NameCensus.

UK surname

Raisbeck

A topographic surname referring to a person living along a rushy brook or stream.

In the 1881 census there were 279 people recorded with the Raisbeck surname, ranking it #10,230 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 401, ranked #11,857, down from #10,230 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Arkengarth Dale and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bassetlaw, County Durham and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Raisbeck is 419 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.7%.

1881 census count

279

Ranked #10,230

Modern count

401

2016, ranked #11,857

Peak year

1998

419 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Raisbeck had 279 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,230 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 401 in 2016, ranked #11,857.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 385 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Raisbeck surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Raisbeck surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Raisbeck 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 229 #9,390
1861 historical 237 #10,359
1881 historical 279 #10,230
1891 historical 315 #10,669
1901 historical 375 #9,917
1911 historical 385 #9,551
1997 modern 407 #10,869
1998 modern 419 #10,992
1999 modern 415 #11,136
2000 modern 407 #11,252
2001 modern 401 #11,214
2002 modern 407 #11,294
2003 modern 380 #11,689
2004 modern 389 #11,516
2005 modern 377 #11,714
2006 modern 377 #11,743
2007 modern 370 #12,073
2008 modern 382 #11,901
2009 modern 391 #11,925
2010 modern 409 #11,783
2011 modern 401 #11,843
2012 modern 395 #11,836
2013 modern 409 #11,714
2014 modern 414 #11,708
2015 modern 416 #11,561
2016 modern 401 #11,857

Geography

Back to top

Where Raisbecks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Arkengarth Dale, London parishes, Middlesborough and Long Benton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bassetlaw, County Durham and Northumberland. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Arkengarth Dale Yorkshire, North Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Middlesborough Durham
5 Long Benton Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bassetlaw 012 Bassetlaw
2 County Durham 047 County Durham
3 County Durham 010 County Durham
4 Northumberland 021 Northumberland
5 County Durham 012 County Durham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Raisbeck

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Raisbeck

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Raisbeck, 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 Raisbeck surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Raisbeck 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, Raisbeck 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

Raisbeck is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Raisbeck falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Raisbeck

The surname Raisbeck has its origins in the German language, derived from the Old German words "raiz" meaning "to scratch" and "beck" meaning "stream". It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, possibly in the 13th or 14th century, in the regions of Germany and the Low Countries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, Germany, dating back to the 13th century. The name is mentioned in reference to a landowner named Johannes Raisbeck, who held property near the town of Meissen.

In the 15th century, records show a Raisbeck family residing in the city of Cologne, which was a prominent trading center at the time. It is possible that members of this family were involved in trade or commerce along the Rhine River, given the name's connection to a "scratched" or "marked" stream.

The name Raisbeck appears to have spread to other parts of Europe through migration and trade routes. In the 16th century, a notable figure with this surname was Hans Raisbeck, a German merchant and explorer who traveled to the Americas and documented his observations of the indigenous peoples and their cultures.

During the 17th century, the Raisbeck name can be found in historical records from the Netherlands, particularly in the cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam. One notable individual from this period was Jan Raisbeck, a Dutch painter and engraver who was born in 1620 and gained recognition for his landscapes and portraits.

As the Raisbeck family continued to spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, including Reisbeck, Reysbeck, and Raisebeck. In the 18th century, a notable figure was Johann Raisbeck, a German composer and musician who was born in 1717 and contributed to the development of classical music in his time.

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, individuals with the surname Raisbeck can be found in various parts of Europe and beyond, as migration and exploration increased. One notable individual from this period was Sir Walter Raisbeck, a British explorer and cartographer who was born in 1844 and made significant contributions to the mapping of Africa and the Middle East.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Raisbeck families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Raisbeck 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 102 Raisbecks recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.38x.

County Total Index
Durham 102 12.38x
Yorkshire 85 3.10x
Northumberland 24 5.82x
Stirlingshire 15 14.68x
Cumberland 9 3.77x
Surrey 9 0.67x
Lancashire 8 0.24x
Middlesex 8 0.29x
Essex 7 1.28x
Staffordshire 4 0.43x
Isle of Man 3 5.83x
Midlothian 3 0.81x
Sussex 3 0.64x
Cheshire 1 0.16x
Hertfordshire 1 0.52x
Lanarkshire 1 0.11x
Lincolnshire 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Middleton In Teesdale in Durham leads with 16 Raisbecks recorded in 1881 and an index of 733.95x.

