NameCensus.

UK surname

Booker

An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of books.

In the 1881 census there were 3,591 people recorded with the Booker surname, ranking it #1,257 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,791, ranked #1,419, down from #1,257 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Chesterfield and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Derbyshire, Chesterfield and Sevenoaks.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Booker is 5,086 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.4%.

1881 census count

3,591

Ranked #1,257

Modern count

4,791

2016, ranked #1,419

Peak year

1999

5,086 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Booker had 3,591 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,257 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,791 in 2016, ranked #1,419.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,735 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Booker surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Booker surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Booker 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 2,274 #1,295
1861 historical 2,480 #1,179
1881 historical 3,591 #1,257
1891 historical 3,948 #1,215
1901 historical 4,452 #1,279
1911 historical 4,735 #1,091
1997 modern 4,877 #1,341
1998 modern 5,085 #1,338
1999 modern 5,086 #1,352
2000 modern 4,969 #1,372
2001 modern 4,857 #1,372
2002 modern 4,894 #1,390
2003 modern 4,780 #1,389
2004 modern 4,764 #1,387
2005 modern 4,642 #1,405
2006 modern 4,665 #1,401
2007 modern 4,746 #1,392
2008 modern 4,751 #1,396
2009 modern 4,847 #1,403
2010 modern 4,929 #1,413
2011 modern 4,905 #1,400
2012 modern 4,815 #1,394
2013 modern 4,910 #1,394
2014 modern 4,897 #1,405
2015 modern 4,828 #1,408
2016 modern 4,791 #1,419

Geography

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Where Bookers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Chesterfield, Sheffield and Walsall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North East Derbyshire, Chesterfield and Sevenoaks. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Chesterfield Derbyshire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Walsall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North East Derbyshire 009 North East Derbyshire
2 Chesterfield 004 Chesterfield
3 Sevenoaks 002 Sevenoaks
4 Chesterfield 012 Chesterfield
5 Chesterfield 008 Chesterfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Booker

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Booker

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

Booker 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

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

Meaning and origin of Booker

The surname Booker is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "boc," meaning "book," and was likely an occupational name given to a scribe, scholar, or someone involved in the production or selling of books.

The name first appeared in historical records in the 13th century, with early examples including Walter le Bokere, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, and Robert le Boker, recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296.

During the Middle Ages, the surname was often found in various spellings, such as Booker, Boker, Bocker, and Bocker, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Richard le Bookere is listed as holding property in Berkshire.

The surname Booker has also been associated with certain place names, such as Booker in Buckinghamshire and Booker Hill in Norfolk. These places may have influenced the development of the surname or been named after individuals bearing the name.

Notable individuals with the surname Booker throughout history include:

1. John Booker (1601-1667), an English astrologer and scholar who published several works on astrology and astronomical calculations. 2. Richard Booker (c. 1670-1745), an English composer and organist who served as the Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey. 3. Calistus Booker (1798-1858), an American Baptist minister and abolitionist who advocated for the education of African Americans and the abolition of slavery. 4. George Booker (1753-1811), an English chess player and writer, considered one of the strongest players of his time and the author of the book "The Celebrated Matches of the Old Suffolk Gambit" (1819). 5. Cory Booker (born 1969), an American politician and the current junior United States Senator from New Jersey, who served as the 36th Mayor of Newark from 2006 to 2013.

