NameCensus.

UK surname

Borwick

A habitational surname from a place name in Lancashire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 262 people recorded with the Borwick surname, ranking it #10,721 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 200, ranked #19,591, down from #10,721 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lancaster Borough, Kirkwall and St.Ola and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hyndburn, Craigshill and Drylaw.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Borwick is 279 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 23.7%.

1881 census count

262

Ranked #10,721

Modern count

200

2016, ranked #19,591

Peak year

1891

279 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Borwick had 262 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,721 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 200 in 2016, ranked #19,591.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 279 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Borwick surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Borwick surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Borwick 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 146 #13,157
1861 historical 219 #11,124
1881 historical 262 #10,721
1891 historical 279 #11,698
1901 historical 225 #14,047
1911 historical 176 #16,185
1997 modern 214 #16,893
1998 modern 218 #17,159
1999 modern 210 #17,712
2000 modern 208 #17,772
2001 modern 204 #17,736
2002 modern 204 #18,062
2003 modern 196 #18,358
2004 modern 196 #18,438
2005 modern 189 #18,807
2006 modern 193 #18,675
2007 modern 191 #19,031
2008 modern 190 #19,246
2009 modern 197 #19,218
2010 modern 206 #19,066
2011 modern 205 #18,965
2012 modern 199 #19,280
2013 modern 203 #19,327
2014 modern 205 #19,375
2015 modern 197 #19,774
2016 modern 200 #19,591

Geography

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Where Borwicks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lancaster Borough, Kirkwall and St.Ola, Gateshead, Birsay and Harray and Preston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hyndburn, Craigshill, Drylaw, West Kirkwall and Copeland. 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 Lancaster Borough Lancashire
2 Kirkwall and St.Ola Orkney
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Birsay and Harray Orkney
5 Preston Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hyndburn 007 Hyndburn
2 Craigshill West Lothian
3 Drylaw City of Edinburgh
4 West Kirkwall Orkney Islands
5 Copeland 007 Copeland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Borwick

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Borwick

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Borwick surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Borwick household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Borwick is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Borwick 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

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

Meaning and origin of Borwick

The surname Borwick originated in the village of Borrowby, located in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English words "burh" meaning a fortified place and "wic" meaning a dwelling or village. This suggests that the name was initially used to refer to someone who lived near a fortified settlement or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Borgeuuic." This entry provides evidence of the name's existence in the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name was commonly spelled as "Boroughwick" or "Borowyk." These variations reflect the regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time. The modern spelling "Borwick" emerged in the 16th century and has remained relatively consistent since then.

Notable individuals with the Borwick surname include:

1. Robert Borwick (c. 1580 – 1645), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of St. John's College, Cambridge.

2. John Borwick (c. 1610 – 1675), an English Puritan minister and author, known for his work "The Unreasonableness of Separation."

3. Edmund Borwick (1738 – 1804), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War.

4. Leonard Borwick (1868 – 1925), a British pianist and composer, known for his contributions to the field of music education.

5. Derick Borwick (1925 – 2001), an English actor and theatre director, famous for his work with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

The Borwick name has also been associated with various places, such as Borrowby, the village from which it originated, as well as Borrowdale and Borrowbeck, both located in Cumbria, England. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and its geographical roots.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Borwick families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Borwick 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. Lancashire leads with 54 Borwicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.78x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 54 1.78x
Orkney 54 192.03x
Westmorland 28 49.85x
Essex 18 3.57x
Cumberland 14 6.36x
Yorkshire 14 0.55x
Middlesex 13 0.51x
Durham 7 0.92x
Fife 7 4.63x
Lanarkshire 7 0.85x
Northumberland 7 1.84x
Kent 6 0.69x
Cheshire 4 0.71x
Derbyshire 4 1.00x
Sussex 4 0.93x
Dunbartonshire 3 4.37x
Midlothian 3 0.88x
West Lothian 3 7.79x
Devon 2 0.38x
Gloucestershire 2 0.40x
Hampshire 2 0.38x
Surrey 2 0.16x
Berwickshire 1 3.23x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.62x
Channel Islands 1 1.32x
Somerset 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birsay Harray in Orkney leads with 26 Borwicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 1274.51x.

