NameCensus.

UK surname

Bocking

In the 1881 census there were 410 people recorded with the Bocking surname, ranking it #7,833 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 480, ranked #10,292, down from #7,833 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to King's Lynn St Margaret, London parishes and King's Lynn All Saints, South Lynn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Oldham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bocking is 577 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 17.1%.

1881 census count

410

Ranked #7,833

Modern count

480

2016, ranked #10,292

Peak year

1911

577 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bocking had 410 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,833 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 480 in 2016, ranked #10,292.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 577 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bocking surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bocking surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bocking 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 309 #7,449
1861 historical 288 #8,743
1881 historical 410 #7,833
1891 historical 494 #7,504
1901 historical 533 #7,697
1911 historical 577 #7,046
1997 modern 517 #9,079
1998 modern 530 #9,179
1999 modern 527 #9,277
2000 modern 512 #9,456
2001 modern 508 #9,344
2002 modern 500 #9,625
2003 modern 495 #9,557
2004 modern 498 #9,547
2005 modern 479 #9,737
2006 modern 478 #9,806
2007 modern 459 #10,177
2008 modern 468 #10,134
2009 modern 489 #10,034
2010 modern 486 #10,264
2011 modern 488 #10,135
2012 modern 472 #10,295
2013 modern 475 #10,401
2014 modern 478 #10,428
2015 modern 472 #10,452
2016 modern 480 #10,292

Geography

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Where Bockings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around King's Lynn St Margaret, London parishes, King's Lynn All Saints, South Lynn, Hope and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Oldham. 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 King's Lynn St Margaret Norfolk
2 London parishes London 3
3 King's Lynn All Saints, South Lynn Norfolk
4 Hope Derbyshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 008 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 002 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 014 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 003 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 Oldham 011 Oldham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bocking

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bocking

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Bocking surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bocking 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Bocking 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

Bocking 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

Bocking 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 Bocking is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Bocking families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bocking 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 85 Bockings recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.16x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 85 2.16x
Middlesex 69 1.74x
Norfolk 60 9.83x
Essex 53 6.76x
Derbyshire 46 7.40x
Surrey 29 1.50x
Lancashire 15 0.32x
Sussex 14 2.09x
Leicestershire 13 2.95x
Northumberland 8 1.35x
Kent 5 0.37x
Suffolk 4 0.83x
Cheshire 2 0.23x
Huntingdonshire 2 2.54x
Northamptonshire 1 0.27x
Staffordshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bradwell in Derbyshire leads with 24 Bockings recorded in 1881 and an index of 1726.62x.

Place Total Index
Bradwell 24 1726.62x
Ecclesall Bierlow 24 29.99x
Sheffield 23 18.36x
South Lynn 23 333.82x
Nether Hallam 22 41.33x
Cressing 14 1891.89x
Bottesford 13 718.23x
Abney 12 12000.00x
Bromley London 11 12.59x
Shoreditch London 11 6.39x
Inworth 10 1149.43x
Rotherhithe 10 20.39x
Little Maplestead 9 2500.00x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 8 43.64x
Newburn Hall 8 720.72x
St George In East London 8 21.42x
Manchester 7 3.30x
Wadhurst 7 159.09x
Broughton In Salford 6 13.93x
Heigham 6 18.32x
Houghton In Hole 6 2727.27x
Islington London 6 1.56x
Newington 6 4.09x
Norton Folgate London 6 461.54x
Bulmer 5 526.32x
Hartfield 5 235.85x
Kensington London 5 2.27x
Lambeth 5 1.44x
Acton 4 17.19x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 4 10.91x
Bradfield 4 26.37x
Hammersmith London 4 4.09x
Mile End Old Town London 4 4.73x
Outseats 4 1538.46x
Ringstead 4 645.16x
West Ham 4 2.31x
Brancaster 3 285.71x
Brightside Bierlow 3 3.89x
Burnham 3 103.81x
Norton 3 58.59x
Pebmarsh 3 428.57x
Southwark Christchurch 3 16.13x
Battersea 2 1.37x
Birkenhead 2 2.86x
Bow London 2 3.96x
Greenwich 2 3.16x
Holme Next Sea 2 487.80x
Saham Toney 2 121.21x
Shernborne 2 909.09x
St George Bloomsbury 2 8.78x
St Luke London 2 3.14x
Sudbury St Gregory 2 51.55x
Sudbury St Peter 2 75.47x
Upper Hallam 2 58.48x
Withyam 2 69.93x
Abbots Ripton 1 185.19x
Ballingdon Cum Brundon 1 101.01x
Bethnal Green London 1 0.58x
Bocking 1 21.23x
Carlton In Selby 1 98.04x
Chelsea London 1 0.84x
Cold Norton 1 400.00x
Droylsden 1 6.51x
Eyam 1 57.47x
Great Bircham 1 158.73x
Hathersage 1 57.47x
Heacham 1 73.53x
Headingley Cum Burley 1 3.95x
Hope 1 222.22x
Lewisham 1 1.38x
Limehouse London 1 2.29x
Maldon St Peter 1 25.06x
Pendleton In Salford 1 1.78x
Peterborough 1 3.70x
Prittlewell 1 9.21x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.25x
Swaffham 1 20.12x
Tonbridge 1 2.05x
Wereham 1 119.05x
Wolverhampton 1 0.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 22
Sarah 20
Elizabeth 16
Jane 10
Emma 9
Eliza 8
Alice 6
Ann 6
Emily 6
Annie 5
Charlotte 5
Ellen 5
Fanny 5
Hannah 5
Ada 4
Florence 4
Harriett 4
Agnes 3
Amy 3
Caroline 3
Catherine 3
Harriet 3
Maria 3
Anne 2
Edith 2
Eleanor 2
Elizth. 2
Esther 2
Grace 2
Isabella 2
Kate 2
Lydia 2
Martha 2
Rachel 2
Ruth 2
Amphillia 1
Beatrice 1
Belinda 1
Bertha 1
Clara 1
E. 1
Elizabth. 1
Elphage 1
Gertrude 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Henriette 1
Henry 1
Jessie 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 22
George 16
John 16
Henry 12
James 10
Thomas 9
Arthur 8
Robert 8
Charles 7
Alfred 6
Walter 6
Herbert 4
Joseph 4
Abraham 3
Frederick 3
Samuel 3
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Geo. 2
Isaac 2
Ather 1
Auther 1
Chas.Wm. 1
Clarence 1
Clement 1
Cornelius 1
Edgar 1
Elizabeth 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Frederic 1
Fredick 1
Fredk. 1
Hans 1
Harry 1
Hy. 1
Johann 1
Leonard 1
Mark 1
Mary 1
Maurice 1
Morris 1
Percival 1
Peter 1
Robt. 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
T. 1
Wm.A. 1

FAQ

Bocking surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bocking surname in 1881?

In 1881, 410 people were recorded with the Bocking surname. That placed it at #7,833 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bocking surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 480 in 2016. That gives Bocking a modern rank of #10,292.

What does the Bocking map show?

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