NameCensus.

UK surname

Bolland

From the Old Norse term bollr, meaning roundish, referring to a crest or hill of that shape.

In the 1881 census there were 992 people recorded with the Bolland surname, ranking it #3,932 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,411, ranked #4,327, down from #3,932 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Birstall and Batley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Boston, South Staffordshire and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bolland is 1,462 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.2%.

1881 census count

992

Ranked #3,932

Modern count

1,411

2016, ranked #4,327

Peak year

1998

1,462 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bolland had 992 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,932 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,411 in 2016, ranked #4,327.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,134 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bolland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bolland surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Bolland 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 606 #4,243
1861 historical 673 #3,989
1881 historical 992 #3,932
1891 historical 973 #4,250
1901 historical 1,134 #4,280
1911 historical 1,105 #4,205
1997 modern 1,437 #4,058
1998 modern 1,462 #4,139
1999 modern 1,451 #4,191
2000 modern 1,455 #4,168
2001 modern 1,409 #4,199
2002 modern 1,399 #4,296
2003 modern 1,357 #4,325
2004 modern 1,385 #4,264
2005 modern 1,391 #4,209
2006 modern 1,379 #4,244
2007 modern 1,365 #4,318
2008 modern 1,358 #4,356
2009 modern 1,430 #4,267
2010 modern 1,461 #4,269
2011 modern 1,423 #4,313
2012 modern 1,411 #4,279
2013 modern 1,458 #4,231
2014 modern 1,455 #4,271
2015 modern 1,426 #4,292
2016 modern 1,411 #4,327

Geography

Back to top

Where Bollands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Birstall, Batley, Richmond and Wakefield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Boston, South Staffordshire, Kirklees, East Lindsey and Lancaster. 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 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Richmond Yorkshire, North Riding
5 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Boston 001 Boston
2 South Staffordshire 010 South Staffordshire
3 Kirklees 008 Kirklees
4 East Lindsey 018 East Lindsey
5 Lancaster 019 Lancaster

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Bolland

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Bolland

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bolland, 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 Bolland surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bolland 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Bolland is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Bolland 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

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

Meaning and origin of Bolland

The surname Bolland originates from England, specifically from the county of Lancashire. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words 'bold' and 'land', referring to someone who lived on or owned a bold or prominent piece of land.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with records showing it as 'de Boldlond' in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire from 1246. This early spelling suggests the name was originally a place name, referring to a particular location or estate.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Feet of Fines for Lancashire in 1292, where it appears as 'Boldelond'. This document recorded the transfer of land ownership, indicating that the name was associated with landowners or tenants.

In the 14th century, the Bolland surname appears in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire from 1332, where it is spelled 'Boland'. This variation in spelling was common during this time period.

A notable historical figure bearing the Bolland surname was William Bolland, a 16th-century English priest and Catholic martyr. He was born around 1535 and executed in 1586 for his religious beliefs during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another significant individual was Sir Samuel Egerton Brydges Bolland, a British politician and baronet who lived from 1805 to 1864. He served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Wigan and was known for his advocacy of parliamentary reform.

In the 17th century, the Bolland surname can be found in the parish records of Whalley, Lancashire, with entries such as the baptism of John Bolland in 1618 and the marriage of Richard Bolland in 1647.

The name is also associated with the Bolland family, who owned estates in the Lancashire area during the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable member was Sir John Bolland, a 17th-century landowner and justice of the peace.

While the Bolland surname is predominantly English, it has also been found in other parts of the United Kingdom, as well as in Ireland and other English-speaking countries due to migration patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Bolland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bolland 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 351 Bollands recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.66x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 351 3.66x
Lancashire 149 1.30x
Cheshire 67 3.13x
Wiltshire 56 6.54x
Lincolnshire 55 3.55x
Surrey 54 1.14x
Middlesex 43 0.44x
Lanarkshire 40 1.28x
Warwickshire 23 0.94x
Staffordshire 14 0.43x
Hampshire 12 0.60x
Nottinghamshire 12 0.92x
Durham 11 0.38x
Derbyshire 10 0.66x
Midlothian 10 0.77x
Angus 9 1.00x
Essex 8 0.42x
Leicestershire 8 0.74x
Rutland 8 11.25x
Gloucestershire 7 0.37x
Kent 7 0.21x
Worcestershire 7 0.55x
Devon 5 0.25x
Northamptonshire 5 0.55x
Ayrshire 4 0.55x
Renfrewshire 3 0.40x
Sussex 3 0.18x
Flintshire 2 0.77x
Glamorgan 2 0.12x
Northumberland 2 0.14x
Bedfordshire 1 0.20x
Clackmannanshire 1 1.25x
Dorset 1 0.16x
Norfolk 1 0.07x
Roxburghshire 1 0.57x
Royal Navy 1 0.87x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 24 Bollands recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.03x.

