NameCensus.

UK surname

Byer

An occupational surname referring to someone who dwelled near or worked at a barn or cowshed.

In the 1881 census there were 50 people recorded with the Byer surname, ranking it #26,587 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 129, ranked #26,270, up from #26,587 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Eccles and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stobswell, Ealing and South Oxfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Byer is 153 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 158.0%.

1881 census count

50

Ranked #26,587

Modern count

129

2016, ranked #26,270

Peak year

1998

153 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Byer had 50 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,587 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016, ranked #26,270.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 128 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Byer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Byer surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Byer 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 24 #29,038
1861 historical 128 #17,375
1881 historical 50 #26,587
1891 historical 67 #28,424
1901 historical 66 #26,794
1911 historical 66 #26,249
1997 modern 152 #20,948
1998 modern 153 #21,387
1999 modern 152 #21,636
2000 modern 147 #22,081
2001 modern 138 #22,647
2002 modern 140 #22,876
2003 modern 114 #25,664
2004 modern 120 #25,078
2005 modern 118 #25,301
2006 modern 116 #25,813
2007 modern 116 #26,209
2008 modern 118 #26,212
2009 modern 132 #24,929
2010 modern 131 #25,656
2011 modern 123 #26,512
2012 modern 130 #25,559
2013 modern 128 #26,336
2014 modern 132 #25,971
2015 modern 130 #26,093
2016 modern 129 #26,270

Geography

Back to top

Where Byers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Eccles, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Newport Pagnell and Ware (Ware). Hertford St John, Hertford All Saints. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stobswell, Ealing, South Oxfordshire, Shepway and Leicester. 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 Eccles Lancashire
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Newport Pagnell Buckinghamshire
5 Ware (Ware). Hertford St John, Hertford All Saints Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stobswell Dundee City
2 Ealing 021 Ealing
3 South Oxfordshire 008 South Oxfordshire
4 Shepway 015 Shepway
5 Leicester 030 Leicester

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Byer

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Byer

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Byer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Byer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Byer 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

Byer 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

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

Meaning and origin of Byer

The surname Byer originates from Germany, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old German words "bur" or "bure," meaning a rural house or dwelling. The name likely referred to someone who lived in a small rural settlement or village.

In the medieval period, the name Byer was concentrated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. Early variations of the spelling included Bur, Bure, Byer, and Buhre. The name first appeared in official records in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 1286, referring to a man named Hans Byer.

The Byer name can be found in several historical documents from the Middle Ages. One notable example is the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval Saxon charters, which mentions a landowner named Konrad Byer in 1352. Another early reference is in the Würzburg Diocesan Records of 1417, which lists a clergyman called Johann Byer.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Byer surname was Peter Byer, a merchant from Augsburg who lived from 1440 to 1509. He is mentioned in several trade records from the time and is believed to have been involved in the lucrative spice trade with Italy and the Levant.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Byer (1490-1556) was a prominent Lutheran theologian and reformer in Saxony. He worked closely with Martin Luther and played a key role in the spread of the Protestant Reformation in Germany.

Another historically significant Byer was Johann Byer (1625-1677), a German baroque composer and organist from Nuremberg. He is best known for his sacred choral works and organ compositions, which were highly influential in the development of German church music.

During the 18th century, a German family named Byer became prominent landowners and nobles in the region of Silesia (now part of Poland). The most notable member of this family was Count Friedrich von Byer (1724-1798), a Prussian statesman and military officer who served under Frederick the Great.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Byer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Byer 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. Derbyshire leads with 10 Byers recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.10x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 10 13.10x
Middlesex 10 2.05x
Durham 8 5.52x
Angus 7 15.50x
Surrey 5 2.10x
Lancashire 4 0.69x
Glamorgan 2 2.36x
Yorkshire 2 0.41x
Cambridgeshire 1 3.24x
Suffolk 1 1.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dawdon in Durham leads with 8 Byers recorded in 1881 and an index of 449.44x.

Place Total Index
Dawdon 8 449.44x
Dundee 7 41.52x
Shipley 7 5833.33x
Bethnal Green London 5 23.61x
Newington 4 22.21x
Ilkeston 3 140.19x
Headingley Cum Burley 2 64.31x
Liverpool 2 5.69x
Merthyr Tydfil 2 24.51x
St George Hanover Square 2 23.28x
St George In East London 2 43.57x
Wigan 2 24.72x
Bury St Edmunds St James 1 62.89x
St Botolph Aldersgate 1 178.57x
Sutton 1 58.14x
Wood Ditton 1 384.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 4
Mary 3
Alice 1
Caroline 1
Elizth 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Hellen 1
Isabell 1
Jemima 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Marie 1
Marth 1
Martha 1
Milicent 1
Nelie 1
Patience 1
Rebecca 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 3
George 3
John 3
Henry 2
James 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
William 1
Wm. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Byer households.

FAQ

Byer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Byer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 50 people were recorded with the Byer surname. That placed it at #26,587 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Byer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016. That gives Byer a modern rank of #26,270.

What does the Byer surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who dwelled near or worked at a barn or cowshed.

What does the Byer map show?

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