NameCensus.

UK surname

Burtenshaw

An English habitational surname derived from a township in Yorkshire.

In the 1881 census there were 692 people recorded with the Burtenshaw surname, ranking it #5,239 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 956, ranked #6,006, down from #5,239 in 1881.

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

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Burtenshaw is 1,063 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.2%.

1881 census count

692

Ranked #5,239

Modern count

956

2016, ranked #6,006

Peak year

1998

1,063 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Burtenshaw had 692 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,239 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 956 in 2016, ranked #6,006.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,047 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Burtenshaw surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Burtenshaw surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Burtenshaw 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 450 #5,485
1861 historical 367 #6,963
1881 historical 692 #5,239
1891 historical 766 #5,212
1901 historical 1,031 #4,634
1911 historical 1,047 #4,389
1997 modern 1,033 #5,342
1998 modern 1,063 #5,395
1999 modern 1,043 #5,521
2000 modern 1,031 #5,550
2001 modern 1,019 #5,501
2002 modern 1,043 #5,494
2003 modern 990 #5,640
2004 modern 979 #5,697
2005 modern 959 #5,741
2006 modern 962 #5,733
2007 modern 957 #5,814
2008 modern 956 #5,851
2009 modern 977 #5,872
2010 modern 988 #5,929
2011 modern 958 #6,036
2012 modern 936 #6,055
2013 modern 959 #6,024
2014 modern 975 #5,981
2015 modern 966 #5,980
2016 modern 956 #6,006

Geography

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Where Burtenshaws are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Brighton and Hove. 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 1
3 Albourn Sussex
4 London parishes London 3
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Brighton and Hove 025 Brighton and Hove
2 Brighton and Hove 032 Brighton and Hove
3 Brighton and Hove 002 Brighton and Hove
4 Brighton and Hove 005 Brighton and Hove
5 Brighton and Hove 013 Brighton and Hove

Forenames

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First names often paired with Burtenshaw

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Burtenshaw

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Burtenshaw surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Burtenshaw household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Burtenshaw 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

Burtenshaw 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

Burtenshaw falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Burtenshaw is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Burtenshaw

The surname Burtenshaw is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages, with its roots tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon period. The name is thought to be a locational surname, derived from a place name that has since been lost or obscured over time.

One theory suggests that the name Burtenshaw is a combination of the Old English words "burna" meaning a stream or brook, and "sceaga" meaning a small wood or grove. This would indicate that the name may have originated from a settlement located near a stream or brook surrounded by a small wooded area.

Another possibility is that the name Burtenshaw is a variation of the word "Burtonshaw," which is derived from the Old English words "burh" meaning a fortified town or manor, and "sceaga" meaning a small wood or grove. In this case, the name could have originated from a settlement or manor surrounded by a small wooded area.

While there are no definitive records of the name Burtenshaw appearing in historical documents such as the Domesday Book, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, the name's origins can be traced back to the medieval era.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Burtenshaw can be found in the Yorkshire Parish Registers from the 16th century. In 1587, a man named Robert Burtenshaw was recorded as living in the village of Keighley, which is located in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

In the 17th century, the name Burtenshaw appeared in various records across England, with individuals bearing the name residing in various counties, including Lancashire, Cheshire, and Shropshire. One notable individual from this period was John Burtenshaw, who was born in 1642 in the village of Eccleston, Lancashire.

As the centuries progressed, the Burtenshaw name continued to spread across England, with individuals bearing the surname making their mark in various fields. In the 18th century, a man named William Burtenshaw (1708-1783) was a prominent painter and engraver based in London.

In the 19th century, the Burtenshaw name gained further recognition with the birth of James Burtenshaw (1841-1917), who was a renowned English architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Tate Library at Brixton Oval.

Another notable figure from this era was Thomas Burtenshaw (1864-1942), who was a British politician and member of Parliament, representing the constituency of Newbury from 1906 to 1918.

As the name Burtenshaw spread throughout the centuries, it also found its way to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, where descendants of English emigrants bearing the surname settled and established new roots.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Burtenshaw families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Burtenshaw 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 490 Burtenshaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.75x.

