NameCensus.

UK surname

Buse

A surname derived from the Old German word "bussa" meaning pipe or cylinder.

In the 1881 census there were 168 people recorded with the Buse surname, ranking it #14,380 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 204, ranked #19,320, down from #14,380 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Torrington, Little and Bideford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Plymouth and East Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Buse is 280 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.4%.

1881 census count

168

Ranked #14,380

Modern count

204

2016, ranked #19,320

Peak year

1911

280 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Buse had 168 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,380 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 204 in 2016, ranked #19,320.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 280 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Buse surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Buse surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Buse 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 85 #18,940
1861 historical 109 #19,693
1881 historical 168 #14,380
1891 historical 210 #14,412
1901 historical 244 #13,329
1911 historical 280 #11,982
1997 modern 226 #16,306
1998 modern 230 #16,607
1999 modern 214 #17,494
2000 modern 213 #17,503
2001 modern 204 #17,736
2002 modern 208 #17,848
2003 modern 200 #18,139
2004 modern 194 #18,566
2005 modern 179 #19,467
2006 modern 184 #19,254
2007 modern 181 #19,680
2008 modern 184 #19,666
2009 modern 197 #19,218
2010 modern 199 #19,515
2011 modern 199 #19,346
2012 modern 194 #19,606
2013 modern 194 #19,932
2014 modern 201 #19,641
2015 modern 201 #19,494
2016 modern 204 #19,320

Geography

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Where Buses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Torrington, Little, Bideford, Cardiff St John and St Mary and Swansea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Plymouth, East Devon and Shepway. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Torrington, Little Devon
3 Bideford Devon
4 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
5 Swansea Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 007 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 001 Cornwall
3 Plymouth 031 Plymouth
4 East Devon 007 East Devon
5 Shepway 011 Shepway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Buse

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Buse

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Buse is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Buse is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Buse 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 Buse is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Buse

The surname Buse is of German origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old High German word "busa," which means a bush or thicket. The name likely originated in forested areas of Germany where people lived near or in dense bushes or thickets.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Buse surname can be found in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a medieval manuscript from the 12th century that documented land transactions and property ownership in the region of Westphalia, Germany. The name appears in various spellings, such as Buse, Busse, and Busch.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Johannes Buse was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Lübeck, a major trading center in northern Germany. He is mentioned in several historical documents from that time, attesting to the family's influence and wealth.

Another early bearer of the Buse surname was Hans Buse, a renowned goldsmith who lived in Augsburg, Germany, in the late 15th century. His intricate and exquisite metalwork pieces were highly sought after by wealthy patrons throughout Europe.

During the 16th century, a branch of the Buse family settled in the Palatinate region of southwestern Germany. One member, Peter Buse (1540-1618), was a respected theologian and author who wrote several influential religious texts that were widely circulated during the Protestant Reformation.

In the 17th century, the name Buse also appeared in historical records from the Netherlands, where it was likely carried by German immigrants. One notable figure was Pieter Buse (1615-1687), a Dutch painter who specialized in still-life and genre scenes.

As the Buse family spread throughout Germany and neighboring regions over the centuries, variations of the name emerged, such as Büse, Busen, and Büschen. These variants often reflected local dialects and spelling conventions, but all shared the common root and meaning related to bushes or thickets.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Buse families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Buse 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. Devon leads with 67 Buses recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.64x.

County Total Index
Devon 67 19.64x
Cornwall 38 20.48x
Glamorgan 26 9.11x
Northamptonshire 16 10.38x
Surrey 6 0.75x
Lanarkshire 3 0.57x
Nottinghamshire 3 1.36x
Warwickshire 3 0.73x
Hampshire 2 0.60x
Yorkshire 2 0.12x
Durham 1 0.21x
Middlesex 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Minver in Cornwall leads with 24 Buses recorded in 1881 and an index of 4210.53x.

Place Total Index
St Minver 24 4210.53x
Swansea Town 19 81.23x
Little Torrington 13 4333.33x
Newton St Petrock 9 6923.08x
Shebbear 9 1764.71x
Combmartin 8 1081.08x
Bideford 5 136.99x
Islip 5 1562.50x
Kettering 5 80.26x
St Breock 5 500.00x
St Tudy 5 1724.14x
Burton Latimer 4 430.11x
Cardiff St Mary 4 25.45x
Sheepwash 4 1739.13x
St Austell 4 63.09x
Barony 3 2.24x
Birmingham 3 2.18x
Carlton 3 119.05x
Clayhidon 3 909.09x
Putney 3 40.16x
Black Torrington 2 408.16x
Cwmdu 2 57.47x
Exeter St Sidwell 2 25.61x
Lambeth 2 1.40x
Merton 2 606.06x
Portsea 2 3.04x
Stoke Damerel 2 8.38x
Wellingborough 2 25.81x
Abbots Bickington 1 3333.33x
Alwington 1 476.19x
Bishopwearmouth 1 2.39x
Fremington 1 144.93x
Great Torrington 1 51.81x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 76.92x
Llanguick 1 19.57x
Milton Damerel 1 370.37x
Northam 1 40.16x
Northlew 1 232.56x
Paddington London 1 1.66x
Sutton 1 17.30x
Wakefield 1 8.02x
Westleigh 1 357.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 20
William 13
George 7
Thomas 7
James 6
Henry 4
Albert 3
Charles 3
Isaac 3
Richard 3
Samuel 3
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
David 1
Edward 1
Fredk.J. 1
J.B. 1
Jno.D. 1
Jonathan 1
Josiah 1
Nicholls 1
Philip 1
Richd. 1
Roelf 1
W.H. 1
Walter 1
Wiliam 1

FAQ

Buse surname: questions and answers

How common was the Buse surname in 1881?

In 1881, 168 people were recorded with the Buse surname. That placed it at #14,380 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Buse surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 204 in 2016. That gives Buse a modern rank of #19,320.

What does the Buse surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old German word "bussa" meaning pipe or cylinder.

What does the Buse map show?

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