NameCensus.

UK surname

Boughey

An English surname derived from a place name referring to residence near a bowed or bent creek.

In the 1881 census there were 659 people recorded with the Boughey surname, ranking it #5,448 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 765, ranked #7,175, down from #5,448 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors, Trentham and Market Drayton or Drayton-in-Hales. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Shropshire and St. Helens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Boughey is 863 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.1%.

1881 census count

659

Ranked #5,448

Modern count

765

2016, ranked #7,175

Peak year

1911

863 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Boughey had 659 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,448 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 765 in 2016, ranked #7,175.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 863 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Boughey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Boughey surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Boughey 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 449 #5,493
1861 historical 370 #6,899
1881 historical 659 #5,448
1891 historical 729 #5,434
1901 historical 828 #5,467
1911 historical 863 #5,145
1997 modern 719 #7,096
1998 modern 857 #6,397
1999 modern 859 #6,430
2000 modern 855 #6,429
2001 modern 828 #6,480
2002 modern 847 #6,475
2003 modern 812 #6,575
2004 modern 819 #6,539
2005 modern 789 #6,673
2006 modern 779 #6,780
2007 modern 783 #6,812
2008 modern 778 #6,912
2009 modern 814 #6,793
2010 modern 815 #6,912
2011 modern 807 #6,884
2012 modern 802 #6,816
2013 modern 797 #6,985
2014 modern 792 #7,060
2015 modern 762 #7,210
2016 modern 765 #7,175

Geography

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Where Bougheys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors, Trentham, Market Drayton or Drayton-in-Hales, Coppenhall and Audley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Shropshire, St. Helens and Cannock Chase. 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 Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors Shropshire
2 Trentham Staffordshire
3 Market Drayton or Drayton-in-Hales Shropshire
4 Coppenhall Cheshire
5 Audley Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 045 County Durham
2 County Durham 046 County Durham
3 Shropshire 005 Shropshire
4 St. Helens 015 St. Helens
5 Cannock Chase 002 Cannock Chase

Forenames

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First names often paired with Boughey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Boughey

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Boughey is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Boughey is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Boughey falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Boughey

The surname BOUGHEY is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in the region of Staffordshire. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "burg" or "burh," meaning a fortified town or manor, and "ey," an island or dry land in a marshy area. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or owned land in a fortified town situated on higher ground amidst marshlands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Roger de Bughey as residing in Staffordshire. The spelling variations during this period included Bughey, Boghey, and Boghaye, reflecting the evolution of the name over time.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire, where a William de Boghey is recorded as a taxpayer in 1327. This document provides evidence of the name's continued presence in the region and its association with landowners or individuals of some means.

The BOUGHEY surname is also linked to the village of Boughey, located in the parish of Maer, Staffordshire. This place name, which shares a similar etymology, likely contributed to the surname's development and may have been the original source of the family's name.

Notable individuals bearing the BOUGHEY surname include:

1. Sir John Boughey (1554-1638), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme in the early 17th century.

2. Thomas Boughey (1590-1672), an English landowner and Justice of the Peace in Staffordshire during the 17th century.

3. Sir Thomas Boughey (1627-1688), an English baronet and landowner who inherited the family estate in Aqualate, Staffordshire.

4. Sir John Boughey (1659-1736), an English baronet and Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme, known for his involvement in local politics and public affairs.

5. Sir William Boughey (1734-1813), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme, who played a significant role in the agricultural development of Staffordshire.

