NameCensus.

UK surname

Bourn

A surname derived from a place name or from the Old English word burna, meaning "stream".

In the 1881 census there were 661 people recorded with the Bourn surname, ranking it #5,434 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 608, ranked #8,623, down from #5,434 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Lindsey, Gateshead and Mansfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bourn is 1,039 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 8.0%.

1881 census count

661

Ranked #5,434

Modern count

608

2016, ranked #8,623

Peak year

1851

1,039 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bourn had 661 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,434 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 608 in 2016, ranked #8,623.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,039 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Bourn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bourn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bourn 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 1,039 #2,699
1861 historical 731 #3,729
1881 historical 661 #5,434
1891 historical 596 #6,422
1901 historical 659 #6,572
1911 historical 817 #5,391
1997 modern 563 #8,516
1998 modern 593 #8,464
1999 modern 597 #8,469
2000 modern 613 #8,302
2001 modern 601 #8,290
2002 modern 602 #8,442
2003 modern 607 #8,255
2004 modern 615 #8,203
2005 modern 599 #8,283
2006 modern 603 #8,256
2007 modern 605 #8,297
2008 modern 618 #8,219
2009 modern 616 #8,428
2010 modern 619 #8,580
2011 modern 614 #8,526
2012 modern 594 #8,679
2013 modern 604 #8,703
2014 modern 610 #8,692
2015 modern 606 #8,667
2016 modern 608 #8,623

Geography

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Where Bourns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes, Gateshead, Wednesbury and Ashby-de-la-Zouch. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Lindsey, Gateshead, Mansfield and Rother. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Wednesbury Staffordshire
5 Ashby-de-la-Zouch Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Lindsey 007 East Lindsey
2 East Lindsey 009 East Lindsey
3 Gateshead 023 Gateshead
4 Mansfield 007 Mansfield
5 Rother 004 Rother

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bourn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bourn

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

Bourn is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bourn falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bourn is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bourn

The surname BOURN is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "burna" meaning a stream or small river. It is believed to have originated in England during the 8th or 9th century, and was initially used as a topographic name for someone who lived near a stream or other body of water.

Early recorded instances of the name include Godric de la Burne, mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already in use before the Norman Conquest of 1066.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Burne, Bourne, and Bourn, reflecting the different dialects and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. Some early bearers of the name include Richard de Burna (1190-1258), a Benedictine monk and chronicler, and John Bourne (c. 1300-1360), an English clergyman and scholar.

The name BOURN is also associated with several place names in England, such as Bourne in Lincolnshire, which was recorded as "Burna" in the Domesday Book, and Bourne End in Buckinghamshire, which likely derived its name from the nearby River Bourne.

Notable individuals with the surname BOURN throughout history include:

1. Benjamin BOURN (1755-1808), an American merchant and politician from Rhode Island. 2. Ephraim BOURN (1756-1839), an American Baptist minister and educator from Massachusetts. 3. Samuel BOURN (1648-1719), an English nonconformist minister and theologian. 4. Thomas BOURN (1771-1832), an English engineer and inventor best known for his work on railway locomotives. 5. William BOURN (1813-1873), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

The name BOURN continues to be found in various English-speaking countries, with its origins rooted in the early Anglo-Saxon settlements of England and reflecting the rich linguistic and cultural history of the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bourn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bourn 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 85 Bourns recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.33x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 85 1.33x
Sussex 82 7.60x
Surrey 77 2.47x
Lincolnshire 63 6.16x
Kent 48 2.20x
Leicestershire 43 6.06x
Lancashire 42 0.55x
Staffordshire 34 1.57x
Durham 28 1.47x
Derbyshire 23 2.30x
Worcestershire 18 2.15x
Essex 16 1.27x
Warwickshire 16 0.99x
Northumberland 15 1.58x
Somerset 12 1.17x
Yorkshire 10 0.16x
Bedfordshire 9 2.72x
Hampshire 9 0.69x
Gloucestershire 6 0.48x
Monmouthshire 6 1.30x
Devon 5 0.38x
Berkshire 2 0.42x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.26x
Cheshire 1 0.07x
Dorset 1 0.24x
Herefordshire 1 0.38x
Midlothian 1 0.12x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.12x
Wiltshire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Balcombe in Sussex leads with 28 Bourns recorded in 1881 and an index of 1450.78x.

