NameCensus.

UK surname

Rainbird

In the 1881 census there were 495 people recorded with the Rainbird surname, ranking it #6,826 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 655, ranked #8,123, down from #6,826 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes and South Weald. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ipswich, East Riding of Yorkshire and Castle Point.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rainbird is 743 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.3%.

1881 census count

495

Ranked #6,826

Modern count

655

2016, ranked #8,123

Peak year

1999

743 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rainbird had 495 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,826 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 655 in 2016, ranked #8,123.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 689 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Rainbird surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rainbird surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rainbird 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 252 #8,733
1861 historical 208 #11,642
1881 historical 495 #6,826
1891 historical 515 #7,249
1901 historical 567 #7,374
1911 historical 689 #6,159
1997 modern 707 #7,191
1998 modern 728 #7,266
1999 modern 743 #7,198
2000 modern 731 #7,251
2001 modern 728 #7,134
2002 modern 716 #7,377
2003 modern 697 #7,403
2004 modern 695 #7,450
2005 modern 675 #7,556
2006 modern 672 #7,607
2007 modern 651 #7,857
2008 modern 652 #7,902
2009 modern 662 #7,960
2010 modern 669 #8,068
2011 modern 656 #8,094
2012 modern 659 #7,987
2013 modern 666 #8,058
2014 modern 674 #8,018
2015 modern 661 #8,092
2016 modern 655 #8,123

Geography

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Where Rainbirds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes, South Weald, St Mary Islington and Doddinghurst. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ipswich, East Riding of Yorkshire, Castle Point, Chelmsford and Mid Suffolk. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 South Weald Essex
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 Doddinghurst Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ipswich 016 Ipswich
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 032 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Castle Point 003 Castle Point
4 Chelmsford 003 Chelmsford
5 Mid Suffolk 009 Mid Suffolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rainbird

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rainbird

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Rainbird surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Rainbird household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Rainbird is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rainbird 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

Rainbird 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 Rainbird is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Rainbird families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rainbird 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. Essex leads with 191 Rainbirds recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.96x.

County Total Index
Essex 191 19.96x
Middlesex 108 2.23x
Suffolk 53 8.98x
Hertfordshire 42 12.57x
Surrey 33 1.40x
Kent 20 1.21x
Norfolk 9 1.21x
Lincolnshire 8 1.03x
Sussex 8 0.98x
Yorkshire 6 0.12x
Warwickshire 4 0.33x
Hampshire 3 0.30x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.65x
Northamptonshire 2 0.44x
Bedfordshire 1 0.40x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.34x
Cheshire 1 0.09x
Devon 1 0.10x
Lancashire 1 0.02x
Northumberland 1 0.14x
Royal Navy 1 1.73x
Staffordshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. South Weald in Essex leads with 51 Rainbirds recorded in 1881 and an index of 621.95x.

Place Total Index
South Weald 51 621.95x
Islington London 25 5.32x
Shoreditch London 18 8.56x
Croydon 12 9.15x
Great Holland 12 1791.04x
Walthamstow 12 34.84x
Barking 11 359.48x
Great Hallingbury 11 1057.69x
Deptford St Paul 10 7.84x
Edmonton 10 25.60x
Gilston 10 2222.22x
Kelvedon Hatch 10 1612.90x
Kirton 10 952.38x
West Ham 10 4.73x
Broxbourne 9 135.95x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 9 81.23x
Doddinghurst 9 1323.53x
Roxwell 9 666.67x
Stapleford Abbots 9 1097.56x
Bermondsey 8 5.54x
Bishop Stortford 8 71.68x
Limehouse London 8 15.03x
Saxelby With Ingleby 8 404.04x
Chelsea London 7 4.79x
Findon 7 593.22x
Hambledon 7 280.00x
Romford 7 46.27x
Whitwell 7 985.92x
Brentwood 6 102.92x
Mile End Old Town 6 7.84x
Stonham Earl 6 571.43x
Abbots Roothing 5 1315.79x
Berners Roothing 5 3571.43x
Leyton Low 5 25.71x
Lofthouse 5 69.74x
Tottenham 5 6.48x
Widford 5 588.24x
Woodford 5 46.17x
Writtle 5 127.88x
Aston 4 1.19x
Bury St Edmunds St James 4 25.36x
Lee 4 16.65x
Lowestoft 4 14.34x
Plumstead 4 7.25x
Wormley 4 327.87x
Chigwell 3 33.22x
Enfield 3 9.43x
Guildford Friary 3 405.41x
Hampstead London 3 3.97x
Hornsey 3 4.89x
Little Ilford 3 181.82x
South Ockendon 3 151.52x
St George In East 3 9.10x
St Marylebone London 3 1.16x
Stanstead Abbots 3 147.78x
Westminster St 3 16.79x
Abthorpe 2 263.16x
All Hallows London 2 555.56x
Heigham 2 5.00x
Hepworth 2 227.27x
Newton 2 168.07x
St Mary At Hill London 2 588.24x
St Pancras London 2 0.51x
St Peter Cheesehill 2 141.84x
Alverstoke 1 2.78x
Aythorpe Roothing 1 250.00x
Bethnal Green London 1 0.47x
Bishops Tawton 1 31.75x
Dovercourt 1 29.67x
Grays Thurrock 1 11.25x
Hatfield Peverel 1 48.31x
Havering 1 135.14x
Ipswich St Margaret 1 4.99x
Ipswich St Peter 1 12.58x
Nacton 1 116.28x
Newport Pagnell 1 16.31x
Sawbridgeworth 1 19.76x
Tipton 1 2.00x
Tonbridge 1 1.68x
Westminster St John 1 1.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 27
Mary 23
Elizabeth 18
Emma 13
Ellen 12
Emily 12
Eliza 9
Martha 8
Ann 7
Charlotte 7
Edith 7
Alice 6
Susan 5
Annie 4
Catherine 4
Fanny 4
Florence 4
Jane 4
Minnie 4
Agnes 3
Anne 3
Harriet 3
Maria 3
Sophia 3
Ada 2
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Ethel 2
Flora 2
Frances 2
Jessie 2
Laura 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Marion 2
Matilda 2
Minica 2
Rose 2
Selina 2
Carry 1
Emna 1
Emne 1
Esther 1
Evelyn 1
Jesse 1
Julia 1
Lilian 1
Lillian 1
Lizzie 1
Victoria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 33
John 23
George 18
Thomas 17
Charles 13
Henry 12
James 11
Arthur 10
Walter 10
Samuel 9
Alfred 7
Frederick 7
Ernest 6
Albert 4
Harry 4
Herbert 4
Joseph 4
Daniel 3
Edward 3
Frank 3
Isaac 3
Richard 3
Wm. 3
Benjamin 2
Geo. 2
Jessee 2
Robert 2
Sidney 2
Andrew 1
Bilby 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Edwd. 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Harvey 1
Horace 1
Jonathan 1
Laurence 1
Lawrence 1
Leonard 1
Percival 1
Steven 1
Tom 1
Wiliam 1
Zachariah 1

FAQ

Rainbird surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rainbird surname in 1881?

In 1881, 495 people were recorded with the Rainbird surname. That placed it at #6,826 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rainbird surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 655 in 2016. That gives Rainbird a modern rank of #8,123.

What does the Rainbird map show?

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