NameCensus.

UK surname

Bunten

A surname meaning "colorful" or "vividly colored" in German.

In the 1881 census there were 221 people recorded with the Bunten surname, ranking it #12,049 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 233, ranked #17,625, down from #12,049 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newport, Govan Combination and Riccarton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Cumnock South and Craigens and Auchinleck.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bunten is 240 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.4%.

1881 census count

221

Ranked #12,049

Modern count

233

2016, ranked #17,625

Peak year

2010

240 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bunten had 221 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,049 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 233 in 2016, ranked #17,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 221 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bunten surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bunten surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bunten 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 107 #16,402
1861 historical 136 #16,556
1881 historical 221 #12,049
1891 historical 199 #14,977
1901 historical 184 #15,942
1911 historical 92 #23,580
1997 modern 215 #16,844
1998 modern 222 #16,969
1999 modern 228 #16,790
2000 modern 222 #17,032
2001 modern 219 #16,967
2002 modern 227 #16,877
2003 modern 230 #16,549
2004 modern 221 #17,066
2005 modern 226 #16,782
2006 modern 230 #16,690
2007 modern 225 #17,154
2008 modern 226 #17,238
2009 modern 237 #17,052
2010 modern 240 #17,230
2011 modern 226 #17,792
2012 modern 212 #18,481
2013 modern 214 #18,671
2014 modern 230 #17,872
2015 modern 233 #17,627
2016 modern 233 #17,625

Geography

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Where Buntens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newport, Govan Combination, Riccarton, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Cumnock South and Craigens, Auchinleck and Mauchline Rural. 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 Newport Essex
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Riccarton Ayr
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 019 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 Cumnock South and Craigens East Ayrshire
3 Auchinleck East Ayrshire
4 Mauchline Rural East Ayrshire
5 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 018 King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bunten

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bunten

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Bunten surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bunten 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bunten is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bunten is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Bunten

The surname BUNTEN originates from the northern German region of Saxony-Anhalt, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "bunt," which means "colorful" or "multicolored," possibly referring to someone who dyed fabrics or worked with vibrant colors.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Halberstadt, a city in Saxony-Anhalt, where a certain Henricus Bunten was mentioned as a resident in 1238. The name also appeared in the Erfurt Regiments Buch, a military record from the late 15th century, listing several Bunten soldiers from the region.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in various church records and legal documents throughout Saxony-Anhalt and neighboring areas. Notable examples include Hans Bunten, a merchant from Magdeburg (1501-1572), and Margaretha Bunten, a landowner in Quedlinburg (1534-1601).

As the name spread across Germany and beyond, several variations in spelling emerged, such as Bünten, Bundt, and Bunthen. One notable bearer of the name was Friedrich Wilhelm Bunten, a German philosopher and theologian born in Halle in 1722, who authored several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy.

In the 19th century, the name gained prominence in the United States, where it was brought by German immigrants. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Johann Bunten, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1806 and later settled in Pennsylvania. Another notable American bearer of the name was William Bunten (1845-1917), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Indiana.

Other notable historical figures with the surname BUNTEN include:

1. Edith Bunten (1889-1963), a British artist and potter known for her ceramic sculptures. 2. Gertrud Bunten (1900-1981), a German expressionist painter and member of the Bauhaus movement. 3. Karl Bunten (1871-1943), a German politician and member of the Social Democratic Party. 4. Henry Bunten (1905-1987), an Australian cricketer who played for South Australia in the 1920s and 1930s. 5. Theodor Bunten (1810-1891), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bunten families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bunten 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. Ayrshire leads with 85 Buntens recorded in 1881 and an index of 52.69x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 85 52.69x
Lanarkshire 46 6.60x
Essex 26 6.11x
Renfrewshire 19 11.37x
Norfolk 9 2.72x
Dunbartonshire 8 13.81x
Midlothian 8 2.77x
Hertfordshire 5 3.37x
Wigtownshire 5 17.47x
Angus 4 2.00x
Cambridgeshire 2 1.46x
Surrey 2 0.19x
Cheshire 1 0.21x
Cumberland 1 0.54x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kilmarnock in Ayrshire leads with 58 Buntens recorded in 1881 and an index of 302.08x.

Place Total Index
Kilmarnock 58 302.08x
Riccarton Hurlford 18 636.04x
Govan 17 9.86x
Newport 13 1756.76x
Barony 12 6.80x
Saffron Walden 11 244.44x
Great Yarmouth 8 29.13x
East Greenock 7 44.36x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 6.03x
Paisley High Church 6 45.11x
Row 6 80.11x
Rutherglen 6 58.65x
Middle Greenock 5 109.65x
Portpatrick 5 520.83x
Royston 5 393.70x
Dundee 4 5.36x
Glasgow 4 3.23x
Old Monkland 4 14.46x
Dalmellington 3 63.29x
Maryhill 3 21.98x
All Saints Cambridge 2 208.33x
Rickling 2 606.06x
Wandsworth 2 9.64x
Auckinleck 1 20.04x
Ballantrae 1 93.46x
Bonhill 1 10.75x
Cardross 1 14.37x
Cathcart 1 11.06x
Kilwinning 1 19.19x
Maybole 1 20.37x
Norwich St Julian 1 71.43x
Rickergate 1 25.45x
Rudheath 1 270.27x
Sorn 1 31.55x
South Leith 1 3.08x
Stewarton 1 31.35x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
Edward 3
John 3
William 3
James 2
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Charles 1
David 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Latimer 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 Bunten households.

FAQ

Bunten surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bunten surname in 1881?

In 1881, 221 people were recorded with the Bunten surname. That placed it at #12,049 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bunten surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 233 in 2016. That gives Bunten a modern rank of #17,625.

What does the Bunten surname mean?

A surname meaning "colorful" or "vividly colored" in German.

What does the Bunten map show?

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