County Total Index
Sussex 490 42.75x
Surrey 62 1.87x
Kent 46 1.98x
Middlesex 37 0.54x
Cheshire 19 1.27x
Lancashire 15 0.19x
Hampshire 6 0.43x
Oxfordshire 5 1.19x
Royal Navy 5 6.17x
Durham 4 0.20x
Hertfordshire 3 0.64x
Leicestershire 2 0.27x
Berkshire 1 0.20x
Cornwall 1 0.13x
Essex 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 109 Burtenshaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.13x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 109 47.13x
Albourne 33 4647.89x
Broadwater 31 117.92x
Cuckfield 30 259.07x
Littlehampton 20 218.58x
Preston 19 94.91x
Southwick 19 313.53x
Clayton 15 347.22x
Eastbourne 15 28.44x
Deptford St Paul 14 7.82x
Horsham 13 58.37x
Portslade 12 171.18x
Chelsea London 11 5.37x
Coombes 10 5882.35x
West Grinstead 10 289.02x
Dukinfield 9 12.98x
Hove 9 17.89x
Southwark St George Martyr 9 6.58x
Woodmancote 9 1111.11x
Fletching 8 155.95x
Lancing 8 253.97x
Reigate Borough 8 104.71x
Sompting 8 503.14x
St Pancras London 8 1.46x
Beddingham 7 673.08x
Climping 7 1111.11x
Edburton 7 886.08x
Hailsham 7 100.86x
Hurstpierpoint 7 109.72x
Lewes St John Southover 7 90.91x
Lewisham 7 5.66x
New Shoreham 7 101.89x
Richmond 7 15.08x
Arundel 6 93.46x
Bolney 6 322.58x
Cheadle 6 20.93x
Framfield 6 169.01x
Henfield 6 136.36x
Croydon 5 2.72x
East Preston 5 510.20x
Royal Navy 5 7.22x
Chertsey 4 18.68x
Darenth 4 112.04x
Hampton Wick London 4 80.32x
Horley 4 72.07x
Middleton In Oldham 4 16.54x
Newton 4 6.43x
Oxford St Giles 4 19.97x
Pulborough 4 95.01x
Shipley 4 153.85x
Tonbridge 4 4.78x
Wimbledon 4 10.76x
Aldershot 3 6.43x
Barnham 3 697.67x
Battersea 3 1.20x
Findon 3 181.82x
Gorton 3 3.96x
Great Mongeham 3 275.23x
Isleworth 3 9.92x
Islington London 3 0.46x
Leatherhead 3 36.14x
Lower Darwen 3 28.33x
Portsmouth 3 9.35x
St Marylebone London 3 0.83x
Steyning 3 77.12x
Streatham 3 5.95x
Woking 3 15.02x
Alfriston 2 147.06x
Disley Stanley 2 25.87x
Ditchling 2 64.10x
Elvet 2 13.70x
Hackney London 2 0.52x
Haswell 2 13.79x
Lambeth 2 0.34x
Nuthurst 2 105.26x
Reigate Foreign 2 5.58x
St Mary Cray 2 45.05x
Stockport 2 2.59x
West Tarring 2 116.96x
Woolwich 2 2.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 32
Sarah 23
Elizabeth 19
Alice 18
Eliza 18
Ellen 17
Jane 15
Annie 13
Emily 13
Ann 11
Emma 10
Charlotte 8
Fanny 8
Amy 7
Kate 7
Harriett 6
Maria 6
Caroline 5
Edith 5
Harriet 5
Louisa 5
Lucy 5
Anne 4
Esther 4
Hannah 3
Ruth 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Clara 2
Gertrude 2
Janet 2
Jemima 2
Lydia 2
Margaret 2
Maud 2
Minnie 2
Susan 2
Zilpah 2
Bertha 1
Betsy 1
Blanch 1
Catherine 1
Elizth. 1
Faith 1
Florence 1
John 1
Julia 1
Katie 1
Lettie 1
Lilian 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 35
George 32
John 27
James 24
Thomas 23
Alfred 22
Henry 19
Charles 16
Richard 16
Edward 14
Albert 12
Arthur 7
Stephen 7
Harry 6
Ernest 5
Frank 5
Frederick 5
Joseph 5
Robert 4
Walter 4
Chas. 3
David 3
Philip 3
Albt. 2
Benjamin 2
Caleb 2
Daniel 2
Geo. 2
Hy. 2
Jabez 2
Jas. 2
Oliver 2
Peter 2
Samuel 2
Allen 1
Amos 1
B. 1
Basil 1
Benjn. 1
Bertram 1
Dick 1
Digby 1
Dugles 1
E.E. 1
Edmund 1
Elizabeth 1
Ephraim 1
J. 1
Jesse 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Burtenshaw surname: questions and answers

How common was the Burtenshaw surname in 1881?

In 1881, 692 people were recorded with the Burtenshaw surname. That placed it at #5,239 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Burtenshaw surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 956 in 2016. That gives Burtenshaw a modern rank of #6,006.

What does the Burtenshaw surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a township in Yorkshire.

What does the Burtenshaw map show?

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