NameCensus.

UK surname

Buch

A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) toponymic surname derived from places named Buch, meaning "book" or "beech tree."

In the 1881 census there were 28 people recorded with the Buch surname, ranking it #29,646 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 128, ranked #26,401, up from #29,646 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and St Mary Islington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Harrow, Broadland and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Buch is 754 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 357.1%.

1881 census count

28

Ranked #29,646

Modern count

128

2016, ranked #26,401

Peak year

1891

754 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Buch had 28 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,646 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 128 in 2016, ranked #26,401.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 754 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Buch surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Buch surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Buch 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 192 #10,756
1861 historical 687 #3,920
1881 historical 28 #29,646
1891 historical 754 #5,285
1901 historical 341 #10,629
1911 historical 157 #17,348
1997 modern 111 #25,394
1998 modern 119 #24,918
1999 modern 121 #24,855
2000 modern 128 #24,015
2001 modern 114 #25,344
2002 modern 119 #25,231
2003 modern 113 #25,797
2004 modern 119 #25,200
2005 modern 122 #24,817
2006 modern 126 #24,493
2007 modern 127 #24,748
2008 modern 127 #25,020
2009 modern 119 #26,637
2010 modern 115 #27,874
2011 modern 127 #25,926
2012 modern 126 #26,148
2013 modern 124 #26,842
2014 modern 126 #26,781
2015 modern 127 #26,494
2016 modern 128 #26,401

Geography

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Where Buchs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, St Mary Islington and Walsall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Harrow, Broadland, Wakefield and Hambleton. 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 1
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
4 Walsall Staffordshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Harrow 012 Harrow
2 Broadland 002 Broadland
3 Harrow 011 Harrow
4 Wakefield 043 Wakefield
5 Hambleton 005 Hambleton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Buch

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Buch

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Buch surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Buch household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Buch is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Buch is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Buch 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 Buch 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Buch

The surname BUCH is believed to have originated in the region of Swabia, located in the southwestern part of present-day Germany. It is derived from the Old High German word "buoh," which means "beech tree" or "beech forest." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify people who lived near or worked with beech trees.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname BUCH can be traced back to the 12th century in various historical documents from the Swabian region. One notable example is the mention of a "Rudolfus de Buoch" in a charter from the Benedictine monastery of St. Gallen, dated around 1180.

In the 13th century, the name BUCH appeared in the Codex Hirsaugiensis, a manuscript containing legal documents and records from the Hirsau Abbey in the Black Forest region of Baden-Württemberg. This indicates that the name was well-established among the local population during that time period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the BUCH surname was Konrad Buch, a German sculptor and master builder who lived in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. His most famous work is the ornate choir stalls he created for the Strasbourg Cathedral between 1292 and 1298.

During the 15th century, the BUCH name was also found in various records from the city of Nuremberg, which was a prominent center of trade and craftsmanship in the Holy Roman Empire. One notable individual from this era was Hans Buch, a renowned goldsmith who was active in Nuremberg between 1460 and 1490.

In the 16th century, the BUCH surname gained prominence in the field of Protestant theology with the birth of Samuel Buch (1531-1599), a German Lutheran theologian and reformer who served as the personal chaplain to Prince-Elector Johann Georg of Brandenburg.

Another prominent figure with the BUCH surname was Christian Leopold von Buch (1774-1853), a highly influential German geologist and paleontologist who made significant contributions to the understanding of volcanic rocks and the formation of the Earth's crust.

The surname BUCH has also been associated with various places and locations throughout its history. For example, the town of Buchenbach in Baden-Württemberg is believed to have derived its name from the Old High German word "buocha," meaning "beech forest."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Buch families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Buch 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 11 Buchs recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.03x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 11 4.03x
Kent 4 4.30x
Norfolk 3 7.15x
Shropshire 3 12.73x
Cheshire 2 3.32x
Yorkshire 2 0.74x
Lancashire 1 0.31x
Northamptonshire 1 3.90x
Warwickshire 1 1.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 3 Buchs recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.34x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 3 11.34x
Wellington 3 227.27x
Bow London 2 57.64x
Keighley 2 69.44x
Kensington London 2 13.18x
Lakenham 2 333.33x
St Luke London 2 45.66x
Aston 1 5.28x
Birkenhead 1 20.83x
Chatham 1 39.06x
Heaton Norris 1 54.35x
Lee 1 74.07x
Milton In Milton 1 250.00x
Northampton All Sts 1 114.94x
Romiley 1 588.24x
St Marylebone London 1 6.86x
Tonbridge 1 29.76x
Westminster St Margaret 1 75.76x
Wymondham 1 232.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 4
Mary 2
Ann 1
Caroline 1
Emily 1
Harriet 1
Hermine 1
Jessie 1
Lizzie 1
Martha 1
Ruth 1
Sarah 1
Selina 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Joseph 2
Elliot 1
Fred 1
Henry 1
John 1
Jonathan 1
Josh. 1
Robt. 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Buch households.

FAQ

Buch surname: questions and answers

How common was the Buch surname in 1881?

In 1881, 28 people were recorded with the Buch surname. That placed it at #29,646 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Buch surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 128 in 2016. That gives Buch a modern rank of #26,401.

What does the Buch surname mean?

A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) toponymic surname derived from places named Buch, meaning "book" or "beech tree."

What does the Buch map show?

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