Place Total Index
Middleton In Teesdale 16 733.95x
Longbenton 12 68.73x
Middlesbrough 12 33.57x
Arkengarthdale 10 1052.63x
Shildon 10 151.06x
Alston 9 204.55x
Medomsley 9 234.38x
Cockerton 8 303.03x
Slamannan 8 143.11x
Thornley 8 268.46x
Polmont 7 185.68x
Shipley 7 49.12x
Toxteth Park 7 6.29x
West Ham 7 5.80x
York St John Delpike 7 2333.33x
Benfieldside 6 110.70x
Brompton In 6 487.80x
Darlington 6 18.86x
Hunwick Helmington 6 303.03x
Middlestone 6 363.64x
Wortley In Bramley 6 27.60x
Cowpen 5 52.69x
Crawcrook 5 1162.79x
Eldon 5 381.68x
Houghton Le Spring 5 87.72x
Ovenden 5 40.92x
Rotherhithe 5 14.61x
Brackenholme Cum 4 5000.00x
Rugeley 4 59.61x
Teddington London 4 63.69x
Topcliffe 4 689.66x
Brighton 3 3.18x
Byers Green 3 128.76x
Halifax 3 7.44x
South Leith 3 7.18x
Stanghow 3 270.27x
Weetslade 3 416.67x
Beddington 2 38.31x
Bedlington 2 14.53x
Cornsay 2 90.09x
Danby Wiske 2 740.74x
Horbury 2 41.67x
Leeds 2 1.29x
Limehouse London 2 6.58x
Reeth 2 294.12x
Rushen 2 57.47x
Usworth 2 45.66x
Barony 1 0.44x
Bradford 1 1.50x
Camberwell 1 0.57x
Carthorpe 1 322.58x
Chipping Barnet 1 29.94x
Dalton In Huddersfield 1 16.26x
Forest Frith 1 138.89x
Framwellgate 1 20.49x
Hackney London 1 0.64x
Helmsley 1 68.03x
Holgate 1 185.19x
Houghton Close House 1 625.00x
Huddersfield 1 2.50x
Kirby Fleetham 1 188.68x
Kirkdale 1 1.81x
Lambeth 1 0.41x
Liscard 1 9.07x
Morpeth 1 20.62x
Newbottle 1 22.22x
Newton Cap 1 78.13x
Onchan 1 6.75x
Poplar London 1 1.91x
Sculcoates 1 2.30x
Sowerby In Thirsk 1 60.61x
Spilsby 1 70.92x
St Giles 1 19.46x
Yarm 1 70.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Elizabeth 17
Sarah 11
Ann 9
Hannah 6
Annie 5
Jane 5
Margaret 5
Martha 4
Ada 2
Charlotte 2
Elizebath 2
Ellen 2
Isabella 2
Lydia 2
Rachael 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Amy 1
Betsey 1
Betsy 1
Betty 1
Christiana 1
Deborah 1
Dorothy 1
Elizth.Jane 1
Ellenor 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Isabel 1
Lolly 1
Louise 1
Marey 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Matilda 1
Minnie 1
Nancy 1
Phoebe 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Sophia 1
Susannah 1
Sussanah 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 17
Thomas 17
Robert 16
William 16
Joseph 11
George 9
Matthew 7
Henry 6
Harry 3
James 3
Jonathan 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Benjamin 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Guy 2
Berty 1
David 1
Earnest 1
Frederick 1
J.T. 1
Jabez 1
Jas. 1
Joshua 1
Lewis 1
Matthias 1
Michael 1
Percival 1
Ralph 1
Richard 1
Tom. 1
Washington 1

FAQ

Raisbeck surname: questions and answers

How common was the Raisbeck surname in 1881?

In 1881, 279 people were recorded with the Raisbeck surname. That placed it at #10,230 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Raisbeck surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 401 in 2016. That gives Raisbeck a modern rank of #11,857.

What does the Raisbeck surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to a person living along a rushy brook or stream.

What does the Raisbeck map show?

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