NameCensus.

UK surname

Newburn

A toponymic surname derived from a location meaning "new town" or "new village."

In the 1881 census there were 99 people recorded with the Newburn surname, ranking it #19,877 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 173, ranked #21,561, down from #19,877 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Calderdale, Kirklees and Fylde.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Newburn is 179 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 74.7%.

1881 census count

99

Ranked #19,877

Modern count

173

2016, ranked #21,561

Peak year

2011

179 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Newburn had 99 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,877 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 173 in 2016, ranked #21,561.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 99 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Newburn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Newburn surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Newburn 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 31 #27,734
1861 historical 74 #24,370
1881 historical 99 #19,877
1891 historical 92 #25,109
1901 historical 86 #24,508
1911 historical 96 #23,193
1997 modern 160 #20,259
1998 modern 164 #20,505
1999 modern 170 #20,153
2000 modern 171 #20,044
2001 modern 159 #20,710
2002 modern 160 #21,011
2003 modern 165 #20,401
2004 modern 155 #21,352
2005 modern 155 #21,318
2006 modern 161 #20,972
2007 modern 165 #20,893
2008 modern 163 #21,238
2009 modern 166 #21,469
2010 modern 174 #21,259
2011 modern 179 #20,732
2012 modern 176 #20,915
2013 modern 178 #21,108
2014 modern 176 #21,413
2015 modern 176 #21,291
2016 modern 173 #21,561

Geography

Back to top

Where Newburns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Calderdale, Kirklees and Fylde. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Calderdale 018 Calderdale
2 Calderdale 008 Calderdale
3 Kirklees 027 Kirklees
4 Fylde 008 Fylde
5 Calderdale 005 Calderdale

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Newburn

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Newburn

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

Newburn is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Newburn falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Newburn

The surname Newburn is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "neowe" meaning new and "burna" meaning a stream or brook. It is believed to have originated as a place name referring to a new settlement or village near a newly established stream or river.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Newburn can be traced back to the late 12th century in the county of Northumberland, England. In the Pipe Rolls of 1195, there is a reference to a person named Richard de Neuburn, indicating the surname was in use by that time.

In the 13th century, there are records of the surname Newburn in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland from 1256, where a John de Neuburne is mentioned. This suggests the surname was well-established in the region by the mid-13th century.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Newburn was Sir Thomas Newburn, who lived in the late 14th century and served as a knight during the reign of King Richard II. He was granted lands in Northumberland for his service.

Another notable figure was William Newburn, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of York in the late 15th century. He was born around 1450 and served as the Lord Mayor of York in 1489.

In the 16th century, there are records of a Thomas Newburn, who was a Member of Parliament for the borough of Aldborough in Yorkshire between 1558 and 1559.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Captain John Newburn is mentioned in historical accounts for his participation in the Battle of Newburn Ford in 1640, a significant early engagement of the conflict.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Newburn in North America can be found in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the late 17th century, where a John Newburn is listed as a freeman in 1690.

These are just a few examples of individuals bearing the surname Newburn throughout history, highlighting its English origins and its presence across various regions and time periods.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Newburn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Newburn 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. Yorkshire leads with 18 Newburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.88x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 18 1.88x
Lincolnshire 15 9.72x
Middlesex 12 1.24x
Cheshire 10 4.69x
Kent 10 3.04x
Staffordshire 9 2.76x
Hampshire 7 3.54x
Essex 5 2.62x
Durham 4 1.39x
Hertfordshire 2 3.01x
Nottinghamshire 2 1.54x
Surrey 2 0.43x
Angus 1 1.12x
Lancashire 1 0.09x
Somerset 1 0.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chatham in Kent leads with 9 Newburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 99.34x.

Place Total Index
Chatham 9 99.34x
Stone 9 215.83x
Birkenhead 7 41.20x
Hound 7 522.39x
Ingleby Barwick 7 17500.00x
Wildsworth 6 15000.00x
West Ham 5 11.88x
Harrow On The Hill 4 207.25x
Eastoft 3 1500.00x
Halifax 3 21.35x
Lymm 3 193.55x
St Nicholas Lincoln 3 202.70x
Barlby 2 1176.47x
Bishopwearmouth 2 8.11x
Hipperholme Cum 2 47.62x
Nottingham St Mary 2 5.94x
Paddington London 2 5.63x
Watford 2 38.76x
Barton St Mary 1 129.87x
Bermondsey 1 3.48x
Bishop Auckland 1 25.97x
Canterbury Holy Cross 1 312.50x
Dundee 1 2.99x
Huddersfield 1 7.17x
Islington London 1 1.07x
Lambeth 1 1.19x
Laughton In Gainsborough 1 1000.00x
Manchester 1 1.94x
Marske In Guisbrough 1 58.82x
North Curry 1 188.68x
Sculcoates 1 6.59x
Sheffield 1 3.28x
Spalding 1 32.68x
St Dunstan In West 1 476.19x
St Pancras London 1 1.29x
Stockton On Tees 1 7.22x
Stoke Newington London 1 13.30x
Tottenham 1 6.50x
Willesden 1 10.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 9
Elizabeth 6
Ann 5
Hannah 5
Mary 3
Ada 2
Eliza 2
Helen 2
Isabella 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Alice 1
Amy 1
Betsey 1
Charlotte 1
Clarissa 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Emily 1
Harriet 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Lucy 1
Maggie 1
Milalda 1
S.Or 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
James 5
John 5
George 3
Henry 3
Edward 2
Thomas 2
Abraham 1
Adam 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Charles 1
Chilton 1
Frederick 1
Georg 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Lancelot 1
Ralph 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Newburn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Newburn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 99 people were recorded with the Newburn surname. That placed it at #19,877 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Newburn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 173 in 2016. That gives Newburn a modern rank of #21,561.

What does the Newburn surname mean?

A toponymic surname derived from a location meaning "new town" or "new village."

What does the Newburn map show?

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