NameCensus.

UK surname

Brady

An Irish occupational surname referring to a spirited or broad-minded person, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Brádaigh."

In the 1881 census there were 5,301 people recorded with the Brady surname, ranking it #839 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 14,047, ranked #451, up from #839 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kilsyth East and Croy, The Glens and Wirral.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brady is 14,215 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 165.0%.

1881 census count

5,301

Ranked #839

Modern count

14,047

2016, ranked #451

Peak year

2014

14,215 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brady had 5,301 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #839 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 14,047 in 2016, ranked #451.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,510 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Brady surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brady surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brady 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 2,627 #1,123
1861 historical 2,887 #1,005
1881 historical 5,301 #839
1891 historical 5,570 #846
1901 historical 6,510 #853
1911 historical 5,467 #953
1997 modern 13,022 #464
1998 modern 13,499 #466
1999 modern 13,524 #469
2000 modern 13,360 #470
2001 modern 13,111 #469
2002 modern 13,471 #468
2003 modern 13,165 #467
2004 modern 13,134 #471
2005 modern 13,055 #467
2006 modern 13,165 #461
2007 modern 13,333 #461
2008 modern 13,470 #460
2009 modern 13,881 #457
2010 modern 14,171 #458
2011 modern 13,949 #455
2012 modern 13,706 #456
2013 modern 14,080 #453
2014 modern 14,215 #450
2015 modern 14,085 #452
2016 modern 14,047 #451

Geography

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Where Bradys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Manchester, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kilsyth East and Croy, The Glens, Wirral, Hilltown and Kingston upon Hull. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kilsyth East and Croy North Lanarkshire
2 The Glens Dundee City
3 Wirral 022 Wirral
4 Hilltown Dundee City
5 Kingston upon Hull 017 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brady

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brady

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Brady surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Brady household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Brady is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brady 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

Brady 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 Brady 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Brady

The surname Brady originates from Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "bráidhe," which means "literally spirited" or "ill-tempered." It is believed to have first emerged in County Cavan, an area in the northern half of Ireland, during the 12th century.

The name Brady is thought to have evolved from the ancient Irish personal name "Bráidhé," which was commonly used in the region. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name appear in medieval Irish annals and manuscripts, such as the Annals of Ulster and the Book of Leinster, dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Brady was Giolla na Naomh Ó Brádaigh, a 14th-century Irish poet and historian from County Cavan. He is renowned for his work "Tóruigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne," a retelling of the ancient Irish legend of Diarmuid and Gráinne.

In the 16th century, the Brady family became prominent landowners in County Cavan, particularly in the area of Fermanagh. Notable members of this lineage include Sir Hugh Brady (1559-1635), an Irish landowner and member of the Irish Parliament, and Sir Francis Brady (1590-1667), a soldier who fought for the English Parliamentarians during the English Civil War.

Another distinguished figure with the surname Brady was Nicholas Brady (1659-1726), an Anglican clergyman and poet who co-authored the famous metrical version of the Psalms, known as the "Brady and Tate Psalter." This work was widely used in Anglican churches throughout the British Isles for over two centuries.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, many Irish families with the name Brady immigrated to various parts of the British Empire, including North America, due to political unrest and economic hardships in their homeland. This led to the widespread dispersal of the name across different regions of the world.

Other notable individuals with the surname Brady include Mathew Brady (1822-1896), an American photographer renowned for his documentation of the American Civil War, and James Buchanan Brady (1856-1917), an American businessman and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of the modern entertainment industry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brady families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brady 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 1,514 Bradys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.47x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,514 2.47x
Yorkshire 504 0.98x
Lanarkshire 498 2.98x
Middlesex 391 0.76x
Durham 382 2.48x
Angus 175 3.65x
Northumberland 156 2.03x
Surrey 146 0.58x
Cheshire 130 1.14x
Staffordshire 119 0.68x
Midlothian 118 1.70x
Essex 113 1.11x
Renfrewshire 86 2.15x
Kent 83 0.47x
Hampshire 63 0.59x
West Lothian 60 7.70x
Dunbartonshire 58 4.17x
Warwickshire 58 0.44x
Cumberland 57 1.28x
Ayrshire 56 1.45x
Norfolk 53 0.67x
Derbyshire 52 0.64x
Suffolk 46 0.73x
Nottinghamshire 41 0.59x
Gloucestershire 30 0.30x
Lincolnshire 26 0.31x
Fife 21 0.69x
Devon 20 0.19x
Stirlingshire 20 1.05x
Leicestershire 18 0.31x
Shropshire 18 0.40x
Glamorgan 17 0.19x
Selkirkshire 15 3.21x
Sussex 15 0.17x
Caernarfonshire 14 0.67x
Roxburghshire 13 1.39x
Northamptonshire 11 0.23x
Denbighshire 9 0.46x
Worcestershire 9 0.13x
Bedfordshire 7 0.26x
Royal Navy 7 1.14x
Berkshire 6 0.15x
Buteshire 6 1.91x
Isle of Man 6 0.62x
Perthshire 6 0.26x
Cornwall 5 0.09x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.08x
Banffshire 4 0.37x
Hertfordshire 4 0.11x
Shetland 4 0.76x
Dorset 3 0.09x
Dumfriesshire 3 0.26x
Flintshire 3 0.22x
Berwickshire 2 0.32x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.06x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.06x
Channel Islands 2 0.13x
East Lothian 2 0.29x
Oxfordshire 2 0.06x
Rutland 2 0.53x
Kincardineshire 1 0.16x
Monmouthshire 1 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.06x
Somerset 1 0.01x
Wiltshire 1 0.02x

