NameCensus.

UK surname

Buzzard

An English surname derived from the Old French word "buisart," referring to a type of hawk or bird of prey.

In the 1881 census there were 204 people recorded with the Buzzard surname, ranking it #12,682 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 399, ranked #11,902, up from #12,682 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Loughborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cherwell, Suffolk Coastal and Barrow-in-Furness.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Buzzard is 424 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 95.6%.

1881 census count

204

Ranked #12,682

Modern count

399

2016, ranked #11,902

Peak year

2010

424 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Buzzard had 204 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,682 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 399 in 2016, ranked #11,902.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 286 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Buzzard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Buzzard surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Buzzard 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 120 #15,144
1861 historical 142 #15,982
1881 historical 204 #12,682
1891 historical 200 #14,913
1901 historical 262 #12,740
1911 historical 286 #11,810
1997 modern 358 #11,977
1998 modern 400 #11,335
1999 modern 413 #11,180
2000 modern 398 #11,443
2001 modern 392 #11,384
2002 modern 405 #11,335
2003 modern 389 #11,490
2004 modern 385 #11,607
2005 modern 383 #11,565
2006 modern 386 #11,537
2007 modern 404 #11,290
2008 modern 406 #11,328
2009 modern 411 #11,480
2010 modern 424 #11,449
2011 modern 414 #11,533
2012 modern 410 #11,518
2013 modern 399 #11,944
2014 modern 397 #12,076
2015 modern 403 #11,835
2016 modern 399 #11,902

Geography

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Where Buzzards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Loughborough, Belton (incl. Gunthorpe) and Peterborough St John the Baptist. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cherwell, Suffolk Coastal, Barrow-in-Furness, Doncaster and Amber Valley. 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 Gateshead Durham
3 Loughborough Leicestershire
4 Belton (incl. Gunthorpe) Rutland
5 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cherwell 006 Cherwell
2 Suffolk Coastal 004 Suffolk Coastal
3 Barrow-in-Furness 002 Barrow-in-Furness
4 Doncaster 007 Doncaster
5 Amber Valley 010 Amber Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Buzzard

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Buzzard

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Buzzard surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Buzzard household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Buzzard 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

Buzzard is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Buzzard falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Buzzard

The surname "Buzzard" is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the counties of Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire, sometime around the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "buser" or "buzer," which referred to a type of hawk or falcon. This suggests that the name may have originally been a nickname for someone who worked with or had a particular affinity for these birds.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which mentions a Robert Buser residing in Buckinghamshire. The spelling "Buzzard" first appeared in the 14th century, as evidenced by records from the nearby county of Northamptonshire, where a John Buzzard was documented in 1379.

The name also has connections to various place names in England, such as Buzzard's Bush in Oxfordshire and Buzzard's Valley in Gloucestershire. These locations likely derived their names from the presence of the bird of prey or from individuals with the surname "Buzzard" who resided there.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname "Buzzard." One of the earliest was Sir John Buzzard, who served as a member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire in the late 14th century. Another notable figure was Thomas Buzzard, a prominent English physician who lived from 1759 to 1835 and made significant contributions to the field of medicine.

In the 18th century, the name appeared in the records of the East India Company, with a Captain William Buzzard serving as a commander of one of their ships. The 19th century saw the birth of Samuel Buzzard, an English artist known for his landscape paintings, who lived from 1823 to 1898.

One of the most influential individuals with the surname "Buzzard" was Sir Edward Buzzard, a British physician and neurologist born in 1871. He made significant contributions to the study of neurology and served as the President of the Royal College of Physicians from 1935 to 1941.

While the surname "Buzzard" may have originated as a nickname for those associated with hawks or falcons, it has since become a well-established surname with a rich history spanning several centuries and numerous notable bearers across various fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Buzzard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Buzzard 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. Leicestershire leads with 40 Buzzards recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.13x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 40 18.13x
Middlesex 36 1.81x
Rutland 22 150.58x
Cambridgeshire 20 15.87x
Oxfordshire 13 10.58x
Surrey 11 1.13x
Gloucestershire 10 2.56x
Norfolk 9 2.94x
Warwickshire 9 1.79x
Northamptonshire 6 3.21x
Staffordshire 6 0.89x
Lancashire 4 0.17x
Lincolnshire 4 1.26x
Derbyshire 3 0.96x
Kent 2 0.29x
Sussex 2 0.60x
Yorkshire 2 0.10x
Devon 1 0.24x
Durham 1 0.17x
Monmouthshire 1 0.70x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.37x
Somerset 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Belton in Rutland leads with 16 Buzzards recorded in 1881 and an index of 6153.85x.

