NameCensus.

UK surname

Bouchier

An occupational surname referring to a butcher or meat seller.

In the 1881 census there were 111 people recorded with the Bouchier surname, ranking it #18,597 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 193, ranked #20,039, down from #18,597 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bury, Toxteth Park and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include High Peak, Pembrokeshire and Wandsworth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bouchier is 193 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 73.9%.

1881 census count

111

Ranked #18,597

Modern count

193

2016, ranked #20,039

Peak year

2016

193 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bouchier had 111 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,597 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 193 in 2016, ranked #20,039.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 173 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bouchier surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bouchier surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bouchier 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 42 #25,706
1861 historical 58 #26,585
1881 historical 111 #18,597
1891 historical 173 #16,600
1901 historical 164 #17,144
1911 historical 155 #17,485
1997 modern 178 #18,958
1998 modern 179 #19,372
1999 modern 183 #19,248
2000 modern 175 #19,764
2001 modern 172 #19,696
2002 modern 187 #19,083
2003 modern 184 #19,075
2004 modern 177 #19,662
2005 modern 171 #19,985
2006 modern 160 #21,066
2007 modern 171 #20,387
2008 modern 183 #19,735
2009 modern 182 #20,201
2010 modern 187 #20,309
2011 modern 180 #20,649
2012 modern 189 #19,949
2013 modern 192 #20,067
2014 modern 189 #20,441
2015 modern 189 #20,345
2016 modern 193 #20,039

Geography

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Where Bouchiers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bury, Toxteth Park, Wigan, Manchester and Bridgwater, Goathurst, Durleigh, Wembdon, Chilton Trinity. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to High Peak, Pembrokeshire, Wandsworth, Trafford and Westminster. 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 Bury Lancashire
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Bridgwater, Goathurst, Durleigh, Wembdon, Chilton Trinity Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 High Peak 003 High Peak
2 Pembrokeshire 013 Pembrokeshire
3 Wandsworth 028 Wandsworth
4 Trafford 028 Trafford
5 Westminster 007 Westminster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bouchier

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bouchier

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Bouchier is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bouchier 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

Bouchier falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bouchier

The surname BOUCHIER has its origins in medieval France, specifically in the region of Normandy, where it first emerged in the 11th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "bouchier," which means "butcher" or "meat seller." This occupational surname was likely given to individuals or families involved in the trade of butchery or meat production.

In the aftermath of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, many Norman families, including those bearing the surname BOUCHIER, settled in various parts of the British Isles. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Bucher" in the county of Lincolnshire.

The BOUCHIER surname can be found in various historical records throughout the centuries. In the 13th century, a notable figure named Sir Robert Bouchier served as Lord Chancellor of England under King Henry III. He was born around 1200 and held significant political and ecclesiastical positions during his lifetime.

Another prominent individual bearing this surname was Henry Bouchier, who was born in 1404 and served as the Earl of Essex and Lord Treasurer of England during the reign of King Henry VI in the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the BOUCHIER family established themselves in the county of Northamptonshire, where they held substantial landholdings. One member of this branch, John Bouchier, was born in 1535 and made significant contributions to the region's agricultural and economic development.

The surname BOUCHIER also has connections to various place names in England, such as Bouchier's Green in Hertfordshire and Bouchier's Farm in Buckinghamshire. These locations likely derived their names from individuals or families bearing the BOUCHIER surname who once resided or held land there.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the BOUCHIER surname, including:

1. Thomas Bouchier (1329-1404), an English nobleman and military commander during the Hundred Years' War. 2. Elizabeth Bouchier (1472-1537), an English noblewoman and a significant figure in the Tudor court. 3. John Bouchier (1588-1661), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Salisbury. 4. Henry Bouchier (1712-1784), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire. 5. William Bouchier (1785-1864), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.

While the BOUCHIER surname has evolved and spread across various regions over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the Norman nobility of medieval France, where it was initially associated with the occupation of butchery or meat production.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bouchier families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bouchier 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 44 Bouchiers recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.42x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 44 3.42x
Yorkshire 16 1.49x
Middlesex 9 0.83x
Somerset 9 5.16x
Bedfordshire 7 12.49x
Devon 5 2.22x
Surrey 5 0.95x
Hampshire 4 1.80x
Warwickshire 4 1.46x
Monmouthshire 3 3.83x
Sussex 2 1.10x
Northamptonshire 1 0.98x
Renfrewshire 1 1.19x
Suffolk 1 0.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Failsworth in Lancashire leads with 10 Bouchiers recorded in 1881 and an index of 340.14x.

Place Total Index
Failsworth 10 340.14x
Bridgewater 9 190.27x
Bury 9 61.31x
Todmorden Walsden 8 232.56x
Bedford St Peter 7 479.45x
Hindley 7 127.74x
Forcett With Carkin 6 2857.14x
Heap 6 88.11x
Sandal Magna 6 377.36x
Coventry St Michael 4 45.61x
Holbeck 4 56.26x
South Molton 4 322.58x
Bedwellty 3 21.71x
Lambeth 3 3.18x
Portsea 3 6.90x
St Pancras London 3 3.44x
Warrington 3 19.70x
Hove 2 24.97x
Paddington London 2 5.02x
St Marylebone London 2 3.46x
Abbey 1 7.81x
Exeter Allhallows Onthe 1 1000.00x
Godalming 1 30.12x
Hackney London 1 1.65x
Hampstead London 1 5.93x
Ipswich St Mathew 1 27.03x
Kingston 1 322.58x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 4.59x
Warkworth 1 108.70x
West Derby 1 2.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 7
Elizabeth 7
Mary 7
Sarah 6
Alice 4
Emma 3
Ann 2
Florence 2
Jane 2
Rosina 2
Bertha 1
Bessie 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Dorothy 1
Ellen 1
Frances 1
Georgina 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Margret 1
Matilda 1
Rachel 1
Rose 1
Ruffina 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Bouchier surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bouchier surname in 1881?

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

How common is the Bouchier surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 193 in 2016. That gives Bouchier a modern rank of #20,039.

What does the Bouchier surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a butcher or meat seller.

What does the Bouchier map show?

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