NameCensus.

UK surname

Rebecca

A feminine surname derived from the Hebrew name Rivka, meaning "to tie" or "to bind".

In the 1881 census there were 33 people recorded with the Rebecca surname, ranking it #28,965 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 157, ranked #23,006, up from #28,965 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Banchory-Devenick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kincorth, Leggart and Nigg North, Rosehearty and Strathbeg and Hillside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rebecca is 157 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 375.8%.

1881 census count

33

Ranked #28,965

Modern count

157

2016, ranked #23,006

Peak year

2016

157 bearers

Map years

2

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rebecca had 33 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,965 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 157 in 2016, ranked #23,006.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 101 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rebecca surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rebecca surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rebecca 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 49 #24,448
1861 historical 101 #20,955
1881 historical 33 #28,965
1891 historical 38 #31,330
1901 historical 45 #29,156
1911 historical 57 #27,099
1997 modern 69 #30,712
1998 modern 69 #31,076
1999 modern 69 #31,223
2000 modern 76 #30,578
2001 modern 70 #31,016
2002 modern 76 #30,830
2003 modern 68 #31,689
2004 modern 71 #31,578
2005 modern 79 #30,950
2006 modern 82 #30,933
2007 modern 82 #31,295
2008 modern 82 #31,597
2009 modern 89 #31,235
2010 modern 91 #31,497
2011 modern 96 #30,721
2012 modern 124 #26,432
2013 modern 140 #24,779
2014 modern 142 #24,734
2015 modern 139 #24,956
2016 modern 157 #23,006

Geography

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Where Rebeccas are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Banchory-Devenick and Peterculter. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kincorth, Leggart and Nigg North, Rosehearty and Strathbeg, Hillside, Aboyne and South Deeside and Bucksburn North. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Banchory-Devenick Kincardine
5 Peterculter Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kincorth, Leggart and Nigg North Aberdeen City
2 Rosehearty and Strathbeg Aberdeenshire
3 Hillside Angus
4 Aboyne and South Deeside Aberdeenshire
5 Bucksburn North Aberdeen City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rebecca

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rebecca

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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, Rebecca 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

Rebecca 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

Rebecca 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 Rebecca 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
Other Ethnic Group

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

Meaning and origin of Rebecca

The surname "REBECCA" is not a surname in the traditional sense, but rather the feminine given name Rebecca. It is derived from the Hebrew name "Rivkah," which means "to tie," "to bind," or "to secure." The name is thought to have originated in ancient Israel, and is first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as the name of the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau.

Despite its origins as a given name, there are historical records of individuals who adopted "Rebecca" as a surname. One of the earliest recorded instances is in the 16th century, when a Jewish woman named Rebecca Abravanel, born in Spain in 1474, used "Rebecca" as her surname after being forced to convert to Christianity during the Spanish Inquisition.

Another notable individual with the surname "Rebecca" was Rebecca Gratz, born in 1781 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Gratz was a prominent Jewish educator and philanthropist who founded several charitable organizations and advocated for the education of Jewish children.

In the 19th century, there are records of a family named "Rebecca" living in the town of Bampton, Oxfordshire, England. The family is believed to have adopted the surname as a variation of the more common surname "Rebekah," which is also derived from the Hebrew name.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname "Rebecca" in England was William Rebecca, born in 1815 in the village of Combe St. Nicholas, Somerset. He was a farmer and landowner, and his descendants continued to use the surname in the surrounding areas.

In the United States, there are records of a family named "Rebecca" living in Virginia in the late 18th century. One member of this family, John Rebecca, was a soldier in the American Revolutionary War and is mentioned in historical records from that period.

While not a traditional surname, the name "Rebecca" has been adopted as a surname by individuals throughout history, often as a result of cultural or religious circumstances. Its origins can be traced back to ancient Hebrew, and it has been used as both a given name and a surname in various parts of the world over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rebecca families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rebecca 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 17 Rebeccas recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.82x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 17 58.82x
Lancashire 8 2.16x
Kincardineshire 3 78.95x
Middlesex 1 0.32x
Midlothian 1 2.39x
Staffordshire 1 0.95x
Yorkshire 1 0.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Everton in Lancashire leads with 8 Rebeccas recorded in 1881 and an index of 67.80x.

Place Total Index
Everton 8 67.80x
Peterculter 8 4000.00x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 7 129.39x
Aberdeen Old Machar 2 33.17x
Nigg 2 645.16x
Banchory Devenick 1 285.71x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 5.95x
Hammersmith London 1 13.00x
Leeds 1 5.73x
Sedgley 1 25.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 1
Christina 1
Eliza 1
Emma 1
Issabella 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
George 1
James 1
William 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 Rebecca households.

FAQ

Rebecca surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rebecca surname in 1881?

In 1881, 33 people were recorded with the Rebecca surname. That placed it at #28,965 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rebecca surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 157 in 2016. That gives Rebecca a modern rank of #23,006.

What does the Rebecca surname mean?

A feminine surname derived from the Hebrew name Rivka, meaning "to tie" or "to bind".

What does the Rebecca map show?

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