NameCensus.

UK surname

Bollard

A solid vertical post used as a barrier or defensive measure.

In the 1881 census there were 356 people recorded with the Bollard surname, ranking it #8,665 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 290, ranked #15,099, down from #8,665 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Northfield, Finedon or Thingdon and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, Wellingborough and Teignbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bollard is 411 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 18.5%.

1881 census count

356

Ranked #8,665

Modern count

290

2016, ranked #15,099

Peak year

1911

411 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bollard had 356 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,665 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 290 in 2016, ranked #15,099.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 411 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Bollard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bollard surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Bollard 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 216 #9,818
1861 historical 341 #7,479
1881 historical 356 #8,665
1891 historical 393 #8,995
1901 historical 403 #9,442
1911 historical 411 #9,112
1997 modern 353 #12,096
1998 modern 340 #12,784
1999 modern 350 #12,609
2000 modern 326 #13,188
2001 modern 320 #13,143
2002 modern 316 #13,532
2003 modern 304 #13,685
2004 modern 296 #14,005
2005 modern 286 #14,242
2006 modern 285 #14,361
2007 modern 303 #13,965
2008 modern 298 #14,206
2009 modern 307 #14,192
2010 modern 314 #14,258
2011 modern 299 #14,631
2012 modern 287 #14,978
2013 modern 298 #14,815
2014 modern 304 #14,703
2015 modern 297 #14,863
2016 modern 290 #15,099

Geography

Back to top

Where Bollards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Northfield, Finedon or Thingdon, Manchester, Rushden and Kettering. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan, Wellingborough, Teignbridge and East Northamptonshire. 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 Northfield Worcestershire
2 Finedon or Thingdon Northamptonshire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Rushden Northamptonshire
5 Kettering Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 021 Wigan
2 Wellingborough 001 Wellingborough
3 Teignbridge 009 Teignbridge
4 East Northamptonshire 006 East Northamptonshire
5 Wigan 015 Wigan

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Bollard

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Bollard

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

Bollard is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bollard 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 Bollard is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bollard

The surname Bollard is of English origin, and it first emerged in the medieval period, around the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "bolla," which meant a round vessel or bowl, and the word "hyrde," meaning a keeper or a herdsman. Together, these words formed "bollard," referring to a person who was responsible for the care and management of wooden bowls or vessels used for various purposes, such as drinking or storing liquids.

In early records, the name appears with various spellings, including Bollard, Boller, and Bollar, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in pronunciation and spelling practices of the time. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, dated 1273, where a person named Richard Bollard is mentioned.

The name Bollard also has connections to certain place names in England. For example, there is a village called Bollard Street in Somerset, which may have derived its name from an early settler or landowner with the surname Bollard. Additionally, the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and populations in England commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest.

Notable individuals with the surname Bollard throughout history include:

1. John Bollard (c. 1540 - 1593), an English dramatist and playwright known for his works such as "The Tragedy of Mucius Scaevola" and "The Tragedy of Aemilius."

2. William Bollard (c. 1610 - 1676), an English Puritan minister and author who wrote several religious texts, including "The Godly Man's Ark" and "A Treatise on the Lord's Supper."

3. Elizabeth Bollard (1760 - 1840), a British philanthropist and social reformer who dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of the poor and advocating for education for underprivileged children.

4. James Bollard (1813 - 1891), an English industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Bollard Iron Works in Birmingham, which played a significant role in the industrial revolution.

5. Samuel Bollard (1868 - 1943), a British military officer who served in the Royal Engineers during World War I and was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery and leadership.

While the surname Bollard is not among the most common surnames today, its historical roots and connections to various professions, places, and notable individuals make it a fascinating part of the English onomastic heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Bollard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bollard 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. Northamptonshire leads with 106 Bollards recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.54x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 106 32.54x
Lancashire 66 1.61x
Leicestershire 35 9.12x
Worcestershire 25 5.53x
Middlesex 24 0.69x
Yorkshire 13 0.38x
Glamorgan 10 1.66x
Nottinghamshire 9 1.93x
Surrey 9 0.53x
Durham 7 0.68x
Hertfordshire 6 2.51x
Staffordshire 6 0.51x
Warwickshire 6 0.69x
Bedfordshire 5 2.79x
Stirlingshire 5 3.91x
Kent 4 0.34x
Northumberland 4 0.78x
Sussex 3 0.51x
Cheshire 2 0.26x
Derbyshire 2 0.37x
Devon 2 0.28x
Essex 2 0.29x
Hampshire 2 0.28x
Suffolk 2 0.47x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rushden in Northamptonshire leads with 25 Bollards recorded in 1881 and an index of 573.39x.

