NameCensus.

UK surname

Bucher

An occupational surname for a person who worked as a bookbinder, printer, or scribe.

In the 1881 census there were 94 people recorded with the Bucher surname, ranking it #20,467 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 127, ranked #26,566, down from #20,467 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough and Brenchley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sefton, Camden and Auchtermuchty and Gateside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bucher is 234 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.1%.

1881 census count

94

Ranked #20,467

Modern count

127

2016, ranked #26,566

Peak year

1861

234 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bucher had 94 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,467 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016, ranked #26,566.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 234 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Bucher surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bucher surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bucher 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 118 #15,362
1861 historical 234 #10,463
1881 historical 94 #20,467
1891 historical 136 #19,601
1901 historical 81 #25,130
1911 historical 85 #24,322
1997 modern 117 #24,553
1998 modern 109 #26,273
1999 modern 112 #26,044
2000 modern 107 #26,700
2001 modern 91 #28,670
2002 modern 94 #28,797
2003 modern 102 #27,383
2004 modern 110 #26,451
2005 modern 103 #27,531
2006 modern 108 #27,015
2007 modern 103 #28,187
2008 modern 105 #28,180
2009 modern 120 #26,496
2010 modern 132 #25,519
2011 modern 129 #25,673
2012 modern 127 #25,992
2013 modern 131 #25,932
2014 modern 125 #26,896
2015 modern 124 #26,944
2016 modern 127 #26,566

Geography

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Where Buchers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough, Brenchley, Edinburgh and St Werburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sefton, Camden, Auchtermuchty and Gateside, Tunbridge Wells and Blackpool. 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 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 Brenchley Kent
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 St Werburgh Derbyshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sefton 030 Sefton
2 Camden 016 Camden
3 Auchtermuchty and Gateside Fife
4 Tunbridge Wells 011 Tunbridge Wells
5 Blackpool 018 Blackpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bucher

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bucher

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Bucher surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Bucher household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Bucher is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bucher 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

Bucher falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bucher is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bucher

The surname Bucher is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "buoch," meaning "beech tree." It first emerged in the 13th century in the region of southern Germany, particularly in the areas around the Black Forest and the Swabian Alps, where beech trees were abundant.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bucher can be found in the town records of Freiburg im Breisgau, a city in the southwest of Germany, dating back to the year 1280, where a person named Heinrich Bucher was mentioned as a landowner.

The name Bucher was often associated with occupations related to beech wood, such as woodcutters, carpenters, or coopers, who made barrels and casks from beech wood. Over time, the name spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring regions.

In the 14th century, the Bucher name appeared in several historical documents, including the Codex Manesse, a renowned medieval manuscript containing poems and illustrations from the Middle High German period. One of the notable figures mentioned in the Codex was a minnesinger (lyric poet) named Reinmar von Bucher, who lived around 1200-1248.

Another prominent individual bearing the Bucher surname was Johann Bucher, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1468 to 1524. He played a significant role in the early stages of the Protestant Reformation and was associated with Martin Luther and other prominent reformers of the time.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, several Bucher families emigrated from Germany to other parts of Europe, including Switzerland, Austria, and France. One notable figure from this period was Johann Rudolf Bucher, a Swiss theologian and philosopher who lived from 1609 to 1679 and wrote extensively on moral philosophy and natural law.

In the 18th century, the Bucher name also found its way to North America, as German immigrants began settling in various regions of the United States and Canada. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was Johann Bucher, a German immigrant who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 and became a prominent farmer and landowner in the area.

Another notable figure with the Bucher surname was Walter Bucher, a Swiss-American architect who lived from 1889 to 1965 and is renowned for his contributions to the development of modern architecture in the United States, particularly in California.

Throughout history, the Bucher name has been associated with various professions, including woodworkers, theologians, philosophers, architects, and more, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who carried this surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bucher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bucher 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. Surrey leads with 12 Buchers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.72x.

County Total Index
Surrey 12 2.72x
Staffordshire 11 3.59x
Devon 10 5.30x
Middlesex 10 1.10x
Midlothian 8 6.58x
Sussex 8 5.23x
Yorkshire 7 0.78x
Glamorgan 5 3.17x
Lancashire 5 0.46x
Bedfordshire 3 6.39x
Hampshire 3 1.61x
Kent 3 0.97x
Roxburghshire 3 18.26x
Lanarkshire 1 0.34x
Lincolnshire 1 0.69x
Monmouthshire 1 1.52x
Somerset 1 0.68x
West Lothian 1 7.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Crediton in Devon leads with 9 Buchers recorded in 1881 and an index of 502.79x.

Place Total Index
Crediton 9 502.79x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 8 16.36x
Walsall Foreign 7 44.25x
Mayfield 6 666.67x
Sharlston 6 1016.95x
Reigate Foreign 5 104.38x
Laleston 4 2352.94x
West Derby 4 12.70x
Deptford St Paul 3 12.57x
Hawnes 3 1034.48x
St Marylebone London 3 6.19x
Wilton 3 166.67x
Hackney London 2 3.93x
Newcastle Under Lyme 2 36.90x
Newington 2 5.97x
Penge 2 34.54x
Ryde 2 50.13x
Shareshill Hilton 2 1666.67x
Barony 1 1.35x
Bedminster 1 7.29x
Camberwell 1 1.73x
Chelsea London 1 3.66x
Christchurch 1 49.26x
East Grinstead 1 46.30x
Great Little Marsden 1 20.28x
Hastings St Clement 1 69.44x
Leeds 1 1.97x
Linlithgow 1 57.14x
New Sealford 1 333.33x
Nursling 1 333.33x
Plymouth Charles The 1 12.02x
Poplar London 1 5.84x
Richmond 1 16.16x
Rotherhithe 1 8.92x
St George Hanover Square 1 6.26x
Stoke Newington London 1 14.14x
Westminster St Margaret 1 22.83x
Ystradyfodwg 1 7.22x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Sarah 4
Ann 3
Eliza 3
Clara 2
Elizabeth 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Allice 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Ellen 1
Elliza 1
Emilea 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Harriet 1
Kate 1
Katie 1
Lina 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Marian 1
Penelope 1
Rebeca 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 7
Edward 4
Henry 3
John 3
William 3
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Frederick 2
Albert 1
Algernon 1
Amos 1
Christopher 1
Harry 1
Hered 1
James 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Bucher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bucher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 94 people were recorded with the Bucher surname. That placed it at #20,467 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bucher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016. That gives Bucher a modern rank of #26,566.

What does the Bucher surname mean?

An occupational surname for a person who worked as a bookbinder, printer, or scribe.

What does the Bucher map show?

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