NameCensus.

UK surname

Bycroft

A locational surname referring to someone from a small village or farm.

In the 1881 census there were 294 people recorded with the Bycroft surname, ranking it #9,859 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 236, ranked #17,470, down from #9,859 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lincoln St Botolph, Hull Holy Trinity and Spilsby, West Keal, Stickford, Lusby (incl. Lusby allotments). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Calderdale, Sheffield and Hambleton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bycroft is 337 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 19.7%.

1881 census count

294

Ranked #9,859

Modern count

236

2016, ranked #17,470

Peak year

1911

337 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bycroft had 294 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,859 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 236 in 2016, ranked #17,470.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 337 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Bycroft surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bycroft surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bycroft 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 234 #9,241
1861 historical 267 #9,290
1881 historical 294 #9,859
1891 historical 319 #10,563
1901 historical 296 #11,749
1911 historical 337 #10,547
1997 modern 256 #15,034
1998 modern 251 #15,631
1999 modern 238 #16,308
2000 modern 239 #16,239
2001 modern 237 #16,048
2002 modern 235 #16,495
2003 modern 230 #16,549
2004 modern 233 #16,471
2005 modern 219 #17,126
2006 modern 213 #17,563
2007 modern 211 #17,856
2008 modern 221 #17,495
2009 modern 229 #17,431
2010 modern 243 #17,100
2011 modern 242 #17,001
2012 modern 240 #16,979
2013 modern 233 #17,606
2014 modern 239 #17,429
2015 modern 239 #17,322
2016 modern 236 #17,470

Geography

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Where Bycrofts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lincoln St Botolph, Hull Holy Trinity, Spilsby, West Keal, Stickford, Lusby (incl. Lusby allotments), St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Calderdale, Sheffield, Hambleton and North Lincolnshire. 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 Lincoln St Botolph Lincolnshire
2 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
3 Spilsby, West Keal, Stickford, Lusby (incl. Lusby allotments) Lincolnshire
4 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Calderdale 024 Calderdale
2 Sheffield 014 Sheffield
3 Hambleton 010 Hambleton
4 North Lincolnshire 015 North Lincolnshire
5 Calderdale 023 Calderdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bycroft

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bycroft

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Bycroft surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Bycroft household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Bycroft is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bycroft is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bycroft 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 Bycroft 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 Bycroft, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bycroft

The surname Bycroft is of English origin, originating from the county of Somerset in the southwest of England during the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from the place name Bycroft, which is composed of the Old English words "byce" meaning a ridge or hill, and "croft" meaning a small enclosed field or paddock.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Bycroft can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from the late 13th century. In these records, the name appears as "de Bycroft," indicating that the original bearers of the name likely resided in or near the area known as Bycroft.

One notable early reference to the name Bycroft can be found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327, where a John de Bycroft is listed as a taxpayer in the village of Croscombe, Somerset. This suggests that the Bycroft family had established roots in the region by the early 14th century.

As the surname Bycroft spread across England, various spellings emerged, including Bycraft, Bycrafte, and Bycrofte. These variations reflect the lack of standardized spelling conventions in earlier times, as well as regional dialects and scribal interpretations.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Bycroft, including:

1. Sir John Bycroft (1545-1612), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Somerset during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. 2. Robert Bycroft (1632-1688), a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Antigua from 1678 to 1681. 3. Elizabeth Bycroft (1734-1816), an English diarist and author whose personal writings provide valuable insights into the daily life of the Georgian era. 4. William Bycroft (1789-1867), a British explorer and surveyor who contributed to the mapping of Australia's coastline in the early 19th century. 5. Benjamin Bycroft (1857-1934), an English architect renowned for his work on several notable buildings in London, including the Old Bailey and the former Bankruptcy Court on Carey Street.

