NameCensus.

UK surname

Bullough

A topographic surname derived from a hill-dwelling or location near a rounded hill.

In the 1881 census there were 916 people recorded with the Bullough surname, ranking it #4,185 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 852, ranked #6,566, down from #4,185 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dean, Bolton-le-Moors and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan and Bolton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bullough is 1,231 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 7.0%.

1881 census count

916

Ranked #4,185

Modern count

852

2016, ranked #6,566

Peak year

1911

1,231 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bullough had 916 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,185 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 852 in 2016, ranked #6,566.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,231 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Bullough surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bullough surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bullough 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 494 #5,061
1861 historical 606 #4,376
1881 historical 916 #4,185
1891 historical 1,053 #3,981
1901 historical 1,122 #4,319
1911 historical 1,231 #3,835
1997 modern 928 #5,824
1998 modern 947 #5,920
1999 modern 958 #5,914
2000 modern 928 #6,039
2001 modern 938 #5,872
2002 modern 955 #5,899
2003 modern 956 #5,809
2004 modern 921 #5,974
2005 modern 908 #5,987
2006 modern 854 #6,293
2007 modern 859 #6,323
2008 modern 843 #6,474
2009 modern 878 #6,392
2010 modern 867 #6,590
2011 modern 881 #6,435
2012 modern 857 #6,489
2013 modern 879 #6,469
2014 modern 872 #6,524
2015 modern 877 #6,443
2016 modern 852 #6,566

Geography

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Where Bulloughs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dean, Bolton-le-Moors, Wigan and Leigh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan and Bolton. 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 Dean Lancashire
2 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Leigh Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 010 Wigan
2 Bolton 031 Bolton
3 Bolton 028 Bolton
4 Wigan 007 Wigan
5 Wigan 012 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bullough

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bullough

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Bullough surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bullough household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Bullough 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

Bullough 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

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

Meaning and origin of Bullough

The surname Bullough has its origins in the northern English counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, and is believed to date back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "bula" meaning a bull, and "hoh" meaning a ridge or hill, thus the surname likely referred to a person who lived near a ridge frequented by bulls.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from 1176, where a Richard de Bulhalgh is mentioned. The Bulhalgh spelling suggests the name may have originally been a topographic one, referring to someone living near a bull-frequented ridge.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Boulough, Bughalghe, and Bughelegh in records from Lancashire and Yorkshire. This variation in spelling was common in those times before standardized spellings became the norm.

The Bullough surname is also found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a vast survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. This entry suggests the name's origins may even pre-date the 12th century.

One notable bearer of the Bullough name was Sir John Bullough (1561-1638), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Lancashire during the reign of King James I. Another was Robert Bullough (1765-1846), a pioneering industrialist who established one of the first cotton spinning mills in Lancashire during the Industrial Revolution.

Other historical figures include Edward Bullough (1809-1894), a noted philanthropist and founder of the Bullough Trust for education in Lancashire, and Walter Bullough (1875-1964), a renowned medical scientist who made important contributions to the study of human sexuality and endocrinology.

The Bullough name can also be found in various place names throughout Lancashire and Yorkshire, such as Bullough Bridge, Bullough Lane, and Bullough Fold, further evidencing the name's deep roots in this region of northern England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bullough families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bullough 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. Lancashire leads with 724 Bulloughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.81x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 724 6.81x
Yorkshire 160 1.80x
Cheshire 9 0.45x
Staffordshire 7 0.23x
Surrey 5 0.11x
Durham 4 0.15x
Westmorland 4 2.03x
Middlesex 3 0.03x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.17x
Inverness-shire 1 0.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westhoughton in Lancashire leads with 89 Bulloughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 313.49x.