Place Total Index
Birsay Harray 26 1274.51x
Kirkwall St Ola 15 356.29x
Preston 13 16.02x
Dalton In Furness 11 93.94x
Grasmere 11 1718.75x
Lancaster 11 60.98x
Shoreditch London 8 7.22x
Undermilbeck 8 432.43x
Firth Stenness 7 578.51x
Glasgow 7 4.77x
Kendal 7 68.09x
Sheffield 7 8.68x
Walthamstow 7 38.55x
Westoe 7 16.24x
Crosscanonby 6 82.42x
Kirkby Ireleth 6 397.35x
Drigg Carleton 5 1000.00x
Kilmany 5 909.09x
Bromley 4 30.10x
Frodsham 4 182.65x
Hastings St Clement 4 98.77x
Holloway 4 816.33x
Leyton 4 46.03x
Longbenton 4 24.83x
Stromness 4 189.57x
Walthanstow 4 476.19x
Bethnal Green London 3 2.70x
Dumbarton 3 31.38x
Egton Cum Newland 3 340.91x
Ingleton 3 209.79x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 3 13.21x
Queensferry 3 319.15x
Salford 3 3.36x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 2 8.48x
Chigwell 2 42.02x
Claife 2 416.67x
Clifton 2 7.89x
Lowick 2 588.24x
Tormoham 2 8.88x
Allerton 1 30.96x
Barrow In Furness 1 2.42x
Brightside Bierlow 1 2.01x
Burton 1 169.49x
Coldingham 1 35.97x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 1 12.35x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.73x
Evie Rendall 1 84.03x
Farnborough 1 18.18x
Forgan 1 34.48x
Foulmire 1 208.33x
Hammersmith London 1 1.59x
Kilconquhar 1 55.56x
Kinniside 1 476.19x
Lewisham 1 2.15x
Millom 1 14.84x
North Leith 1 6.31x
Northbourne 1 120.48x
Penge 1 6.13x
Portsea 1 0.97x
Sandwick 1 95.24x
St Bees 1 98.04x
St Botolph Aldgate London 1 19.01x
St Peter Port 1 7.14x
Stretford 1 6.00x
Taunton St James 1 16.67x
Ulverston 1 11.33x
West Ham 1 0.90x
Wimbledon 1 7.15x
Witherslack 1 208.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 10
Jane 8
Sarah 5
Ellen 4
Ann 3
Euphemia 3
Anne 2
Edith 2
Isabella 2
Margaret 2
Ruth 2
Ada 1
Amelia 1
Anabella 1
Anncy 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Clara 1
Clarice 1
Constance 1
Deborah 1
Dinah 1
Dora 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz 1
Eliz. 1
Esabilla 1
Ethel 1
Fanessa 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Hariett 1
Harriet 1
Hilda 1
Irene 1
Janet 1
Jessie 1
Mable 1
Maggie 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Maude 1
Pheoby 1
Polly 1
Rose 1
Selina 1
Susan 1
Susanna 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 17
William 13
George 10
Robert 6
Frederick 5
Thomas 5
Edward 3
Charles 2
Joseph 2
Myles 2
Richard 2
Albert 1
Alfd.G. 1
Alfred 1
Bertie 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Geo. 1
Geoffrey 1
Gerald 1
Henry 1
Isaac 1
James 1
Martin 1
Matthew 1
Robt.Geoffrey 1
Roger 1
S. 1
Samuel 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Borwick surname: questions and answers

How common was the Borwick surname in 1881?

In 1881, 262 people were recorded with the Borwick surname. That placed it at #10,721 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Borwick surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 200 in 2016. That gives Borwick a modern rank of #19,591.

What does the Borwick surname mean?

A habitational surname from a place name in Lancashire, England.

What does the Borwick map show?

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