NameCensus.

UK surname

Bonwick

In the 1881 census there were 226 people recorded with the Bonwick surname, ranking it #11,889 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 281, ranked #15,449, down from #11,889 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to East Grinstead, Tunbridge, Bidborough and Coulsdon. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Brighton and Hove and Ipswich.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bonwick is 311 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.3%.

1881 census count

226

Ranked #11,889

Modern count

281

2016, ranked #15,449

Peak year

1911

311 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bonwick had 226 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,889 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 281 in 2016, ranked #15,449.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 311 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Bonwick surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bonwick surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bonwick 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 64 #21,914
1861 historical 120 #18,255
1881 historical 226 #11,889
1891 historical 284 #11,542
1901 historical 293 #11,829
1911 historical 311 #11,150
1997 modern 282 #14,072
1998 modern 297 #13,967
1999 modern 288 #14,346
2000 modern 284 #14,457
2001 modern 278 #14,444
2002 modern 261 #15,369
2003 modern 265 #15,025
2004 modern 266 #15,075
2005 modern 267 #14,954
2006 modern 275 #14,732
2007 modern 270 #15,080
2008 modern 260 #15,648
2009 modern 262 #15,888
2010 modern 273 #15,764
2011 modern 281 #15,276
2012 modern 271 #15,628
2013 modern 284 #15,358
2014 modern 293 #15,095
2015 modern 279 #15,527
2016 modern 281 #15,449

Geography

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Where Bonwicks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around East Grinstead, Tunbridge, Bidborough, Coulsdon, Lingfield and Penshurst. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Brighton and Hove and Ipswich. 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 East Grinstead Sussex
2 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 Coulsdon Surrey
4 Lingfield Sussex
5 Penshurst Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Brighton and Hove 002 Brighton and Hove
2 Brighton and Hove 017 Brighton and Hove
3 Brighton and Hove 025 Brighton and Hove
4 Brighton and Hove 018 Brighton and Hove
5 Ipswich 013 Ipswich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bonwick

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bonwick

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bonwick, 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 Bonwick surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Bonwick household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Bonwick 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

Bonwick is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bonwick falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bonwick is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Bonwick families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bonwick 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. Surrey leads with 74 Bonwicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.89x.

County Total Index
Surrey 74 6.89x
Kent 53 7.05x
Middlesex 29 1.32x
Sussex 26 7.00x
Bedfordshire 18 15.77x
Essex 16 3.68x
Yorkshire 9 0.41x
Gloucestershire 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lingfield in Surrey leads with 22 Bonwicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 1052.63x.

Place Total Index
Lingfield 22 1052.63x
Penshurst 21 1666.67x
Tonbridge 21 77.41x
Coulsdon 14 717.95x
East Grinstead 14 266.16x
Tilsworth 12 6315.79x
Brighton 10 13.34x
Barking 9 70.70x
Croydon 9 15.09x
Godstone 9 468.75x
Hawsker Cum Stainsacre 9 1232.88x
Islington London 8 3.74x
Hammersmith London 7 12.89x
Merstham 7 1029.41x
Sevenoaks 7 114.75x
Wanstead 7 91.86x
Luton 6 30.36x
Kensington London 5 4.08x
Lambeth 4 2.08x
Acton 3 23.22x
Reigate Foreign 3 25.80x
Beddington 2 48.19x
Chelsea London 2 3.01x
Hendon 2 25.22x
Ifield 2 129.03x
Southwark St Saviour 2 17.65x
Ashurst 1 588.24x
Beckenham 1 10.17x
Carshalton 1 24.33x
Edmonton 1 5.63x
Great Shurdington 1 625.00x
Hayes 1 192.31x
St Marylebone London 1 0.85x
Sundridge 1 80.00x
Wimbledon 1 8.29x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
Henry 13
James 13
William 13
Charles 9
Thomas 5
Arthur 3
George 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Sydney 2
Amos 1
Aquila 1
Christopher 1
Eli 1
Ephraim 1
Evan 1
Fred 1
G. 1
Henerey 1
Herbert 1
Leonard 1
Rueben 1
Tom 1
W. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Bonwick surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bonwick surname in 1881?

In 1881, 226 people were recorded with the Bonwick surname. That placed it at #11,889 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bonwick surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 281 in 2016. That gives Bonwick a modern rank of #15,449.

What does the Bonwick map show?

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