NameCensus.

UK surname

Bolwell

In the 1881 census there were 440 people recorded with the Bolwell surname, ranking it #7,440 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 448, ranked #10,842, down from #7,440 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Melksham and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, New Forest and Caerphilly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bolwell is 605 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.8%.

1881 census count

440

Ranked #7,440

Modern count

448

2016, ranked #10,842

Peak year

1911

605 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bolwell had 440 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,440 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 448 in 2016, ranked #10,842.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 605 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Bolwell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bolwell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bolwell 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 201 #10,364
1861 historical 293 #8,589
1881 historical 440 #7,440
1891 historical 549 #6,892
1901 historical 545 #7,575
1911 historical 605 #6,798
1997 modern 467 #9,788
1998 modern 489 #9,760
1999 modern 500 #9,661
2000 modern 485 #9,853
2001 modern 482 #9,717
2002 modern 500 #9,625
2003 modern 479 #9,793
2004 modern 480 #9,793
2005 modern 490 #9,577
2006 modern 497 #9,518
2007 modern 490 #9,704
2008 modern 478 #9,977
2009 modern 460 #10,481
2010 modern 468 #10,550
2011 modern 467 #10,474
2012 modern 464 #10,439
2013 modern 471 #10,464
2014 modern 464 #10,645
2015 modern 457 #10,695
2016 modern 448 #10,842

Geography

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Where Bolwells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Melksham, London parishes, Batheaston and Salisbury St Edmund. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire, New Forest and Caerphilly. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Melksham Wiltshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Batheaston Somerset
5 Salisbury St Edmund Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 026 Wiltshire
2 New Forest 009 New Forest
3 Wiltshire 040 Wiltshire
4 Caerphilly 006 Caerphilly
5 Wiltshire 027 Wiltshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bolwell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bolwell

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Bolwell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bolwell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Bolwell 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

Bolwell is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bolwell falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Bolwell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bolwell 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. Wiltshire leads with 119 Bolwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.21x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 119 31.21x
Somerset 115 16.57x
Gloucestershire 55 6.50x
Middlesex 53 1.23x
Staffordshire 16 1.10x
Hampshire 13 1.47x
Warwickshire 11 1.01x
Kent 9 0.61x
Surrey 8 0.38x
Oxfordshire 7 2.63x
Lancashire 6 0.12x
Dorset 5 1.77x
Glamorgan 5 0.67x
Berkshire 4 1.24x
Sussex 4 0.55x
Yorkshire 4 0.09x
Buckinghamshire 3 1.15x
Royal Navy 2 3.89x
Cheshire 1 0.11x
Devon 1 0.11x
Durham 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Walcot in Somerset leads with 30 Bolwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 81.17x.

Place Total Index
Walcot 30 81.17x
Batheaston 22 924.37x
Bradford On Avon 21 171.99x
Melksham 18 271.90x
Lyncombe Widcombe 16 88.06x
Salisbury St Edmund 16 261.44x
St Marylebone London 15 6.52x
Bristol St Mary Le Port 11 7333.33x
Devizes St James 11 216.96x
Devizes St Mary 11 285.71x
Westbury On Trym 11 38.39x
Bristol St George 8 20.46x
Timsbury 8 380.95x
Walsall Foreign 8 10.64x
Bitton Oldland 7 81.02x
Milford 7 343.14x
Tottenham 7 10.19x
Trowbridge 7 41.54x
Walsall Borough 7 61.95x
Weston Super Mare 7 39.95x
Bath St James 6 82.87x
Bath St Michael 6 170.94x
Britford 6 238.10x
Chipping Norton 6 97.40x
Newchurch 6 300.00x
Stapleton 6 37.41x
Walmer 6 93.75x
Aston 5 1.67x
Bedminster 5 7.67x
Birmingham 5 1.38x
Camberwell 5 1.82x
Cardiff St John 5 20.39x
Chippenham 5 62.50x
Clerkenwell London 5 4.91x
Everton 5 3.07x
Hackney London 5 2.07x
Hammersmith London 5 4.71x
Bathwick 4 52.08x
Bristol St Paul In 4 17.75x
Fulham London 4 6.40x
Holy Rood 4 223.46x
Kensington London 4 1.67x
New Shoreham 4 91.74x
Paddington London 4 2.52x
Rowde 4 227.27x
Salisbury St Martin 4 100.76x
Twerton 4 55.87x
Worsbrough 4 31.95x
Bristol Temple 3 53.86x
Datchet 3 168.54x
Fontmell Magna 3 277.78x
Reading St Giles 3 9.45x
Cann 2 240.96x
Islington London 2 0.48x
Lambeth 2 0.53x
Market Lavington 2 97.09x
Nailsea 2 72.99x
Royal Navy 2 4.55x
Swainswick 2 215.05x
Urchfont 2 128.21x
Willesden 2 4.92x
Wilton 2 74.07x
Bristol St Augustine 1 7.33x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 3.55x
Bromley 1 4.46x
Cheltenham 1 1.53x
Clevedon 1 13.85x
Ebbesborne Wake 1 250.00x
Frampton Cotterell 1 33.67x
Liverpool 1 0.32x
Lymm 1 14.45x
Minster In Sheppey 1 4.10x
Portsea 1 0.58x
Putney 1 5.09x
Rugeley 1 9.58x
Sandhurst 1 15.95x
Shepton Mallet 1 12.84x
Southampton All Sts 1 6.60x
Upton Lovell 1 322.58x
Westoe 1 1.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 24
Sarah 16
Elizabeth 15
Alice 13
Emily 10
Emma 9
Ellen 7
Louisa 7
Ada 6
Kate 6
Maria 6
Ann 5
Annie 5
Eliza 5
Jane 5
Catherine 4
Edith 4
Fanny 4
Matilda 4
Caroline 3
Charlotte 3
Clara 3
Florence 3
Laura 3
Martha 3
Rose 3
Anne 2
Cecilia 2
Eva 2
Georgina 2
Harriett 2
Julia 2
Margaret 2
Minnie 2
Rhoda 2
Susan 2
Blanch 1
Cathrine 1
Cecelia 1
E. 1
Eda 1
Elsie 1
Evangeline 1
Hephzibah 1
Hilda 1
Isabella 1
June 1
Leah 1
Lillen 1
Lousia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 28
George 25
James 18
Alfred 13
John 13
Arthur 10
Edward 9
Albert 8
Henry 8
Frederick 7
Charles 5
Herbert 5
Thomas 5
Frank 3
Isaac 3
Richard 3
Edwin 2
Harry 2
Issac 2
Maurice 2
Tom 2
Walter 2
Willm. 2
Andrew 1
Archibald 1
Augustus 1
Aurthur 1
David 1
E.Walter 1
Eli 1
Elijah 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
H. 1
Hanah 1
Hugh 1
Infant 1
Joseph 1
Josiah 1
Lenord 1
Major 1
Riley 1
Robert 1
Roland 1
Sam 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Sydney 1
Willm.J.Wells 1

FAQ

Bolwell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bolwell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 440 people were recorded with the Bolwell surname. That placed it at #7,440 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bolwell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 448 in 2016. That gives Bolwell a modern rank of #10,842.

What does the Bolwell map show?

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