NameCensus.

UK surname

Newbegin

A surname indicating a new beginning, fresh start or recent arrival.

In the 1881 census there were 125 people recorded with the Newbegin surname, ranking it #17,335 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 104, ranked #30,317, down from #17,335 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Holy Trinity, Micklegate, Whitby and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, North East Lincolnshire and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Newbegin is 155 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 16.8%.

1881 census count

125

Ranked #17,335

Modern count

104

2016, ranked #30,317

Peak year

1911

155 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Newbegin had 125 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,335 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016, ranked #30,317.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 155 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Newbegin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Newbegin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Newbegin 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 96 #17,594
1861 historical 117 #18,635
1881 historical 125 #17,335
1891 historical 105 #23,241
1901 historical 101 #22,726
1911 historical 155 #17,485
1997 modern 114 #24,967
1998 modern 117 #25,190
1999 modern 118 #25,227
2000 modern 115 #25,591
2001 modern 115 #25,222
2002 modern 125 #24,492
2003 modern 124 #24,378
2004 modern 118 #25,317
2005 modern 120 #25,066
2006 modern 120 #25,269
2007 modern 125 #24,987
2008 modern 121 #25,785
2009 modern 124 #25,957
2010 modern 123 #26,728
2011 modern 117 #27,334
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 114 #28,347
2014 modern 111 #29,113
2015 modern 106 #29,895
2016 modern 104 #30,317

Geography

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Where Newbegins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Holy Trinity, Micklegate, Whitby, St Leonard Shoreditch, Ryton and Bywell St Andrew. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, North East Lincolnshire, Northumberland, Walsall and St Albans. 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 Holy Trinity, Micklegate Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Whitby Yorkshire, North Riding
3 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
4 Ryton Durham
5 Bywell St Andrew Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 008 Copeland
2 North East Lincolnshire 003 North East Lincolnshire
3 Northumberland 005 Northumberland
4 Walsall 015 Walsall
5 St Albans 006 St Albans

Forenames

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First names often paired with Newbegin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Newbegin

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Newbegin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Newbegin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Newbegin 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

Newbegin is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Newbegin falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Newbegin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Newbegin

The surname Newbegin is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the counties of Northumberland and Durham, sometime around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "neowe" meaning "new" and "bygan" meaning "to begin," suggesting that the name was initially given to someone who had recently settled in a new area or started a new endeavor.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Newbegin can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which list a certain Thomas Newbiggin from Northumberland. This spelling variation, "Newbiggin," was commonly used interchangeably with "Newbegin" in those times and likely referred to someone living in a new settlement or enclosure.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, with a reference to a Richard de Neubiggin. This spelling variation further highlights the connection between the name and the concept of a "new beginning" or a "new settlement."

During the 16th century, the name Newbegin was found in the parish records of St. Michael's Church in Alnwick, Northumberland, indicating a strong presence in that region. One notable bearer of the name from this period was John Newbegin, who was born in Alnwick around 1550 and served as a merchant and alderman in the town.

In the 17th century, the name Newbegin appears in the records of the Visitation of Yorkshire in 1665, with mentions of the Newbegin family of Hanging Heaton. One prominent member of this family was William Newbegin, born in 1620, who was a successful landowner and businessman.

The 18th century saw the name Newbegin spread to other parts of England, as well as to Scotland and Ireland. One notable figure from this period was Robert Newbegin, born in 1735 in Northumberland, who was a renowned architect and designed several churches and public buildings in the region.

Throughout its history, the surname Newbegin has also been associated with various place names, such as Newbiggin-by-the-Sea in Northumberland and Newbiggin in Durham, further reinforcing its connection to the concept of new settlements or beginnings.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Newbegin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Newbegin 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. Northumberland leads with 42 Newbegins recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.28x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 42 21.28x
Durham 30 7.60x
Yorkshire 30 2.28x
Channel Islands 10 25.44x
Middlesex 10 0.75x
Essex 6 2.29x
Lincolnshire 2 0.94x
Norfolk 2 0.98x
Surrey 2 0.31x
Devon 1 0.36x
Hampshire 1 0.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Alnwick in Northumberland leads with 11 Newbegins recorded in 1881 and an index of 324.48x.

Place Total Index
Alnwick 11 324.48x
Shoreditch London 10 17.39x
Hexham 9 295.08x
Trinity 8 879.12x
Ryton 7 503.60x
Scarborough 7 58.58x
Whitby 7 158.01x
York Holy Trinity 7 614.04x
Broomhaugh 6 6000.00x
Coundon Grange 6 689.66x
Coxlodge 6 400.00x
West Ham 6 10.38x
Bishopwearmouth 5 14.76x
Stranton 5 37.62x
Westgate 5 40.92x
Hartlepool 4 71.30x
Humshaugh 4 1818.18x
Lebberston 4 5714.29x
Ackworth 2 198.02x
Norwich St Andrew 2 571.43x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 7.49x
St Helier 2 15.63x
Sutton St Mary 2 99.50x
Washington 2 121.21x
Aldershot 1 10.98x
Elswick 1 6.35x
Falsgrave 1 51.55x
Guisbrough 1 34.84x
Lythe 1 192.31x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 4.70x
Wingate 1 36.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Elizabeth 7
Jane 5
Sarah 4
Emma 3
Margaret 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Bell 2
Emily 2
Rachel 2
Sophia 2
Susannah 2
Anne 1
Chatharine 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizh. 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Harritt 1
Hilda 1
Josephine 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Marina 1
Marion 1
Martha 1
Maude 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Susan 1
Ursula 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Edward 10
John 8
George 6
William 6
Joseph 5
Charles 4
Thomas 3
Alfred 2
Ralph 2
Reuben 2
Arthur 1
David 1
Donald 1
Edwd.J. 1
Ernest 1
Frederic 1
Horatio 1
James 1
Jos. 1
Lesslie 1
Napoleon 1
Robert 1
Robt.W. 1
Wheaton 1
Yeoman 1

FAQ

Newbegin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Newbegin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 125 people were recorded with the Newbegin surname. That placed it at #17,335 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Newbegin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016. That gives Newbegin a modern rank of #30,317.

What does the Newbegin surname mean?

A surname indicating a new beginning, fresh start or recent arrival.

What does the Newbegin map show?

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