NameCensus.

UK surname

Bragan

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Bragáin, meaning "descendant of Bragán".

In the 1881 census there were 14 people recorded with the Bragan surname, ranking it #31,604 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 119, ranked #27,704, up from #31,604 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Wakefield and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bragan is 125 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 750.0%.

1881 census count

14

Ranked #31,604

Modern count

119

2016, ranked #27,704

Peak year

2000

125 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bragan had 14 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,604 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016, ranked #27,704.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 82 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bragan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bragan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bragan 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 36 #26,838
1861 historical 78 #23,836
1881 historical 14 #31,604
1891 historical 55 #29,744
1901 historical 61 #27,379
1911 historical 82 #24,635
1997 modern 112 #25,244
1998 modern 122 #24,556
1999 modern 116 #25,487
2000 modern 125 #24,351
2001 modern 121 #24,493
2002 modern 120 #25,110
2003 modern 117 #25,282
2004 modern 117 #25,448
2005 modern 105 #27,203
2006 modern 113 #26,267
2007 modern 115 #26,348
2008 modern 114 #26,796
2009 modern 118 #26,766
2010 modern 119 #27,250
2011 modern 122 #26,647
2012 modern 120 #26,961
2013 modern 120 #27,406
2014 modern 118 #27,961
2015 modern 115 #28,319
2016 modern 119 #27,704

Geography

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Where Bragans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Wakefield, Cheshire West and Chester and Nottingham. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 009 County Durham
2 Wakefield 029 Wakefield
3 County Durham 006 County Durham
4 Cheshire West and Chester 005 Cheshire West and Chester
5 Nottingham 031 Nottingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bragan

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bragan

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Bragan is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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

These residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bragan is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bragan falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bragan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bragan

The surname BRAGAN has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the early medieval period around the 7th century AD. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic term "breaghan," which means "mountain ridge" or "high ground." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive one, referring to families or individuals who resided in hilly or mountainous regions.

The earliest known references to the name can be traced back to ancient Irish manuscripts and genealogical records. One notable mention appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. This text documents a clan known as the Uí Bhragáin, who were prominent landowners in the province of Connacht during the 10th and 11th centuries.

In the 12th century, the name BRAGAN appears in the Annals of Ulster, a collection of historical records from the Ulster region of Ireland. This document mentions a man named Gilla-Críst Ua Bragáin, who served as the Abbot of Clonmacnoise, a renowned monastic settlement in County Offaly.

During the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland in the late 12th century, the BRAGAN surname gained prominence among the Gaelic nobility who resisted the Norman conquest. One notable figure was Ruaidrí Ua Bragáin, a chieftain who led the resistance against the Anglo-Norman forces in the province of Munster in the early 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name BRAGAN is recorded in the Annals of Loch Cé, a historical record from County Roscommon. This text mentions a man named Maol Muire Ó Bragáin, who served as the Bishop of Ardagh in the mid-1300s.

Another notable figure bearing the BRAGAN surname was Seán Ó Bragáin, a renowned Irish poet and scholar who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was renowned for his contributions to the preservation of Irish language and literature during a period of cultural suppression.

Throughout the centuries, the BRAGAN surname has seen various spellings and variations, including Braghan, Braghain, Bragaun, and Braggon, reflecting the linguistic and orthographic changes over time. Despite its Irish origins, the name has also been found in other parts of the British Isles, likely due to migration and settlement patterns.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bragan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bragan 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. Yorkshire leads with 8 Bragans recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.92x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 8 5.92x
Lancashire 5 3.09x
Middlesex 1 0.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Batley in Yorkshire leads with 8 Bragans recorded in 1881 and an index of 625.00x.

Place Total Index
Batley 8 625.00x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 155.64x
Kensington London 1 13.18x
Manchester 1 13.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
Anthony 2
Alfred 1
James 1
Michael 1
Peter 1
Thomas 1
William 1

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 Bragan households.

FAQ

Bragan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bragan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 14 people were recorded with the Bragan surname. That placed it at #31,604 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bragan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016. That gives Bragan a modern rank of #27,704.

What does the Bragan surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Bragáin, meaning "descendant of Bragán".

What does the Bragan map show?

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