NameCensus.

UK surname

Bullion

A surname referring to a person who worked with or dealt in gold bullion.

In the 1881 census there were 29 people recorded with the Bullion surname, ranking it #29,484 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 181, ranked #20,955, up from #29,484 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Reading, Waveney and Sighthill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bullion is 181 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 524.1%.

1881 census count

29

Ranked #29,484

Modern count

181

2016, ranked #20,955

Peak year

2016

181 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bullion had 29 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,484 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 181 in 2016, ranked #20,955.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 81 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Bullion surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bullion surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bullion 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 30 #27,891
1861 historical 44 #28,433
1881 historical 29 #29,484
1891 historical 53 #29,946
1901 historical 81 #25,130
1911 historical 41 #28,802
1997 modern 131 #22,927
1998 modern 138 #22,814
1999 modern 144 #22,405
2000 modern 138 #22,960
2001 modern 140 #22,441
2002 modern 149 #22,001
2003 modern 148 #21,866
2004 modern 142 #22,573
2005 modern 140 #22,774
2006 modern 142 #22,724
2007 modern 147 #22,510
2008 modern 144 #23,037
2009 modern 150 #22,937
2010 modern 159 #22,577
2011 modern 166 #21,745
2012 modern 167 #21,598
2013 modern 172 #21,575
2014 modern 175 #21,477
2015 modern 179 #21,069
2016 modern 181 #20,955

Geography

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Where Bullions are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Reading, Waveney, Sighthill, Great Yarmouth and Greenwich. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Reading 015 Reading
2 Waveney 004 Waveney
3 Sighthill Glasgow City
4 Great Yarmouth 004 Great Yarmouth
5 Greenwich 014 Greenwich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bullion

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bullion

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bullion, 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 Bullion surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Bullion 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Bullion is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bullion is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bullion falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bullion

The surname Bullion has its origins in the French language, derived from the Old French word "buillon" which referred to a metal ingot or bar. This name likely originated in France during the Middle Ages, particularly in regions associated with metalworking or mining.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bullion can be found in the records of the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the 14th century, where a John Bullion is mentioned as a merchant involved in the trade of precious metals and coins.

In England, the surname Bullion appears in the historical records of the city of London, where a family of goldsmiths and metalworkers bearing this name can be traced back to the 16th century. One notable member of this family was Thomas Bullion (1515-1585), a renowned goldsmith who worked for the Royal Mint and was appointed as the Assay Master of the Goldsmiths' Company.

Another significant figure associated with this surname was Sir Edward Bullion (1578-1645), an English financier and member of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. He played a crucial role in the procurement of bullion and financing of the English Crown during the reign of King Charles I.

In Scotland, the Bullion surname has roots in the town of Ayr, where a family of merchants and traders bearing this name can be traced back to the 17th century. One notable member was Robert Bullion (1640-1712), a successful merchant and shipowner who amassed a considerable fortune through his trading ventures.

The surname Bullion also has a presence in other parts of Europe, including France and the Netherlands. In France, the name can be found in records from the 16th century, such as those of Jean Bullion (1520-1592), a prominent merchant and banker from the city of Lyon.

Throughout history, the Bullion surname has been associated with individuals involved in various trades and professions related to metalworking, mining, and finance, reflecting the name's origins and connection to the precious metal industry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bullion families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bullion 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. Renfrewshire leads with 6 Bullions recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.37x.

County Total Index
Renfrewshire 6 28.37x
Angus 4 15.82x
Essex 4 7.43x
Suffolk 4 12.04x
Lanarkshire 3 3.40x
Middlesex 2 0.73x
Stirlingshire 2 19.88x
Hertfordshire 1 5.32x
Oxfordshire 1 5.93x
Perthshire 1 8.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Port Glasgow in Renfrewshire leads with 6 Bullions recorded in 1881 and an index of 588.24x.

Place Total Index
Port Glasgow 6 588.24x
West Ham 4 33.64x
Wrentham 4 4444.44x
Barony 3 13.43x
Dundee 3 31.78x
Larbert 2 333.33x
Elstree 1 1666.67x
Henley On Thames 1 285.71x
Liff Benvie 1 26.04x
Perth East Church 1 86.96x
St Pancras London 1 4.55x
Westminster St James 1 35.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Augusta 1
Henrietta 1
Martha 1
Mary 1
Tassy 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Andrew 2
George 2
Albert 1
David 1
Frank 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 Bullion households.

FAQ

Bullion surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bullion surname in 1881?

In 1881, 29 people were recorded with the Bullion surname. That placed it at #29,484 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bullion surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 181 in 2016. That gives Bullion a modern rank of #20,955.

What does the Bullion surname mean?

A surname referring to a person who worked with or dealt in gold bullion.

What does the Bullion map show?

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