NameCensus.

UK surname

Bourdon

A French occupational surname denoting a pilgrim who carried a staff or walking stick, derived from Old French "bourdon".

In the 1881 census there were 44 people recorded with the Bourdon surname, ranking it #27,447 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 78, ranked #33,171, down from #27,447 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eastbourne, Castle Point and Invergowrie, Longforgan and Abernyte.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bourdon is 106 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 77.3%.

1881 census count

44

Ranked #27,447

Modern count

78

2016, ranked #33,171

Peak year

1999

106 bearers

Map years

1

1998 to 1998

Key insights

  • Bourdon had 44 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,447 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 78 in 2016, ranked #33,171.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 97 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Bourdon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bourdon surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bourdon 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 30 #27,891
1861 historical 67 #25,342
1881 historical 44 #27,447
1891 historical 69 #28,188
1901 historical 67 #26,703
1911 historical 97 #23,076
1997 modern 101 #26,774
1998 modern 103 #27,141
1999 modern 106 #26,885
2000 modern 90 #29,068
2001 modern 96 #27,976
2002 modern 94 #28,797
2003 modern 89 #29,380
2004 modern 89 #29,623
2005 modern 88 #29,831
2006 modern 92 #29,576
2007 modern 90 #30,228
2008 modern 86 #31,114
2009 modern 85 #31,717
2010 modern 92 #31,366
2011 modern 94 #31,016
2012 modern 87 #32,180
2013 modern 84 #32,745
2014 modern 87 #32,585
2015 modern 83 #32,847
2016 modern 78 #33,171

Geography

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Where Bourdons 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 Eastbourne, Castle Point, Invergowrie, Longforgan and Abernyte and Kensington and Chelsea. 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 Eastbourne 008 Eastbourne
2 Castle Point 011 Castle Point
3 Castle Point 012 Castle Point
4 Invergowrie, Longforgan and Abernyte Perth and Kinross
5 Kensington and Chelsea 016 Kensington and Chelsea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bourdon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bourdon

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Bourdon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Bourdon 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 are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Bourdon is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bourdon 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

Bourdon 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 Bourdon is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bourdon

The surname Bourdon originated in France, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "bourdon," which referred to a staff or pilgrim's staff. The name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who made or carried such staffs.

In the 13th century, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, England, suggesting early migration of French bearers of the name to England. Variations in spelling included Bordon, Burdon, and Burdon.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Radulfus Bourdon is mentioned in the county of Middlesex.

In the 14th century, a notable bearer of the name was Jean Bourdon, a French architect and master mason who worked on the construction of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris.

During the 16th century, the name Bourdon was associated with a prominent family in the town of Rouen, France. Jacques Bourdon (1535-1614) was a renowned merchant and alderman in Rouen.

In the 17th century, Jacques Bourdon (1612-1635) was a French missionary and explorer who traveled to Canada and established missions among the Huron and Iroquois tribes.

Another notable figure was Sébastien Bourdon (1616-1671), a French painter and engraver who was a prominent artist during the Baroque period in France.

In the 18th century, Louis Bourdon (1712-1799) was a French architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Church of Saint-Sulpice.

Moving to the 19th century, Isidore Bourdon (1832-1920) was a French inventor and engineer who developed the Bourdon tube, a crucial component in pressure gauges and other measuring instruments.

Throughout history, the surname Bourdon has been associated with various professions, including artisans, merchants, clergy, artists, and engineers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bourdon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bourdon 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 28 Bourdons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.32x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 28 5.32x
Channel Islands 10 64.06x
Devon 6 5.47x
Lanarkshire 6 3.52x
Kent 2 1.11x
Durham 1 0.64x
Lancashire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Shoreditch London in Middlesex leads with 9 Bourdons recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.42x.

Place Total Index
Shoreditch London 9 39.42x
Bethnal Green London 7 30.59x
East Stonehouse 6 277.78x
Hackney London 6 20.32x
Hamilton 6 126.32x
St Helier 6 118.11x
St Peter 4 888.89x
Mile End Old Town London 3 26.76x
Aighton Bailey 1 333.33x
Bishopwearmouth 1 7.43x
Dartford 1 54.35x
Lee 1 38.31x
Paddington London 1 5.16x
St Giles In Fields London 1 38.76x
Whitechapel London 1 19.27x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 3
George 2
Joseph 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Ernest 1
Felix 1
James 1
Jean 1
John 1
Nicholas 1
Richard 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 Bourdon households.

FAQ

Bourdon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bourdon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 44 people were recorded with the Bourdon surname. That placed it at #27,447 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bourdon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 78 in 2016. That gives Bourdon a modern rank of #33,171.

What does the Bourdon surname mean?

A French occupational surname denoting a pilgrim who carried a staff or walking stick, derived from Old French "bourdon".

What does the Bourdon map show?

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