NameCensus.

UK surname

Bramhall

An English locational surname derived from the Old English words "brom" meaning broom and "haill" meaning remote nook or corner.

In the 1881 census there were 948 people recorded with the Bramhall surname, ranking it #4,073 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,148, ranked #5,138, down from #4,073 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Glossop and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Sheffield and Warrington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bramhall is 1,175 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.1%.

1881 census count

948

Ranked #4,073

Modern count

1,148

2016, ranked #5,138

Peak year

2011

1,175 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bramhall had 948 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,073 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,148 in 2016, ranked #5,138.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,173 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Bramhall surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bramhall surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bramhall 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 484 #5,151
1861 historical 567 #4,640
1881 historical 948 #4,073
1891 historical 990 #4,182
1901 historical 1,171 #4,173
1911 historical 1,173 #3,984
1997 modern 1,123 #4,984
1998 modern 1,154 #5,038
1999 modern 1,142 #5,138
2000 modern 1,137 #5,129
2001 modern 1,099 #5,178
2002 modern 1,129 #5,172
2003 modern 1,122 #5,092
2004 modern 1,132 #5,067
2005 modern 1,118 #5,070
2006 modern 1,122 #5,054
2007 modern 1,123 #5,093
2008 modern 1,128 #5,118
2009 modern 1,136 #5,181
2010 modern 1,168 #5,155
2011 modern 1,175 #5,074
2012 modern 1,141 #5,122
2013 modern 1,163 #5,124
2014 modern 1,163 #5,150
2015 modern 1,147 #5,167
2016 modern 1,148 #5,138

Geography

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Where Bramhalls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, Glossop, Sheffield, Birmingham Town: Birmingham 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 Doncaster, Sheffield, Warrington and Bolton. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Glossop Derbyshire
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 Ashton-under-Lyne Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 031 Doncaster
2 Sheffield 037 Sheffield
3 Warrington 017 Warrington
4 Sheffield 076 Sheffield
5 Bolton 012 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bramhall

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bramhall

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bramhall, 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 Bramhall surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Bramhall 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bramhall 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

Bramhall is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bramhall 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 Bramhall is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bramhall

The surname Bramhall originates from England, specifically from the area of Cheshire. It is a locational name derived from the place name Bramhall, which means "a nook of land overgrown with broom plants" in Old English. The earliest recorded spelling of the place name was Bramhal in the Domesday Book of 1086.

During the medieval period, the Bramhall family held estates in the township of Bramhall, Cheshire. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname was Richard de Bramhall, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1286.

In the 16th century, John Bramhall (1594-1663) was an influential English cleric and theologian who served as the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland. He played a significant role in the religious and political affairs of Ireland during the 17th century.

Another notable individual with this surname was Sir John Bramhall (1800-1876), a British naval officer who served as the Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies Station from 1858 to 1863. He was also a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.

In the 19th century, John Bramhall (1859-1941) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in the Arts and Crafts style, including the Birmingham Oratory and the Church of St. Michael and St. James in Somerset.

Sir Frederick Bramhall (1875-1942) was a British businessman and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London from 1934 to 1935. He was also a Member of Parliament for the City of London from 1935 to 1942.

The surname Bramhall is also found in various places around the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, likely due to migration and immigration from England over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bramhall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bramhall 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 314 Bramhalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.42x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 314 3.42x
Lancashire 272 2.47x
Cheshire 168 8.21x
Derbyshire 100 6.89x
Warwickshire 40 1.71x
Middlesex 16 0.17x
Nottinghamshire 8 0.64x
Selkirkshire 7 8.35x
Shropshire 7 0.87x
Surrey 7 0.16x
Hampshire 2 0.11x
Herefordshire 2 0.53x
Royal Navy 2 1.81x
Staffordshire 2 0.06x
Kent 1 0.03x
Somerset 1 0.07x
Westmorland 1 0.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glossop Dale in Derbyshire leads with 81 Bramhalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 119.21x.