Place Total Index
Rushden 25 573.39x
Finedon 20 701.75x
Leicester St Margaret 17 18.16x
Manchester 16 8.66x
Northfield 16 186.48x
Kirkdale 14 20.25x
Kettering 11 83.52x
Little Harrowden 11 1122.45x
Mountsorrel South End 9 1636.36x
Peterborough 9 38.17x
Enderby 8 402.01x
Swansea Higher 8 127.39x
Warley Salop 8 1230.77x
Bromley London 7 9.19x
Birmingham 6 2.06x
Darlington 6 15.08x
Radford 6 25.31x
Toxteth Park 6 4.31x
Cransley 5 1282.05x
Kilsyth 5 61.43x
Watton 5 515.46x
Wellingborough 5 30.53x
Brenenden 4 263.16x
Brightside Bierlow 4 5.94x
Habergham Eaves 4 10.65x
Northampton St Giles 4 32.23x
St George Hanover Square 4 6.56x
St Sepulchre London 4 78.90x
Tynemouth 4 14.50x
West Derby 4 3.33x
Wortley In Bramley 4 14.72x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 3.34x
Burnley 3 8.67x
Burton Upon Trent 3 10.97x
Higham Ferrers 3 169.49x
Islington London 3 0.89x
Lambeth 3 0.99x
Lamport 3 1500.00x
Newton Bromshold 3 2307.69x
Orlingbury 3 882.35x
Padiham 3 30.21x
Rowley Regis 3 9.21x
Woburn 3 192.31x
Croydon 2 2.14x
Giggleswick 2 172.41x
Great Livermere 2 606.06x
Hastings St Mary In The 2 16.05x
Kingston On Thames 2 4.93x
Liverpool 2 0.80x
Rothwell 2 61.16x
Sefton 2 434.78x
Sutton Bonnington 2 168.07x
Wigan 2 3.48x
Aldenham 1 46.08x
Andover 1 14.90x
Barrow In Furness 1 1.79x
Bramhall 1 31.55x
Crediton 1 14.64x
Deene 1 384.62x
Everton 1 0.76x
Filey 1 36.10x
Goole 1 17.39x
Harrow On The Hill 1 14.45x
Hartford 1 57.80x
Hasbury 1 33.78x
Havering 1 188.68x
Kempston 1 24.57x
Lidford 1 30.86x
Nottingham St Mary 1 0.83x
Pendleton In Salford 1 2.04x
Ratcliffe London 1 5.23x
Riseley 1 87.72x
St George Martyr London 1 14.27x
St Marylebone London 1 0.54x
St Pancras London 1 0.36x
Staveley 1 10.40x
Stretford 1 4.42x
Swansea Town 1 2.02x
Walton On Thames 1 12.90x
Winshill 1 28.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 30
Elizabeth 21
Sarah 19
Eliza 9
Ellen 8
Jane 8
Annie 6
Emma 6
Ann 5
Catherine 5
Rebecca 5
Ada 4
Maria 4
Sophia 4
Amy 3
Edith 3
Louisa 3
Margaret 3
Beatrice 2
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Adelaide 1
Adeline 1
Alice 1
Bridget 1
Carrie 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.W. 1
Emilie 1
Emily 1
Eta 1
Eva 1
Florence 1
Georgina 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Ketinah 1
Lavinia 1
Matilda 1
Minnie 1
Rachel 1
Rose 1
Roseann 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 18
John 16
Thomas 14
George 11
Charles 10
Edward 9
Joseph 9
James 8
Henry 7
Samuel 7
Frederick 4
Robert 4
Alfred 3
Benjamin 3
Harry 3
Richard 3
Christopher 2
Daniel 2
Felix 2
Frank 2
Herbert 2
Philip 2
Phillip 2
Wm. 2
Amos 1
Ben 1
David 1
Edwn 1
Eli 1
Ernest 1
Fredrick 1
Hiram 1
Humphrey 1
Jeremiah 1
Joshua 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Nathaniel 1
Oliver 1
Richd. 1
Tom 1
W. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Bollard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bollard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 356 people were recorded with the Bollard surname. That placed it at #8,665 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bollard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 290 in 2016. That gives Bollard a modern rank of #15,099.

What does the Bollard surname mean?

A solid vertical post used as a barrier or defensive measure.

What does the Bollard map show?

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