NameCensus.

UK surname

Bowerbank

An English habitational surname derived from a dwelling near a bower or bank.

In the 1881 census there were 261 people recorded with the Bowerbank surname, ranking it #10,752 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 323, ranked #13,997, down from #10,752 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Greystoke, Penrith and Kelloe. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, County Durham and North Warwickshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bowerbank is 341 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.8%.

1881 census count

261

Ranked #10,752

Modern count

323

2016, ranked #13,997

Peak year

1911

341 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bowerbank had 261 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,752 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 323 in 2016, ranked #13,997.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 341 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Bowerbank surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bowerbank surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bowerbank 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 201 #10,364
1861 historical 199 #12,062
1881 historical 261 #10,752
1891 historical 281 #11,630
1901 historical 314 #11,285
1911 historical 341 #10,468
1997 modern 314 #13,136
1998 modern 322 #13,248
1999 modern 319 #13,420
2000 modern 310 #13,618
2001 modern 316 #13,258
2002 modern 333 #13,062
2003 modern 323 #13,161
2004 modern 333 #12,927
2005 modern 331 #12,913
2006 modern 338 #12,779
2007 modern 313 #13,648
2008 modern 312 #13,764
2009 modern 319 #13,832
2010 modern 339 #13,523
2011 modern 330 #13,664
2012 modern 304 #14,388
2013 modern 315 #14,245
2014 modern 323 #14,081
2015 modern 320 #14,090
2016 modern 323 #13,997

Geography

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Where Bowerbanks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Greystoke, Penrith, Kelloe, Ulverstone and Brigham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, County Durham and North Warwickshire. 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 Greystoke Cumberland
2 Penrith Cumberland
3 Kelloe Durham
4 Ulverstone Lancashire
5 Brigham Cumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 037 Northumberland
2 County Durham 050 County Durham
3 County Durham 044 County Durham
4 County Durham 009 County Durham
5 North Warwickshire 001 North Warwickshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bowerbank

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bowerbank

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bowerbank, 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 Bowerbank surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Bowerbank 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Bowerbank 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

Bowerbank is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bowerbank falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bowerbank

The surname Bowerbank is of English origin, derived from a habitation name for someone who lived near a bank or slope where bower trees grew. The name can be traced back to the 13th century in Yorkshire, England.

Bowerbank is a combination of two Old English words: 'bur' meaning a dwelling or shelter, and 'banc' meaning a bank or ridge. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who resided on a bank or slope where bower trees or bushes thrived.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bowerbank can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which lists a John de Bowerbank. This entry suggests that the name was established in the region by the late 14th century.

Another early reference to the surname appears in the Lancashire Wills and Inventories from 1548-1620, which mentions a William Bowerbanck. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

A notable bearer of the name was James Scott Bowerbank (1797-1877), an English naturalist and paleontologist. He made significant contributions to the study of fossil sponges and was a Fellow of the Royal Society.

John Edward Bowerbank (1855-1938) was a British politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament for Deptford from 1906 to 1918. He was also a renowned advocate and legal author.

In the 17th century, the name appears in the records of the parish of Haworth, Yorkshire, where a family of Bowerbancks resided. This further solidifies the name's Yorkshire origins.

Another notable figure was George Bowerbank (1808-1890), a British naturalist and microscopist. He studied and published works on various microscopic organisms, including sponges and diatoms.

The name Bowerbank can also be found in the records of the nearby village of Oxenhope, Yorkshire, where a family of the same name lived in the 18th and 19th centuries.

While the name is relatively uncommon today, it has a rich history rooted in the Yorkshire region of England, dating back to the medieval period and potentially earlier.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bowerbank families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bowerbank 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 79 Bowerbanks recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.61x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 79 2.61x
Cumberland 71 32.27x
Durham 27 3.55x
Westmorland 20 35.61x
Cheshire 17 3.01x
Northumberland 17 4.47x
Middlesex 11 0.43x
Yorkshire 10 0.39x
Midlothian 6 1.75x
Devon 1 0.19x
Kent 1 0.11x
Somerset 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Penrith in Cumberland leads with 24 Bowerbanks recorded in 1881 and an index of 295.20x.

