NameCensus.

UK surname

Bolding

Derived from a place name meaning "hill of Bolla's people" in Old English, or from the word "bold."

In the 1881 census there were 207 people recorded with the Bolding surname, ranking it #12,555 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 279, ranked #15,534, down from #12,555 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Tewkesbury and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnet, Birmingham and Newham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bolding is 288 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.8%.

1881 census count

207

Ranked #12,555

Modern count

279

2016, ranked #15,534

Peak year

1911

288 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bolding had 207 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,555 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 279 in 2016, ranked #15,534.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 288 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Bolding surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bolding surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bolding 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 163 #12,156
1861 historical 237 #10,359
1881 historical 207 #12,555
1891 historical 266 #12,169
1901 historical 260 #12,817
1911 historical 288 #11,757
1997 modern 263 #14,769
1998 modern 280 #14,550
1999 modern 277 #14,737
2000 modern 260 #15,360
2001 modern 248 #15,606
2002 modern 257 #15,523
2003 modern 254 #15,454
2004 modern 265 #15,110
2005 modern 269 #14,869
2006 modern 252 #15,642
2007 modern 252 #15,815
2008 modern 252 #15,984
2009 modern 267 #15,661
2010 modern 274 #15,705
2011 modern 262 #16,098
2012 modern 280 #15,248
2013 modern 279 #15,574
2014 modern 282 #15,537
2015 modern 279 #15,527
2016 modern 279 #15,534

Geography

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Where Boldings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Tewkesbury, St Pancras and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnet, Birmingham and Newham. 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 1
2 Tewkesbury Gloucestershire
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnet 027 Barnet
2 Birmingham 046 Birmingham
3 Newham 026 Newham
4 Newham 027 Newham
5 Birmingham 045 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bolding

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bolding

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bolding, 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 Bolding surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Bolding 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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Bolding is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bolding 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

Bolding falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bolding

The surname Bolding is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "bold" and "ing," which together denote "the dweller at the bold or brave place." This name emerged in the early medieval period, around the 11th century, primarily in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire in northern England.

Historically, the name Bolding was first documented in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a census commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this record, the name appeared as "Boldingus," referring to a landowner in the village of Bolding (now known as Bollington) in Cheshire.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Bolding was Sir Robert Bolding, a notable knight who fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 during the Hundred Years' War. He was born in Bollington, Cheshire, in the late 14th century.

During the 16th century, the Bolding family established themselves as prominent landowners in Yorkshire. In 1567, John Bolding, born around 1530 in Kippax, Yorkshire, was recorded as a wealthy yeoman and landowner in the parish records.

In the 17th century, the surname Bolding was also found in various spellings, such as Boldinge, Boldyng, and Boulding. One notable figure was Thomas Boldinge, a Puritan clergyman born in 1604 in Derbyshire, who was known for his religious writings and sermons.

Another historical figure with the surname Bolding was William Bolding, a wealthy merchant and philanthropist born in 1672 in Bradford, Yorkshire. He was renowned for his charitable contributions to the city and the establishment of several educational institutions.

In the 19th century, the Bolding family had a presence in various parts of England, with some members migrating to other parts of the world. One such individual was James Bolding, born in 1812 in Lancashire, who became a successful businessman and landowner in Australia after emigrating there in the 1840s.

Throughout its history, the surname Bolding has been associated with various occupations, including landowners, merchants, clergymen, and military personnel. While the name may have originated in specific regions of England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and exploration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bolding families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bolding 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 104 Boldings recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.23x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 104 5.23x
Essex 14 3.56x
Kent 14 2.06x
Hertfordshire 8 5.83x
Surrey 8 0.83x
Norfolk 7 2.29x
Glamorgan 6 1.73x
Warwickshire 6 1.20x
Bedfordshire 5 4.85x
Gloucestershire 5 1.28x
Yorkshire 5 0.25x
Sussex 4 1.19x
Worcestershire 4 1.54x
Lincolnshire 3 0.94x
Staffordshire 3 0.45x
Lancashire 2 0.08x
Royal Navy 2 8.44x
Somerset 2 0.62x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.83x
Herefordshire 1 1.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 25 Boldings recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.92x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 25 28.92x
Hammersmith London 10 20.40x
Finchley 8 104.85x
Great Chishall 8 2857.14x
Watton 8 1428.57x
Deptford St Paul 7 13.37x
Clerkenwell London 6 12.77x
Hackney London 6 5.38x
Harrow 6 197.37x
Islington London 6 3.11x
Ystradyfodwg 6 19.74x
Biggleswade 5 148.37x
Hornsey 5 19.87x
Lambeth 5 2.88x
St George Hanover Square 5 14.26x
Tewkesbury 5 143.68x
Bow London 4 15.79x
Chelsea London 4 6.67x
Hockwold Cum Wilton 4 769.23x
St Pancras London 4 2.50x
Binbrooke 3 379.75x
Birmingham 3 1.79x
Bromsgrove 3 34.29x
Burton Upon Trent 3 19.10x
Kensington London 3 2.71x
Sheffield 3 4.78x
St Marylebone London 3 2.82x
Bilsington 2 769.23x
Brighton 2 2.96x
Chichester St Pancras 2 200.00x
Edgbaston 2 12.85x
Folkestone 2 15.19x
Goudhurst 2 106.38x
Great Wakering 2 227.27x
Royal Navy 2 9.87x
Shoreditch London 2 2.32x
St Martin In Fields 2 16.79x
St Stephen Coleman Street 2 285.71x
Stebbing 2 263.16x
Weybourne 2 1250.00x
Wookey 2 281.69x
Barking 1 8.70x
Bartestree 1 714.29x
Biddlesdon 1 1111.11x
Broughton In Salford 1 4.63x
Camberwell 1 0.79x
Croydon 1 1.86x
Eckington 1 217.39x
Howden 1 74.63x
Leyton 1 14.77x
Nether Hallam 1 3.75x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 1 64.94x
Paddington London 1 1.37x
Putney 1 11.03x
Rugby 1 14.73x
Staplehurst 1 90.09x
Westminster St John 1 4.13x
Westminster St Margaret 1 10.42x
Widnes 1 5.87x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Bolding surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bolding surname in 1881?

In 1881, 207 people were recorded with the Bolding surname. That placed it at #12,555 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bolding surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 279 in 2016. That gives Bolding a modern rank of #15,534.

What does the Bolding surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "hill of Bolla's people" in Old English, or from the word "bold."

What does the Bolding map show?

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