NameCensus.

UK surname

Burstow

In the 1881 census there were 235 people recorded with the Burstow surname, ranking it #11,573 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 352, ranked #13,104, down from #11,573 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst, London parishes and Horsham, Sullington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Worthing and Horsham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Burstow is 392 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.8%.

1881 census count

235

Ranked #11,573

Modern count

352

2016, ranked #13,104

Peak year

1911

392 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Burstow had 235 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,573 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 352 in 2016, ranked #13,104.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 392 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Burstow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Burstow surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Burstow 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 80 #19,558
1861 historical 106 #20,147
1881 historical 235 #11,573
1891 historical 237 #13,242
1901 historical 286 #12,029
1911 historical 392 #9,421
1997 modern 359 #11,956
1998 modern 368 #12,096
1999 modern 371 #12,101
2000 modern 366 #12,167
2001 modern 357 #12,205
2002 modern 378 #11,939
2003 modern 379 #11,714
2004 modern 374 #11,843
2005 modern 356 #12,219
2006 modern 350 #12,448
2007 modern 353 #12,521
2008 modern 358 #12,485
2009 modern 373 #12,364
2010 modern 375 #12,568
2011 modern 372 #12,519
2012 modern 364 #12,564
2013 modern 369 #12,655
2014 modern 363 #12,908
2015 modern 361 #12,857
2016 modern 352 #13,104

Geography

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Where Burstows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst, London parishes, Horsham, Sullington, Hanwell and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Worthing, Horsham and Birmingham. 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 Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst Sussex
2 London parishes London 3
3 Horsham, Sullington Sussex
4 Hanwell Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 013 Cornwall
2 Worthing 006 Worthing
3 Worthing 007 Worthing
4 Horsham 006 Horsham
5 Birmingham 094 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Burstow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Burstow

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Burstow is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Burstow is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Burstow falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Burstow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Burstow 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. Sussex leads with 129 Burstows recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.38x.

County Total Index
Sussex 129 33.38x
Surrey 37 3.31x
Middlesex 28 1.22x
Kent 15 1.92x
Devon 8 1.68x
Somerset 7 1.90x
Hampshire 6 1.28x
Worcestershire 3 1.00x
Essex 1 0.22x
Leicestershire 1 0.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Horsham in Sussex leads with 56 Burstows recorded in 1881 and an index of 745.67x.

Place Total Index
Horsham 56 745.67x
Brighton 23 29.49x
Hanwell 12 295.57x
Shipley 9 1022.73x
Kingston By Sea 8 1311.48x
Hove 7 41.27x
Langport Eastover 7 1320.75x
Stoke Damerel 7 20.96x
Aldershot 6 38.12x
Chelsea London 6 8.69x
Lewisham 6 14.39x
New Shoreham 6 258.62x
Newington 6 7.09x
Portslade 6 254.24x
Reigate Foreign 6 49.63x
Kingston On Thames 5 18.64x
Nutfield 5 595.24x
Bermondsey 4 5.86x
Deptford St Paul 4 6.63x
Southwick 4 196.08x
West Tarring 4 689.66x
Greenwich 3 8.22x
Hampstead London 3 8.40x
Horley 3 160.43x
Lambeth 3 1.50x
St Pancras London 3 1.63x
Worcester St Peter 3 52.91x
Broadwater 2 22.55x
Eastbourne 2 11.24x
Richmond 2 12.78x
St Marylebone London 2 1.63x
Staplegate 2 1000.00x
Sutton 2 24.75x
Uckfield 2 119.05x
Cole Orton 1 212.77x
Devonport 1 18.25x
Limehouse London 1 3.97x
Penge 1 6.83x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.48x
West Ham 1 1.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Elizabeth 10
Caroline 6
Eliza 5
Jane 5
Alice 4
Ellen 4
Fanny 4
Rose 4
Edith 3
Florence 3
Julia 3
Kate 3
Sarah 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Annie 2
Clara 2
Emily 2
Ethel 2
Lydia 2
Ruth 2
Amelia 1
Amphil 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Carrie 1
Christiane 1
Elizh. 1
Emma 1
Flora 1
Gallis 1
Haniett 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Helena 1
Isabell 1
Janet 1
Laura 1
Lillian 1
Louisa 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Margeret 1
Martha 1
May 1
Minnie 1
Nellie 1
Rebecca 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 13
George 9
Henry 8
Alfred 7
Edward 7
James 7
John 7
Charles 6
Horace 5
Richard 5
Robert 5
Albert 4
Arthur 4
Ernest 3
Thomas 3
Edwin 2
Frederick 2
Hugh 2
Walter 2
Abram 1
Allen 1
David 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Harry 1
Horris 1
Joseph 1
Murray 1
Percy 1
Seymoure 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1

FAQ

Burstow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Burstow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 235 people were recorded with the Burstow surname. That placed it at #11,573 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Burstow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 352 in 2016. That gives Burstow a modern rank of #13,104.

What does the Burstow map show?

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