NameCensus.

UK surname

Bumstead

An English habitational surname denoting someone from a place called Bumstead.

In the 1881 census there were 389 people recorded with the Bumstead surname, ranking it #8,122 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 335, ranked #13,611, down from #8,122 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Rye, Peasmarsh and Hastings All Saints. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Winchester, North Norfolk and Ipswich.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bumstead is 556 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 13.9%.

1881 census count

389

Ranked #8,122

Modern count

335

2016, ranked #13,611

Peak year

1911

556 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bumstead had 389 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,122 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 335 in 2016, ranked #13,611.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 556 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Bumstead surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bumstead surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bumstead 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 193 #10,704
1861 historical 189 #12,570
1881 historical 389 #8,122
1891 historical 386 #9,138
1901 historical 552 #7,515
1911 historical 556 #7,221
1997 modern 416 #10,696
1998 modern 431 #10,754
1999 modern 432 #10,827
2000 modern 439 #10,650
2001 modern 427 #10,673
2002 modern 410 #11,226
2003 modern 388 #11,508
2004 modern 402 #11,244
2005 modern 394 #11,308
2006 modern 374 #11,822
2007 modern 381 #11,798
2008 modern 382 #11,901
2009 modern 386 #12,044
2010 modern 388 #12,271
2011 modern 380 #12,326
2012 modern 352 #12,913
2013 modern 369 #12,655
2014 modern 353 #13,183
2015 modern 343 #13,365
2016 modern 335 #13,611

Geography

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Where Bumsteads are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Rye, Peasmarsh, Hastings All Saints, Whepstead and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Winchester, North Norfolk, Ipswich, Waveney and Tower Hamlets. 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 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
2 Rye, Peasmarsh Sussex
3 Hastings All Saints Sussex
4 Whepstead Suffolk
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Winchester 002 Winchester
2 North Norfolk 013 North Norfolk
3 Ipswich 006 Ipswich
4 Waveney 014 Waveney
5 Tower Hamlets 030 Tower Hamlets

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bumstead

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bumstead

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Bumstead is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bumstead is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Bumstead

The surname Bumstead has its origins in England, specifically in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "bun" meaning a boundary or landmark, and "stede" meaning a place or settlement. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a specific boundary or landmark.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1327, where it appears as "William Bounstede". The variant spelling "Bunstede" is also found in records from the same time period in Norfolk.

While the name does not appear in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, it is mentioned in other historical documents from the medieval period. For example, in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk from 1199, there is a reference to a "Roger de Bunstede".

In the 16th century, the spelling of the name began to evolve further, with variations such as "Bumstede" and "Bumstead" becoming more common. This is evidenced by records from the Parish Registers of Suffolk, where the name is recorded as "Joane Bumstead" in 1561.

Notable individuals with the surname Bumstead throughout history include:

1. John Bumstead (1560-1642), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Barningham in Suffolk. 2. Thomas Bumstead (1624-1688), a Puritan minister and one of the founders of the town of Groton, Massachusetts. 3. Jeremiah Bumstead (1703-1783), an American farmer and militia officer who fought in the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. 4. Samuel Bumstead (1768-1842), an English painter known for his landscapes and portraits. 5. Mary Bumstead (1809-1895), an American educator and activist who campaigned for women's rights and the abolition of slavery.

Some place names associated with the surname include Bumstead Green in Suffolk and Bumstead Common in Essex, both of which likely derived their names from the presence of families with the Bumstead surname in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bumstead families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bumstead 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. Suffolk leads with 115 Bumsteads recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.88x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 115 24.88x
Sussex 109 17.04x
Surrey 36 1.95x
Middlesex 32 0.84x
Kent 31 2.39x
Hampshire 17 2.19x
Lancashire 16 0.36x
Essex 11 1.47x
Derbyshire 10 1.68x
Devon 6 0.76x
Cheshire 2 0.24x
Cornwall 2 0.47x
Staffordshire 2 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hastings All Sts in Sussex leads with 61 Bumsteads recorded in 1881 and an index of 1011.61x.