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 251 Bradys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.73x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 251 6.73x
Manchester 209 7.57x
Govan 134 3.24x
Barony 111 2.62x
Dundee 103 5.76x
Glasgow 97 3.27x
Gateshead 84 7.29x
Leeds 66 2.28x
West Ham 62 2.75x
Great Bolton 61 7.50x
Salford 61 3.38x
Bradford 57 4.59x
Toxteth Park 56 2.69x
Kirkdale 52 5.04x
Liff Benvie 52 7.15x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 49 1.76x
Birkenhead 46 5.05x
West Derby 43 2.39x
Sheffield 42 2.57x
Ashton Under Lyne 41 3.06x
Hulme 41 3.20x
Wolverhampton 40 2.98x
Everton 39 1.99x
Bootle Cum Linacre 38 7.80x
Nottingham St Mary 38 2.11x
Widnes 36 8.13x
Islington London 33 0.66x
Old Monkland 33 4.97x
Bethnal Green London 32 1.42x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 29 4.35x
Wakefield 29 7.37x
Woolwich 27 4.14x
Gorton 26 4.51x
Maryhill 26 7.94x
South Leith 26 3.33x
Bermondsey 25 1.62x
Newton 25 5.29x
Stockton On Tees 25 3.37x
Aston 23 0.64x
Chorlton On Medlock 23 2.36x
Elswick 23 3.74x
Pendleton In Salford 23 3.15x
Wigan 23 2.68x
Morpeth 22 24.31x
Preston 22 1.34x
Birmingham 21 0.48x
Maybole 21 17.82x
Parr 21 9.56x
Bishopwearmouth 20 1.51x
Brandon Byshottles 20 10.38x
Shoreditch London 20 0.89x
Westminster St James 20 3.76x
Boness 19 17.69x
Bradford 19 6.61x
Cardross 19 11.39x
Conside Knitsley 19 15.88x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 19 4.13x
Portsea 19 0.91x
West Greenock 19 2.64x
Clerkenwell London 18 1.47x
Oldham 18 0.91x
Battersea 17 0.89x
Deptford St Paul 17 1.25x
Kensington London 17 0.59x
Newcastle Under Lyme 17 5.50x
Old Kilpatrick 17 10.35x
Blackburn 16 0.98x
Limehouse London 16 2.82x
Little Bolton 16 2.03x
St Luke London 16 1.93x
Arlecdon 15 12.67x
Cheadle 15 6.88x
Cheetham 15 3.28x
East Greenock 15 3.96x
Great Crosby 15 8.96x
Halifax 15 1.99x
St Marylebone London 15 0.54x
Stockport 15 2.55x
West Bromwich 15 1.50x
Litherland 14 10.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 424
Elizabeth 121
Catherine 104
Ann 99
Margaret 96
Sarah 87
Ellen 78
Bridget 66
Jane 61
Annie 59
Eliza 43
Alice 42
Rose 40
Kate 32
Emma 28
Agnes 24
Julia 24
Anne 23
Emily 22
Hannah 21
Martha 19
Louisa 16
Maria 16
Caroline 15
Frances 15
Florence 14
Susan 13
Margt. 12
Fanny 11
Harriet 11
Ada 10
Charlotte 10
Edith 10
Amelia 9
Lucy 9
Isabella 8
Elizth. 7
Harriett 7
Catharine 6
Clara 6
Helen 6
Matilda 6
Selina 6
Anna 5
Kathleen 5
Maggie 5
May 5
Minnie 5
Rebecca 5
Sophia 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 371
James 266
Thomas 167
William 147
Patrick 117
Michael 71
Edward 68
Joseph 63
Charles 58
George 55
Peter 53
Henry 40
Robert 31
Francis 30
Hugh 26
Philip 24
Thos. 24
Arthur 19
Daniel 19
Bernard 18
Alfred 17
Matthew 17
Owen 16
Richard 16
Albert 15
Martin 13
David 12
Walter 12
Andrew 11
Frank 11
Frederick 10
Nicholas 10
Christopher 9
Phillip 9
Samuel 8
Wm. 8
Harry 7
Stephen 7
Denis 6
Herbert 6
Pat 6
Ralph 6
Edwd. 5
Jno. 5
Benjamin 4
Chas. 4
Edwin 4
Jas. 4
Lawrence 4
Mark 3

FAQ

Brady surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brady surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,301 people were recorded with the Brady surname. That placed it at #839 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brady surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 14,047 in 2016. That gives Brady a modern rank of #451.

What does the Brady surname mean?

An Irish occupational surname referring to a spirited or broad-minded person, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Brádaigh."

What does the Brady map show?

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