NameCensus.

UK surname

Niblock

Originally a Scottish territorial surname denoting someone from the lands of East Niblock in Renfrewshire.

In the 1881 census there were 152 people recorded with the Niblock surname, ranking it #15,372 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 400, ranked #11,879, up from #15,372 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Glasgow and Bidstone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, South Somerset and Corby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Niblock is 416 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 163.2%.

1881 census count

152

Ranked #15,372

Modern count

400

2016, ranked #11,879

Peak year

2010

416 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Niblock had 152 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,372 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 400 in 2016, ranked #11,879.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 197 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Niblock surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Niblock surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Niblock 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 54 #23,577
1861 historical 63 #25,901
1881 historical 152 #15,372
1891 historical 181 #16,065
1901 historical 197 #15,272
1911 historical 109 #21,611
1997 modern 384 #11,336
1998 modern 405 #11,241
1999 modern 405 #11,344
2000 modern 390 #11,623
2001 modern 391 #11,404
2002 modern 395 #11,542
2003 modern 386 #11,544
2004 modern 399 #11,297
2005 modern 382 #11,591
2006 modern 376 #11,775
2007 modern 392 #11,550
2008 modern 387 #11,767
2009 modern 389 #11,980
2010 modern 416 #11,627
2011 modern 398 #11,907
2012 modern 386 #12,037
2013 modern 397 #11,988
2014 modern 402 #11,949
2015 modern 398 #11,949
2016 modern 400 #11,879

Geography

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Where Niblocks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Glasgow, Bidstone, Sefton and Walton-on-the-Hill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, South Somerset, Corby, Strathbungo and Kilbirnie North. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Glasgow Lanark
3 Bidstone Cheshire
4 Sefton Lancashire
5 Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 026 Shropshire
2 South Somerset 008 South Somerset
3 Corby 006 Corby
4 Strathbungo Glasgow City
5 Kilbirnie North North Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Niblock

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Niblock

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Niblock, 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 Niblock surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Niblock 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Niblock 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

Niblock is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Niblock

The surname Niblock has its origins in the Scottish Borders region, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "ni" meaning new and "block" meaning a small piece of land, possibly referring to a landholding acquired by an early bearer of the name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Niblock name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document containing the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Nibiloc" in these rolls.

During the 16th century, the spelling of the name evolved to "Nyblok" and "Niblocke" as seen in various parish records from the Scottish Borders region. This variation in spelling was common during this period due to the lack of standardized orthography.

In the 17th century, the Niblock surname began to spread beyond the Scottish Borders, with records showing families bearing the name residing in the counties of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. One notable Niblock from this time was John Niblock (1597-1662), a Presbyterian minister who served as the minister of Lasswade Parish in Midlothian.

As the Scottish diaspora took hold in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Niblock name traveled across the Atlantic to North America. In 1784, a man named William Niblock (1755-1837) emigrated from Scotland to Nova Scotia, where he became a prominent merchant and landowner.

Another remarkable figure in Niblock history was Sir Walter Niblock (1812-1887), a Scottish-born businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the textile industry in England. He was knighted for his charitable works in 1877.

The 19th century also saw the Niblock name establish roots in Australia, with records showing families settling in the colonies of New South Wales and Victoria. One such individual was James Niblock (1829-1905), a Scottish-born farmer who settled in the Riverina region of New South Wales and became a respected member of the local community.

Throughout its history, the Niblock surname has maintained a strong presence in Scotland, with notable individuals such as Robert Niblock (1870-1945), a Scottish architect who designed several prominent buildings in Glasgow, and Alastair Niblock (born 1937), a Scottish author and historian who has written extensively on the history of the Scottish Borders region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Niblock families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Niblock 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. Lancashire leads with 45 Niblocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.56x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 45 2.56x
Lanarkshire 28 5.84x
Ayrshire 14 12.62x
Middlesex 14 0.94x
Wigtownshire 8 40.63x
Dunbartonshire 7 17.57x
Cheshire 6 1.83x
East Lothian 6 30.55x
Oxfordshire 6 6.55x
Angus 5 3.64x
Renfrewshire 4 3.48x
Aberdeenshire 3 2.18x
Devon 3 0.97x
Dumfriesshire 1 3.05x
Kent 1 0.20x
Somerset 1 0.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 14 Niblocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.54x.

Place Total Index
Barony 14 11.54x
Govan 14 11.81x
Wavertree 14 248.67x
Bethnal Green London 8 12.42x
St Quivox 8 213.33x
Dumbarton 7 126.13x
Kirkdale 7 23.66x
Liverpool 7 6.55x
Birkenhead 6 23.00x
Oxford St Ebbe 6 223.05x
West Derby 6 11.66x
Yester 6 1276.60x
Everton 5 8.92x
Dundee 4 7.80x
Kilwinning 4 111.73x
Whithorn 4 266.67x
Abbey 3 17.11x
Aberdeen Old Machar 3 10.46x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 12.62x
Toxteth Park 3 5.04x
Ayr 2 38.17x
Glasserton 2 327.87x
St Pancras London 2 1.68x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 7.16x
Fulham London 1 4.65x
Lee 1 13.62x
Liff Benvie 1 4.80x
Old Luce 1 80.65x
Oldham 1 1.76x
Port Glasgow 1 18.02x
Portishead 1 56.50x
Salford 1 1.93x
St Botolph Aldgate 1 49.51x
Torthorwald 1 200.00x
Tottenham 1 4.24x
Twickenham 1 15.72x
Wigtown 1 89.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 11
George 4
James 4
John 4
Alexander 2
Joseph 2
Anthony 1
Archibald 1
David 1
Donald 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.A. 1
Fredrick 1
Henry 1
Isaiah 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 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 Niblock households.

FAQ

Niblock surname: questions and answers

How common was the Niblock surname in 1881?

In 1881, 152 people were recorded with the Niblock surname. That placed it at #15,372 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Niblock surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 400 in 2016. That gives Niblock a modern rank of #11,879.

What does the Niblock surname mean?

Originally a Scottish territorial surname denoting someone from the lands of East Niblock in Renfrewshire.

What does the Niblock map show?

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