NameCensus.

UK surname

Bonsor

In the 1881 census there were 360 people recorded with the Bonsor surname, ranking it #8,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 477, ranked #10,344, down from #8,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tamworth, Bedworth and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolsover, Nuneaton and Bedworth and Aylesbury Vale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bonsor is 499 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.5%.

1881 census count

360

Ranked #8,596

Modern count

477

2016, ranked #10,344

Peak year

1901

499 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bonsor had 360 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 477 in 2016, ranked #10,344.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 499 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bonsor surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bonsor surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bonsor 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 219 #9,712
1861 historical 184 #12,856
1881 historical 360 #8,596
1891 historical 421 #8,502
1901 historical 499 #8,065
1911 historical 461 #8,344
1997 modern 468 #9,769
1998 modern 468 #10,098
1999 modern 487 #9,866
2000 modern 470 #10,089
2001 modern 460 #10,063
2002 modern 461 #10,228
2003 modern 438 #10,507
2004 modern 437 #10,557
2005 modern 432 #10,531
2006 modern 450 #10,237
2007 modern 440 #10,533
2008 modern 451 #10,394
2009 modern 455 #10,575
2010 modern 455 #10,802
2011 modern 445 #10,880
2012 modern 440 #10,849
2013 modern 466 #10,556
2014 modern 485 #10,327
2015 modern 478 #10,343
2016 modern 477 #10,344

Geography

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Where Bonsors are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tamworth, Bedworth, London parishes, St John Hackney and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolsover, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Aylesbury Vale and North Warwickshire. 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 Tamworth Staffordshire
2 Bedworth Warwickshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolsover 010 Bolsover
2 Nuneaton and Bedworth 012 Nuneaton and Bedworth
3 Aylesbury Vale 006 Aylesbury Vale
4 Nuneaton and Bedworth 016 Nuneaton and Bedworth
5 North Warwickshire 007 North Warwickshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bonsor

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bonsor

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bonsor is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Bonsor is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Bonsor families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bonsor 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 74 Bonsors recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.45x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 74 8.45x
Middlesex 57 1.64x
Leicestershire 39 10.13x
Nottinghamshire 25 5.34x
Surrey 23 1.36x
Northamptonshire 21 6.43x
Yorkshire 19 0.55x
Lancashire 18 0.44x
Derbyshire 16 2.94x
Staffordshire 13 1.11x
Roxburghshire 11 17.49x
Lincolnshire 10 1.80x
Kent 8 0.68x
Buckinghamshire 6 2.86x
Midlothian 5 1.07x
Hampshire 3 0.42x
Huntingdonshire 3 4.35x
Rutland 3 11.76x
Cheshire 1 0.13x
Sussex 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bedworth in Warwickshire leads with 31 Bonsors recorded in 1881 and an index of 485.13x.

Place Total Index
Bedworth 31 485.13x
St George Hanover Square 14 22.88x
Leicester St Margaret 12 12.78x
Shirland 12 294.84x
Aston 11 4.56x
Baginton 11 4230.77x
Foleshill 11 119.44x
Hackney London 11 5.65x
Hawick 11 78.13x
Shoreditch London 10 6.64x
Tamworth 10 159.49x
Bulwell 9 88.41x
Clapham 9 20.73x
Bradford 8 9.60x
St Benedict Lincoln 8 1066.67x
Bethnal Green London 7 4.64x
Coventry St Michael 7 24.88x
Radford 7 29.44x
Wandsworth 7 20.94x
Blackley 6 83.10x
Datchet 6 416.67x
Moulton 6 329.67x
St Giles In Fields London 6 35.21x
Great Bowden 5 142.86x
Great Creaton 5 1351.35x
Leicester St Mary 5 16.07x
Newbattle 5 125.63x
South Kilworth 5 1000.00x
Dover St Mary Virgin 4 34.87x
Hulme 4 4.65x
Newington 4 3.12x
Ruddington 4 127.39x
Shipley 4 22.40x
West Derby 4 3.32x
Barsby 3 1000.00x
Caldecott 3 857.14x
Derby All Sts 3 66.08x
Great Gidding 3 526.32x
Kirkby Mallory Earl 3 162.16x
Lichfield St Mary 3 88.76x
Linthorpe 3 14.61x
Nottingham St Mary 3 2.48x
Rothersthorpe 3 1034.48x
Stamford Baron St Martin 3 171.43x
Ventnor 3 44.31x
Whitwick 3 61.22x
Woolwich 3 6.85x
Altofts 2 52.63x
Everton 2 1.52x
Hammersmith London 2 2.34x
Manchester 2 1.08x
Naseby 2 273.97x
St Luke London 2 3.59x
St Martin In Fields 2 9.62x
Swithland 2 689.66x
Basford 1 4.64x
Battersea 1 0.78x
Beddington 1 15.29x
Birmingham 1 0.34x
Bow London 1 2.26x
Bowdon 1 32.89x
Canterbury St Mildred 1 35.59x
Coventry Holy Trinity 1 3.82x
Derby St Werburgh 1 3.19x
Feltham 1 28.82x
Horton In Bradford 1 1.86x
Islington London 1 0.30x
Lambeth 1 0.33x
Loughborough 1 5.72x
Normanton 1 9.67x
Northampton St Giles 1 8.04x
Northampton St Sepulchre 1 6.02x
Polesworth 1 24.04x
Reepham 1 238.10x
Ruskington 1 70.42x
Stapleford 1 26.32x
Ticehurst 1 27.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Sarah 14
Ann 8
Hannah 8
Eliza 7
Jane 7
Alice 5
Elizabeth 5
Ada 4
Annie 4
Maria 4
Caroline 3
Charlotte 3
Emily 3
Sophia 3
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Anne 2
Edith 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Ethel 2
Florence 2
Louise 2
Martha 2
Rosa 2
Altha 1
Beatrice 1
Constance 1
Daisey 1
Eleonor 1
Elisabeth 1
Elizbth. 1
Elizh.Ann 1
Ella 1
Ema 1
Emelia 1
Esther 1
Georgina 1
Harriet 1
Harriott 1
Hilda 1
Jennie 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Lilian 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 27
Thomas 15
George 12
James 12
Joseph 12
Henry 11
John 7
Arthur 6
Charles 6
Alfred 5
Wm. 5
Edward 4
Frederick 4
Herbert 4
Robert 4
Walter 4
Albert 3
Harry 3
Samuel 3
Alexander 2
Fred 2
Horace 2
Reginald 2
Richard 2
Abraham 1
Barthrop 1
Clement 1
David 1
E. 1
Earnest 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fernand 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Harold 1
Hewson 1
J. 1
Jesse 1
Jonathan 1
Josiah 1
Malcolm 1
Morris 1
Ned 1
Paul 1
Percy 1
Saml. 1
Stanley 1

FAQ

Bonsor surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bonsor surname in 1881?

In 1881, 360 people were recorded with the Bonsor surname. That placed it at #8,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bonsor surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 477 in 2016. That gives Bonsor a modern rank of #10,344.

What does the Bonsor map show?

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