NameCensus.

UK surname

Barran

A surname suggesting someone from the village of Barran or a variant spelling.

In the 1881 census there were 186 people recorded with the Barran surname, ranking it #13,448 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 189, ranked #20,334, down from #13,448 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Calverley, Bradford and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, Babergh and Ryedale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Barran is 212 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.6%.

1881 census count

186

Ranked #13,448

Modern count

189

2016, ranked #20,334

Peak year

1901

212 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Barran had 186 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,448 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 189 in 2016, ranked #20,334.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 212 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Barran surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Barran surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Barran 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 137 #13,812
1861 historical 162 #14,310
1881 historical 186 #13,448
1891 historical 193 #15,335
1901 historical 212 #14,611
1911 historical 198 #15,058
1997 modern 190 #18,199
1998 modern 180 #19,298
1999 modern 197 #18,400
2000 modern 197 #18,384
2001 modern 187 #18,708
2002 modern 184 #19,275
2003 modern 192 #18,568
2004 modern 189 #18,855
2005 modern 186 #18,985
2006 modern 183 #19,326
2007 modern 181 #19,680
2008 modern 180 #19,946
2009 modern 184 #20,079
2010 modern 193 #19,880
2011 modern 195 #19,610
2012 modern 187 #20,086
2013 modern 200 #19,524
2014 modern 195 #20,036
2015 modern 193 #20,056
2016 modern 189 #20,334

Geography

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Where Barrans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Calverley, Bradford, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, Babergh, Ryedale, Kensington and Chelsea and Cheshire West and Chester. 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 Calverley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
4 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 052 Leeds
2 Babergh 001 Babergh
3 Ryedale 007 Ryedale
4 Kensington and Chelsea 002 Kensington and Chelsea
5 Cheshire West and Chester 042 Cheshire West and Chester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Barran

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Barran

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Barran, 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 Barran surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Barran 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, Barran 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

Barran 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

Barran falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Barran

The surname Barran is of English origin and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bær" meaning "bare" or "barren", referring to a bare or treeless hill or landscape. The name may have originally been used as a topographic surname, describing someone who lived in or near such a barren or desolate area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Barran can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, where a William Baran is mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various historical records, including the Calendarium Inquisitionum post Mortem, which documented inquiries into land ownership. In this record, a John Barran is listed as holding lands in Lincolnshire in 1380.

The Barran surname also had a presence in the northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire. In the 16th century, a Thomas Barran was born in Yorkshire in 1548 and served as a clergyman in the Church of England.

Notably, in the 17th century, a prominent figure named John Barran (1624-1697) was a nonconformist minister and author from Lancashire. He wrote several religious texts and was involved in the dissenting religious movements of the time.

Another notable individual with the surname Barran was Sir John Barran (1785-1856), a British naval officer and explorer. He served in the Royal Navy and was involved in various expeditions to the Arctic regions in the early 19th century.

Later, in the 19th century, the name Barran was associated with the textile industry in Yorkshire. James Barran (1820-1891) was a successful wool merchant and industrialist in Bradford, contributing to the region's economic development.

While the Barran surname is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its Old English roots, reflecting the diverse landscapes and professions of those who bore the name throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Barran families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Barran 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. Yorkshire leads with 124 Barrans recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.82x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 124 6.82x
Essex 12 3.32x
Warwickshire 11 2.38x
Lancashire 8 0.37x
Durham 7 1.28x
Aberdeenshire 6 3.53x
Middlesex 4 0.22x
Monmouthshire 3 2.26x
Derbyshire 2 0.70x
Isle of Man 2 5.87x
Northumberland 2 0.73x
Worcestershire 2 0.84x
Cumberland 1 0.63x
Hampshire 1 0.27x
Lincolnshire 1 0.34x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.40x
Staffordshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 24 Barrans recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.39x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 24 23.39x
Bradford 11 25.01x
Potter Newton 11 342.68x
Keighley 10 51.63x
Pudsey 10 102.99x
Manningham 9 40.20x
Barking 8 75.54x
Birmingham 8 5.19x
Batley 7 40.53x
Bramley In Bramley 7 100.57x
Chorlton On Medlock 7 20.25x
Gomersal 7 82.55x
Otley 7 158.73x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 6 18.89x
Gateshead 4 9.79x
South Shoebury 4 275.86x
Chapel Allerton 3 110.29x
Darlington 3 14.25x
Kenilworth 3 114.94x
Benwell 2 67.11x
Bowling 2 11.11x
Calverley Cum Farsley 2 38.76x
Cottingham 2 51.02x
Dronfield 2 54.35x
Horton In Bradford 2 7.05x
Hunslet 2 7.06x
Kings Norton 2 9.32x
Risca 2 80.00x
Stainland Cum Old 2 64.31x
Baughurst 1 322.58x
Bedwellty 1 4.27x
Blackley 1 26.25x
Coleby 1 370.37x
Halifax 1 3.75x
Islington London 1 0.56x
Lenton 1 17.18x
Lezayre 1 65.36x
Muncaster 1 294.12x
Nether Hallam 1 4.07x
Onchan 1 10.19x
Pannal 1 57.47x
Pontefract 1 25.58x
Selby 1 26.32x
St Martin In Fields 1 9.11x
St Marylebone London 1 1.02x
St Pancras London 1 0.68x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 1.52x
Ulrome 1 833.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 12
Robert 8
Thomas 8
James 6
Arthur 5
William 4
Charles 3
Henry 3
Joseph 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Benjamin 2
Fred 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Patrick 2
Tom 2
Wm. 2
Alexander 1
Benjm. 1
Benjn. 1
Christopher 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Ephraim 1
Ernest 1
Erwin 1
Ezekiah 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
George 1
Isaac 1
J.W. 1
Jabez 1
Jas. 1
Johnson 1
Lewis 1
Luke 1
Mark 1
Morris 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Rowland 1
Saul 1
Timothy 1

FAQ

Barran surname: questions and answers

How common was the Barran surname in 1881?

In 1881, 186 people were recorded with the Barran surname. That placed it at #13,448 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Barran surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 189 in 2016. That gives Barran a modern rank of #20,334.

What does the Barran surname mean?

A surname suggesting someone from the village of Barran or a variant spelling.

What does the Barran map show?

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