NameCensus.

UK surname

Raybould

A locational surname originally denoting someone from a place likely named after a Ray tree or clearing.

In the 1881 census there were 903 people recorded with the Raybould surname, ranking it #4,223 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,121, ranked #3,049, up from #4,223 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedgley, Dudley and Rowley Regis. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dudley and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Raybould is 2,310 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 134.9%.

1881 census count

903

Ranked #4,223

Modern count

2,121

2016, ranked #3,049

Peak year

1998

2,310 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Raybould had 903 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,223 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,121 in 2016, ranked #3,049.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,948 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Raybould surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Raybould surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Raybould 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 378 #6,315
1861 historical 517 #5,061
1881 historical 903 #4,223
1891 historical 1,186 #3,616
1901 historical 1,713 #3,013
1911 historical 1,948 #2,550
1997 modern 2,246 #2,762
1998 modern 2,310 #2,796
1999 modern 2,309 #2,819
2000 modern 2,266 #2,848
2001 modern 2,224 #2,844
2002 modern 2,243 #2,874
2003 modern 2,188 #2,877
2004 modern 2,183 #2,887
2005 modern 2,099 #2,947
2006 modern 2,124 #2,921
2007 modern 2,119 #2,959
2008 modern 2,128 #2,969
2009 modern 2,139 #3,031
2010 modern 2,162 #3,066
2011 modern 2,120 #3,078
2012 modern 2,116 #3,025
2013 modern 2,154 #3,025
2014 modern 2,156 #3,049
2015 modern 2,124 #3,063
2016 modern 2,121 #3,049

Geography

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Where Rayboulds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedgley, Dudley, Rowley Regis, Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) and Kingswinford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dudley and Wakefield. 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 Sedgley Staffordshire
2 Dudley Staffordshire
3 Rowley Regis Staffordshire
4 Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) Staffordshire
5 Kingswinford Worcestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dudley 025 Dudley
2 Dudley 020 Dudley
3 Dudley 008 Dudley
4 Wakefield 027 Wakefield
5 Dudley 033 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Raybould

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Raybould

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Raybould surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Raybould household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Raybould 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

Raybould is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Raybould falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Raybould

The surname Raybould is of English origin and dates back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words 'Radge' meaning "reed" and 'bold' meaning "dwelling or house". This indicates that the name likely originated as a place name referring to someone who lived near reeds or in an area with an abundance of reeds.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Raybould can be found in the Oxfordshire region of England, where it is believed to have emerged in the 13th or 14th century. One of the earliest known references is to a William Raybold who was listed in the tax records of Oxfordshire in 1327.

The Raybould name appears in various historical documents throughout the centuries, including parish records, census records, and land registers. For example, a John Raybould was recorded as a landowner in the Warwickshire village of Nether Whitacre in the 16th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname was also present in the neighboring counties of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, suggesting that the name had spread beyond its initial origins in Oxfordshire.

One notable historical figure with the surname Raybould was Thomas Raybould (1560-1640), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the rector of Little Compton in Gloucestershire. He was known for his writings on religious and theological matters.

Another significant individual was Robert Raybould (1689-1748), an English mathematician and astronomer who made important contributions to the understanding of comets and planetary motion. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1719.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure was John Raybould (1820-1892), an industrialist and mining engineer from Gloucestershire. He played a significant role in the development of the coal mining industry in South Wales.

Other notable individuals with the surname include William Raybould (1857-1935), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Camberwell North, and Edith Raybould (1872-1954), an English artist known for her landscape paintings.

While the surname Raybould is not among the most common surnames in England, it has a rich history dating back several centuries and is closely tied to the English counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Raybould families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Raybould 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. Worcestershire leads with 374 Rayboulds recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.48x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 374 32.48x
Staffordshire 339 11.39x
Warwickshire 58 2.61x
Middlesex 37 0.42x
Lancashire 28 0.27x
Yorkshire 24 0.27x
Surrey 11 0.26x
Essex 8 0.46x
Cheshire 7 0.36x
Durham 7 0.27x
Kent 3 0.10x
Oxfordshire 2 0.37x
Derbyshire 1 0.07x
Gloucestershire 1 0.06x
Lanarkshire 1 0.04x
Royal Navy 1 0.95x
Shropshire 1 0.13x
Wiltshire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dudley in Worcestershire leads with 184 Rayboulds recorded in 1881 and an index of 131.43x.

