NameCensus.

UK surname

Brace

An English occupational surname referring to a maker of armor or jewelry clasps.

In the 1881 census there were 1,720 people recorded with the Brace surname, ranking it #2,504 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,748, ranked #2,443, up from #2,504 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pembrokeshire and Herefordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brace is 2,989 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 59.8%.

1881 census count

1,720

Ranked #2,504

Modern count

2,748

2016, ranked #2,443

Peak year

1998

2,989 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brace had 1,720 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,504 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,748 in 2016, ranked #2,443.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,658 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Brace surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brace surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brace 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 1,155 #2,443
1861 historical 1,188 #2,387
1881 historical 1,720 #2,504
1891 historical 1,989 #2,318
1901 historical 2,417 #2,251
1911 historical 2,658 #1,936
1997 modern 2,903 #2,230
1998 modern 2,989 #2,251
1999 modern 2,971 #2,284
2000 modern 2,922 #2,304
2001 modern 2,824 #2,327
2002 modern 2,904 #2,317
2003 modern 2,836 #2,316
2004 modern 2,815 #2,340
2005 modern 2,811 #2,310
2006 modern 2,798 #2,326
2007 modern 2,773 #2,367
2008 modern 2,789 #2,367
2009 modern 2,846 #2,372
2010 modern 2,900 #2,382
2011 modern 2,845 #2,391
2012 modern 2,772 #2,407
2013 modern 2,798 #2,430
2014 modern 2,816 #2,428
2015 modern 2,778 #2,432
2016 modern 2,748 #2,443

Geography

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Where Braces are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick, London parishes, Ware (Ware). Hertford St John, Hertford All Saints and Bedwelty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pembrokeshire and Herefordshire. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick Worcestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Ware (Ware). Hertford St John, Hertford All Saints Hertfordshire
5 Bedwelty Monmouthshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pembrokeshire 016 Pembrokeshire
2 Pembrokeshire 011 Pembrokeshire
3 Pembrokeshire 014 Pembrokeshire
4 Herefordshire 019 Herefordshire, County of
5 Pembrokeshire 013 Pembrokeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brace

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brace

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Brace is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Brace is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Brace falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Brace

The surname Brace is believed to have originated in England, where it first appeared as an occupational name for someone who made braces or supports used in construction and carpentry. The name is derived from the Old French word "brace," which means "arm" or "support."

In the 13th century, the name Brace was first recorded in various counties across England, including Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. Early records show variants of the spelling, such as Bras, Brasse, and Braced.

One of the earliest known references to the name Brace can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which list a John le Brace in Oxfordshire. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also mention a William le Brace.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Brace was associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded was Sir Robert Brace, a member of the gentry in Somerset, who lived in the late 14th century. Another was John Brace, a merchant and prominent citizen of Bristol in the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Brace family established themselves as landed gentry in Warwickshire. One of the most notable members was Edmund Brace (c. 1550-1624), who served as the High Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1613.

The Brace surname also has connections to various place names in England, such as Brace Meole in Shropshire and Brace's Leigh in Worcestershire. These locations likely derived their names from early Brace landowners or residents.

Other notable individuals with the surname Brace include Sir Samuel Brace (1601-1678), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1660, and John Brace (1758-1835), an English Baptist minister and theological writer.

Despite its English origins, the surname Brace eventually spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, as a result of emigration and settlement in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brace families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brace 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. Hertfordshire leads with 268 Braces recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.17x.

County Total Index
Hertfordshire 268 23.17x
Middlesex 204 1.22x
Herefordshire 150 21.80x
Monmouthshire 130 10.72x
Pembrokeshire 97 18.19x
Glamorgan 96 3.29x
Worcestershire 84 3.83x
Essex 58 1.75x
Kent 57 1.00x
Gloucestershire 53 1.61x
Staffordshire 53 0.94x
Bedfordshire 51 5.87x
Carmarthenshire 46 6.50x
Surrey 44 0.54x
Lancashire 35 0.18x
Yorkshire 35 0.21x
Derbyshire 32 1.22x
Brecknockshire 30 8.94x
Huntingdonshire 25 7.50x
Northamptonshire 20 1.27x
Warwickshire 20 0.47x
Lincolnshire 18 0.67x
Cambridgeshire 16 1.51x
Devon 15 0.43x
Sussex 14 0.49x
Durham 12 0.24x
Fife 9 0.91x
Hampshire 8 0.23x
Shropshire 8 0.55x
Dumfriesshire 7 1.89x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.22x
Wiltshire 4 0.27x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.30x
Somerset 3 0.11x
Norfolk 2 0.08x
Ayrshire 1 0.08x
Berkshire 1 0.08x
Channel Islands 1 0.20x
Cheshire 1 0.03x
Lanarkshire 1 0.02x
Northumberland 1 0.04x
Oxfordshire 1 0.10x
Rutland 1 0.81x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sawbridgeworth in Hertfordshire leads with 110 Braces recorded in 1881 and an index of 628.21x.

