UK surname
From an English place name meaning "bracken-covered island."
In the 1881 census there were 113 people recorded with the Bracy surname, ranking it #18,412 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 10, ranked #37,599, down from #18,412 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Almondsbury and St Marylebone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bracy is 116 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 91.2%.
1881 census count
113
Ranked #18,412
Modern count
10
2016, ranked #37,599
Peak year
1861
116 bearers
Map years
2
1861 to 1881
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Bracy surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Bracy surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 87 | #18,695 |
| 1861 | historical | 116 | #18,751 |
| 1881 | historical | 113 | #18,412 |
| 1891 | historical | 54 | #29,849 |
| 1901 | historical | 54 | #28,178 |
| 1911 | historical | 25 | #30,654 |
| 1997 | modern | 10 | #37,060 |
| 1998 | modern | 7 | #37,533 |
| 1999 | modern | 8 | #37,367 |
| 2000 | modern | 6 | #37,624 |
| 2001 | modern | 6 | #37,456 |
| 2002 | modern | 8 | #37,206 |
| 2003 | modern | 6 | #37,586 |
| 2004 | modern | 5 | #37,830 |
| 2005 | modern | 6 | #37,724 |
| 2006 | modern | 5 | #37,956 |
| 2007 | modern | 8 | #37,572 |
| 2008 | modern | 7 | #37,735 |
| 2009 | modern | 7 | #37,816 |
| 2010 | modern | 9 | #37,654 |
| 2011 | modern | 10 | #37,504 |
| 2012 | modern | 12 | #37,292 |
| 2013 | modern | 11 | #37,435 |
| 2014 | modern | 11 | #37,462 |
| 2015 | modern | 10 | #37,563 |
| 2016 | modern | 10 | #37,599 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Almondsbury, St Marylebone, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and Burgh Apton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff | Gloucestershire |
| 2 | Almondsbury | Gloucestershire |
| 3 | St Marylebone | London (North Districts) |
| 4 | Birmingham Town: Birmingham | Warwickshire |
| 5 | Burgh Apton | Norfolk |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Bracy surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bracy, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Bracy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Bracy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Bracy is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bracy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Bracy, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Bracy is of Anglo-Norman origin, derived from a place name in Normandy, France. It is believed to have originated from the Old French words "bras" meaning "arm" and "cy" meaning "this place", referring to a locality named after a distinguishing physical feature.
The earliest known bearer of the surname was William de Bracy, a Norman knight who fought alongside William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. He was granted lands in Leicestershire, England, and his descendants adopted the surname Bracy.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, the name is recorded as "Braci" and "Brasci". These early spellings reflect the Norman-French pronunciation of the name.
One notable member of the Bracy family was Sir Hugh Bracy, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in the late 12th century. He was involved in the Third Crusade and is mentioned in chronicles of the time.
Another early bearer of the name was Robert de Bracy, who was recorded as a landowner in Warwickshire, England, in the 13th century. The place name "Bracy" is derived from his holdings in the area.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in various spellings, including "Brascy", "Brassie", and "Brassye", reflecting the transition from Norman-French to English pronunciations.
One of the earliest recorded literary references to the surname is in the 14th-century poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", where a character named Sir Bracy is mentioned as one of King Arthur's knights.
Other notable individuals with the surname Bracy include John Bracy, a member of the English Parliament in the 15th century, and Sir Edmund Bracy, a prominent military commander who served during the Wars of the Roses in the late 15th century.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bracy surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Norfolk leads with 26 Bracys recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.20x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Norfolk | 26 | 16.20x |
| Gloucestershire | 22 | 10.75x |
| Middlesex | 14 | 1.34x |
| Yorkshire | 11 | 1.06x |
| Glamorgan | 8 | 4.40x |
| Oxfordshire | 8 | 12.41x |
| Hertfordshire | 5 | 6.95x |
| Cumberland | 3 | 3.34x |
| Kent | 2 | 0.56x |
| Lanarkshire | 2 | 0.59x |
| Surrey | 2 | 0.39x |
| Warwickshire | 2 | 0.76x |
| Lancashire | 1 | 0.08x |
| Nottinghamshire | 1 | 0.71x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bergh Apton in Norfolk leads with 24 Bracys recorded in 1881 and an index of 14117.65x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Bergh Apton | 24 | 14117.65x |
| Mangotsfield | 19 | 931.37x |
| Bowes | 10 | 4166.67x |
| Llanwonno | 8 | 122.51x |
| Watlington | 8 | 1212.12x |
| Finchley | 5 | 125.00x |
| Islington London | 5 | 4.94x |
| Bristol St George | 3 | 31.68x |
| Crosscanonby | 3 | 101.01x |
| Acton | 2 | 32.68x |
| Edgbaston | 2 | 24.51x |
| Govan | 2 | 2.40x |
| Great Yarmouth | 2 | 15.05x |
| Greenwich | 2 | 12.04x |
| Hatfield | 2 | 136.99x |
| Lambeth | 2 | 2.20x |
| Digswell | 1 | 1250.00x |
| Harpenden | 1 | 90.91x |
| Leeds | 1 | 1.71x |
| St Marylebone London | 1 | 1.80x |
| St Pancras London | 1 | 1.19x |
| Stevenage | 1 | 89.29x |
| West Derby | 1 | 2.76x |
| West Retford | 1 | 344.83x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bracy surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bracy surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Bracy households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 25 |
| Farm Laborer | 8 |
| Coal Miner | 3 |
| Laundress | 3 |
| Ag Lab | 2 |
| Annuitant | 2 |
| Boot & Shoe Maker | 1 |
| Bootmaker | 1 |
| Bricklayers Labourer | 1 |
| Carpenters Wife | 1 |
| Coal Miner Filler | 1 |
| Commercial Traveller | 1 |
| Copper Plate Printer | 1 |
| Crape Weaver | 1 |
| Domestic Servant | 1 |
| Engineer Turner | 1 |
| Farmer Of 46 Acres | 1 |
| Farmer Of 70 Acres | 1 |
| Formerly Quarryman | 1 |
| Frm Laborer | 1 |
| Gardener | 1 |
| General Servant | 1 |
| General Servt | 1 |
| Housemaid | 1 |
| Kitchenmaid | 1 |
| Labourer | 1 |
| Labs Wife | 1 |
| Milliner | 1 |
| Police Constable | 1 |
| Railway Signalman | 1 |
| Retired P O Messenger | 1 |
| Slipper Binder (Shoe) | 1 |
| Staymaker | 1 |
| Tailoress (Formerly) | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 113 people were recorded with the Bracy surname. That placed it at #18,412 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 10 in 2016. That gives Bracy a modern rank of #37,599.
From an English place name meaning "bracken-covered island."
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bracy bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.