NameCensus.

UK surname

Bowran

In the 1881 census there were 118 people recorded with the Bowran surname, ranking it #17,935 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 94, ranked #31,871, down from #17,935 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Darlington, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include High Peak, Richmondshire and Stockton-on-Tees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bowran is 173 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 20.3%.

1881 census count

118

Ranked #17,935

Modern count

94

2016, ranked #31,871

Peak year

1901

173 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2006

Key insights

  • Bowran had 118 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,935 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 94 in 2016, ranked #31,871.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 173 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Bowran surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bowran surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bowran 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 46 #24,985
1861 historical 45 #28,296
1881 historical 118 #17,935
1891 historical 149 #18,420
1901 historical 173 #16,579
1911 historical 147 #18,104
1997 modern 102 #26,638
1998 modern 114 #25,589
1999 modern 118 #25,227
2000 modern 115 #25,591
2001 modern 116 #25,089
2002 modern 114 #25,886
2003 modern 115 #25,538
2004 modern 113 #25,999
2005 modern 105 #27,203
2006 modern 105 #27,479
2007 modern 106 #27,722
2008 modern 107 #27,844
2009 modern 108 #28,311
2010 modern 100 #30,225
2011 modern 100 #30,058
2012 modern 98 #30,612
2013 modern 90 #32,146
2014 modern 95 #31,792
2015 modern 96 #31,624
2016 modern 94 #31,871

Geography

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Where Bowrans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Darlington, London parishes, Gateshead, Long Benton and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to High Peak, Richmondshire, Stockton-on-Tees, Newark and Sherwood and West Dorset. 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 Darlington Durham
2 London parishes London 1
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Long Benton Northumberland
5 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 High Peak 010 High Peak
2 Richmondshire 002 Richmondshire
3 Stockton-on-Tees 015 Stockton-on-Tees
4 Newark and Sherwood 013 Newark and Sherwood
5 West Dorset 002 West Dorset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bowran

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bowran

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bowran is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bowran is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bowran falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Bowran families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bowran 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. Durham leads with 44 Bowrans recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.07x.

County Total Index
Durham 44 13.07x
Yorkshire 19 1.69x
Northumberland 14 8.32x
Middlesex 10 0.88x
Warwickshire 10 3.50x
Westmorland 6 24.13x
Derbyshire 5 2.82x
Cumberland 4 4.11x
Essex 2 0.90x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.66x
Surrey 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. Gateshead in Durham leads with 30 Bowrans recorded in 1881 and an index of 119.05x.

Place Total Index
Gateshead 30 119.05x
Coventry St Michael 10 109.05x
Longbenton 8 112.20x
Hammersmith London 6 21.53x
Sculcoates 6 33.75x
St Giles 6 285.71x
Buxton 5 333.33x
East Thickley 5 735.29x
Kings Meaburn 5 7142.86x
Ulleskelf 5 2777.78x
Wallsend 5 93.63x
Sowerby Castle 4 5000.00x
Holy Trinity 2 7.42x
Kensington London 2 3.18x
Leeds 2 3.16x
St George Martyr London 2 87.34x
St Mary 2 266.67x
West Ham 2 4.06x
Appleby St Michael 1 178.57x
Battersea 1 2.40x
Conisbrough 1 95.24x
Lamesley 1 55.25x
Nottingham St Mary 1 2.53x
Shafton 1 588.24x
Shildon 1 37.04x
Shotton 1 120.48x
Westgate 1 9.59x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Sarah 6
Ann 4
Elizabeth 3
Ellen 3
Jane 3
Margaret 3
Hannah 2
Isabella 2
Ada 1
Annie 1
Cath. 1
Charlotte 1
Dora 1
Dorothy 1
Emily 1
Gertrude 1
Kate 1
Lucy 1
Margt. 1
Martha 1
Meggie 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
Thomas 9
William 7
James 5
Joseph 5
Robert 5
Charles 3
Henry 3
Alfred 2
Benjamin 2
George 2
Jonathan 2
Caleb 1
Charlie 1
David 1
Edward 1
Joshua 1
Moses 1
Richard 1
Septimus 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Bowran surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bowran surname in 1881?

In 1881, 118 people were recorded with the Bowran surname. That placed it at #17,935 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bowran surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 94 in 2016. That gives Bowran a modern rank of #31,871.

What does the Bowran map show?

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