Place Total Index
Dudley 184 131.43x
Kingswinford 121 111.95x
Sedgley 76 68.74x
Cradley 48 461.10x
Rowley Regis 44 53.04x
Gradley 29 521.58x
Aston 24 3.92x
Birmingham 24 3.24x
Lye 20 104.33x
Walsall Foreign 16 10.41x
West Bromwich 16 9.39x
Islington London 15 1.75x
Barrow In Furness 14 9.84x
Stourbridge 13 43.87x
The Hill 13 175.68x
Wolverhampton 13 5.68x
Chaddesley Corbett 12 277.78x
Tamworth 12 75.38x
Northfield 10 45.77x
Harborne 9 9.43x
Manchester 9 1.91x
Oldbury 9 15.88x
St Luke London 9 6.36x
Bilston 8 13.87x
Rawmarsh 8 25.92x
West Ham 8 2.08x
Battersea 7 2.16x
Halesowen 7 69.24x
Tranmere 7 9.78x
Rushall 6 34.25x
Belbroughton 5 83.75x
Hoyland Nether 5 23.33x
Kings Norton 5 4.84x
Leamington 5 33.92x
Rothwell 5 28.33x
Brandon Byshottles 4 12.17x
Claines 4 12.66x
Hawn 4 185.19x
Lambeth 4 0.52x
Wolstanton 4 4.42x
Amblecote 3 35.34x
Bishop Auckland 3 8.52x
Clent 3 99.34x
Droitwich St Nicholas 3 70.26x
Edgbaston 3 4.35x
Fulham London 3 2.35x
Handsworth 3 4.09x
Kensington London 3 0.61x
Upper Penn 3 40.21x
Bow London 2 1.78x
Chelsea London 2 0.75x
Eccleston In Prescot 2 3.81x
Folkestone 2 3.43x
Frankley 2 444.44x
Kenilworth 2 15.95x
Neithrop 2 10.93x
Rotherham 2 4.06x
Sculcoates 2 1.44x
Shoreditch London 2 0.52x
Tipton 2 2.19x
Warrington 2 1.61x
Bromsgrove 1 2.58x
Cannock 1 1.93x
Chesterfield 1 1.93x
Cirencester 1 4.27x
Darlaston 1 2.43x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 0.56x
Govan 1 0.14x
Hagley 1 26.88x
Kimberworth 1 2.06x
Layton With Warbreck 1 2.60x
Margate St John Baptist 1 1.82x
Oldbury 1 128.21x
Royal Navy 1 1.11x
St Pancras London 1 0.14x
Stone 1 2.63x
Wollaston 1 13.68x
Wootton Bassett 1 14.75x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 51
Joseph 40
William 38
Thomas 34
James 23
George 19
Henry 17
Samuel 16
David 15
Benjamin 13
Alfred 9
Walter 9
Frederick 8
Arthur 7
Edward 7
Charles 6
Enoch 6
Francis 6
Albert 5
Edwin 5
Josiah 5
Noah 5
Cornelius 4
Elijah 4
Jesse 4
Mark 4
Richard 4
Timothy 4
Earnest 3
Harry 3
Jeremiah 3
Marshall 3
Thos. 3
Benj. 2
Daniel 2
Edgar 2
Ernest 2
J. 2
Job 2
Louis 2
Reuben 2
Saml. 2
Simon 2
Stephen 2
Wm. 2
Crispin 1
Felix 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Jo. 1

FAQ

Raybould surname: questions and answers

How common was the Raybould surname in 1881?

In 1881, 903 people were recorded with the Raybould surname. That placed it at #4,223 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Raybould surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,121 in 2016. That gives Raybould a modern rank of #3,049.

What does the Raybould surname mean?

A locational surname originally denoting someone from a place likely named after a Ray tree or clearing.

What does the Raybould map show?

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