NameCensus.

UK surname

Busher

A variation of the Scottish surname Bush, possibly related to living in a wooded area.

In the 1881 census there were 181 people recorded with the Busher surname, ranking it #13,690 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 172, ranked #21,648, down from #13,690 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Reading St Giles, Shinfield (East and West Side, Hartley Dammer), Sonning (Early), and St Matthew Bethnal Green. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Flintshire, Liverpool and Epping Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Busher is 247 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 5.0%.

1881 census count

181

Ranked #13,690

Modern count

172

2016, ranked #21,648

Peak year

1861

247 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Busher had 181 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,690 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 172 in 2016, ranked #21,648.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 247 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Busher surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Busher surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Busher 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 135 #13,964
1861 historical 247 #9,977
1881 historical 181 #13,690
1891 historical 208 #14,496
1901 historical 199 #15,173
1911 historical 215 #14,290
1997 modern 164 #19,944
1998 modern 172 #19,883
1999 modern 174 #19,870
2000 modern 160 #20,903
2001 modern 153 #21,197
2002 modern 159 #21,086
2003 modern 149 #21,766
2004 modern 151 #21,720
2005 modern 151 #21,667
2006 modern 153 #21,643
2007 modern 153 #21,912
2008 modern 162 #21,350
2009 modern 170 #21,095
2010 modern 184 #20,521
2011 modern 184 #20,363
2012 modern 168 #21,516
2013 modern 173 #21,486
2014 modern 171 #21,812
2015 modern 169 #21,888
2016 modern 172 #21,648

Geography

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Where Bushers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Reading St Giles, Shinfield (East and West Side, Hartley Dammer), Sonning (Early),, St Matthew Bethnal Green, St Botolph without Aldgate and St Mary Newington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Flintshire, Liverpool, Epping Forest, Neath Port Talbot and Wiltshire. 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 3
2 Reading St Giles, Shinfield (East and West Side, Hartley Dammer), Sonning (Early), Berkshire
3 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)
4 St Botolph without Aldgate London (East Districts)
5 St Mary Newington London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Flintshire 003 Flintshire
2 Liverpool 020 Liverpool
3 Epping Forest 007 Epping Forest
4 Neath Port Talbot 011 Neath Port Talbot
5 Wiltshire 054 Wiltshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Busher

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Busher

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Busher 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

Busher is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Busher falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Busher is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Busher

The surname Busher is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word "busc," meaning a bush or thicket. It was initially used as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who lived near or worked in a bushy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a person named Richard le Bussher is mentioned. This indicates that the surname had already been established by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, variations of the name, such as Bussher and Busshore, appeared in various historical records across England, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379 and the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1327.

The surname Busher may also have connections to certain place names in England, like Bushbury in Staffordshire or Bushey in Hertfordshire. It's possible that some individuals adopted the name based on their association with these locations.

One notable individual bearing the surname Busher was Sir John Busher, a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry who lived in Oxfordshire during the 15th century. He is mentioned in several legal documents from the 1460s and 1470s.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various parish records, such as the christening of Elizabeth Busher in Bedale, Yorkshire, in 1586, and the marriage of Thomas Busher and Margery Woodhouse in Rotherham, Yorkshire, in 1598.

During the 17th century, the surname Busher gained prominence in the county of Devonshire, where a family of that name held significant landholdings and influence. William Busher, born in 1612, was a prominent figure in this branch of the family.

In the 18th century, the name continued to be found across various parts of England, with individuals like Robert Busher, a merchant from Bristol born in 1721, and Samuel Busher, a clockmaker from London born in 1746.

Other notable individuals with the surname Busher include John Busher, a renowned architect from Gloucestershire who designed several churches in the early 19th century, and Emily Busher, a celebrated author and poet from Yorkshire who published several works in the late 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Busher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Busher 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. Middlesex leads with 45 Bushers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.55x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 45 2.55x
Lancashire 39 1.86x
Surrey 26 3.02x
Yorkshire 16 0.91x
Berkshire 11 8.30x
Westmorland 7 18.04x
Gloucestershire 6 1.73x
Sussex 6 2.02x
Cheshire 5 1.28x
Derbyshire 5 1.81x
Staffordshire 5 0.84x
Warwickshire 4 0.90x
Northumberland 2 0.76x
Cardiganshire 1 2.32x
Glamorgan 1 0.33x
Hampshire 1 0.28x
Somerset 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 20 Bushers recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.08x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 20 26.08x
Newington 13 19.94x
Reading St Giles 9 69.23x
Kirkdale 8 22.70x
Bermondsey 7 13.32x
Bingley 7 62.84x
St Botolph Aldgate London 7 192.31x
Bow London 6 26.70x
Brighton 6 9.99x
Cheltenham 6 22.46x
Everton 6 8.99x
Preston 6 10.70x
St Andrew Holborn London 6 78.53x
Derby St Werburgh 5 31.33x
Liverpool 5 3.93x
Toxteth Park 5 7.05x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 4 24.54x
Birmingham 4 2.70x
Camberwell 4 3.55x
Gorton 4 20.31x
Kendal 4 56.34x
Stafford St Chad 4 1428.57x
Helsington 3 1428.57x
Blackburn 2 3.59x
Chester St Michael 2 434.78x
Clewer 2 36.83x
Jesmond 2 54.05x
Liscard 2 28.49x
Manningham 2 9.28x
Berkswich 1 277.78x
Bridgewater 1 12.97x
Chertsey 1 17.99x
Chorley In Macclesfield 1 84.03x
Clifford Cum Boston 1 63.69x
Hackney London 1 1.01x
Ibsley 1 666.67x
Islington London 1 0.58x
Leeds 1 1.01x
Llandisilio Gogo 1 138.89x
Manchester 1 1.06x
Monknash 1 2000.00x
Paddington London 1 1.54x
Pinner 1 64.52x
Rotherhithe 1 4.59x
Sheffield 1 1.80x
Shoreditch London 1 1.31x
Tottenham 1 3.56x
Upper Lower 1 769.23x
Whittingham 1 108.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Sarah 8
Annie 7
Elizabeth 7
Ellen 5
Eliza 4
Charlotte 3
Jane 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Emily 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Helen 2
Kate 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Susan 2
Agnes 1
Alexcenie 1
Anna 1
Bleanda 1
Catharine 1
Clara 1
Constance 1
Eleanore 1
Eliz. 1
Emma 1
Eva 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Janey 1
Letitia 1
Lillian 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Morganin 1
Rosina 1
Selina 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Busher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Busher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 181 people were recorded with the Busher surname. That placed it at #13,690 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Busher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 172 in 2016. That gives Busher a modern rank of #21,648.

What does the Busher surname mean?

A variation of the Scottish surname Bush, possibly related to living in a wooded area.

What does the Busher map show?

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