NameCensus.

UK surname

Brabon

A locational surname referring to someone from Brabant, a region in modern Belgium.

In the 1881 census there were 24 people recorded with the Brabon surname, ranking it #30,215 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 167, ranked #22,055, up from #30,215 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swale and Rother.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brabon is 206 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 595.8%.

1881 census count

24

Ranked #30,215

Modern count

167

2016, ranked #22,055

Peak year

2010

206 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brabon had 24 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,215 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 167 in 2016, ranked #22,055.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 91 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Brabon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brabon surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brabon 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 11 #31,309
1861 historical 28 #30,405
1881 historical 24 #30,215
1891 historical 30 #31,889
1901 historical 53 #28,271
1911 historical 91 #23,684
1997 modern 180 #18,812
1998 modern 175 #19,658
1999 modern 185 #19,127
2000 modern 183 #19,239
2001 modern 180 #19,161
2002 modern 187 #19,083
2003 modern 186 #18,928
2004 modern 186 #19,059
2005 modern 185 #19,051
2006 modern 183 #19,326
2007 modern 188 #19,204
2008 modern 188 #19,387
2009 modern 196 #19,274
2010 modern 206 #19,066
2011 modern 200 #19,280
2012 modern 178 #20,758
2013 modern 179 #21,028
2014 modern 176 #21,413
2015 modern 174 #21,449
2016 modern 167 #22,055

Geography

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Where Brabons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swale and Rother. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rhondda Cynon Taf 010 Rhondda Cynon Taf
2 Swale 017 Swale
3 Rhondda Cynon Taf 008 Rhondda Cynon Taf
4 Rhondda Cynon Taf 014 Rhondda Cynon Taf
5 Rother 006 Rother

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brabon

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brabon

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

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Brabon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Brabon household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Brabon is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brabon is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Brabon 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 Brabon 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 Brabon, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Brabon

The surname Brabon is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a place name, possibly referring to a settlement or village where the earliest bearers of the name lived.

One theory suggests that the name Brabon may be derived from the Old English words 'bræd' and 'bune', meaning 'broad' and 'valley' or 'dwelling' respectively. This could indicate that the name originated from a place situated in a broad valley or a broad dwelling.

Another possibility is that Brabon is a variation or corruption of the place name Brabant, a historic region located in present-day Belgium and the Netherlands. It is conceivable that early migrants or settlers from this area brought the name to England, where it evolved into its current form.

While there are no known references to the surname Brabon in the Domesday Book, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a William Brabayn is mentioned.

In the 13th century, a Robert de Brabun is listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1235, and a Walter Brabyn is recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279. These early variations suggest the name's evolution over time.

Notable individuals with the surname Brabon include John Brabon, a 16th-century English clergyman who served as the Dean of Salisbury Cathedral from 1538 until his death in 1541.

In the 17th century, Francis Brabon (1618-1677) was an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Wallingford in 1661.

During the late 18th century, Thomas Brabon (1760-1833) was a prominent English architect known for his work on various churches and buildings in London.

In the 19th century, Edward Brabon (1827-1890) was a British Army officer who served in the Crimean War and was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military honor in the British Empire, for his actions during the Siege of Sevastopol in 1855.

Another notable figure was William Brabon (1866-1943), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brabon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brabon 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. Kent leads with 9 Brabons recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.27x.

County Total Index
Kent 9 11.27x
Surrey 6 5.26x
Durham 4 5.75x
Northumberland 3 8.62x
Sussex 2 5.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Goudhurst in Kent leads with 8 Brabons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3636.36x.

Place Total Index
Goudhurst 8 3636.36x
Southwark St John 6 833.33x
Winlaton 4 597.01x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 3 652.17x
Burwash 1 555.56x
Dallington 1 2500.00x
Tonbridge 1 34.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Emily 3
Mary 2
Charlotte 1
Elizabeth 1
Harriett 1
Phillis 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 2
Robert 2
William 2
Albert 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
James 1
Jesse 1
John 1
Sidney 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 Brabon households.

FAQ

Brabon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brabon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 24 people were recorded with the Brabon surname. That placed it at #30,215 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brabon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 167 in 2016. That gives Brabon a modern rank of #22,055.

What does the Brabon surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Brabant, a region in modern Belgium.

What does the Brabon map show?

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