NameCensus.

UK surname

Boud

A French surname possibly derived from the Old French word "bot", meaning short or stumpy.

In the 1881 census there were 58 people recorded with the Boud surname, ranking it #25,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 229, ranked #17,878, up from #25,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Charlton Kings, Saham Toney and King's Lynn St Margaret. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wandsworth, Guildford and Hillingdon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Boud is 848 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 294.8%.

1881 census count

58

Ranked #25,428

Modern count

229

2016, ranked #17,878

Peak year

1891

848 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Boud had 58 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 229 in 2016, ranked #17,878.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 848 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Boud surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Boud surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Boud 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 186 #11,024
1861 historical 404 #6,354
1881 historical 58 #25,428
1891 historical 848 #4,819
1901 historical 13 #32,633
1911 historical 299 #11,475
1997 modern 256 #15,034
1998 modern 255 #15,470
1999 modern 257 #15,506
2000 modern 265 #15,143
2001 modern 261 #15,066
2002 modern 268 #15,081
2003 modern 259 #15,254
2004 modern 265 #15,110
2005 modern 247 #15,763
2006 modern 242 #16,097
2007 modern 234 #16,706
2008 modern 234 #16,827
2009 modern 240 #16,896
2010 modern 249 #16,837
2011 modern 239 #17,138
2012 modern 226 #17,679
2013 modern 238 #17,354
2014 modern 231 #17,813
2015 modern 231 #17,733
2016 modern 229 #17,878

Geography

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Where Bouds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Charlton Kings, Saham Toney, King's Lynn St Margaret, St Pancras and Lewisham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wandsworth, Guildford, Hillingdon, Horsham and Sutton. 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 Charlton Kings Gloucestershire
2 Saham Toney Norfolk
3 King's Lynn St Margaret Norfolk
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Lewisham London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wandsworth 011 Wandsworth
2 Guildford 010 Guildford
3 Hillingdon 008 Hillingdon
4 Horsham 003 Horsham
5 Sutton 011 Sutton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Boud

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Boud

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Boud, 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 Boud surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Boud 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Boud is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Boud 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

Boud falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Boud

The surname "BOUD" has its origins in the French language, with the earliest recorded instances of this name dating back to the 12th century in the northern regions of France. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "boud," which translates to "plump" or "rounded," potentially suggesting a physical attribute associated with the family or an early ancestor.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname "BOUD" was Geoffroy Boud, a nobleman who lived in the region of Normandy during the late 12th century. Records show that he was a prominent landowner and participated in several military campaigns during the reign of King Philip II of France.

The surname "BOUD" can also be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, including tax records, property deeds, and legal proceedings. Some notable examples include a merchant named Jean Boud, who was involved in trade activities in Paris during the late 13th century, and a cleric named Pierre Boud, who served as a parish priest in the town of Rouen in the early 14th century.

In the 15th century, the "BOUD" surname appeared in several manuscripts and records from the region of Brittany, where a family of that name held a modest estate near the town of Vannes. One member of this family, Guillaume Boud (1432-1497), gained recognition as a skilled artisan and sculptor, contributing to the construction of several churches and cathedrals in the region.

Moving into the 16th century, the "BOUD" surname gained prominence in the literary world with the writer and poet Jacques Boud (1530-1598), who was born in Lyon and authored several works of poetry and prose that were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.

Another notable figure from this time period was Étienne Boud (1567-1631), a French explorer and navigator who participated in several expeditions to the Americas and documented his encounters with indigenous populations and the natural landscapes he encountered.

In the 17th century, the "BOUD" surname was also associated with the field of medicine, with Pierre Boud (1619-1692) gaining recognition as a renowned physician and author of several influential medical treatises on topics such as anatomy and disease prevention.

While the surname "BOUD" has its roots in France, it has since spread to various other regions around the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins and historical significance remain firmly rooted in the French language and the rich tapestry of French history and culture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Boud families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Boud 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. Surrey leads with 18 Bouds recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.21x.

County Total Index
Surrey 18 6.21x
Cambridgeshire 10 26.55x
Huntingdonshire 9 76.21x
Derbyshire 6 6.44x
Lancashire 3 0.43x
Middlesex 3 0.50x
Norfolk 3 3.28x
Channel Islands 2 11.34x
Durham 2 1.13x
Yorkshire 2 0.34x
Herefordshire 1 4.10x
Lanarkshire 1 0.52x
Royal Navy 1 14.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Newington in Surrey leads with 10 Bouds recorded in 1881 and an index of 45.52x.

Place Total Index
Newington 10 45.52x
Swavesey 9 3750.00x
Warboys 9 2647.06x
Camberwell 8 21.06x
South Normanton 6 923.08x
Colveston 3 30000.00x
Islington London 3 5.20x
Pennington In Leigh 3 222.22x
Falsgrave 2 229.89x
Seaton Carew 2 555.56x
St Anne 2 645.16x
Barony 1 2.05x
Boxworth 1 2000.00x
Hereford St Martin 1 333.33x
Royal Navy 1 16.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 5
Eliza 3
Mary 3
Sarah 3
Alice 1
Anna 1
Dorothy 1
Eleanor 1
Elizabett 1
Elizth. 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Harriett 1
Jane 1
Lilian 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Nellie 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 7
Henry 4
James 4
William 4
John 3
Abraham 2
Arthur 2
Edward 1
Frederick 1
Philip 1
Tom 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 Boud households.

FAQ

Boud surname: questions and answers

How common was the Boud surname in 1881?

In 1881, 58 people were recorded with the Boud surname. That placed it at #25,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Boud surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 229 in 2016. That gives Boud a modern rank of #17,878.

What does the Boud surname mean?

A French surname possibly derived from the Old French word "bot", meaning short or stumpy.

What does the Boud map show?

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