Place Total Index
Glossop Dale 81 119.21x
Sheffield 74 25.31x
Brightside Bierlow 56 31.09x
Ecclesall Bierlow 38 20.34x
Birmingham 30 3.85x
Oldham 28 7.89x
Nether Hallam 26 20.93x
Dukinfield 25 26.45x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 24 28.05x
Ashton Under Lyne 22 9.15x
Huddersfield 20 14.95x
Salford 19 5.87x
Hyde 18 29.82x
Macclesfield 18 19.80x
Lostock Gralam 17 691.06x
Manchester 15 3.03x
Gorton 14 13.54x
Heeley 14 50.16x
Bradford 13 5.85x
Bradford 13 25.26x
Castleton 13 11.84x
Aston 10 1.55x
Denton 10 41.03x
Bootle Cum Linacre 9 10.31x
Chadderton 9 16.74x
St Marylebone London 8 1.62x
Westleigh 8 32.04x
Wilford 8 227.92x
Appleton 7 151.19x
Brinnington 7 36.63x
Galashiels 7 22.58x
Hollingworth 7 83.04x
Monks Coppenhall 7 9.07x
Shrewsbury St Julian 7 35.34x
Skelton In Guisbrough 7 28.18x
Thurgoland 7 112.90x
Thurlstone 7 77.26x
Ardwick 6 6.05x
Beswick 6 21.34x
Bradfield 6 16.95x
Broughton In Salford 6 5.97x
Huyton With Roby 6 46.55x
Kirkdale 6 3.24x
Little Bolton 6 4.24x
Liverpool 6 0.90x
Moston 6 54.40x
Newington 6 1.75x
Penketh 6 151.52x
Burnley 5 5.40x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 2.86x
Congleton 5 14.15x
Hackney London 5 0.96x
Heaton Norris 5 7.99x
Holy Trinity 5 2.26x
Hulme 5 2.18x
Newton 5 5.90x
Swinton In Rotherham 5 20.59x
Wincham 5 132.63x
Winnington 5 221.24x
Bredbury 4 33.78x
Cheetham 4 4.88x
Great Budworth 4 110.19x
Higher Bebington 4 30.56x
Killamarsh 4 44.35x
Rudheath 4 248.45x
Tintwistle 4 36.60x
Warrington 4 3.07x
Aston Cum Aughton 3 39.95x
Brampton 3 14.79x
Litchurch 3 5.14x
Pendlebury 3 12.92x
Romiley 3 51.99x
Skinningrove 3 53.29x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 3 16.47x
Marston 2 64.31x
North Meols 2 1.86x
Ross 2 13.23x
Royal Navy 2 2.12x
Sutton 2 5.42x
Whittington 2 9.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 74
Elizabeth 47
Sarah 45
Ellen 18
Emma 18
Hannah 16
Annie 14
Alice 13
Ann 13
Eliza 13
Margaret 13
Martha 13
Jane 12
Ada 7
Fanny 7
Lucy 7
Florence 6
Clara 5
Frances 5
Harriet 5
Maria 5
Beatrice 4
Charlotte 4
Emily 4
Isabella 4
Kate 4
Lizzie 4
Betty 3
Edith 3
Elizbth. 3
Elizth. 3
Gertrude 3
Harriett 3
Lydia 3
Minnie 3
Polly 3
Selina 3
Sophia 3
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Anne 2
Bertha 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Esther 2
Grace 2
Helen 2
Lilly 2
Nancy 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 55
George 45
James 40
William 39
Joseph 27
Thomas 24
Henry 16
Robert 14
Albert 11
Arthur 11
Samuel 11
Charles 9
Walter 9
Frederick 8
Edward 7
Alfred 5
Wm. 5
Ernest 4
Fred 4
Jas. 4
Joshua 4
Richard 4
Edwin 3
Frank 3
Harry 3
Herbert 3
Joe 3
Peter 3
Saml. 3
Thos. 3
Alexander 2
Dennis 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
H. 2
Harold 2
Paul 2
Reuben 2
Sidney 2
Wright 2
Arnold 1
Clifford 1
Dan 1
Francis 1
Fred. 1
Freddy 1
Fredk. 1
G.H. 1
Jason 1
Jesse 1

FAQ

Bramhall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bramhall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 948 people were recorded with the Bramhall surname. That placed it at #4,073 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bramhall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,148 in 2016. That gives Bramhall a modern rank of #5,138.

What does the Bramhall surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from the Old English words "brom" meaning broom and "haill" meaning remote nook or corner.

What does the Bramhall map show?

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