Place Total Index
Hastings All Sts 61 1011.61x
Whepstead 22 2750.00x
Hastings St Clement 17 282.39x
Ipswich St Mathew 17 131.27x
Ipswich St Peter 16 257.23x
Hastings St Mary In The 14 102.56x
Bramford 13 747.13x
Brampton 10 120.48x
Eye 10 334.45x
Lambeth 10 3.02x
Ashton Under Lyne 9 9.15x
Lewisham 9 13.04x
Paddington London 8 5.73x
West Ham 8 4.84x
Battersea 7 5.01x
Dover St Mary Virgin 7 55.87x
Fordingbridge 7 165.48x
Ashford 6 47.58x
Bildeston 6 588.24x
Hastings St Andrew 6 262.01x
Moulton 6 909.09x
Plymouth Charles The 6 17.24x
St Pancras London 6 1.96x
Clapham 5 10.54x
Croydon 5 4.87x
Ipswich St Clement 5 42.55x
Rye 5 82.24x
Aldham 4 1290.32x
Newington 4 2.85x
North Meols 4 9.07x
Portsea 4 2.62x
Bromley London 3 3.59x
Deptford St Nicholas 3 29.21x
Deptford St Paul 3 3.00x
Ipswich St Stephen 3 379.75x
Kensington London 3 1.42x
Oldham 3 2.06x
Southampton St Mary 3 6.13x
Witnesham 3 447.76x
Barking 2 83.68x
Cheadle 2 12.50x
Christchurch 2 11.86x
Falmouth 2 13.15x
Iden 2 277.78x
Ipswich St Margaret 2 12.76x
Limehouse London 2 4.80x
Mile End New Town London 2 26.67x
Putney 2 11.57x
Smallthorne 2 42.11x
St Martin In Fields 2 8.80x
Stowmarket 2 37.45x
Aldershot 1 3.84x
Beccles 1 13.44x
Braintree 1 14.86x
Bury St Edmunds St James 1 8.10x
Camberwell 1 0.41x
Charing 1 57.14x
Chelsea London 1 0.87x
Cliffe 1 34.25x
Colchester St Giles 1 13.51x
Hackney London 1 0.47x
Hastings Holy Trinity 1 21.19x
Hastings St Mary 1 6.28x
Hastings St Michael 1 217.39x
Leyton 1 7.75x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.24x
Newhaven 1 19.23x
Palgrave 1 103.09x
Rotherhithe 1 2.13x
Shire Hall Yard 1 250.00x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.31x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.50x
St Marylebone London 1 0.49x
Westminster St Margaret 1 5.46x
Wittersham 1 86.96x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Elizabeth 13
Jane 11
Eliza 9
Ellen 9
Emma 8
Sarah 7
Alice 6
Hannah 6
Ann 5
Maria 5
Charlotte 4
Edith 4
Eleanor 4
Harriett 4
Kate 4
Lucy 4
Martha 4
Susannah 4
Ada 3
Caroline 3
Elizth. 3
Emily 3
Harriet 3
Rachel 3
Rebecca 3
Amelia 2
Annie 2
Ethel 2
Helen 2
Jessie 2
Lotis 2
Louisa 2
Rose 2
Selina 2
Sophia 2
Anne 1
Clara 1
Ester 1
Esther 1
Evelyn 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Katherine 1
Katie 1
Liliain 1
Lousia 1
Luisa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 23
William 23
James 18
George 15
Henry 14
Arthur 8
Charles 8
Frederick 6
Alfred 5
Joseph 5
Robert 5
Stephen 5
Edward 4
Frank 4
Thomas 4
Walter 4
Alexander 2
Chas. 2
Christopher 2
Edmund 2
Francis 2
Fredrick 2
... 1
Albert 1
Benjamin 1
Charlie 1
Edwin 1
Egbert 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Frerick 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Jas.Hy. 1
Louis 1
Newman 1
Owen 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Robt.E. 1
Sidney 1
Surry 1
Thos. 1
Thos.J.J. 1

FAQ

Bumstead surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bumstead surname in 1881?

In 1881, 389 people were recorded with the Bumstead surname. That placed it at #8,122 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bumstead surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 335 in 2016. That gives Bumstead a modern rank of #13,611.

What does the Bumstead surname mean?

An English habitational surname denoting someone from a place called Bumstead.

What does the Bumstead map show?

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