The BOUGHEY surname has a rich history deeply rooted in the English countryside, particularly in the county of Staffordshire. Its origins can be traced back to the medieval period, and the name has been associated with landowners, politicians, and influential figures throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Boughey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Boughey 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. Staffordshire leads with 289 Bougheys recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.32x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 289 13.32x
Cheshire 139 9.80x
Shropshire 101 18.19x
Lancashire 59 0.77x
Warwickshire 15 0.93x
Lanarkshire 10 0.48x
Derbyshire 9 0.89x
Durham 9 0.47x
Middlesex 7 0.11x
Norfolk 6 0.61x
Worcestershire 6 0.71x
Gloucestershire 3 0.24x
Yorkshire 2 0.03x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.38x
Hampshire 1 0.08x
Surrey 1 0.03x
Sussex 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 115 Bougheys recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.98x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 115 49.98x
Monks Coppenhall 43 80.30x
Stone 24 86.49x
Drayton In Hales 20 174.67x
Audley 19 88.50x
Tyrley 19 1124.26x
Wellington 18 57.67x
Newcastle Under Lyme 16 41.67x
Trentham 15 81.26x
Ellesmere 14 146.90x
Liscard 13 50.84x
Forton 11 924.37x
Wolverhampton 11 6.59x
Dalziel 10 44.70x
Altrincham 9 36.29x
Burslem 9 14.48x
Crook Billy Row 9 36.75x
Hinstock 9 473.68x
Litchurch 9 22.22x
Newport 9 134.33x
Hurleston 8 2962.96x
Nantwich 8 48.51x
Newton In Makerfield 8 34.25x
Wolstanton 8 12.14x
Aston 6 1.34x
Blatchinworth 6 34.54x
Eccleshall Croxton 6 937.50x
Rugeley 6 38.54x
Saighton 6 750.00x
Shrewsbury St Chad 6 30.79x
Sutton 6 23.46x
Tranmere 6 11.51x
Warrington 6 6.64x
Buerton In Nantwich 5 480.77x
Caverswall 5 44.33x
Church Coppenhall 5 78.86x
Everton 5 2.06x
Madeley 5 24.56x
Malpas 5 239.23x
Barlaston 4 220.99x
Birmingham 4 0.74x
Broughton In Salford 4 5.73x
Bury 4 4.59x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 3.30x
Dunchurch 4 181.00x
Gorton 4 5.58x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 4 62.40x
Stoke In Nantwich 4 930.23x
Walton On Hill 4 9.68x
Aston Near Mondrum 3 750.00x
Birkenhead 3 2.65x
Cheswardine 3 126.58x
Childs Ercall 3 309.28x
Claines 3 13.02x
Eccleshall 3 36.45x
Hodnet 3 69.12x
Moreton Say 3 209.79x
Norton In Moors 3 26.11x
Sale 3 17.23x
St George Hanover Square 3 2.65x
Wallasey 3 62.11x
Worleston 3 405.41x
Ashley 2 112.99x
Bilston 2 4.76x
Bow London 2 2.44x
Burland 2 137.93x
Dudley 2 1.96x
Edgmond 2 32.73x
Great Little Marsden 2 5.72x
Hatherton 2 285.71x
Hulme 2 1.26x
Manchester 2 0.58x
Middlesbrough 2 2.41x
Prees 2 29.59x
Sandbach 2 16.53x
Winchcomb 2 31.95x
Brighton 1 0.46x
Chrtltn Cdngtn Nwtn 1 88.50x
Moss Side 1 2.49x
Whittington 1 22.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 50
Elizabeth 30
Sarah 30
Ann 23
Martha 19
Jane 15
Annie 11
Emily 10
Hannah 10
Alice 9
Ellen 9
Emma 7
Harriet 7
Eliza 6
Anne 5
Louisa 5
Margaret 5
Fanny 4
Catherine 3
Clara 3
Lizzie 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Elizebeth 2
Elizth. 2
Ethel 2
Gertrude 2
Harriett 2
Jessie 2
Julietta 2
Maria 2
Matilda 2
Minnie 2
Rose 2
Sophia 2
Adah 1
Alberta 1
Beatrice 1
Bessie 1
Elzh. 1
Emely 1
Emm 1
Esther 1
Henrietta 1
Isabella 1
Janet 1
Theodosia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 50
George 39
John 36
James 32
Thomas 26
Joseph 23
Samuel 12
Charles 8
Henry 6
Alfred 5
Arthur 4
Edward 4
Frederick 4
Harry 4
Robert 4
Walter 4
Edwin 3
Frank 3
Peter 3
Richard 3
Benjamin 2
Clement 2
Cornelias 2
Daniel 2
David 2
Francis 2
Mark 2
Mathew 2
Percy 2
Albert 1
Andrew 1
Bery. 1
Edgar 1
Edmund 1
Erenest 1
Fred 1
Harold 1
Herbert 1
Jabez 1
Jacob 1
Jno. 1
Joshua 1
Levi 1
Michall 1
Sam 1
Samual 1
Simeon 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Boughey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Boughey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 659 people were recorded with the Boughey surname. That placed it at #5,448 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Boughey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 765 in 2016. That gives Boughey a modern rank of #7,175.

What does the Boughey surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name referring to residence near a bowed or bent creek.

What does the Boughey map show?

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