Place Total Index
Sawbridgeworth 110 628.21x
Great Hadham 44 589.81x
Trevethin 27 23.57x
Hackney London 26 2.76x
Bedwellty 23 10.74x
Carew 22 413.53x
Hereford St Owen 21 92.43x
Llanover 21 50.69x
Merthyr Tydfil 21 7.48x
Cheshunt 20 49.47x
Islington London 20 1.23x
Stoke Upon Trent 20 3.33x
St Pancras London 19 1.41x
Birmingham 18 1.28x
Eynesbury 18 233.16x
Little Barford 17 1559.63x
Mynyddyslwyn 17 35.53x
Roydon 17 349.79x
St Marylebone London 17 1.90x
Aberystruth 16 14.96x
Bramley In Bramley 16 25.14x
Bromyard 16 176.60x
Edmonton 16 11.84x
Laugharne 16 170.76x
Stoke Newington London 16 12.24x
Hertford St Andrew 15 105.04x
Linton In Newent 15 281.95x
Worcester All Sts 15 118.11x
Worcester St Peter 15 36.17x
Brecknock St John 14 49.49x
Llanelly 14 8.79x
Manor Bier 14 386.74x
Pembroke St Michael 14 181.35x
Furneux Pelham 13 396.34x
Middleton By Wirksworth 13 469.31x
Roxton 13 411.39x
Ware 13 39.22x
Bishop Stortford 11 28.48x
Charlton 11 28.93x
Kensington London 11 1.18x
Lambeth 11 0.75x
Little Amwell 11 272.28x
Llangynwyd Higher 11 78.40x
Pembrey 11 33.83x
Upperswinford 11 59.33x
Little Dewchurch 10 531.91x
Mitcheldean 10 245.10x
Wellingborough 10 12.60x
Croxton 9 535.71x
Cwmdu 9 25.29x
Eye 9 119.36x
Hammersmith London 9 2.18x
Kidderminster Borough 9 7.02x
Llangunider 9 43.06x
Markinch 9 26.69x
Shobdon 9 412.84x
St Clement Danes London 9 25.92x
Wanstead 9 15.52x
West Ham 9 1.23x
Bristol St James St Paul 8 7.29x
Buckland In Dover 8 42.17x
Goldington 8 240.24x
Holy Trinity 8 2.00x
Llanguick 8 15.28x
Lugwardine 8 183.91x
Newent 8 47.85x
Shoreditch London 8 1.10x
St Lawrence 8 20.33x
Weston Beggard 8 512.82x
Bayford 7 443.04x
Enfield 7 6.36x
Kirkmichael 7 142.86x
Llandilo Talybont 7 45.63x
Newington 7 1.13x
Oystermouth 7 30.96x
Redmarley 7 121.95x
St Issells 7 62.11x
Stockton On Tees 7 2.91x
Tenby St Mary Out 7 693.07x
Wolstanton 7 4.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 100
Elizabeth 70
Sarah 67
Emma 45
Ann 38
Alice 29
Eliza 29
Jane 29
Annie 26
Emily 26
Ellen 21
Margaret 21
Martha 16
Charlotte 13
Susan 13
Clara 12
Hannah 12
Louisa 12
Anne 10
Caroline 10
Catherine 10
Agnes 9
Edith 9
Fanny 9
Frances 9
Harriet 9
Rose 9
Ada 8
Kate 6
Maria 6
Amelia 5
Amy 5
Florence 5
Elizth. 4
Esther 4
Gertrude 4
Rachel 4
Ethel 3
Harriett 3
Lousia 3
Olive 3
Rebecca 3
Ruth 3
Sophia 3
Adelade 2
Catharine 2
Julia 2
Laura 2
Margret 2
Marion 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 137
John 95
Thomas 71
George 67
James 48
Charles 38
Alfred 30
Henry 30
Joseph 28
Arthur 22
Edward 18
Albert 17
Samuel 13
Richard 12
David 11
Frederick 11
Walter 11
Benjamin 9
Harry 8
Isaac 7
Edwin 6
Frank 5
Philip 5
Thos. 5
Robert 4
Abraham 3
Daniel 3
Edmund 3
Ernest 3
Frederic 3
Lewis 3
Moses 3
Sidney 3
Aaron 2
Adam 2
Andrew 2
Christopher 2
Edmond 2
Elijah 2
Francis 2
Gabriel 2
Geo. 2
Louis 2
Peter 2
Reuben 2
Tom 2
Willie 2
Wm. 2
Edd.Thos. 1
Edgar 1

FAQ

Brace surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brace surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,720 people were recorded with the Brace surname. That placed it at #2,504 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brace surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,748 in 2016. That gives Brace a modern rank of #2,443.

What does the Brace surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a maker of armor or jewelry clasps.

What does the Brace map show?

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