NameCensus.

UK surname

Bradford

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "broad ford" – a wide, shallow place to cross a river.

In the 1881 census there were 5,811 people recorded with the Bradford surname, ranking it #757 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 8,044, ranked #822, down from #757 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Warwickshire, West Lindsey and Cumnock Rural.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bradford is 8,435 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.4%.

1881 census count

5,811

Ranked #757

Modern count

8,044

2016, ranked #822

Peak year

1998

8,435 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bradford had 5,811 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #757 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 8,044 in 2016, ranked #822.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,834 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bradford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bradford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bradford 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 3,809 #749
1861 historical 4,204 #669
1881 historical 5,811 #757
1891 historical 6,599 #692
1901 historical 7,287 #750
1911 historical 7,834 #658
1997 modern 8,168 #777
1998 modern 8,435 #784
1999 modern 8,411 #796
2000 modern 8,382 #790
2001 modern 8,186 #794
2002 modern 8,359 #793
2003 modern 8,165 #794
2004 modern 8,153 #797
2005 modern 8,011 #801
2006 modern 8,009 #804
2007 modern 8,017 #807
2008 modern 7,993 #811
2009 modern 8,160 #814
2010 modern 8,334 #813
2011 modern 8,141 #823
2012 modern 8,101 #807
2013 modern 8,155 #816
2014 modern 8,159 #821
2015 modern 8,084 #822
2016 modern 8,044 #822

Geography

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Where Bradfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Warwickshire, West Lindsey, Cumnock Rural, North West Leicestershire and Bassetlaw. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Warwickshire 001 North Warwickshire
2 West Lindsey 004 West Lindsey
3 Cumnock Rural East Ayrshire
4 North West Leicestershire 013 North West Leicestershire
5 Bassetlaw 012 Bassetlaw

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bradford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bradford

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Bradford 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

Bradford 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

Bradford falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bradford

The surname BRADFORD is an English name derived from the place name Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It originates from the Old English words "brad" meaning broad and "ford" meaning a shallow place for crossing a river or stream. The place name Bradford was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Bredford."

Bradford was a significant settlement in the Middle Ages, and the name likely referred to a broad ford across the River Aire. The surname BRADFORD emerged as a locational name, given to people who came from or lived in Bradford. Early records show variations in spelling, such as Bradeford, Bradforde, and Bratford.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BRADFORD is William de Bradford, who is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166. Another early bearer of the name was Sir John de Bradford, a 14th-century English knight who served under Edward III during the Hundred Years' War.

In the 16th century, William Bradford (1590-1657) was a prominent figure among the Pilgrims who sailed on the Mayflower to establish the Plymouth Colony in North America. He served as the governor of Plymouth Colony for over 30 years and wrote the influential work "Of Plymouth Plantation."

Andrew Bradford (1686-1742) was an American printer and journalist who established one of the first newspapers in the American colonies, the American Weekly Mercury, in Philadelphia in 1719.

Samuel Bradford (1652-1708) was an English-born printer who established the first printing press in the Middle Colonies of British America in Philadelphia in 1685.

William Bradford (1722-1795) was an American lawyer and judge who served as the second Attorney General of the United States under President George Washington.

Throughout history, the surname BRADFORD has been associated with notable individuals in various fields, reflecting its English origins and its presence in both Britain and the American colonies.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bradford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bradford 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. Middlesex leads with 782 Bradfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.37x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 782 1.37x
Devon 492 4.15x
Surrey 489 1.76x
Yorkshire 355 0.63x
Sussex 305 3.18x
Kent 274 1.41x
Staffordshire 215 1.12x
Warwickshire 198 1.38x
Leicestershire 179 2.83x
Lancashire 175 0.26x
Essex 172 1.53x
Cambridgeshire 169 4.68x
Lincolnshire 157 1.72x
Derbyshire 155 1.74x
Northumberland 152 1.79x
Durham 143 0.84x
Hertfordshire 122 3.11x
Nottinghamshire 117 1.52x
Somerset 115 1.25x
Gloucestershire 100 0.90x
Dorset 76 2.03x
Norfolk 68 0.78x
Hampshire 67 0.57x
Northamptonshire 56 1.05x
Glamorgan 54 0.54x
Suffolk 53 0.76x
Berkshire 50 1.17x
Herefordshire 49 2.10x
Cheshire 46 0.37x
Wigtownshire 38 5.02x
Cornwall 36 0.56x
Lanarkshire 32 0.17x
Worcestershire 30 0.40x
Ayrshire 28 0.66x
Monmouthshire 28 0.68x
Buckinghamshire 27 0.78x
Huntingdonshire 27 2.39x
Renfrewshire 23 0.52x
Wiltshire 21 0.42x
Angus 18 0.34x
Midlothian 18 0.24x
Royal Navy 17 2.50x
Shropshire 17 0.35x
Oxfordshire 15 0.43x
East Lothian 13 1.72x
Berwickshire 9 1.30x
Dunbartonshire 9 0.59x
Bedfordshire 8 0.27x
Cumberland 7 0.14x
Isle of Man 6 0.57x
Channel Islands 5 0.30x
West Lothian 5 0.58x
Brecknockshire 4 0.35x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.22x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.13x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.04x
Fife 1 0.03x
Merionethshire 1 0.10x
Radnorshire 1 0.22x
Rutland 1 0.24x
Stirlingshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Eastbourne in Sussex leads with 130 Bradfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.42x.