Place Total Index
Barony 24 3.03x
Liverpool 24 3.44x
Devizes St Mary 22 254.04x
Northallerton 20 163.27x
Tong 20 107.87x
Richmond 19 126.67x
Wakefield 17 23.07x
Leeds 16 2.95x
Newington 16 4.47x
Scarborough 16 18.34x
Batley 15 16.44x
Devizes St James 15 131.81x
Doncaster 15 21.39x
Gomersal 15 33.48x
Toxteth Park 15 3.85x
Tottenham 14 9.08x
Bradford 13 5.59x
Wortley In Bramley 13 17.10x
Pendleton In Salford 11 8.03x
Southwark St Saviour 11 22.10x
Bowling 10 10.52x
Heckmondwike 10 32.39x
Old Stratford 10 72.31x
Over 10 46.02x
Altrincham 9 24.09x
Cheetham 9 10.50x
Dukinfield 9 9.11x
Glasgow 9 1.62x
Hutton Bonville 9 2368.42x
Lancaster 9 13.16x
Linthorpe 9 15.71x
Ashton Under Lyne 8 3.18x
Bennington By Boston 8 439.56x
Kirriemuir 8 36.13x
Melbourne 8 77.22x
Salford 8 2.37x
Stamford St George 8 114.94x
Stamford St John 8 380.95x
Battersea 7 1.96x
Birmingham 7 0.86x
Broughton In Salford 7 6.66x
Frieston 7 190.74x
Headingley Cum Burley 7 11.33x
Manchester 7 1.35x
Maryhill 7 11.42x
Nantwich 7 28.18x
Pudsey 7 13.64x
Runcorn 7 14.20x
Sibsey 7 200.57x
Snenton 7 13.65x
Thornaby 7 19.51x
West Ardsley 7 60.61x
Worcester College 7 2121.21x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 6 18.28x
Blackburn 6 1.96x
Brightside Bierlow 6 3.19x
Chigwell 6 33.24x
Devizes St John 6 93.31x
Didsbury 6 39.32x
Horton In Bradford 6 4.00x
Malham 6 1224.49x
Manningham 6 5.07x
Middleton In Oldham 6 17.41x
North Bierley 6 11.58x
Pattingham 6 437.96x
Potter Newton 6 35.44x
Swindon 6 9.03x
West Derby 6 1.78x
Chester St Oswald 5 12.91x
Edith Weston 5 431.03x
Hyde 5 7.93x
Market Lavington 5 107.76x
Northborough 5 714.29x
Sheffield 5 1.64x
Tadcaster West 5 65.79x
West Calder 5 19.55x
Bredbury 4 32.34x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 0.77x
Hawton 4 421.05x
Hulme 4 1.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 67
Elizabeth 34
Sarah 34
Ann 21
Emma 18
Jane 17
Margaret 17
Ellen 13
Martha 13
Alice 12
Annie 12
Charlotte 11
Eliza 9
Emily 8
Isabella 8
Maria 8
Anne 7
Catherine 7
Harriet 7
Harriett 7
Rose 7
Hannah 6
Florence 5
Ada 4
Agnes 4
Clara 4
Lucy 4
Minnie 4
Cathrine 3
Kate 3
Louisa 3
Lydia 3
Amelia 2
Betsy 2
Caroline 2
Edith 2
Elizth. 2
Eva 2
Fanny 2
Helen 2
Henrietta 2
Jemima 2
Nellie 2
Rebecca 2
Selina 2
Susan 2
Bessy 1
Dorothy 1
E...tt 1
Violetta 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 56
William 48
James 40
Thomas 34
Henry 24
George 21
Joseph 18
Charles 17
Robert 11
Frederick 10
Alfred 9
Arthur 9
Harry 9
Richard 9
David 8
Edward 7
Benjamin 6
Frank 6
Walter 6
Elijah 5
Joshua 5
Albert 4
Fred 4
Herbert 4
Samuel 4
Edwin 3
Ernest 3
Leonard 3
Barton 2
Chas. 2
Christopher 2
Francis 2
Fredrick 2
Jas. 2
Percy 2
Ralph 2
Tom 2
Abraham 1
Barzillia 1
Benny 1
Daniel 1
E.J.B. 1
Edgar 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1
Elliott 1
H.Williams 1
Hanry 1
Henery 1
Zachariah 1

FAQ

Bolland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bolland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 992 people were recorded with the Bolland surname. That placed it at #3,932 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bolland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,411 in 2016. That gives Bolland a modern rank of #4,327.

What does the Bolland surname mean?

From the Old Norse term bollr, meaning roundish, referring to a crest or hill of that shape.

What does the Bolland map show?

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