NameCensus.

UK surname

Brake

An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of bridles, saddles, and other horse equipment.

In the 1881 census there were 714 people recorded with the Brake surname, ranking it #5,094 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 774, ranked #7,110, down from #5,094 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Odcombe, Brimpton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Somerset, Mendip and South Gloucestershire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brake is 998 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.4%.

1881 census count

714

Ranked #5,094

Modern count

774

2016, ranked #7,110

Peak year

1911

998 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brake had 714 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,094 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 774 in 2016, ranked #7,110.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 998 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Brake surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brake surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brake 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 489 #5,104
1861 historical 540 #4,864
1881 historical 714 #5,094
1891 historical 832 #4,886
1901 historical 892 #5,181
1911 historical 998 #4,553
1997 modern 874 #6,103
1998 modern 885 #6,245
1999 modern 879 #6,322
2000 modern 866 #6,358
2001 modern 848 #6,351
2002 modern 884 #6,264
2003 modern 860 #6,294
2004 modern 849 #6,358
2005 modern 812 #6,533
2006 modern 808 #6,575
2007 modern 820 #6,558
2008 modern 811 #6,668
2009 modern 818 #6,752
2010 modern 853 #6,671
2011 modern 814 #6,837
2012 modern 797 #6,851
2013 modern 798 #6,973
2014 modern 790 #7,078
2015 modern 768 #7,166
2016 modern 774 #7,110

Geography

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Where Brakes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Odcombe, Brimpton, London parishes and Norton-under-Hambdon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Somerset, Mendip, South Gloucestershire and Caerphilly. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Odcombe, Brimpton Somerset
4 London parishes London 3
5 Norton-under-Hambdon Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Somerset 008 North Somerset
2 Mendip 001 Mendip
3 South Gloucestershire 016 South Gloucestershire
4 Caerphilly 008 Caerphilly
5 Mendip 004 Mendip

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brake

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brake

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Brake is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brake 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

Brake falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Brake

The surname Brake originated in England, with its earliest recorded examples dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from various place names in England containing the Old English word "bræc," meaning a newly cultivated piece of land or a clearing. Some of the areas where the name was initially found include Sussex, Hampshire, and Wiltshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Brake can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dating back to 1273, where it is listed as "Richard de la Brake." The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, with the spelling "Robertus atte Brake."

The Domesday Book, a major land and property survey compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror, does not appear to contain any direct references to the surname Brake. However, it does mention several places with names containing the word "bræc," such as Brochamton (Brockampton) in Worcestershire and Brachingham (Brackingham) in Norfolk.

Notable individuals with the surname Brake throughout history include:

1. Sir Walter Brake (c. 1470 - 1534), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Guildford in 1529. 2. Thomas Brake (c. 1597 - 1663), an English clergyman and puritan writer, known for his work "The Spirituall Warfare" published in 1638. 3. John Brake (1768 - 1859), an English inventor and engineer credited with the development of the early railway brake system. 4. George Brake (1828 - 1909), an English-born Australian politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. 5. Robert Brake (1907 - 1988), an American actor and singer, best known for his roles in Broadway musicals and films during the 1930s and 1940s.

The surname Brake has also been associated with various place names and their older spellings, such as Brake Farm in Hampshire, which was formerly known as "La Brake" in the 13th century, and Brake Hill in Dorset, recorded as "Brakehull" in the 13th century records.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brake families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brake 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. Somerset leads with 224 Brakes recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.68x.

County Total Index
Somerset 224 19.68x
Dorset 147 31.67x
Middlesex 78 1.10x
Surrey 47 1.36x
Hampshire 45 3.10x
Gloucestershire 33 2.38x
Lancashire 21 0.25x
Channel Islands 18 8.59x
Kent 17 0.70x
Brecknockshire 15 10.61x
Sussex 14 1.17x
Nottinghamshire 12 1.26x
Devon 7 0.48x
Glamorgan 6 0.49x
Warwickshire 6 0.34x
Essex 5 0.36x
Lincolnshire 5 0.44x
Staffordshire 5 0.21x
Berkshire 4 0.75x
Monmouthshire 3 0.59x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.31x
Herefordshire 2 0.69x
Leicestershire 2 0.26x
Northamptonshire 2 0.30x
Cheshire 1 0.06x
East Lothian 1 1.07x
Northumberland 1 0.10x
Royal Navy 1 1.19x
Yorkshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nailsea in Somerset leads with 48 Brakes recorded in 1881 and an index of 1066.67x.