Place Total Index
Belton 16 6153.85x
Camberwell 10 7.87x
Chatteris 10 310.56x
Oxford St Mary Magdalen 9 616.44x
Foleshill 8 151.52x
Welney 8 1142.86x
March 7 165.88x
St George Hanover Square 7 19.97x
Bristol St James St Paul 6 46.12x
Great Bowden 6 298.51x
Leicester St Margaret 6 11.15x
Loughborough 6 59.94x
Thorp Langton 6 10000.00x
West Bromwich 6 15.60x
Westminster St John 6 24.76x
Islington London 5 2.59x
Kibworth Beauchamp 5 657.89x
Ealing 4 22.50x
Market Deeping 4 481.93x
Neithrop 4 96.85x
Allerton 3 526.32x
Chapel En Le Frith 3 105.63x
Harringworth 3 1200.00x
Kensington London 3 2.71x
Leicester All Sts 3 69.28x
Oakham Deanshold 3 461.54x
St Andrew Holborn London 3 34.84x
St Marylebone London 3 2.82x
Whissendine 3 600.00x
Awre 2 250.00x
Bulwick 2 909.09x
Gillingham 2 14.29x
Leicester St Mary 2 11.22x
Billesdon 1 175.44x
Brighton 1 1.48x
Bristol St Nicholas 1 142.86x
Broadhempston 1 256.41x
Burton 1 2000.00x
Cheetham 1 5.68x
Clerkenwell London 1 2.13x
Cornforth 1 57.47x
Elm 1 81.30x
Hammersmith London 1 2.04x
Hillmorton 1 112.36x
Kirby Knowle 1 1250.00x
Knighton 1 80.65x
Lenton 1 15.82x
Little Bowden 1 153.85x
Lutterworth 1 74.63x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 11.92x
Market Harborough 1 100.00x
New Found Pool 1 2500.00x
New Malton 1 42.37x
Paddington London 1 1.37x
Richmond 1 7.36x
St Anne Soho London 1 8.80x
St Mellons 1 243.90x
St Pancras London 1 0.62x
Stapleton 1 13.51x
Upwell 1 108.70x
Wiggenhall St Mary 1 212.77x
Wisbech St Peter 1 15.82x
Withcote 1 3333.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Eliza 8
Elizabeth 6
Ann 5
Sarah 5
Catherine 4
Louisa 4
Alice 3
Ellen 3
Hannah 3
Ada 2
Annie 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Jane 2
Lizzie 2
Lucy 2
Martha 2
Phoebe 2
Adelaide 1
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Betsy 1
Clara 1
Eliz.Jane 1
Elsie 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Etty 1
Eva 1
Eveline 1
Georgina 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Isabel 1
Lena 1
Lettie 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Maud 1
Polly 1
Rose 1
Rosemary 1
Serina 1
Sophia 1
Sussanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
William 12
James 8
Charles 7
Thomas 6
Frank 5
Henry 5
Francis 4
Edwin 3
Herbert 3
Robert 3
Alfred 2
Geo. 2
George 2
Samuel 2
Archibald 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
David 1
Erasmus 1
Ernest 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo 1
Geo.Ernest 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
Jabez 1
Jno.Howard 1
Jonathon 1
Joseph 1
Josh. 1
Leslie 1
Orlando 1
Percy 1
Rodney 1
Ruban 1
Septimus 1
Tertins 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Buzzard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Buzzard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 204 people were recorded with the Buzzard surname. That placed it at #12,682 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Buzzard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 399 in 2016. That gives Buzzard a modern rank of #11,902.

What does the Buzzard surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old French word "buisart," referring to a type of hawk or bird of prey.

What does the Buzzard map show?

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