NameCensus.

UK surname

Bradey

Locational surname derived from place names containing the Old English elements 'brad' meaning broad and 'ēg' meaning island.

In the 1881 census there were 189 people recorded with the Bradey surname, ranking it #13,322 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 104, ranked #30,317, down from #13,322 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Denbighshire, Sheffield and Bath and North East Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bradey is 219 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 45.0%.

1881 census count

189

Ranked #13,322

Modern count

104

2016, ranked #30,317

Peak year

1861

219 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bradey had 189 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,322 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016, ranked #30,317.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 219 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Bradey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bradey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bradey 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 140 #13,593
1861 historical 219 #11,124
1881 historical 189 #13,322
1891 historical 197 #15,101
1901 historical 137 #19,032
1911 historical 72 #25,642
1997 modern 86 #28,876
1998 modern 76 #30,386
1999 modern 76 #30,546
2000 modern 71 #31,082
2001 modern 69 #31,098
2002 modern 73 #31,159
2003 modern 71 #31,393
2004 modern 83 #30,352
2005 modern 84 #30,359
2006 modern 87 #30,292
2007 modern 84 #31,067
2008 modern 84 #31,370
2009 modern 86 #31,612
2010 modern 99 #30,397
2011 modern 93 #31,169
2012 modern 104 #29,543
2013 modern 103 #30,235
2014 modern 106 #30,030
2015 modern 103 #30,444
2016 modern 104 #30,317

Geography

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Where Bradeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, London parishes, St Pancras, Manchester and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Denbighshire, Sheffield, Bath and North East Somerset, Portsmouth and Fareham. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Denbighshire 016 Denbighshire
2 Sheffield 023 Sheffield
3 Bath and North East Somerset 022 Bath and North East Somerset
4 Portsmouth 019 Portsmouth
5 Fareham 008 Fareham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bradey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bradey

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

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Bradey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Bradey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Challenged Inner London Communities

Within London, Bradey is most associated with areas classed as Challenged Inner London Communities, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Resident in some of Inner London’s most over-crowded communities, many families have children and marriage/civil partnership rates are above the Supergroup average. Other adults such as students live in communal establishments. Few residents have Level 4 educational qualifications, levels of unemployment are above the Supergroup average, and employment is concentrated in service occupations such as distribution, hotels and restaurants. Relative to the Supergroup average, fewer residents identify as being of mixed/multiple ethnicities, Black or Other Asian.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bradey 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

Bradey falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bradey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bradey

The surname Bradey has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "brad" meaning broad and "ey" meaning island or meadow, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived on a broad island or meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Bradey." This suggests that the name was already well-established by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, variations of the name, such as "Bradeye" and "Braddey," can be found in various records and manuscripts, including the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 and the Poll Tax Returns of 1379.

The surname Bradey is also associated with several place names in England, such as Bradey Green in Shropshire and Bradey Farm in Oxfordshire. These place names may have contributed to the development and spread of the surname in those regions.

One notable person with the surname Bradey was Sir John Bradey (1490-1555), who was a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire and served as Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1532. Another was Thomas Bradey (1570-1642), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works.

In the 17th century, the name Bradey appears in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, indicating that individuals bearing this surname had migrated to the American colonies. One such individual was William Bradey (1620-1678), who settled in Salem, Massachusetts, and was a prominent merchant and landowner.

Another notable figure with the surname Bradey was Sir James Bradey (1735-1805), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. He was knighted for his services and rose to the rank of Admiral.

In the 19th century, the name Bradey continued to be found in various records and historical documents, including the birth, marriage, and death registers of England and Wales. One individual of note from this period was Mary Bradey (1825-1892), a British author and poet who published several works of fiction and poetry.

Throughout its history, the surname Bradey has maintained a strong presence in England and has also been carried to other parts of the world by individuals who have migrated from their ancestral homeland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bradey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bradey 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. Lancashire leads with 32 Bradeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.49x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 32 1.49x
Middlesex 26 1.44x
Lanarkshire 18 3.08x
Yorkshire 16 0.89x
Cumberland 12 7.72x
Durham 11 2.05x
Cheshire 10 2.51x
Surrey 10 1.14x
Gloucestershire 8 2.26x
Lincolnshire 7 2.43x
Worcestershire 7 2.97x
Glamorgan 6 1.91x
Derbyshire 3 1.06x
Essex 3 0.84x
Warwickshire 3 0.66x
Midlothian 2 0.83x
Renfrewshire 2 1.43x
Staffordshire 2 0.33x
Stirlingshire 2 3.00x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.87x
Devon 1 0.27x
Kent 1 0.16x
Northumberland 1 0.37x
Suffolk 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 17 Bradeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.07x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 17 13.07x
Govan 13 9.01x
Wigton 10 429.18x
Acton 8 75.61x
Birkenhead 7 22.05x
Bristol St George 6 36.65x
Camberwell 6 5.21x
Conside Knitsley 6 143.88x
Huddersfield 6 23.03x
Kings Norton 6 28.40x
Merthyr Tydfil 6 19.87x
St Anne Soho London 6 58.20x
Chelsea London 5 9.19x
Lissington 5 3125.00x
Aighton Bailey 4 388.35x
Barony 4 2.71x
Brightside Bierlow 4 11.41x
Streatham 4 29.87x
Birmingham 3 1.98x
Chapel En Le Frith 3 116.28x
Heworth 3 28.36x
Linthorpe 3 28.12x
St Luke London 3 10.37x
West Ham 3 3.81x
Abbey 2 9.37x
Bilston 2 16.95x
Bowling 2 11.29x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 2.06x
Parr 2 26.11x
Shoreditch London 2 2.56x
Slamannan 2 54.95x
West Derby 2 3.19x
Barnard Castle 1 37.74x
Bexley 1 18.38x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 5.88x
Bow London 1 4.35x
Dalziel 1 15.92x
East Stonehouse 1 13.51x
Elton 1 13.51x
Everton 1 1.47x
Great Grimsby 1 5.46x
Great Little Marsden 1 10.19x
Hyde 1 8.51x
Islington London 1 0.57x
Kirkoswald 1 270.27x
Leverington 1 133.33x
Lowestoft 1 9.63x
Nantwich 1 21.60x
New Sealford 1 169.49x
Newton 1 6.06x
North Shields 1 18.66x
Oxenhall 1 666.67x
Powick 1 61.35x
Prenton 1 1428.57x
Seaton 1 55.25x
Sheffield 1 1.76x
Siston 1 158.73x
Stockton On Tees 1 3.86x
Whiston 1 59.88x
Wigan 1 3.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Ann 7
Annie 4
Jane 4
Sarah 4
Elizabeth 3
Margaret 3
Bridget 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Julia 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Anny 1
Augusta 1
Catherine 1
Cecilia 1
Clara 1
Elis.Jane 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Mabel 1
Margrate 1
Marian 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Phillse 1
Polly 1
Ruth 1
Teressa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 19
James 10
William 8
Joseph 6
Charles 5
Thomas 4
Daniel 3
Michael 3
Patrick 3
Frederick 2
George 2
Henry 2
Hugh 2
Robert 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Crist. 1
Dan 1
Denis 1
Edwd. 1
Francis 1
Herbert 1
Jas. 1
Luke 1
Oswald 1
Owen 1
Peter 1
Timoth 1

FAQ

Bradey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bradey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 189 people were recorded with the Bradey surname. That placed it at #13,322 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bradey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016. That gives Bradey a modern rank of #30,317.

What does the Bradey surname mean?

Locational surname derived from place names containing the Old English elements 'brad' meaning broad and 'ēg' meaning island.

What does the Bradey map show?

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