Place Total Index
Nailsea 48 1066.67x
Norton Sub Hamdon 26 2000.00x
Yetminster 23 1337.21x
Symondsbury 22 743.24x
Odcombe 20 1324.50x
Lambeth 15 2.43x
Yeovil 14 60.53x
Castle Cary 13 262.10x
Paddington London 13 5.00x
Chelsea London 12 5.63x
Leigh 12 1224.49x
Allington 10 241.55x
Bawdrip 10 1052.63x
Croydon 10 5.23x
Bristol St George 9 14.03x
Loders 9 389.61x
Orlestone 9 900.00x
Stocklinch Magdalen 9 3750.00x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 8 6.13x
Cannington 8 236.69x
Hackney London 8 2.02x
Islington London 8 1.17x
Llanafan Fawr 8 512.82x
Romsey Infra 8 162.93x
Toxteth Park 8 2.82x
Bristol St Augustine 7 31.28x
Caundle Bishop 7 864.20x
Christchurch 7 22.27x
Kensington London 7 1.78x
Lillington 7 2058.82x
Liverpool 7 1.37x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 4.92x
St Pancras London 7 1.23x
Aston 6 1.22x
Barrow In Furness 6 5.26x
Bradpole 6 157.89x
Lyncombe Widcombe 6 20.13x
Montacute 6 287.08x
Nottingham St Mary 6 2.43x
Seavington St Michael 6 1090.91x
St Andrew Holborn London 6 19.60x
St Nicholas 6 705.88x
Banwell 5 120.48x
Broadwater 5 18.28x
Burton Upon Trent 5 8.95x
Melcombe Regis 5 25.99x
Mudford 5 543.48x
Netherbury 5 130.21x
Preston 5 295.86x
Roath 5 8.94x
Seavington St Mary 5 675.68x
St Sampson 5 52.97x
Stamford St George 5 98.43x
Crewkerne 4 33.09x
Erith 4 16.83x
Farnborough 4 26.28x
Frensham 4 79.05x
Llangattock 4 34.72x
Merriott 4 120.12x
Mortlake 4 26.04x
Parkstone 4 73.80x
Snenton 4 10.68x
St Helier 4 5.86x
St John 4 100.00x
St Luke London 4 3.53x
St Michaelinthe Vale 4 53.48x
Walcot 4 6.60x
Bedminster 3 2.80x
Bridport 3 31.41x
Bristol Temple 3 32.86x
East Coker 3 120.48x
Godmanstone 3 750.00x
Holdenhurst 3 7.89x
Keymer 3 35.63x
Limington 3 416.67x
Newport 3 38.17x
Ottery St Mary 3 31.06x
Southampton All Sts 3 12.06x
Willesden 3 4.50x
Winsham 3 144.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 58
Elizabeth 23
Sarah 19
Emma 17
Alice 15
Ellen 15
Emily 12
Jane 12
Eliza 11
Louisa 9
Susan 9
Ann 8
Annie 8
Charlotte 6
Martha 6
Rose 6
Rosina 6
Fanny 5
Kate 5
Lucy 5
Ada 4
Edith 4
Ethel 4
Laura 4
Agnes 3
Amelia 3
Bertha 3
Elisabeth 3
Harriet 3
Harriett 3
Margaret 3
Minnie 3
Adelaide 2
Amy 2
Anne 2
Bessie 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Elizth. 2
Elizth.S. 2
Elsie 2
Esther 2
Hannah 2
Lilian 2
Rebecca 2
Rhoda 2
Rosa 2
Sally 2
Winifred 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 36
George 27
Henry 21
Charles 20
John 20
James 18
Frederick 10
Alfred 9
David 8
Thomas 8
Walter 8
Arthur 7
Robert 7
Samuel 7
Edward 6
Ernest 6
Harry 6
Joseph 5
Albert 4
Francis 4
Frank 4
Peter 4
Edwin 3
Ellis 3
Herbert 3
Abraham 2
Alexander 2
Bernard 2
Chas. 2
Daniel 2
Elishah 2
Emanuel 2
Eustace 2
Geo. 2
Henery 2
Mitford 2
Philip 2
Wm. 2
Adam 1
Albion 1
Christian 1
Clement 1
Elgar 1
Emily 1
Emmanuell 1
Geo.J. 1
Hartley 1
Hope 1
Isaac 1
Israel 1

FAQ

Brake surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brake surname in 1881?

In 1881, 714 people were recorded with the Brake surname. That placed it at #5,094 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brake surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 774 in 2016. That gives Brake a modern rank of #7,110.

What does the Brake surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of bridles, saddles, and other horse equipment.

What does the Brake map show?

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