NameCensus.

UK surname

Bramall

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "broom-covered hill".

In the 1881 census there were 802 people recorded with the Bramall surname, ranking it #4,642 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 818, ranked #6,782, down from #4,642 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ecclesfield, Stockport and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley and Sheffield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bramall is 1,017 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.0%.

1881 census count

802

Ranked #4,642

Modern count

818

2016, ranked #6,782

Peak year

1911

1,017 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bramall had 802 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,642 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 818 in 2016, ranked #6,782.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,017 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bramall surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bramall surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bramall 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 679 #3,828
1861 historical 597 #4,436
1881 historical 802 #4,642
1891 historical 888 #4,636
1901 historical 978 #4,843
1911 historical 1,017 #4,481
1997 modern 859 #6,185
1998 modern 895 #6,186
1999 modern 892 #6,243
2000 modern 872 #6,325
2001 modern 862 #6,264
2002 modern 874 #6,321
2003 modern 867 #6,246
2004 modern 862 #6,285
2005 modern 831 #6,416
2006 modern 836 #6,391
2007 modern 832 #6,485
2008 modern 834 #6,528
2009 modern 853 #6,550
2010 modern 875 #6,543
2011 modern 854 #6,587
2012 modern 823 #6,692
2013 modern 850 #6,632
2014 modern 842 #6,706
2015 modern 824 #6,769
2016 modern 818 #6,782

Geography

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Where Bramalls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ecclesfield, Stockport, Manchester, Sheffield and Ashton-under-Lyne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley and Sheffield. 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 Ecclesfield Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Ashton-under-Lyne Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 027 Barnsley
2 Sheffield 001 Sheffield
3 Sheffield 023 Sheffield
4 Barnsley 024 Barnsley
5 Sheffield 021 Sheffield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bramall

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bramall

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Bramall is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Bramall 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

Bramall falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bramall

The surname Bramall is an English locational name originating from the counties of Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire. It derives from the Old English words "brom" meaning broom and "halh" meaning a remote valley or nook of land.

Bramall was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Bramhall" in Yorkshire. The name refers to the broom-covered valleys or remote areas where early bearers of the name lived and worked. Similar early spellings include Bromhall, Bramehal, and Bramhale.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Bramall was Richard de Bramhall, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Derbyshire in 1199. Another early bearer was William de Bramhale, listed in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1301.

The Bramall surname is associated with several place names in England, including Bramall in Derbyshire and Bramhall in Cheshire. These places likely took their names from the surnames of early landowners or residents.

Notable individuals with the Bramall surname throughout history include Sir John Bramall (1532-1609), an English courtier and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another was Sir Francis Bramall (1637-1718), a prominent English landowner and High Sheriff of Derbyshire in 1689.

In more recent times, Sir Edwin Bramall (1923-2019) was a British Army officer who served as Chief of the General Staff from 1979 to 1982. He was later appointed Field Marshal and raised to the peerage as Baron Bramall of Bushfield.

Other bearers of the Bramall name include Richard Bramall (1795-1860), an English Baptist minister and author, and John Bramall (1785-1860), an English nurseryman and botanist who introduced several plant species to cultivation.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bramall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bramall 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 329 Bramalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.27x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 329 4.27x
Lancashire 179 1.94x
Cheshire 122 7.11x
Derbyshire 92 7.56x
Staffordshire 36 1.37x
Middlesex 18 0.23x
Surrey 5 0.13x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.38x
Hampshire 3 0.19x
Devon 2 0.12x
Flintshire 2 0.96x
Norfolk 2 0.17x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.20x
Glamorgan 1 0.07x
Somerset 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bradfield in Yorkshire leads with 103 Bramalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 346.80x.

Place Total Index
Bradfield 103 346.80x
Sheffield 60 24.46x
Bredbury 53 533.74x
Ecclesall Bierlow 42 26.80x
Ashton Under Lyne 24 11.90x
Beighton 21 381.13x
Hunshelf 18 476.19x
Manchester 17 4.10x
Hulme 16 8.31x
Brightside Bierlow 13 8.60x
Ardwick 12 14.42x
Eckington 12 40.58x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 12 45.18x
Bradwell 11 404.41x
Nether Hallam 11 10.55x
Thurlstone 11 144.74x
Burton Upon Trent 10 16.29x
Chorlton On Medlock 10 6.82x
Drayton Bassett 10 840.34x
Glossop Dale 10 17.54x
Langsett 10 1388.89x
Ecclesfield 9 15.93x
Killamarsh 9 118.89x
Norton 9 89.73x
Oxspring 9 967.74x
Salford 9 3.32x
Alrewas 8 314.96x
Cheetham 8 11.63x
Marple 8 67.91x
Stockport 8 9.06x
West Derby 8 2.96x
Disley Stanley 7 79.19x
Dronfield 7 44.87x
Laughton En Le Morthen 7 395.48x
Pennington In Leigh 7 39.55x
Islington London 6 0.80x
Liverpool 6 1.07x
Moss Side 6 12.36x
Ormskirk 6 33.99x
Penistone 6 99.83x
Waverton 6 681.82x
Dukinfield 5 6.31x
Stoke Newington London 5 8.26x
Wortley In Wortley 5 165.02x
Accrington 4 4.77x
Beard 4 101.01x
Broughton In Salford 4 4.74x
Clerkenwell London 4 2.18x
Derby All Sts 4 39.33x
Garston 4 14.69x
Godley 4 108.11x
Hepworth 4 128.62x
Lymm 4 32.05x
Oldham 4 1.34x
Sandbach 4 27.32x
Wincham 4 126.58x
Heeley 3 12.82x
Kimberworth 3 7.02x
Mansfield Woodhouse 3 43.04x
Rowley Regis 3 4.10x
Rushall 3 19.43x
Wandsworth 3 4.01x
Aston Cum Aughton 2 31.75x
Birkenhead 2 1.46x
Cartworth 2 31.40x
Chorley In Macclesfield 2 38.24x
Freshwater 2 27.47x
Great Yarmouth 2 2.02x
Haughton 2 14.86x
Hindley 2 5.09x
Lambeth 2 0.30x
North Meols 2 2.21x
Peover Inferior 2 666.67x
Spondon 2 42.74x
Stayley 2 10.19x
Stoke Damerel 2 1.77x
Tabley Inferior 2 625.00x
Tottenham 2 1.62x
Winwick With Hulme 2 153.85x
Withington 2 6.73x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 57
William 40
Joseph 33
George 28
Thomas 21
James 19
Samuel 17
Arthur 15
Charles 11
Henry 10
Edward 8
Frank 7
Albert 6
Alfred 5
Edwin 5
Fred 5
Robert 5
Ernest 4
Herbert 4
Francis 3
Harry 3
Tom 3
Benjamin 2
Eli 2
Isaac 2
Joe 2
Joshua 2
Lewis 2
Mark 2
Maurice 2
Stanley 2
Wm. 2
Allison 1
Alwin 1
Chas.Victor 1
Chris 1
David 1
Firth 1
Fredrick 1
Friendly 1
Garnet 1
Grayson 1
Harrick 1
Joel 1
Jonathan 1
Josuah 1
Kechen 1
Lawrance 1
Leonard 1
Wright 1

FAQ

Bramall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bramall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 802 people were recorded with the Bramall surname. That placed it at #4,642 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bramall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 818 in 2016. That gives Bramall a modern rank of #6,782.

What does the Bramall surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "broom-covered hill".

What does the Bramall map show?

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