Place Total Index
Westhoughton 89 313.49x
Atherton 84 216.94x
Great Bolton 51 36.20x
Hindley 51 112.46x
Blackrod 43 325.26x
Little Bolton 34 24.86x
Westleigh 28 115.89x
Rumworth 27 177.63x
Wigan 25 16.82x
Hunslet 24 17.33x
Halliwell 21 54.25x
Leeds 19 3.79x
Ashton In Makerfield 17 56.12x
Manchester 17 3.55x
Gorton 15 15.00x
Pilkington 15 37.12x
Brightside Bierlow 14 8.04x
Allerton Bywater 13 270.27x
Aspull 13 51.96x
Bramley In Bramley 12 35.28x
Pendleton In Salford 12 9.47x
Ince In Makerfield 11 22.22x
Halifax 10 7.67x
Pennington In Leigh 10 49.00x
Stretford 10 17.09x
Tonge With Haulgh 9 43.46x
Blackburn 8 2.83x
Horwich 8 68.97x
Middlesbrough 8 6.92x
North Meols 8 7.68x
Wombwell 8 30.89x
Adlington 7 70.28x
Audley 7 23.38x
Blackley 7 37.53x
Clayton Le Moors 7 33.91x
Sharples 7 60.66x
Accrington 6 6.20x
Bowling 6 6.82x
Calverley Cum Farsley 6 23.79x
Castleford 6 18.55x
Farnworth 6 9.41x
Horton In Bradford 6 4.32x
Prestwich 6 22.61x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 6 19.60x
Oldham 5 1.46x
Preston 5 1.76x
Widnes 5 6.52x
Clifford Cum Boston 4 50.06x
Esholt 4 336.13x
Huddersfield 4 3.09x
Kirkdale 4 2.24x
Lambeth 4 0.51x
Lostock 4 166.67x
Middle Hulton 4 63.49x
Sutton Stoneferry 4 15.74x
Tintwistle 4 37.84x
Tottington Higher End 4 33.03x
Whitwood 4 31.70x
Bradford 3 1.40x
Bury 3 2.47x
Catterall 3 159.57x
Dilworth 3 46.01x
Dukinfield 3 3.28x
Kendal 3 8.32x
Over Darwen 3 3.53x
Bedford 2 8.99x
Bradford 2 4.02x
Habergham Eaves 2 2.06x
Headingley Cum Burley 2 3.50x
Nottingham St Mary 2 0.64x
Rusholme 2 7.05x
Trimdon 2 21.21x
Tudhoe 2 8.57x
West Derby 2 0.64x
Abram 1 12.25x
Barnsley 1 1.09x
Shadwell 1 29.59x
Tiverton 1 62.50x
Warmingham 1 102.04x
Wrightington 1 21.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 66
Sarah 37
Elizabeth 36
Alice 32
Ellen 32
Margaret 30
Ann 24
Jane 21
Hannah 17
Annie 12
Esther 9
Martha 8
Emma 7
Emily 6
Ada 5
Eliza 5
Florence 5
Maria 5
Ruth 5
Amelia 4
Betsy 4
Clara 4
Harriet 4
Louisa 4
Edith 3
Lucy 3
Amy 2
Anne 2
Bertha 2
Betty 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Dorothy 2
Elizh. 2
Elizth. 2
Frances 2
Gertrude 2
Lilian 2
Lydia 2
Maggie 2
Margery 2
Miriam 2
Nancy 2
Rachel 2
Carolin 1
Josephine 1
Julianna 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 65
James 51
William 43
Thomas 41
Joseph 26
George 13
Edward 11
Richard 11
Adam 10
Henry 10
Peter 10
Samuel 10
Benjamin 9
Robert 9
Albert 7
Alfred 6
Arthur 6
Charles 6
Thos. 6
Ernest 5
Fred 4
Frederick 4
Moses 4
Walter 4
Eli 3
Wm. 3
Aaron 2
Clarkson 2
Edmund 2
Edw. 2
Edwin 2
Harold 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Isaac 2
Jas 2
Jas. 2
Jesse 2
Jno. 2
Jos. 2
Josh. 2
Mark 2
Matthew 2
Sam 2
Alexander 1
Chas. 1
Geo.Herbert 1
Giles 1
Jos 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Bullough surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bullough surname in 1881?

In 1881, 916 people were recorded with the Bullough surname. That placed it at #4,185 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bullough surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 852 in 2016. That gives Bullough a modern rank of #6,566.

What does the Bullough surname mean?

A topographic surname derived from a hill-dwelling or location near a rounded hill.

What does the Bullough map show?

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