While the surname Bycroft is not among the most common surnames today, it has a rich history that can be traced back to its origins in the rural landscapes of medieval Somerset, where the Bycroft family likely resided near a ridge or hill with an enclosed field or paddock.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bycroft families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bycroft 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. Lincolnshire leads with 126 Bycrofts recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.29x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 126 27.29x
Yorkshire 86 3.01x
Norfolk 15 3.38x
Nottinghamshire 14 3.60x
Lancashire 10 0.29x
Cambridgeshire 9 4.92x
Middlesex 7 0.24x
Warwickshire 7 0.96x
Cheshire 6 0.94x
Surrey 3 0.21x
Bedfordshire 2 1.34x
Channel Islands 2 2.34x
Durham 2 0.23x
Northumberland 2 0.47x
Derbyshire 1 0.22x
Hampshire 1 0.17x
Midlothian 1 0.26x
Somerset 1 0.22x
Sussex 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holy Trinity in Yorkshire leads with 13 Bycrofts recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.89x.

Place Total Index
Holy Trinity 13 18.89x
Stickford 10 2083.33x
Wells Next Sea 10 386.10x
Burwell 9 5625.00x
Wisbech St Peter 9 98.15x
Birmingham 7 2.88x
Horncastle 7 147.06x
Linthorpe 7 41.01x
Nottingham St Mary 7 6.95x
Congleton 6 54.50x
Halifax 6 14.29x
Holy Trinity St Mary 6 137.61x
Nether Hallam 6 15.50x
North Willingham 6 2857.14x
Osbournby 6 1224.49x
Rastrick 6 75.47x
Sheffield 6 6.59x
Spalding 6 65.50x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 6 92.45x
Wildmore 6 1000.00x
York St Nicholas In 6 372.67x
Eccleshill 5 71.84x
Fleet 5 378.79x
Langton By Horncastle 5 1724.14x
Sculcoates 5 11.02x
St Mary Magdalen Lincoln 5 806.45x
Swaby 5 1219.51x
Ardwick 4 12.95x
Barnsley 4 13.55x
Clarborough 4 137.46x
Frampton 4 459.77x
Baildon 3 55.66x
Boston 3 21.41x
Camberwell 3 1.63x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 5.51x
Doncaster 3 14.35x
Donington 3 180.72x
Norwich St Martin At Oak 3 111.11x
Thimbleby 3 967.74x
Wainfleet St Mary 3 428.57x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 2 7.50x
Bassingthorpe 2 1538.46x
Bedford St Paul 2 19.51x
Hampstead London 2 4.45x
Heckmondwike 2 21.74x
Hornsey 2 5.48x
Hundleby 2 322.58x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 2 15.00x
Little Woolton 2 202.02x
South Reston 2 833.33x
St Nicholas Lincoln 2 45.35x
Tealby 2 307.69x
Thornton 2 1052.63x
Tothill 2 4000.00x
West Ashby 2 512.82x
Westoe 2 4.11x
Whaplode 2 127.39x
Worksop 2 17.33x
Authorpe 1 625.00x
Beverley St Martin 1 20.92x
Bourn 1 26.81x
Chorlton Cum Hardy 1 44.05x
Cranwell 1 500.00x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 1.72x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 13.14x
Fenton 1 285.71x
Holgate 1 178.57x
Hove 1 4.68x
Huddersfield 1 2.40x
Market Rasen 1 38.76x
Metheringham 1 54.35x
Nettleham 1 105.26x
Paddington London 1 0.94x
Sibsey 1 96.15x
Skegness 1 75.76x
Skendleby 1 370.37x
St Peter Port 1 6.32x
St Swithin Lincoln 1 13.77x
Swineshead 1 65.79x
Thornton In Bradford 1 10.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 20
John 13
Charles 9
George 9
Joseph 8
Edward 7
Richard 7
Henry 6
Thomas 6
James 5
Arthur 3
Robert 3
Benjamin 2
Frederick 2
Fredrick 2
Horatio 2
Tom 2
Benjiman 1
Claude 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fredk.John 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Leslie 1
Louth 1
Martin 1
Michael 1
Reuben 1
Robt. 1
Samuel 1
Seth 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Bycroft surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bycroft surname in 1881?

In 1881, 294 people were recorded with the Bycroft surname. That placed it at #9,859 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bycroft surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 236 in 2016. That gives Bycroft a modern rank of #17,470.

What does the Bycroft surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a small village or farm.

What does the Bycroft map show?

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