NameCensus.

UK surname

Book

An occupational surname referring to a scribe, secretary, or one who kept financial records and accounts.

In the 1881 census there were 164 people recorded with the Book surname, ranking it #14,624 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 169, ranked #21,884, down from #14,624 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington, Manchester and St John Hackney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bath and North East Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Book is 886 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.0%.

1881 census count

164

Ranked #14,624

Modern count

169

2016, ranked #21,884

Peak year

1861

886 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Book had 164 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,624 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 169 in 2016, ranked #21,884.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 886 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Book surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Book surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Book 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 220 #9,671
1861 historical 886 #3,132
1881 historical 164 #14,624
1891 historical 566 #6,713
1901 historical 210 #14,677
1911 historical 263 #12,473
1997 modern 143 #21,761
1998 modern 136 #23,013
1999 modern 143 #22,521
2000 modern 132 #23,562
2001 modern 121 #24,493
2002 modern 133 #23,585
2003 modern 132 #23,459
2004 modern 129 #24,019
2005 modern 139 #22,887
2006 modern 142 #22,724
2007 modern 144 #22,804
2008 modern 142 #23,270
2009 modern 141 #23,907
2010 modern 146 #23,921
2011 modern 147 #23,627
2012 modern 157 #22,551
2013 modern 160 #22,621
2014 modern 163 #22,547
2015 modern 174 #21,449
2016 modern 169 #21,884

Geography

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Where Books are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington, Manchester, St John Hackney, St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford and Walcott, Charlcome. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bath and North East Somerset. 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 Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington Staffordshire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
4 St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford London (South Districts)
5 Walcott, Charlcome Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bath and North East Somerset 004 Bath and North East Somerset
2 Bath and North East Somerset 005 Bath and North East Somerset
3 Bath and North East Somerset 006 Bath and North East Somerset
4 Bath and North East Somerset 011 Bath and North East Somerset
5 Bath and North East Somerset 019 Bath and North East Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Book

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Book

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

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Book surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Book household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Book 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

Book is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Book

The surname BOOK is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "boc," which means a written document or book. It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for a scribe, scholar, or someone who was involved in the writing or selling of books during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname BOOK can be traced back to the late 12th century in various regions of England, such as Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Roger le Boc, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191.

In the 13th century, the surname BOOK was found in several historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed individuals such as Reginald Boc in Oxfordshire and William le Boc in Somerset. The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England compiled by order of William the Conqueror in 1086, did not contain any direct references to the surname BOOK, but it did mention several place names that may have influenced the development of this surname, such as Bocland and Bockenhale.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname BOOK continued to appear in various records across England. Notable individuals from this period include John Boke, a wealthy merchant from Bristol who lived in the late 14th century, and Robert Booke, a member of the Guild of St. George in Norwich in the early 15th century.

In the 16th century, one of the most famous bearers of the surname BOOK was John Booke (c. 1510-1550), an English Protestant reformer and writer who was executed for his religious beliefs during the reign of Queen Mary I. Another notable figure from this period was Barnabe Barnes (1569-1609), an English poet and writer who published several works under the pseudonym Barnabe Book.

As the centuries progressed, the surname BOOK spread across various regions of England and beyond. Other notable individuals with this surname include George Henry Book (1829-1919), a British architect and surveyor who worked on several notable projects in London, and Winfield Scott Book (1863-1952), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Book Cadillac Hotel in Detroit.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Book families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Book 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 26 Books recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.44x.

County Total Index
Surrey 26 3.44x
Yorkshire 25 1.63x
Middlesex 23 1.48x
Somerset 19 7.61x
Lancashire 12 0.65x
Staffordshire 9 1.72x
Lanarkshire 8 1.59x
Durham 7 1.52x
Herefordshire 6 9.43x
Worcestershire 6 2.96x
Nottinghamshire 5 2.39x
Denbighshire 4 6.83x
Kent 4 0.76x
Dorset 1 0.98x
Isle of Man 1 3.47x
Perthshire 1 1.44x
Sussex 1 0.38x
Westmorland 1 2.93x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 14 Books recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.13x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 14 14.13x
Barnsley 12 75.71x
Hammersmith London 12 31.41x
Walcot 10 75.19x
Battersea 9 15.77x
Barony 8 6.30x
Bishopwearmouth 6 15.15x
Dudley 6 24.37x
Bath St James 5 192.31x
Nottingham St Mary 5 9.25x
Stafford St Mary 5 67.48x
Horton In Bradford 4 16.67x
Islington London 4 2.66x
Salford 4 7.39x
Scarborough 4 28.63x
Wrexham Regis 4 91.95x
Ballingham 3 1304.35x
Eardisland 3 731.71x
Toxteth Park 3 4.81x
Wells St Cuthbert 3 176.47x
Wolverhampton 3 7.45x
Blackburn 2 4.08x
Eltham 2 64.52x
Lambeth 2 1.48x
Linthorpe 2 21.81x
Sheffield 2 4.09x
St George Hanover Square 2 7.32x
St George In East London 2 13.71x
Wavertree 2 33.96x
Deptford St Nicholas 1 23.81x
Erith 1 19.19x
Killin 1 147.06x
Melcombe Regis 1 23.70x
Natland 1 666.67x
Onchan 1 12.05x
Putney 1 14.14x
Rimpton 1 714.29x
Rotherham 1 11.55x
Rottingdean 1 112.36x
St George Bloomsbury 1 11.24x
St Pancras London 1 0.80x
Stone 1 14.93x
Twickenham 1 15.04x
West Derby 1 1.86x
Whickham 1 23.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 10
William 9
Henry 7
George 5
Benjamin 3
Charles 3
Geo. 3
James 3
Joseph 3
Alexander 2
Frederick 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Thomas 2
... 1
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Ann 1
Anthony 1
Conrad 1
Cornelius 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
H. 1
Harry 1
Infant 1
Julius 1
Percy 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Wallace 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1
Wm.R. 1

FAQ

Book surname: questions and answers

How common was the Book surname in 1881?

In 1881, 164 people were recorded with the Book surname. That placed it at #14,624 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Book surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 169 in 2016. That gives Book a modern rank of #21,884.

What does the Book surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a scribe, secretary, or one who kept financial records and accounts.

What does the Book map show?

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