NameCensus.

UK surname

Boyd

An ancient Scottish surname meaning "blonde" or "fair-haired," derived from the Gaelic nickname "buidhe."

In the 1881 census there were 10,455 people recorded with the Boyd surname, ranking it #410 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 16,084, ranked #390, up from #410 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kilwinning West and Blacklands, Lochaber West and Annbank, Mossblown and Tarbolton - the Coalfields.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Boyd is 16,299 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.8%.

1881 census count

10,455

Ranked #410

Modern count

16,084

2016, ranked #390

Peak year

2014

16,299 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Boyd had 10,455 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #410 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 16,084 in 2016, ranked #390.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 13,097 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Boyd surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Boyd surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Boyd 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 6,837 #408
1861 historical 7,511 #377
1881 historical 10,455 #410
1891 historical 11,489 #391
1901 historical 13,097 #400
1911 historical 5,727 #915
1997 modern 14,995 #405
1998 modern 15,461 #408
1999 modern 15,635 #407
2000 modern 15,584 #407
2001 modern 15,137 #407
2002 modern 15,585 #407
2003 modern 15,238 #406
2004 modern 15,286 #401
2005 modern 15,274 #392
2006 modern 15,259 #395
2007 modern 15,361 #394
2008 modern 15,557 #394
2009 modern 15,928 #395
2010 modern 16,272 #395
2011 modern 15,996 #396
2012 modern 15,749 #394
2013 modern 16,107 #395
2014 modern 16,299 #390
2015 modern 16,142 #392
2016 modern 16,084 #390

Geography

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Where Boyds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kilwinning West and Blacklands, Lochaber West, Annbank, Mossblown and Tarbolton - the Coalfields, Crookston South and Braeside, Branchton, Lower Larkfield and Ravenscraig. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kilwinning West and Blacklands North Ayrshire
2 Lochaber West Highland
3 Annbank, Mossblown and Tarbolton - the Coalfields South Ayrshire
4 Crookston South Glasgow City
5 Braeside, Branchton, Lower Larkfield and Ravenscraig Inverclyde

Forenames

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First names often paired with Boyd

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Boyd

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

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Boyd surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Boyd household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Boyd 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

Boyd is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Boyd 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 Boyd 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Boyd

The surname Boyd is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic word "boidh" meaning fair or yellow. It is thought to have originated in the 12th century and was initially a descriptive nickname referring to someone with yellow or fair hair.

The earliest recorded instance of the Boyd surname is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which document landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during his conquest of Scotland. Robert Boyd of Ayrshire is listed among these names.

Throughout the medieval period, the Boyds were a prominent landowning family in the counties of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. The family's power and influence grew significantly in the 15th century when Sir Thomas Boyd was appointed Lord of the Isles and Lord High Chamberlain of Scotland by King James II.

The Boyds are mentioned in various historical records, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland and the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland. Place names such as Kilmarnock, Ardrossan, and Portencross were associated with the Boyd family's land holdings.

Notable individuals with the surname Boyd include:

1. Robert Boyd of Trochrig (c. 1578–1627), Scottish theologian and principal of the University of Glasgow. 2. Zachary Boyd (1585–1653), Scottish minister and poet known for his religious works. 3. Sir Thomas Boyd (c. 1654–1726), Scottish architect responsible for designing numerous buildings in Edinburgh. 4. Andrew Boyd (1825–1899), Scottish-American military officer who fought for the Union during the American Civil War. 5. Belle Boyd (1844–1900), Confederate spy during the American Civil War, known as the "Cleopatra of the Secession."

The Boyd surname has since spread globally, with notable bearers in various fields, including literature, politics, and sports. However, its roots can be traced back to the Scottish Highlands and the Gaelic word "boidh," reflecting its origins as a descriptive nickname for someone with fair or yellow hair.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Boyd families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Boyd 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. Lanarkshire leads with 2,193 Boyds recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.62x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 2,193 6.62x
Ayrshire 1,158 15.10x
Lancashire 1,026 0.84x
Renfrewshire 680 8.56x
Middlesex 425 0.41x
Yorkshire 412 0.41x
Midlothian 407 2.97x
Durham 399 1.31x
Northumberland 360 2.36x
Angus 260 2.74x
Stirlingshire 239 6.32x
Cumberland 175 1.98x
Surrey 172 0.34x
Dunbartonshire 169 6.14x
Cheshire 166 0.73x
Argyllshire 157 5.50x
Perthshire 156 3.39x
Wigtownshire 150 11.02x
Inverness-shire 123 4.02x
Dumfriesshire 119 5.26x
Kent 119 0.34x
Fife 101 1.67x
Hampshire 100 0.48x
West Lothian 95 6.16x
Aberdeenshire 89 0.94x
Gloucestershire 73 0.36x
Kirkcudbrightshire 68 4.58x
Selkirkshire 62 6.69x
Roxburghshire 59 3.18x
Isle of Man 57 3.00x
Berwickshire 54 4.35x
Staffordshire 48 0.14x
Essex 44 0.22x
Devon 42 0.20x
Sussex 41 0.24x
Banffshire 39 1.83x
Buteshire 35 5.64x
Clackmannanshire 32 3.78x
Warwickshire 32 0.12x
Glamorgan 29 0.16x
Berkshire 28 0.36x
Dorset 21 0.31x
Leicestershire 19 0.17x
East Lothian 18 1.33x
Kincardineshire 17 1.36x
Northamptonshire 16 0.17x
Somerset 16 0.10x
Norfolk 15 0.10x
Westmorland 15 0.67x
Worcestershire 14 0.10x
Derbyshire 13 0.08x
Channel Islands 12 0.40x
Hertfordshire 12 0.17x
Bedfordshire 11 0.21x
Ross-shire 11 0.39x
Nottinghamshire 10 0.07x
Peeblesshire 10 2.07x
Royal Navy 10 0.82x
Carmarthenshire 9 0.21x
Shropshire 7 0.08x
Buckinghamshire 6 0.10x
Herefordshire 6 0.14x
Oxfordshire 6 0.09x
Suffolk 6 0.05x
Lincolnshire 5 0.03x
Cornwall 4 0.03x
Huntingdonshire 4 0.20x
Morayshire 4 0.25x
Monmouthshire 3 0.04x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.03x
Denbighshire 2 0.05x
Rutland 2 0.27x
Sutherland 2 0.25x
Wiltshire 2 0.02x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 648 Boyds recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.73x.

