NameCensus.

UK surname

Bowstead

In the 1881 census there were 136 people recorded with the Bowstead surname, ranking it #16,433 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 170, ranked #21,801, down from #16,433 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Newcastle All Saints and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redcar and Cleveland, Cheltenham and Middlesbrough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bowstead is 182 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.0%.

1881 census count

136

Ranked #16,433

Modern count

170

2016, ranked #21,801

Peak year

1891

182 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bowstead had 136 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,433 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 170 in 2016, ranked #21,801.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 182 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Bowstead surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bowstead surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bowstead 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 130 #14,314
1861 historical 127 #17,469
1881 historical 136 #16,433
1891 historical 182 #15,983
1901 historical 172 #16,643
1911 historical 178 #16,073
1997 modern 147 #21,393
1998 modern 162 #20,673
1999 modern 158 #21,102
2000 modern 150 #21,781
2001 modern 145 #21,951
2002 modern 157 #21,261
2003 modern 149 #21,766
2004 modern 143 #22,471
2005 modern 131 #23,737
2006 modern 136 #23,378
2007 modern 134 #23,931
2008 modern 133 #24,350
2009 modern 143 #23,686
2010 modern 157 #22,800
2011 modern 165 #21,829
2012 modern 165 #21,782
2013 modern 172 #21,575
2014 modern 176 #21,413
2015 modern 171 #21,729
2016 modern 170 #21,801

Geography

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Where Bowsteads are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Newcastle All Saints, Manchester, Childwall and West Derby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redcar and Cleveland, Cheltenham and Middlesbrough. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Childwall Lancashire
5 West Derby Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redcar and Cleveland 022 Redcar and Cleveland
2 Cheltenham 006 Cheltenham
3 Middlesbrough 006 Middlesbrough
4 Redcar and Cleveland 005 Redcar and Cleveland
5 Cheltenham 015 Cheltenham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bowstead

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bowstead

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Bowstead surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Bowstead household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Bowstead is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Bowstead 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

Bowstead 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 Bowstead 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 Bowstead, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Bowstead families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bowstead 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. Northumberland leads with 33 Bowsteads recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.85x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 33 16.85x
Cumberland 19 16.76x
Lancashire 19 1.22x
Durham 9 2.30x
Gloucestershire 9 3.49x
Middlesex 9 0.68x
Surrey 9 1.40x
Dumfriesshire 5 17.19x
Shropshire 4 3.52x
Worcestershire 4 2.33x
Rutland 3 31.02x
Westmorland 3 10.37x
Derbyshire 2 0.97x
Staffordshire 2 0.45x
Herefordshire 1 1.85x
Kent 1 0.22x
Lincolnshire 1 0.48x
Peeblesshire 1 16.16x
Warwickshire 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bermondsey in Surrey leads with 8 Bowsteads recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.41x.

Place Total Index
Bermondsey 8 20.41x
Cheltenham 8 40.16x
Kirkdale 8 30.44x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 8 68.38x
Warden 8 2000.00x
Keswick 7 482.76x
Stanwix 6 652.17x
Ulverston 6 131.87x
Lambley 5 1562.50x
Newcastle On Tyne St 5 49.26x
Annan 4 160.00x
Drayton In Hales 4 170.94x
Hornsey 4 24.02x
Low Dinsdale 4 3636.36x
Claines 3 63.56x
Exton 3 1034.48x
Hetton Le Hole 3 60.48x
Shoreditch London 3 5.26x
Edenhall 2 1666.67x
Elswick 2 12.79x
Flimby 2 208.33x
Little Bolton 2 9.96x
Longbenton 2 24.10x
Paddington London 2 4.13x
Soulby 2 1666.67x
West Hallam 2 740.74x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 2.93x
Broomhaugh 1 1000.00x
Broughton 1 1000.00x
Caistor 1 119.05x
Crosscanonby 1 26.67x
Croydon 1 2.81x
Darlington 1 6.61x
Deptford St Paul 1 2.89x
Evenwood Barony 1 75.19x
Hereford St Martin 1 153.85x
Irthington 1 370.37x
Leamington Priors 1 12.24x
Manchester 1 1.42x
Moffat 1 75.19x
Ponteland 1 500.00x
Rusholme 1 23.98x
South Cerney 1 232.56x
Spindleston 1 1666.67x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 2.12x
Undermilbeck 1 105.26x
Worcester St John 1 48.78x
Yarlett 1 2000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 10
James 9
Thomas 8
William 7
Charles 4
Joseph 4
Arthur 3
George 3
Christopher 2
Rob. 2
Samuel 2
Ambrose 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Hilary 1
Phillip 1
Richd.Welch 1
Robert 1
Rowland 1
Wm.Brock 1

FAQ

Bowstead surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bowstead surname in 1881?

In 1881, 136 people were recorded with the Bowstead surname. That placed it at #16,433 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bowstead surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 170 in 2016. That gives Bowstead a modern rank of #21,801.

What does the Bowstead map show?

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