NameCensus.

UK surname

Firbank

In the 1881 census there were 201 people recorded with the Firbank surname, ranking it #12,791 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 200, ranked #19,591, down from #12,791 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Auckland St Andrew. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Redcar and Cleveland and Harrogate.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Firbank is 250 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.5%.

1881 census count

201

Ranked #12,791

Modern count

200

2016, ranked #19,591

Peak year

1911

250 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Firbank had 201 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,791 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 200 in 2016, ranked #19,591.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 250 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Firbank surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Firbank surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Firbank 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 145 #13,223
1861 historical 128 #17,375
1881 historical 201 #12,791
1891 historical 216 #14,107
1901 historical 219 #14,292
1911 historical 250 #12,918
1997 modern 242 #15,597
1998 modern 237 #16,272
1999 modern 235 #16,458
2000 modern 237 #16,331
2001 modern 237 #16,048
2002 modern 239 #16,332
2003 modern 219 #17,085
2004 modern 222 #17,020
2005 modern 219 #17,126
2006 modern 219 #17,254
2007 modern 219 #17,425
2008 modern 226 #17,238
2009 modern 224 #17,685
2010 modern 234 #17,544
2011 modern 227 #17,733
2012 modern 217 #18,184
2013 modern 211 #18,872
2014 modern 207 #19,259
2015 modern 208 #19,085
2016 modern 200 #19,591

Geography

Back to top

Where Firbanks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Auckland St Andrew, Leeds and Guisborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, Redcar and Cleveland, Harrogate and Hillingdon. 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 Auckland St Andrew Durham
4 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Guisborough Yorkshire, North Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 006 Doncaster
2 Redcar and Cleveland 016 Redcar and Cleveland
3 Harrogate 011 Harrogate
4 Hillingdon 027 Hillingdon
5 Doncaster 008 Doncaster

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Firbank

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Firbank

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Firbank, 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 Firbank surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Firbank 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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Firbank is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Firbank is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Firbank falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Firbank families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Firbank 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. Durham leads with 74 Firbanks recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.69x.

County Total Index
Durham 74 12.69x
Yorkshire 45 2.32x
Sussex 15 4.54x
Lincolnshire 11 3.51x
Cambridgeshire 10 8.05x
Essex 8 2.07x
Monmouthshire 8 5.64x
Warwickshire 8 1.62x
Lancashire 6 0.26x
Suffolk 4 1.68x
Surrey 4 0.42x
Gloucestershire 3 0.78x
Middlesex 3 0.15x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.38x
Staffordshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gateshead in Durham leads with 19 Firbanks recorded in 1881 and an index of 43.51x.

Place Total Index
Gateshead 19 43.51x
Guisbrough 15 352.94x
Escomb 14 522.39x
Leeds 11 10.03x
Washingborough 11 2244.90x
Christchurch 8 182.65x
Rugby 8 119.58x
West Hoathly 8 769.23x
East Grinstead 7 149.57x
Lynesack Softley 7 443.04x
Cottenham 6 363.64x
Holbeck 6 46.62x
Salford 6 8.77x
Shildon 6 127.93x
Walworth 5 4166.67x
Witton Le Wear 5 303.03x
Camberwell 4 3.19x
Crook Billy Row 4 53.55x
Hunslet 4 13.21x
North Bedburn 4 245.40x
St Andrewthe Less 4 28.19x
Belchamp St Paul 3 625.00x
Cavendish 3 389.61x
Cheltenham 3 10.11x
Westoe 3 9.07x
Belchamp Otten 2 909.09x
Cockerton 2 106.95x
Escrick 2 500.00x
Purleigh 2 344.83x
West Auckland 2 93.90x
Acton 1 8.70x
Evenwood Barony 1 50.51x
Great Edstone 1 1250.00x
Hamsterley 1 303.03x
Holbeck 1 588.24x
Holy Trinity 1 2.14x
Hornsea 1 81.30x
Islington London 1 0.53x
Lastingham 1 833.33x
Middlesbrough 1 3.95x
Navestock 1 178.57x
Rushall 1 25.71x
Sudbury St Peter 1 76.34x
Terrington With 1 263.16x
Tudhoe 1 19.61x
Westminster St Margaret 1 10.57x
York Minster Yard W 1 222.22x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 22
Sarah 7
Alice 6
Elizabeth 6
Annie 5
Hannah 5
Margaret 5
Ann 4
Jane 4
Martha 4
Ellen 3
Esther 3
Florence 3
Clara 2
Eleanor 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Louisa 2
Susanna 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Bridget 1
Catharine 1
Ceilia 1
Charlott 1
Charlotte 1
Clare 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizibth. 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Isabella 1
Katherine 1
Lillian 1
Maud 1
Minnie 1
Rosana 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 16
Joseph 9
Thomas 8
William 6
Charles 5
Walter 5
George 4
Ralph 3
Robert 3
Thos. 3
Benjamin 2
Christopher 2
James 2
Peter 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Chas.E. 1
Clara 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Godfrey 1
Henry 1
Isaac 1
M.Edward 1
Matthew 1
Percy 1
Samuel 1
Spencer 1
Stanley 1
Theodore 1

FAQ

Firbank surname: questions and answers

How common was the Firbank surname in 1881?

In 1881, 201 people were recorded with the Firbank surname. That placed it at #12,791 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Firbank surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 200 in 2016. That gives Firbank a modern rank of #19,591.

What does the Firbank map show?

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