NameCensus.

UK surname

Bunyard

An English surname derived from the Old English "burde" meaning cottage and "geard" meaning yard.

In the 1881 census there were 160 people recorded with the Bunyard surname, ranking it #14,860 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 259, ranked #16,393, down from #14,860 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Frindsbury, Cooling, London parishes and Ashford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rugby, Ashford and Dover.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bunyard is 271 in 2012. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 61.9%.

1881 census count

160

Ranked #14,860

Modern count

259

2016, ranked #16,393

Peak year

2012

271 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bunyard had 160 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,860 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 259 in 2016, ranked #16,393.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 227 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bunyard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bunyard surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bunyard 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 74 #20,443
1861 historical 76 #24,114
1881 historical 160 #14,860
1891 historical 173 #16,600
1901 historical 186 #15,839
1911 historical 227 #13,795
1997 modern 245 #15,483
1998 modern 247 #15,813
1999 modern 257 #15,506
2000 modern 254 #15,578
2001 modern 247 #15,637
2002 modern 238 #16,378
2003 modern 237 #16,191
2004 modern 244 #15,948
2005 modern 236 #16,286
2006 modern 235 #16,439
2007 modern 240 #16,392
2008 modern 241 #16,481
2009 modern 246 #16,597
2010 modern 258 #16,432
2011 modern 262 #16,098
2012 modern 271 #15,628
2013 modern 263 #16,232
2014 modern 264 #16,288
2015 modern 258 #16,443
2016 modern 259 #16,393

Geography

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Where Bunyards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Frindsbury, Cooling, London parishes, Ashford, Maidstone, Linton, Loddington and Dalton-in-Furness. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rugby, Ashford and Dover. 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 Frindsbury, Cooling Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 Ashford Kent
4 Maidstone, Linton, Loddington Kent
5 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rugby 010 Rugby
2 Rugby 008 Rugby
3 Ashford 002 Ashford
4 Dover 011 Dover
5 Rugby 001 Rugby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bunyard

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bunyard

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bunyard, 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 Bunyard surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bunyard 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Bunyard 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

Bunyard is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bunyard 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 Bunyard is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bunyard

The Bunyard surname is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "bun" meaning a boundary or enclosure, and "geard" meaning a yard or enclosed space. The name is thought to have originated in the 12th or 13th century, referring to someone who lived near or worked on an enclosed yard or farmstead.

Early recordings of the name can be found in various medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it appears as "Bonyerd." The surname is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1334, spelled as "Bonyard."

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Bunyard, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines records for Essex in 1409. Another early record is that of William Bunyard, whose name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1524.

The Bunyard surname has been associated with several place names in England, particularly the village of Bunyard in Hertfordshire, which likely derived its name from the same Old English words as the surname. There are also references to a hamlet called "Bunyard's End" in Essex during the 16th century.

Notable individuals with the Bunyard surname include:

1. Thomas Bunyard (c. 1662-1743), an English horticulturist and nurseryman who established the Bunyard Nursery in Maidstone, Kent, which remained in operation for over 200 years.

2. Edward Bunyard (1773-1837), an English agricultural writer and landowner who authored several works on farming and rural life.

3. George Bunyard (1842-1919), a renowned English horticulturist and nurseryman who was instrumental in popularizing the cultivation of daffodils and fruit trees.

4. Reverend Henry Bunyard (1813-1896), an English clergyman and author who wrote several books on religious topics and church history.

5. Arthur Bunyard (1872-1954), a British artist and illustrator known for his landscape paintings and illustrations for books and magazines.

The Bunyard surname continues to be found throughout England and other parts of the world, with various spellings such as Bunnyard, Bonyard, and Bonnyard.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bunyard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bunyard 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. Kent leads with 77 Bunyards recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.55x.

County Total Index
Kent 77 14.55x
Middlesex 31 2.00x
Surrey 27 3.57x
Essex 8 2.61x
Lancashire 7 0.38x
Sussex 4 1.53x
Berkshire 1 0.86x
Gloucestershire 1 0.33x
Hampshire 1 0.31x
Norfolk 1 0.42x
Northamptonshire 1 0.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Maidstone in Kent leads with 36 Bunyards recorded in 1881 and an index of 228.43x.

Place Total Index
Maidstone 36 228.43x
Ashford 11 213.59x
Camberwell 9 9.08x
Teston 9 5294.12x
Poplar London 8 27.33x
Barrow In Furness 7 27.97x
Newington 7 12.22x
Southwark St Saviour 7 87.83x
Frindsbury 5 251.26x
Islington London 5 3.33x
St Clement Danes London 5 155.76x
Tonbridge 5 26.19x
Aylesford 4 272.11x
Brightlingsea 4 228.57x
St Marylebone London 4 4.83x
West Ham 4 5.92x
St George Hanover Square 3 10.98x
Canterbury St Mary 2 56.34x
Clapham 2 10.31x
Hammersmith London 2 5.23x
Hove 2 17.44x
Lambeth 2 1.48x
Mereworth 2 465.12x
Brighton 1 1.90x
Bristol Temple 1 50.00x
Clerkenwell London 1 2.73x
Hampstead London 1 4.14x
Horsemonden 1 129.87x
Kelmarsh 1 909.09x
Marham 1 250.00x
Mile End Old Town London 1 3.03x
Ore 1 51.28x
Pluckley 1 204.08x
Plumstead 1 5.67x
Portsea 1 1.61x
Whitechapel London 1 6.54x
Wytham 1 909.09x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Bunyard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bunyard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 160 people were recorded with the Bunyard surname. That placed it at #14,860 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bunyard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 259 in 2016. That gives Bunyard a modern rank of #16,393.

What does the Bunyard surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old English "burde" meaning cottage and "geard" meaning yard.

What does the Bunyard map show?

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