Place Total Index
Penrith 24 295.20x
Toxteth Park 11 10.71x
Ardwick 9 32.91x
Birkenhead 9 20.01x
Graystoke 8 2051.28x
Haltwhistle 8 434.78x
St Giles 8 168.42x
Staveley 8 2222.22x
Cockermouth 7 151.19x
Failsworth 7 100.86x
Barnsley 6 22.97x
Barrow In Furness 6 14.55x
Dalton In Furness 6 51.24x
Knutsford Nether 6 175.95x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 6 26.42x
Norton 6 215.05x
Pennington In Ulverston 6 397.35x
Berrier Murrah 5 5555.56x
Cornforth 5 223.21x
Edinburgh St Marys 5 75.08x
Kirkby Lonsdale 5 328.95x
North Meols 5 16.85x
Urswick 5 442.48x
Warcop 5 793.65x
Askham 4 888.89x
Coxhoe 4 185.19x
Dalston 4 235.29x
Hackney London 4 2.79x
Kings Meaburn 4 2500.00x
Lazonby 4 701.75x
Liverpool 4 2.17x
Broom 3 476.19x
Egton Cum Newland 3 340.91x
Elswick 3 9.88x
Hunsonby Winskill 3 1200.00x
Motherby 3 4285.71x
Pendleton In Salford 3 8.30x
St Pancras London 3 1.46x
Higher Bebington 2 55.40x
Scarborough 2 8.69x
St Cuthbert W O 2 18.64x
Appleby St Lawrence 1 78.13x
Askerton 1 357.14x
Castle Sowerby 1 204.08x
Cheetham 1 4.42x
Colinton 1 26.18x
Darlington 1 3.41x
Dover Castle 1 158.73x
Ealing 1 4.38x
East Broughton 1 116.28x
Egremont 1 19.05x
Flimby 1 53.76x
Gill 1 5000.00x
Hampstead London 1 2.51x
Harrington 1 37.59x
Hayton 1 80.00x
Islington London 1 0.40x
Kendal 1 9.73x
Kirkby Ireleth 1 66.23x
Langwathby 1 333.33x
Linthorpe 1 6.62x
Lower Holker 1 172.41x
Middlesbrough 1 3.03x
Millom 1 14.84x
Moss Side 1 6.27x
Mungrisdale 1 625.00x
Skelton 1 156.25x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 1 27.62x
Tormoham 1 4.44x
Ulverston 1 11.33x
Weston 1 31.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 24
Elizabeth 14
Jane 13
Sarah 11
Ann 9
Hannah 9
Annie 4
Isabella 4
Agnes 3
Alice 3
Edith 3
Florence 3
Frances 3
Catherine 2
Eliz. 2
Eliza 2
Fanny 2
Ada 1
Anniett.. 1
Caroline 1
Carroline 1
Charlotte 1
Cicely 1
Clara 1
Eleanor 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Evelyn 1
Grace 1
Hanah 1
Julia 1
Maggie 1
Margaret 1
Maud 1
Maude 1
Rose 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 25
William 22
Joseph 15
Thomas 9
Henry 6
Edward 4
George 4
Isaac 3
James 3
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Frederick 2
Lancelot 2
Robert 2
Septimus 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Asmas 1
Chris. 1
Cyrus 1
Ernest 1
Fawcett 1
Fred 1
Harry 1
Johnathan 1
Jonathan 1
Leornard 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Micheal 1
Robt. 1
Sidney 1
Thompson 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Bowerbank surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bowerbank surname in 1881?

In 1881, 261 people were recorded with the Bowerbank surname. That placed it at #10,752 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bowerbank surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 323 in 2016. That gives Bowerbank a modern rank of #13,997.

What does the Bowerbank surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a dwelling near a bower or bank.

What does the Bowerbank map show?

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