NameCensus.

UK surname

Botsford

An English place surname derived from a place name meaning "boar's ford" or "ford of the boars".

In the 1881 census there were 56 people recorded with the Botsford surname, ranking it #25,733 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 101, ranked #30,929, down from #25,733 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Huntingdonshire, Central Bedfordshire and Kensington and Chelsea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Botsford is 103 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 80.4%.

1881 census count

56

Ranked #25,733

Modern count

101

2016, ranked #30,929

Peak year

2015

103 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Botsford had 56 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,733 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016, ranked #30,929.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 69 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Botsford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Botsford surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Botsford 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 18 #30,094
1861 historical 19 #31,470
1881 historical 56 #25,733
1891 historical 68 #28,300
1901 historical 58 #27,724
1911 historical 69 #25,965
1997 modern 80 #29,554
1998 modern 86 #29,343
1999 modern 91 #28,937
2000 modern 91 #28,952
2001 modern 83 #29,617
2002 modern 85 #29,867
2003 modern 83 #30,088
2004 modern 78 #30,919
2005 modern 84 #30,359
2006 modern 86 #30,425
2007 modern 84 #31,067
2008 modern 84 #31,370
2009 modern 87 #31,489
2010 modern 85 #32,185
2011 modern 82 #32,449
2012 modern 95 #31,107
2013 modern 99 #30,934
2014 modern 99 #31,186
2015 modern 103 #30,444
2016 modern 101 #30,929

Geography

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Where Botsfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Huntingdonshire, Central Bedfordshire, Kensington and Chelsea, Wycombe and Arun. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Huntingdonshire 018 Huntingdonshire
2 Central Bedfordshire 021 Central Bedfordshire
3 Kensington and Chelsea 006 Kensington and Chelsea
4 Wycombe 017 Wycombe
5 Arun 006 Arun

Forenames

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First names often paired with Botsford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Botsford

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Botsford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Botsford household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Botsford is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

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

Botsford is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Botsford

The surname Botsford originated in England during the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bott" meaning a dwelling or shelter, and "ford" referring to a shallow river crossing. Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived near a ford or river crossing with a small dwelling or shelter nearby.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which lists a Richard de Botesford. The Domesday Book of 1086 also contains references to various places with similar names such as Botesforde and Botesford, suggesting the name's origins can be traced back to the 11th century.

The name Botsford has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir John Botsford (1564-1628), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the early 17th century.

During the English Civil War, Sir John Botsford's grandson, also named John Botsford (1617-1685), fought on the Royalist side and was later knighted for his service.

In the 18th century, William Botsford (1730-1809) was a renowned English botanist and horticulturist who helped introduce several new plant species to Britain from around the world.

Another notable bearer of the name was Edmund Botsford (1845-1920), a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and as a judge in the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Botsford was Blanche Botsford (1892-1977), an American writer and journalist who was renowned for her work in promoting women's rights and advocating for social justice causes.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Botsford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Botsford 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. Bedfordshire leads with 24 Botsfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 84.90x.

County Total Index
Bedfordshire 24 84.90x
Berkshire 15 36.60x
Lancashire 7 1.08x
Middlesex 6 1.10x
Surrey 3 1.13x
Cheshire 1 0.83x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire leads with 12 Botsfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 983.61x.

Place Total Index
Leighton Buzzard 12 983.61x
Ampthill 9 2142.86x
Newbury 8 610.69x
Chorlton On Medlock 7 68.03x
Speen 7 1044.78x
St Anne Soho London 5 160.26x
Woburn 3 1200.00x
Camberwell 2 5.73x
Hackney London 1 3.27x
Oxton 1 147.06x
Putney 1 40.16x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 4
Mary 4
Elizabeth 3
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Eliza 2
Jane 2
Amy 1
Annie 1
Clara 1
Ethel 1
Hilda 1
Miriam 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
Henry 4
Frederick 3
John 3
Alfred 2
Charles 2
David 2
George 2
Arthur 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Wm. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Botsford households.

FAQ

Botsford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Botsford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 56 people were recorded with the Botsford surname. That placed it at #25,733 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Botsford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016. That gives Botsford a modern rank of #30,929.

What does the Botsford surname mean?

An English place surname derived from a place name meaning "boar's ford" or "ford of the boars".

What does the Botsford map show?

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