Place Total Index
Barony 648 7.73x
Govan 553 6.75x
Glasgow 371 6.30x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 174 3.15x
Kilmarnock 163 17.86x
West Greenock 157 11.02x
Dundee 141 3.98x
East Greenock 117 15.60x
Liverpool 113 1.53x
Abbey 90 7.43x
Dalry 87 24.11x
Stevenston 87 43.52x
Barrow In Furness 86 5.20x
Falkirk 79 8.93x
Ardrossan 76 28.63x
Toxteth Park 75 1.82x
Old Monkland 74 5.63x
New Monkland 71 7.25x
Largs 70 38.74x
Kilsyth 69 28.64x
Paisley High Church 66 10.44x
Dundonald 63 22.28x
Kirkdale 63 3.08x
Eastwood 57 11.66x
Shotts 56 14.12x
West Derby 55 1.55x
Dalserf 54 16.33x
Maryhill 54 8.32x
Kilwinning 51 20.60x
Bothwell 50 5.56x
Kilmallie 50 34.08x
Salford 50 1.40x
Birkenhead 49 2.72x
Irvine 47 22.06x
Everton 44 1.14x
Liff Benvie 44 3.05x
Manchester 43 0.79x
North Uist 43 36.00x
Ayr 42 11.60x
Maybole 41 17.56x
Darlington 39 3.31x
Lambeth 39 0.44x
Paddington London 39 1.04x
Bishopwearmouth 37 1.41x
Ruthwell 37 121.39x
Dalkeith 36 13.29x
Elswick 36 2.96x
St Quivox 36 13.89x
Beith 35 15.30x
Galashiels 35 10.21x
Neilston 35 8.78x
Gateshead 34 1.49x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 34 2.58x
Hammersmith London 33 1.31x
Southcoates 33 5.85x
Westgate 33 3.50x
Bethnal Green London 32 0.72x
Dalmellington 32 14.19x
Dumbarton 32 8.35x
Hulme 32 1.26x
Islington London 32 0.32x
Monkton Prestwick 32 42.87x
Cadder 31 12.67x
Cambusnethan 31 4.21x
Inch 31 23.37x
Barra 30 39.27x
Dreghorn 30 21.61x
Holy Trinity 30 1.23x
Oldham 30 0.76x
Paisley Middle Church 30 6.49x
Port Glasgow 30 7.81x
Chorlton On Medlock 29 1.50x
Heworth 29 4.83x
Old Kilpatrick 29 8.91x
Shettleston 29 9.77x
St Marylebone London 29 0.53x
Cardross 28 8.47x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 28 3.08x
Dunfermline 27 2.89x
Pendleton In Salford 27 1.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 288
Elizabeth 173
Jane 119
Margaret 107
Sarah 97
Ann 90
Annie 65
Ellen 58
Eliza 46
Alice 41
Emma 40
Isabella 39
Catherine 38
Agnes 30
Emily 28
Hannah 27
Martha 26
Edith 24
Louisa 21
Ada 20
Caroline 19
Charlotte 19
Janet 19
Maria 19
Frances 17
Fanny 16
Florence 16
Anne 14
Harriet 14
Susan 14
Elizth. 13
Jessie 13
Esther 12
Amelia 11
Ethel 11
Lucy 11
Maggie 10
Eleanor 9
Grace 9
Isabel 9
Amy 8
Dorothy 8
Helen 8
Kate 8
Sophia 8
Susannah 8
Clara 7
Georgina 7
Rebecca 7
Rose 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 300
William 233
James 196
Thomas 137
Robert 129
George 100
Henry 46
Charles 43
Joseph 43
Alexander 40
Edward 38
Samuel 35
Alfred 29
David 28
Hugh 25
Arthur 24
Frederick 22
Wm. 21
Richard 20
Francis 17
Harry 16
Walter 16
Andrew 14
Albert 13
Frank 10
Benjamin 9
Thos. 9
Archibald 8
Daniel 8
Herbert 8
Isaac 8
Christopher 7
Luke 7
Robt. 7
Chas. 6
Fredk. 6
Sidney 6
Edwin 5
Jas. 5
Matthew 5
Patrick 5
Percy 5
Ralph 5
Adam 4
Ernest 4
Jno. 4
Michael 4
Neil 4
Allan 3
Jesse 3

FAQ

Boyd surname: questions and answers

How common was the Boyd surname in 1881?

In 1881, 10,455 people were recorded with the Boyd surname. That placed it at #410 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Boyd surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 16,084 in 2016. That gives Boyd a modern rank of #390.

What does the Boyd surname mean?

An ancient Scottish surname meaning "blonde" or "fair-haired," derived from the Gaelic nickname "buidhe."

What does the Boyd map show?

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