 3
Henry 3
Samuel 3
Harry 2
Alfred 1
Chas.H. 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Frederich 1
Hugh 1
Spencer 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Boby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Boby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 96 people were recorded with the Boby surname. That placed it at #20,248 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Boby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016. That gives Boby a modern rank of #25,882.

What does the Boby surname mean?

A surname possibly derived from the French word "bobe," meaning a blister or protruberance.

What does the Boby map show?

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