NameCensus.

UK surname

Bolstridge

A surname of English origin meaning someone who lived near a ridge or hilly area.

In the 1881 census there were 45 people recorded with the Bolstridge surname, ranking it #27,314 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 153, ranked #23,408, up from #27,314 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Basford, Polesworth and Bedworth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Nuneaton and Bedworth, Nottingham and Dudley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bolstridge is 167 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 240.0%.

1881 census count

45

Ranked #27,314

Modern count

153

2016, ranked #23,408

Peak year

2010

167 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • • Bolstridge had 45 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,314 surname in that year.
  • • The latest modern count shown here is 153 in 2016, ranked #23,408.
  • • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 114 in 1911.
  • • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Map

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Bolstridge surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bolstridge surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bolstridge 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 54 #23,577
1861 historical 70 #24,911
1881 historical 45 #27,314
1891 historical 105 #23,241
1901 historical 86 #24,508
1911 historical 114 #21,064
1997 modern 154 #20,780
1998 modern 160 #20,832
1999 modern 163 #20,698
2000 modern 165 #20,501
2001 modern 160 #20,616
2002 modern 164 #20,687
2003 modern 157 #21,026
2004 modern 156 #21,261
2005 modern 161 #20,799
2006 modern 160 #21,066
2007 modern 152 #22,022
2008 modern 163 #21,238
2009 modern 164 #21,628
2010 modern 167 #21,835
2011 modern 163 #21,983
2012 modern 156 #22,645
2013 modern 153 #23,314
2014 modern 153 #23,537
2015 modern 151 #23,613
2016 modern 153 #23,408

Geography

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Where Bolstridges are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Basford, Polesworth, Bedworth, Kings Norton and Great Sheepy, Mythe, Lea Marston, Merevale, Orton-on-the-Hill (Market Bosworth, Leicestershire). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Nuneaton and Bedworth, Nottingham and Dudley. 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 Basford Nottinghamshire
2 Polesworth Warwickshire
3 Bedworth Warwickshire
4 Kings Norton Worcestershire
5 Great Sheepy, Mythe, Lea Marston, Merevale, Orton-on-the-Hill (Market Bosworth, Leicestershire) Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Nuneaton and Bedworth 014 Nuneaton and Bedworth
2 Nottingham 011 Nottingham
3 Nuneaton and Bedworth 011 Nuneaton and Bedworth
4 Dudley 035 Dudley
5 Dudley 041 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bolstridge

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

Historical female names

Ann Mary Sarah Elizabeth Florence Jane Alice Emma Louisa Annie

Historical male names

Thomas James John William Arthur Samuel Frederick Francis Joseph George

Recent female names

Louise Tracy Lisa Valerie Janet Victoria Nicola Doreen Ruth Sarah

Recent male names

Paul Andrew Michael Thomas Mark Alan John David Scott Arthur

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bolstridge

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Bolstridge surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Bolstridge 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Bolstridge is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bolstridge is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Origin

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Meaning and origin of Bolstridge

The surname Bolstridge has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from a locational name, referring to a place or settlement where the first bearers of the name resided. One possible origin is from the Old English words 'bol' meaning a round knob or hill, and 'stridg' meaning a narrow path or ridge, suggesting the name may have referred to a location characterized by a rounded hill and a narrow path or ridge.

Another theory traces the name back to the village of Bolstrode in Buckinghamshire, England, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Bolestrod'. This early spelling variation lends credence to the idea that the name originated from a place name, possibly referring to a person who hailed from that particular village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Bolstridge can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, dated 1196, where a certain Richard de Bolstridge is mentioned. This document provides valuable evidence of the name's existence and usage during the late 12th century.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name was John Bolstridge, a landowner and prominent figure in the county of Oxfordshire. Records from this period indicate that he was actively involved in local affairs and held considerable influence within his community.

During the Tudor period, a certain Thomas Bolstridge (c. 1510-1572) gained recognition as a skilled architect and stonemason. He is credited with contributing to the construction of several notable buildings, including portions of Hampton Court Palace and the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Tring, Hertfordshire.

In the 17th century, the name appears in the records of the English Civil War, with Captain William Bolstridge (c. 1620-1685) serving as a cavalryman in the Royalist army. He fought in several battles and was later granted lands in recognition of his military service.

Another noteworthy figure was Sir Edward Bolstridge (1688-1764), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from London. He amassed a considerable fortune through his trading ventures and was known for his charitable contributions, founding several schools and hospitals in the city.

As the centuries progressed, the Bolstridge surname continued to be documented in various historical records, including parish registers, census records, and military rolls, reflecting the family's enduring presence and contributions throughout English history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bolstridge families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bolstridge 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. Warwickshire leads with 16 Bolstridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.46x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 16 14.46x
Leicestershire 14 28.78x
Nottinghamshire 9 15.22x
Devon 4 4.38x
Northumberland 1 1.53x
Staffordshire 1 0.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ratcliffe Culey in Leicestershire leads with 14 Bolstridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 46666.67x.

Place Total Index
Ratcliffe Culey 14 46666.67x
Bedworth 8 987.65x
Basford 5 183.15x
Aston 4 13.13x
Hucknall Torkard 4 266.67x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 56.82x
Polesworth 3 566.04x
Mancetter 1 312.50x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 1 116.28x
West Bromwich 1 11.79x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Ann 3
Elizabeth 3
Emma 2
Sarah 2
Amy 1
Christiana 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Jane 1
Louisa 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 3
Samuel 3
Arthur 2
Francis 2
Henry 2
John 2
Thomas 2
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Oliver 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Bolstridge households.

Occupation Count
Scholar 11
Coal Miner 4
Agrl Lab 2
Brass Caster 1
Domestic Serv 1
Farm Labourer 1
Farm Servant (Indoor) 1
Formerly Nurse 1
Frame Work Knitter 1
General Serv Unemployed 1
General Servant 1
Genl Servant 1
Hatter Trimmer 1
Hosiery Minder 1
Housekeeper 1
Ironer (Laundress) 1
Lab 1
Sergeant 1
Silk Throwster (Unemp) 1
Widow 1

FAQ

Bolstridge surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bolstridge surname in 1881?

In 1881, 45 people were recorded with the Bolstridge surname. That placed it at #27,314 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bolstridge surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 153 in 2016. That gives Bolstridge a modern rank of #23,408.

What does the Bolstridge surname mean?

A surname of English origin meaning someone who lived near a ridge or hilly area.

What does the Bolstridge map show?

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