UK surname
An English surname likely derived from a place name referring to a broad valley.
In the 1881 census there were 53 people recorded with the Bradon surname, ranking it #26,134 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 39, ranked #35,484, down from #26,134 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Kirkintilloch, Wolverhampton and St Saviour Southwark. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bradon is 111 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 26.4%.
1881 census count
53
Ranked #26,134
Modern count
39
2016, ranked #35,484
Peak year
1861
111 bearers
Map years
1
1861 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Bradon surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Bradon surname density by area, 1861 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 | 29 | #28,082 |
| 1861 | historical | 111 | #19,429 |
| 1881 | historical | 53 | #26,134 |
| 1891 | historical | 55 | #29,744 |
| 1901 | historical | 28 | #30,951 |
| 1911 | historical | 44 | #28,454 |
| 1997 | modern | 34 | #34,282 |
| 1998 | modern | 38 | #34,066 |
| 1999 | modern | 37 | #34,248 |
| 2000 | modern | 34 | #34,517 |
| 2001 | modern | 34 | #34,356 |
| 2002 | modern | 37 | #34,390 |
| 2003 | modern | 32 | #34,862 |
| 2004 | modern | 35 | #34,783 |
| 2005 | modern | 31 | #35,260 |
| 2006 | modern | 31 | #35,467 |
| 2007 | modern | 32 | #35,530 |
| 2008 | modern | 33 | #35,556 |
| 2009 | modern | 35 | #35,545 |
| 2010 | modern | 39 | #35,451 |
| 2011 | modern | 39 | #35,444 |
| 2012 | modern | 40 | #35,369 |
| 2013 | modern | 39 | #35,483 |
| 2014 | modern | 39 | #35,493 |
| 2015 | modern | 36 | #35,654 |
| 2016 | modern | 39 | #35,484 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Kirkintilloch, Wolverhampton, St Saviour Southwark, St Mary Rotherhithe and St Pancras. 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 | Kirkintilloch | Dunbarton |
| 2 | Wolverhampton | Staffordshire |
| 3 | St Saviour Southwark | London (South Districts) |
| 4 | St Mary Rotherhithe | London (South Districts) |
| 5 | St Pancras | London (North Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Bradon 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 Bradon, 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 Bradon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Bradon 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, Bradon 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 Bradon is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Bradon, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname BRADON is of English origin, deriving from a topographic name for someone who lived by a broad valley or down. It is formed from the Old English elements 'brad' meaning wide or broad, and 'dun' meaning hill or down.
The earliest recorded example of the surname dates back to the late 12th century, with a Richard de Braddun mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1195. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1273 as William de Braden.
In its various spellings such as Bradon, Braddon, Braddun, and Bredon, the name can be found scattered throughout medieval records across England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Buckinghamshire.
One notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Bradon, a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London in the early 15th century. He was born around 1380 and served as Lord Mayor in 1415.
Another early figure was John Bradon, a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Norfolk during the reign of Henry VIII. He lived from approximately 1490 to 1560.
The Bradon surname is also associated with the village of Bredon in Worcestershire, which may have influenced some early spellings and variants of the name.
In the 16th century, a William Bradon was recorded as a freeman of the City of London in 1567, suggesting the family's presence in the capital.
During the English Civil War, a Captain Thomas Bradon fought for the Parliamentarian forces and was killed in action at the Battle of Newbury in 1643.
The surname continued to be found across various regions of England over the centuries, with bearers such as Richard Bradon, a wealthy landowner in Somerset in the late 17th century, and John Bradon, a noted scholar and writer who lived in Oxford in the early 18th century.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bradon 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. Surrey leads with 11 Bradons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.03x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Surrey | 11 | 5.03x |
| Dunbartonshire | 7 | 58.04x |
| Middlesex | 6 | 1.34x |
| Glamorgan | 5 | 6.40x |
| Yorkshire | 5 | 1.12x |
| Kent | 3 | 1.96x |
| Devon | 2 | 2.14x |
| Leicestershire | 2 | 4.02x |
| Derbyshire | 1 | 1.42x |
| Hertfordshire | 1 | 3.23x |
| Lancashire | 1 | 0.19x |
| Norfolk | 1 | 1.45x |
| Northumberland | 1 | 1.50x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rotherhithe in Surrey leads with 8 Bradons recorded in 1881 and an index of 144.40x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Rotherhithe | 8 | 144.40x |
| Kirkintilloch | 7 | 426.83x |
| Roath | 5 | 140.85x |
| Northfleet | 3 | 222.22x |
| Skircoat | 3 | 171.43x |
| Wandsworth | 3 | 69.44x |
| Leicester St Mary | 2 | 49.75x |
| St Andrew Holborn London | 2 | 103.09x |
| Tottenham | 2 | 27.97x |
| Barnsley | 1 | 21.79x |
| Bushey | 1 | 135.14x |
| Great Yarmouth | 1 | 17.48x |
| Holy Trinity | 1 | 9.35x |
| Ilkeston | 1 | 50.76x |
| Liverpool | 1 | 3.09x |
| St Augustine Watling | 1 | 5000.00x |
| St Pancras London | 1 | 2.77x |
| Tiverton | 1 | 62.11x |
| Tynemouth | 1 | 27.93x |
| Wolborough | 1 | 84.75x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bradon 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 Bradon 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 Bradon households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 5 |
| Barge Builder | 2 |
| (NO) | 1 |
| Audit Clerk | 1 |
| Bookbinder | 1 |
| Carmans Boy | 1 |
| Charwoman | 1 |
| Cotton Reeler | 1 |
| Cotton Twister | 1 |
| Cotton Winder (Hosiery) | 1 |
| Domestic Servant (Char) | 1 |
| Dressmaker | 1 |
| Engine Driver | 1 |
| General Labourer | 1 |
| General Servant | 1 |
| Gl Serv Domestic | 1 |
| Iron Moulder | 1 |
| Police Officer | 1 |
| Private EN Militia | 1 |
| Pupil | 1 |
| Railway Goods Guard | 1 |
| Railway Porter | 1 |
| Servant Domestic | 1 |
| Shoemaker | 1 |
| Woolen Piecer | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 53 people were recorded with the Bradon surname. That placed it at #26,134 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 39 in 2016. That gives Bradon a modern rank of #35,484.
An English surname likely derived from a place name referring to a broad valley.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bradon 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.