Place Total Index
Eastbourne 130 29.42x
Lambeth 105 2.11x
St Pancras London 100 2.18x
Brighton 64 3.30x
Birmingham 55 1.15x
Camberwell 54 1.48x
Hackney London 52 1.63x
Shoreditch London 45 1.82x
Aston 44 1.11x
Leeds 44 1.38x
Islington London 42 0.76x
Exeter St Sidwell 40 14.73x
Sedgley 40 5.60x
Broad Clist 38 92.89x
Bermondsey 36 2.12x
Kedington 34 185.29x
Kensington London 33 1.04x
Moulton 31 70.73x
Bethnal Green London 30 1.21x
Measham 30 91.55x
Paddington London 30 1.43x
Exeter Heavitree 29 32.81x
Tottenham 29 3.20x
Littleham 28 32.30x
Clerkenwell London 27 2.01x
Mile End Old Town London 27 2.23x
Bishop Stortford 26 19.83x
Lingfield 26 48.07x
Bedminster 25 2.90x
Croydon 25 1.62x
Nottingham St Mary 25 1.26x
St George Hanover Square 25 2.49x
Fulham London 24 2.91x
Inch 24 32.55x
Lewisham 24 2.32x
Newington 24 1.14x
Stretton En Le Field 24 369.80x
West Ham 24 0.97x
Anstey 23 297.93x
Ashby De La Zouch 23 15.71x
Polesworth 23 33.72x
Rotherhithe 23 3.27x
St Andrewthe Less 23 5.58x
Battersea 22 1.05x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 22 2.09x
Cannock 22 6.56x
Nether Hallam 22 2.88x
Old Cumnock 22 23.18x
Prittlewell 22 14.12x
Ramsey 22 24.30x
St George In East London 22 4.11x
St Marylebone London 22 0.72x
Amble 21 54.45x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 21 3.99x
Eastwood 21 7.72x
Greenwich 21 2.32x
Westgate 21 4.00x
Weston 21 127.35x
Bishopwearmouth 20 1.38x
Bottisham 20 65.08x
Cheriton Fitzpaine 20 132.89x
Edmonton 20 4.36x
Kingswinford 20 2.87x
Oakthorpe Donsthorpe 20 118.34x
Plymouth St Andrew 20 2.19x
Stranton 20 3.51x
Tormoham 20 3.99x
Burton Upon Trent 19 4.22x
Ealing 19 3.73x
Saffron Walden 19 15.99x
Twickenham 19 7.78x
Church Gresley 18 12.69x
Kingston On Thames 18 2.70x
Kirkby In Ashfield 18 21.92x
Northampton Priory St 18 5.60x
South Weald 18 18.69x
Toxteth Park 18 0.79x
Norwich St Martin At Oak 17 31.91x
Sheffield 17 0.95x
Snenton 17 5.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 318
Sarah 219
Elizabeth 203
Eliza 110
Alice 96
Ellen 95
Emma 94
Annie 91
Jane 89
Emily 86
Ann 83
Hannah 60
Martha 51
Louisa 42
Florence 39
Harriet 38
Lucy 38
Charlotte 37
Caroline 34
Maria 34
Edith 33
Harriett 31
Margaret 30
Ada 28
Clara 28
Kate 28
Anne 27
Fanny 26
Catherine 25
Frances 25
Amelia 21
Susan 21
Julia 19
Amy 18
Elizth. 18
Jessie 17
Minnie 17
Sophia 16
Agnes 15
Isabella 15
Rose 15
Selina 15
Rebecca 14
Lydia 13
Matilda 13
Bessie 12
Esther 12
Beatrice 11
Laura 11
Mabel 10

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 362
John 334
George 197
James 186
Thomas 184
Henry 118
Charles 106
Joseph 70
Richard 70
Alfred 65
Samuel 60
Arthur 51
Edward 50
Frederick 50
Walter 47
Albert 45
Robert 43
Harry 37
Wm. 32
David 26
Ernest 26
Frank 25
Francis 23
Benjamin 19
Herbert 16
Thos. 14
Edwin 11
Fredrick 11
Isaac 11
Geo. 10
Robt. 9
Percy 8
Fred 7
Jno. 7
Daniel 6
Elijah 6
Fredk. 6
Jas. 6
Saml. 6
Cornelius 5
Henery 5
Lewis 5
Peter 5
Sydney 5
Abraham 4
Andrew 4
Josiah 4
Nathaniel 4
Sidney 4
Stephen 4

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 Bradford households.

FAQ

Bradford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bradford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,811 people were recorded with the Bradford surname. That placed it at #757 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bradford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 8,044 in 2016. That gives Bradford a modern rank of #822.

What does the Bradford surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "broad ford" – a wide, shallow place to cross a river.

What does the Bradford map show?

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