NameCensus.

UK surname

Borne

A French topographical surname denoting someone who lived near a boundary or marker.

In the 1881 census there were 111 people recorded with the Borne surname, ranking it #18,597 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 96, ranked #31,684, down from #18,597 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Portsmouth, Portsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Hams, Cornwall and Sheffield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Borne is 202 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 13.5%.

1881 census count

111

Ranked #18,597

Modern count

96

2016, ranked #31,684

Peak year

1861

202 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 1911

Key insights

  • Borne had 111 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,597 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 96 in 2016, ranked #31,684.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 202 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Borne surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Borne surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Borne 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 113 #15,815
1861 historical 202 #11,906
1881 historical 111 #18,597
1891 historical 192 #15,383
1901 historical 106 #22,076
1911 historical 155 #17,485
1997 modern 87 #28,749
1998 modern 80 #29,966
1999 modern 86 #29,496
2000 modern 82 #29,922
2001 modern 81 #29,828
2002 modern 77 #30,709
2003 modern 72 #31,281
2004 modern 71 #31,578
2005 modern 67 #32,196
2006 modern 61 #33,142
2007 modern 63 #33,243
2008 modern 64 #33,402
2009 modern 72 #33,021
2010 modern 83 #32,396
2011 modern 88 #31,801
2012 modern 89 #31,934
2013 modern 89 #32,248
2014 modern 100 #31,033
2015 modern 94 #31,872
2016 modern 96 #31,684

Geography

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Where Bornes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Portsmouth, Portsea, St Marylebone and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Hams, Cornwall, Sheffield and Torbay. 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 3
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Hams 008 South Hams
2 Cornwall 062 Cornwall
3 Sheffield 072 Sheffield
4 Torbay 014 Torbay
5 South Hams 010 South Hams

Forenames

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First names often paired with Borne

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Borne

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

Professional Periphery

Within London, Borne is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Borne is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Borne falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Borne

The surname BORNE has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "burna," meaning a stream or a brook, indicating that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a stream or a river.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BORNE can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it is listed as "Atte Bourne." This spelling suggests that the name was initially used as a descriptive term, referring to a person's place of residence near a particular stream or brook.

During the Middle Ages, the BORNE surname was prevalent in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Wiltshire, Dorset, and Somerset. In fact, several places in these counties, such as Bournemouth and Borne Valley, bear the name, reflecting the influence of the BORNE surname in the local geography.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct references to the BORNE surname. However, it does mention several place names that include the word "burna," suggesting that the name's origins predate the Norman Conquest of England.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the BORNE surname was Sir John Bourne, a prominent English lawyer and judge who lived from 1457 to 1533. He served as the Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and played a significant role in the legal and political affairs of the Tudor period.

Another notable figure with the BORNE surname was Thomas Borne, a 16th-century English composer and organist who lived from around 1500 to 1561. He was renowned for his contributions to sacred music and served as the Master of the Choristers at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

In the 17th century, Robert Borne (1599-1668) was a prominent English mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the field of navigation and was appointed as the Gresham Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College in London.

The BORNE surname also has a connection to the literary world through the writer and novelist Benjamin Robert Haydon (1786-1846). Although his surname was Haydon, his mother's maiden name was BORNE, and he often used the surname in his writings and correspondence.

Lastly, a more recent figure with the BORNE surname was Sir Evan Nepean Borne (1861-1942), a British civil servant and colonial administrator. He served as the Governor of the Bahamas from 1908 to 1913 and played a significant role in the administration of British colonial territories.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Borne families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Borne 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. Devon leads with 26 Bornes recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.04x.

County Total Index
Devon 26 11.04x
Middlesex 16 1.41x
Surrey 8 1.45x
Cornwall 7 5.46x
Durham 7 2.08x
Essex 7 3.13x
Kent 6 1.55x
Sussex 6 3.15x
Channel Islands 5 14.91x
Berkshire 4 4.71x
Huntingdonshire 4 17.80x
Lincolnshire 4 2.21x
Cheshire 3 1.20x
Lancashire 2 0.15x
Renfrewshire 2 2.28x
Dorset 1 1.35x
Hampshire 1 0.43x
Leicestershire 1 0.80x
Norfolk 1 0.57x
Northamptonshire 1 0.94x
Oxfordshire 1 1.43x
Shropshire 1 1.02x
Somerset 1 0.55x
Worcestershire 1 0.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Marwood in Devon leads with 9 Bornes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2903.23x.

Place Total Index
Marwood 9 2903.23x
Burnham 6 731.71x
Falmouth 6 132.45x
Shoreditch London 6 12.23x
Exeter St Sidwell 5 92.76x
St Sampson 5 331.13x
Graffham 4 3076.92x
Okehampton 4 449.44x
Stockton On Tees 4 24.65x
Bermondsey 3 8.91x
Birkenhead 3 15.07x
Darlington 3 23.08x
Pluckley 3 833.33x
Warfield 3 389.61x
Worth 3 217.39x
Bethnal Green London 2 4.07x
Bletchingley 2 277.78x
Boston 2 36.43x
Brighton 2 5.20x
Buckland Brewer 2 689.66x
St George Hanover Square 2 10.03x
West Greenock 2 12.71x
Banbury 1 71.43x
Bradninch 1 151.52x
Camberwell 1 1.38x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 4.69x
Deal 1 30.40x
Dudley 1 5.57x
Eastbourne 1 11.39x
Exeter St Olave 1 333.33x
Folkestone 1 13.35x
Foulness 1 370.37x
Grantham 1 42.37x
Gwennap 1 41.32x
Hatherleigh 1 169.49x
Ilfracombe 1 41.32x
Islington London 1 0.91x
Kensington London 1 1.59x
Leicester St Margaret 1 3.27x
Newport 1 84.75x
Northampton Priory St 1 15.65x
Norwich St George Colegate 1 158.73x
Portsea 1 2.20x
Preston 1 2.78x
Putney 1 19.38x
Shinfield 1 200.00x
Sittingbourne 1 32.79x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 4.39x
Spalding 1 27.86x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 1 62.50x
St Clement Danes London 1 42.74x
St Giles In Fields London 1 18.02x
Swanage 1 108.70x
Topsham 1 90.09x
Tormoham 1 10.03x
Westminster St James 1 8.60x
Weston Super Mare 1 21.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 9
Mary 7
Eliza 4
Sarah 4
Annie 3
Ann 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Fanny 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Jane 2
Agness 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Bessie 1
Charlotte 1
Christinna 1
Clara 1
Dinah 1
Edda 1
Elizth.A. 1
Emma 1
Francis 1
Isabel 1
Isabella 1
Judith 1
Katherine 1
Kathrine 1
Lucy 1
Reme 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 9
John 8
Richard 3
Thomas 3
Walter 3
Andrew 2
Charles 2
Frank 2
George 2
Henry 2
James 2
Samuel 2
Abram 1
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Ed.B. 1
Edward 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Michael 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1
Sarah 1

FAQ

Borne surname: questions and answers

How common was the Borne surname in 1881?

In 1881, 111 people were recorded with the Borne surname. That placed it at #18,597 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Borne surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 96 in 2016. That gives Borne a modern rank of #31,684.

What does the Borne surname mean?

A French topographical surname denoting someone who lived near a boundary or marker.

What does the Borne map show?

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