While the surname Booker has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Booker families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Booker 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 636 Bookers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.83x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 636 1.83x
Sussex 502 8.50x
Surrey 408 2.39x
Kent 358 3.00x
Derbyshire 353 6.44x
Middlesex 313 0.89x
Hampshire 145 2.02x
Staffordshire 143 1.21x
Berkshire 115 4.38x
Lancashire 104 0.25x
Warwickshire 94 1.06x
Gloucestershire 71 1.03x
Nottinghamshire 41 0.87x
Wiltshire 34 1.10x
Essex 32 0.46x
Oxfordshire 27 1.25x
Cheshire 26 0.34x
Lincolnshire 24 0.43x
Leicestershire 18 0.46x
Worcestershire 18 0.39x
Glamorgan 17 0.28x
Northamptonshire 16 0.49x
Shropshire 11 0.36x
Midlothian 9 0.19x
Cambridgeshire 8 0.36x
Banffshire 7 0.96x
Durham 7 0.07x
Northumberland 7 0.13x
Radnorshire 5 1.77x
Somerset 5 0.09x
Bedfordshire 4 0.22x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.43x
Norfolk 4 0.07x
Suffolk 4 0.09x
Dorset 3 0.13x
Herefordshire 3 0.21x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.09x
Denbighshire 2 0.15x
Lanarkshire 2 0.02x
Royal Navy 2 0.48x
Anglesey 1 0.16x
Cumberland 1 0.03x
Devon 1 0.01x
Hertfordshire 1 0.04x
Perthshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 80 Bookers recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.24x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 80 7.24x
Dronfield 59 84.00x
Ecclesall Bierlow 59 8.36x
Nether Hallam 58 12.36x
Walsall Foreign 52 8.52x
Chesterfield 46 22.39x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 45 13.92x
South Bersted 45 89.64x
Lambeth 44 1.44x
Camberwell 43 1.92x
Eynsford 43 209.96x
Otford 43 257.95x
Barlow 42 380.78x
Brighton 40 3.36x
Horsham 39 34.01x
Heeley 33 31.30x
Bignor 32 1434.98x
Kensington London 30 1.54x
Lewisham 29 4.55x
Birmingham 28 0.95x
Shoreham 28 164.61x
St Pancras London 27 0.96x
Dorking 26 22.70x
Portsea 25 1.78x
Kingston On Thames 23 5.61x
West Ham 23 1.51x
Brampton 22 28.72x
Chipping Campden 22 98.43x
Norton 22 48.70x
Plumstead 22 5.53x
Shoreditch London 22 1.45x
St Marylebone London 22 1.18x
Walberton 22 298.91x
Boston 20 11.78x
Islington London 20 0.59x
Nottingham St Mary 20 1.64x
Reigate Foreign 20 10.83x
Deptford St Paul 19 2.06x
Heath 19 444.96x
Kimberworth 19 9.87x
Paddington London 19 1.48x
Pulborough 19 87.68x
Southwark St George Martyr 19 2.70x
Wilmington 19 113.98x
Hackney London 18 0.92x
Cannock 17 8.24x
Holmesfield 17 287.65x
Marston Maisey 17 758.93x
Greenwich 16 2.87x
Armley 15 9.80x
Aston 15 0.62x
Buxted 15 64.91x
Alcester 14 48.08x
Alton 14 25.89x
Battersea 14 1.09x
Coal Aston 14 148.31x
Handsworth 14 15.26x
Hasland 14 25.09x
Leeds 14 0.71x
Liverpool 14 0.55x
St George Bloomsbury 14 6.97x
Staveley 14 14.39x
Ford 13 1083.33x
Gomersal 13 8.03x
Old Stratford 13 26.01x
Rotherfield 13 25.01x
Barton Under Needwood 12 55.92x
Christchurch 12 7.71x
Collingham 12 300.75x
East Hoathly 12 116.85x
Ebrington 12 184.33x
Ecclesfield 12 4.72x
Holybourne 12 169.49x
Lee 12 6.92x
Streatham 12 4.62x
Warnham 12 94.04x
Denchworth 11 404.41x
Fulham London 11 2.17x
Newington 11 0.85x
Smallthorne 11 25.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 212
Elizabeth 133
Sarah 100
Ann 72
Alice 69
Ellen 65
Emily 60
Eliza 54
Emma 53
Annie 43
Jane 40
Fanny 35
Louisa 35
Charlotte 33
Hannah 33
Martha 32
Harriett 26
Ada 25
Caroline 25
Kate 23
Edith 22
Frances 22
Harriet 21
Lucy 21
Margaret 20
Florence 18
Maria 17
Catherine 15
Clara 15
Rose 15
Sophia 14
Agnes 12
Elizth. 12
Susan 11
Jessie 10
Minnie 10
Anne 9
Julia 9
Matilda 9
Ethel 8
Amy 7
Anna 7
Esther 7
Gertrude 7
Amelia 6
Eleanor 6
Selina 6
Susannah 6
Beatrice 5
Lizzie 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 227
George 185
John 183
Thomas 111
James 102
Charles 98
Henry 94
Alfred 54
Joseph 44
Albert 36
Edward 36
Arthur 35
Frederick 34
Walter 28
Frank 25
Harry 24
Richard 24
Robert 22
Ernest 21
Samuel 21
Edwin 15
Herbert 15
Wm. 15
David 11
Francis 11
Fred 9
Fredk. 9
Benjamin 8
Geo. 8
Tom 8
Peter 7
Andrew 6
Edmund 6
Stephen 6
Daniel 5
Mark 5
Matthew 5
Percy 5
Edwd. 4
Lewis 4
Reuben 4
Allan 3
Chas. 3
Frederic 3
Godfrey 3
Jesse 3
Maurice 3
Noah 3
Philip 3
Robt. 3

FAQ

Booker surname: questions and answers

How common was the Booker surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,591 people were recorded with the Booker surname. That placed it at #1,257 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Booker surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,791 in 2016. That gives Booker a modern rank of #1,419.

What does the Booker surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of books.

What does the Booker map show?

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