Place Total Index
Balcombe 28 1450.78x
Ashby De La Zouch 24 145.90x
Shoreditch London 17 6.13x
Dilworth 14 301.08x
Whickham 13 74.20x
Longbenton 12 29.75x
Oakthorpe Donsthorpe 12 631.58x
Horsham 11 52.48x
Islington London 11 1.77x
Reigate Foreign 11 32.58x
Camberwell 10 2.45x
Kensington London 10 2.81x
Newington 10 4.23x
Ryton 10 149.48x
Tetney 10 564.97x
Birmingham 9 1.67x
Dunstable 9 88.41x
Horley 9 172.08x
Wednesbury 9 16.67x
West Ham 9 3.23x
Winshill 9 140.85x
Bermondsey 8 4.20x
Bury 8 9.22x
Holt 8 1509.43x
Quadring 8 406.09x
St Marylebone London 8 2.34x
Stoke Upon Trent 8 3.49x
Woodmancote 8 1052.63x
Binsted 7 140.00x
Bromley London 7 4.97x
Lambeth 7 1.25x
Leyton Low 7 27.26x
Poplar London 7 5.80x
Radstock 7 103.40x
Sutterton 7 343.14x
West Hoathly 7 206.49x
Alkham 6 476.19x
Aston 6 1.35x
Charlwood 6 200.67x
Clitheroe 6 26.85x
Eastbourne 6 12.08x
Eastville 6 759.49x
Goodnestone In Eastry 6 681.82x
Great Bolton 6 5.97x
Limehouse London 6 8.54x
Markfield 6 170.45x
Pilsley 6 181.27x
Sedgley 6 7.48x
St Woollos 6 11.62x
Bristol St Augustine 5 24.69x
Church Gresley 5 31.37x
Guisbrough 5 36.08x
Murston 5 259.07x
Ramsgate 5 14.03x
Rye 5 48.78x
Skirbeck 5 87.26x
Spalding 5 24.62x
Abinger 4 154.44x
Ash Next Sandwich 4 82.82x
Bilsington 4 476.19x
Clerkenwell London 4 2.65x
Croydon 4 2.31x
Dudley 4 3.94x
Glentworth 4 493.83x
Goosnargh 4 162.60x
Kingswinford 4 5.10x
Paracombe 4 470.59x
Swainswick 4 287.77x
Wadhurst 4 56.50x
Bethnal Green London 3 1.08x
Boston 3 9.66x
Epsom 3 19.75x
Gainsborough 3 12.44x
Hampstead London 3 3.01x
Harborne 3 4.33x
Mumby 3 212.77x
Preston 3 15.92x
Ribbesford 3 43.17x
Slaugham 3 85.96x
Winlaton 3 16.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 55
John 37
George 24
Thomas 19
James 17
Henry 16
Joseph 11
Walter 10
Edward 9
Richard 9
Alfred 7
Frederick 7
Samuel 7
Daniel 6
Arthur 5
Charles 5
Robert 5
Edwin 4
Frank 4
Herbert 3
Moses 3
Albert 2
Francis 2
Fredrick 2
Hugh 2
Michael 2
Peter 2
Urias 2
Aristobulus 1
Arther 1
Austin 1
Benjamin 1
Clement 1
Earnest 1
Fred 1
Fredick 1
Fredk. 1
Harper 1
Harry 1
Jacob 1
Jim 1
Jno. 1
Josiah 1
Leonard 1
Mary 1
Matthew 1
Matthias 1
Nicholas 1
Nuten 1
Percy 1

FAQ

Bourn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bourn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 661 people were recorded with the Bourn surname. That placed it at #5,434 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bourn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 608 in 2016. That gives Bourn a modern rank of #8,623.

What does the Bourn surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name or from the Old English word burna, meaning "stream".

What does the Bourn map show?

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