NameCensus.

UK surname

Braker

A placename or topographical surname possibly referring to someone who lived near a meadow or grassy area.

In the 1881 census there were 30 people recorded with the Braker surname, ranking it #29,363 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 114, ranked #28,515, up from #29,363 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Botolph Aldgate, Tipton otherwise Tibington and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hinckley and Bosworth, Oadby and Wigston and South Northamptonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Braker is 238 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 280.0%.

1881 census count

30

Ranked #29,363

Modern count

114

2016, ranked #28,515

Peak year

1861

238 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Braker had 30 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,363 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016, ranked #28,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 238 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Braker surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Braker surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Braker 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 71 #20,875
1861 historical 238 #10,321
1881 historical 30 #29,363
1891 historical 79 #26,897
1901 historical 70 #26,383
1911 historical 61 #26,724
1997 modern 141 #21,941
1998 modern 141 #22,517
1999 modern 142 #22,607
2000 modern 138 #22,960
2001 modern 134 #23,037
2002 modern 136 #23,296
2003 modern 125 #24,265
2004 modern 117 #25,448
2005 modern 114 #25,837
2006 modern 120 #25,269
2007 modern 119 #25,747
2008 modern 124 #25,371
2009 modern 125 #25,823
2010 modern 137 #24,907
2011 modern 139 #24,507
2012 modern 126 #26,148
2013 modern 129 #26,211
2014 modern 130 #26,216
2015 modern 126 #26,654
2016 modern 114 #28,515

Geography

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Where Brakers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Botolph Aldgate, Tipton otherwise Tibington, St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hinckley and Bosworth, Oadby and Wigston, South Northamptonshire and Birmingham. 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 St Botolph Aldgate London (Central Districts)
2 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
3 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hinckley and Bosworth 002 Hinckley and Bosworth
2 Oadby and Wigston 006 Oadby and Wigston
3 South Northamptonshire 009 South Northamptonshire
4 Hinckley and Bosworth 010 Hinckley and Bosworth
5 Birmingham 014 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Braker

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Braker

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Braker surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Braker household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Braker is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Braker is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Braker falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Braker 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Braker

The surname "BRAKER" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "bræc," which means "to break" or "to till the land." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked as a plowman or a farmer.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bracheres." This entry suggests that people with this surname were present in England during the Norman Conquest.

As time passed, the name evolved into various spellings, including "Braker," "Bracher," and "Bracer." These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during the medieval period.

The name "BRAKER" has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded was John Braker, born in 1412 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a prominent landowner and served as a member of the local gentry.

Another notable figure was William Braker, born in 1562 in Dorset, England. He was a successful merchant and a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, a prestigious guild in London.

In the 17th century, the name "BRAKER" appeared in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America. One of the earliest settlers with this surname was Thomas Braker, who arrived in Boston in 1635 from Dorset, England.

During the 18th century, the name "BRAKER" was associated with several place names in England, such as Braker's End in Hertfordshire and Braker's Farm in Buckinghamshire. These place names likely originated from individuals with the surname "BRAKER" who owned or resided in those areas.

In more recent history, one notable individual with the surname "BRAKER" was John Braker (1870-1949), an English artist known for his landscape paintings and etchings of rural scenes.

Throughout its history, the surname "BRAKER" has maintained a strong connection to its agricultural roots and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, merchants, artists, and early settlers in the American colonies.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Braker families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Braker 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. Surrey leads with 11 Brakers recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.72x.

County Total Index
Surrey 11 7.72x
Middlesex 8 2.74x
Leicestershire 6 18.51x
Hampshire 2 3.34x
Gloucestershire 1 1.74x
Northamptonshire 1 3.64x
Warwickshire 1 1.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 10 Brakers recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.22x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 10 39.22x
Leicester St Leonard 6 1935.48x
St Botolph Aldgate London 3 500.00x
Aldershot 2 99.50x
Mile End Old Town London 2 32.15x
St Marylebone London 2 12.81x
Birmingham 1 4.07x
Epsom 1 144.93x
Northampton Priory St 1 60.61x
Westbury On Trym 1 51.55x
Whitechapel London 1 34.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alice 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Ester 1
Esther 1
Henrietta 1
Jane 1
Janet 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Nara 1
Sarah 1
Sharlotte 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 4
Arthur 1
Aubury 1
Chas 1
Fredk. 1
George 1
Henry 1
James 1
John 1
Walter 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 Braker households.

FAQ

Braker surname: questions and answers

How common was the Braker surname in 1881?

In 1881, 30 people were recorded with the Braker surname. That placed it at #29,363 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Braker surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016. That gives Braker a modern rank of #28,515.

What does the Braker surname mean?

A placename or topographical surname possibly referring to someone who lived near a meadow or grassy area.

What does the Braker map show?

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