NameCensus.

UK surname

Bonson

A habitational surname derived from a place name in England.

In the 1881 census there were 155 people recorded with the Bonson surname, ranking it #15,174 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 257, ranked #16,485, down from #15,174 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkland, St Leonard Shoreditch and Silkstone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Wychavon and Aylesbury Vale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bonson is 285 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.8%.

1881 census count

155

Ranked #15,174

Modern count

257

2016, ranked #16,485

Peak year

1861

285 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bonson had 155 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,174 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 257 in 2016, ranked #16,485.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 285 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bonson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bonson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bonson 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 127 #14,547
1861 historical 285 #8,826
1881 historical 155 #15,174
1891 historical 273 #11,918
1901 historical 267 #12,587
1911 historical 267 #12,360
1997 modern 275 #14,335
1998 modern 270 #14,913
1999 modern 269 #15,040
2000 modern 266 #15,096
2001 modern 260 #15,113
2002 modern 270 #15,010
2003 modern 249 #15,653
2004 modern 241 #16,086
2005 modern 241 #16,036
2006 modern 240 #16,177
2007 modern 240 #16,392
2008 modern 236 #16,736
2009 modern 249 #16,466
2010 modern 252 #16,701
2011 modern 248 #16,735
2012 modern 250 #16,523
2013 modern 252 #16,689
2014 modern 258 #16,554
2015 modern 257 #16,475
2016 modern 257 #16,485

Geography

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Where Bonsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkland, St Leonard Shoreditch, Silkstone, London parishes and Darfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Wychavon, Aylesbury Vale, Huntingdonshire and South Lakeland. 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 Kirkland Cumberland
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
4 London parishes London 3
5 Darfield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 027 Wakefield
2 Wychavon 017 Wychavon
3 Aylesbury Vale 008 Aylesbury Vale
4 Huntingdonshire 013 Huntingdonshire
5 South Lakeland 004 South Lakeland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bonson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bonson

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Bonson is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bonson 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

Bonson falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bonson

The surname Bonson originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bon" meaning "bone" and "sunu" meaning "son", suggesting that the name was initially given to someone who was the son of a thin or bony person.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bonson can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1166, where a Richard Bonson is mentioned. This document provides evidence that the name was in use during the 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, which mentions a William Bonson. This suggests that the name had spread across different regions of England by this time.

The Bonson surname is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a John Bonson is listed. This record indicates that some Bonsons had established themselves in the West Midlands region of England.

During the 16th century, the name was recorded in several parish registers. One notable example is the christening of Thomas Bonson in St. Giles, Cripplegate, London, in 1578. This suggests that the Bonson family had a presence in the capital city.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the Bonson surname. One of the earliest was Sir Richard Bonson (1570-1643), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from London who made significant contributions to the city's infrastructure and charitable institutions.

Another notable Bonson was William Bonson (1628-1706), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Ryton in Shropshire. He is known for his work "The Contemplative Naturalist", published in 1693, which explored the relationship between nature and religion.

In the 19th century, John Bonson (1810-1872) was a prominent industrialist from Birmingham, England. He was a successful manufacturer of metal goods and played a significant role in the city's industrial development during the Victorian era.

Later, in the early 20th century, Henry Bonson (1875-1943) was a renowned British architect who designed several notable buildings, including the iconic Bonson Towers in London, which remains a landmark to this day.

More recently, Margaret Bonson (1915-2005) was a celebrated English writer and poet. Her works, which often explored themes of nature and the human experience, earned her numerous literary awards and accolades during her lifetime.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bonson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bonson 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 42 Bonsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.82x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 42 2.82x
Westmorland 23 69.68x
Middlesex 21 1.40x
Surrey 16 2.19x
Lancashire 13 0.73x
Derbyshire 12 5.10x
Cumberland 6 4.64x
Leicestershire 5 3.00x
Hampshire 4 1.30x
Cheshire 3 0.90x
Essex 3 1.01x
Cornwall 2 1.18x
Warwickshire 2 0.53x
Durham 1 0.22x
Lanarkshire 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barnsley in Yorkshire leads with 26 Bonsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 169.38x.

Place Total Index
Barnsley 26 169.38x
Shoreditch London 12 18.43x
Battersea 8 14.47x
Lambeth 8 6.11x
Kirkby Stephen 7 813.95x
Newbiggin 7 10000.00x
Whittington 7 215.38x
Cudworth 6 1111.11x
Culgaith 6 3333.33x
Little Strickland 6 10000.00x
Ardsley 5 290.70x
Ilkeston 5 75.87x
Leicester St Margaret 5 12.31x
Hackney London 4 4.75x
Ventnor 4 136.52x
Walton On Hill 4 41.41x
Barking 3 34.56x
Chorlton Cum Hardy 3 254.24x
Stretford 3 30.58x
Westminster St James 3 19.43x
Clerkenwell London 2 5.64x
Coventry Holy Trinity 2 17.68x
Ludgvan 2 147.06x
Monk Bretton 2 132.45x
Pownall Fee 2 135.14x
Scarborough 2 14.78x
Ardwick 1 6.22x
Brightside Bierlow 1 3.42x
Brough 1 312.50x
Burnley 1 6.66x
Clifton 1 500.00x
Govan 1 0.83x
Kirkdale 1 3.33x
Macclesfield 1 6.78x
Shap 1 136.99x
Stanhope 1 21.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Elizabeth 7
Sarah 6
Alice 4
Margaret 4
Anne 3
Annie 3
Charlotte 3
Ann 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Frances 2
Kate 2
Lucy 2
Martha 2
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Anges 1
Clara 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Lizzy 1
Marion 1
Minnie 1
Phoebe 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Bonson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bonson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 155 people were recorded with the Bonson surname. That placed it at #15,174 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bonson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 257 in 2016. That gives Bonson a modern rank of #16,485.

What does the Bonson surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place name in England.

What does the Bonson map show?

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