NameCensus.

UK surname

Bouchard

A French toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "small wood" or "thicket."

In the 1881 census there were 105 people recorded with the Bouchard surname, ranking it #19,183 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 190, ranked #20,262, down from #19,183 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Edinburgh and St Mary Stratford-le-Bow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torbay, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Bracknell Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bouchard is 198 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 81.0%.

1881 census count

105

Ranked #19,183

Modern count

190

2016, ranked #20,262

Peak year

2013

198 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bouchard had 105 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,183 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 190 in 2016, ranked #20,262.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 190 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Bouchard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bouchard surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bouchard 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 39 #26,319
1861 historical 55 #27,007
1881 historical 105 #19,183
1891 historical 104 #23,388
1901 historical 152 #17,916
1911 historical 190 #15,438
1997 modern 166 #19,797
1998 modern 174 #19,729
1999 modern 187 #18,999
2000 modern 185 #19,118
2001 modern 177 #19,357
2002 modern 183 #19,354
2003 modern 189 #18,738
2004 modern 182 #19,306
2005 modern 184 #19,117
2006 modern 186 #19,140
2007 modern 192 #18,975
2008 modern 186 #19,524
2009 modern 192 #19,527
2010 modern 193 #19,880
2011 modern 187 #20,132
2012 modern 188 #20,018
2013 modern 198 #19,657
2014 modern 197 #19,903
2015 modern 185 #20,641
2016 modern 190 #20,262

Geography

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Where Bouchards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Edinburgh, St Mary Stratford-le-Bow, St John Hackney and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torbay, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Bracknell Forest, Gravesham and Charnwood. 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 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 St Mary Stratford-le-Bow London (East Districts)
4 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torbay 014 Torbay
2 Rhondda Cynon Taf 007 Rhondda Cynon Taf
3 Bracknell Forest 009 Bracknell Forest
4 Gravesham 012 Gravesham
5 Charnwood 019 Charnwood

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bouchard

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bouchard

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Bouchard surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bouchard household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Bouchard is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Bouchard is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bouchard 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 Bouchard 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 - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bouchard, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bouchard

The surname Bouchard originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "bouchard," which means "herdsman" or "shepherd." The name likely referred to someone who tended livestock, particularly cattle or sheep.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 12th century in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northwestern France. In some historical records, the name is spelled slightly differently, such as "Bouchart" or "Boucharde."

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Bouchard was Geoffroy Bouchard, a Norman knight who fought in the First Crusade (1096-1099). He was awarded lands in the Principality of Antioch for his service.

Another notable figure was Jean Bouchard (c. 1300-1360), a French theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Paris. He wrote several influential treatises on logic and metaphysics.

During the 15th century, the Bouchard family established themselves as prominent landowners in the region of Burgundy, France. Jacques Bouchard (1420-1491) was a wealthy merchant and vineyard owner who served as a councilor to the Duke of Burgundy.

In the 17th century, Nicolas Bouchard (1619-1687) was a French explorer and fur trader who established trading posts in what is now Canada. He played a significant role in the early colonial period of New France.

The surname Bouchard also has a long history in Quebec, Canada, where many French settlers bearing the name arrived in the 17th and 18th centuries. One of the earliest recorded instances was Jacques Bouchard (1631-1703), who immigrated from France and established a farm in the region of Trois-Rivières.

Throughout the centuries, the Bouchard surname has been associated with various notable figures in various fields, including politics, academia, and the arts. However, the name's origins can be traced back to the humble occupation of herdsmen and shepherds in medieval France.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bouchard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bouchard 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. Middlesex leads with 86 Bouchards recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.35x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 86 7.35x
Channel Islands 14 40.37x
Surrey 9 1.58x
Gloucestershire 4 1.74x
Kent 4 1.00x
Essex 3 1.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 40 Bouchards recorded in 1881 and an index of 78.68x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 40 78.68x
Bow London 11 73.83x
Chiswick 8 125.20x
Hackney London 8 12.19x
Trinity 8 1000.00x
Mile End New Town London 7 303.03x
St Martin In Fields 7 99.86x
Mitcham 6 166.67x
St Martin 5 235.85x
Bristol St Michael 4 203.05x
East Malling 4 421.05x
Prittlewell 3 93.75x
St Pancras London 2 2.12x
Beddington 1 45.25x
Croydon 1 3.16x
Islington London 1 0.88x
Newington 1 2.31x
St Bartholomew Less 1 166.67x
St Helier 1 8.86x
St Marylebone London 1 1.60x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 6
Mary 5
Alice 4
Elizabeth 3
Louisa 3
Ada 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Maria 2
Marie 2
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Bessie 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Florance 1
Florence 1
Henriette 1
Lillian 1
Lizzie 1
Lousia 1
Margaret 1
Pauline 1
Susan 1
Therese 1
Virgine 1
Virginie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
Thomas 6
William 6
Charles 5
Alfred 4
Benjamin 3
Edwin 3
Nicolas 3
Richard 3
Arthur 2
James 2
Joseph 2
Louis 2
Samuel 2
Albert 1
Alfd. 1
Alfora 1
Chas. 1
Fredk. 1
Gilbert 1
Harry 1
Hary 1
Herbert 1
Jos. 1
Leon 1
Lousia 1
Marah 1
Philip 1
Robert 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Bouchard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bouchard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 105 people were recorded with the Bouchard surname. That placed it at #19,183 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bouchard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 190 in 2016. That gives Bouchard a modern rank of #20,262.

What does the Bouchard surname mean?

A French toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "small wood" or "thicket."

What does the Bouchard map show?

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