NameCensus.

UK surname

Brandon

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "hill covered with broom" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 1,525 people recorded with the Brandon surname, ranking it #2,757 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,833, ranked #2,376, up from #2,757 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and Watford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire West and Chester, Torfaen and Monmouthshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brandon is 2,984 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 85.8%.

1881 census count

1,525

Ranked #2,757

Modern count

2,833

2016, ranked #2,376

Peak year

1999

2,984 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brandon had 1,525 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,757 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,833 in 2016, ranked #2,376.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,463 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Brandon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brandon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brandon 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 644 #4,032
1861 historical 944 #2,937
1881 historical 1,525 #2,757
1891 historical 1,885 #2,438
1901 historical 2,068 #2,589
1911 historical 2,463 #2,084
1997 modern 2,854 #2,263
1998 modern 2,983 #2,258
1999 modern 2,984 #2,276
2000 modern 2,972 #2,264
2001 modern 2,910 #2,264
2002 modern 2,927 #2,306
2003 modern 2,855 #2,303
2004 modern 2,830 #2,330
2005 modern 2,783 #2,338
2006 modern 2,761 #2,350
2007 modern 2,816 #2,324
2008 modern 2,822 #2,333
2009 modern 2,888 #2,339
2010 modern 2,945 #2,340
2011 modern 2,890 #2,350
2012 modern 2,845 #2,345
2013 modern 2,884 #2,361
2014 modern 2,877 #2,378
2015 modern 2,850 #2,375
2016 modern 2,833 #2,376

Geography

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Where Brandons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch, Watford and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire West and Chester, Torfaen, Monmouthshire, Chiltern and Rochdale. 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 London parishes London 1
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Watford Hertfordshire
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire West and Chester 038 Cheshire West and Chester
2 Torfaen 002 Torfaen
3 Monmouthshire 009 Monmouthshire
4 Chiltern 002 Chiltern
5 Rochdale 018 Rochdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brandon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brandon

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Brandon 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

Brandon is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Brandon 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 Brandon 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 Brandon, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Brandon

The surname Brandon originated in England in the medieval period. It derives from the Old English word "brun" meaning brown or dark complexioned, and the suffix "-dun" meaning hill. The name Brandon therefore refers to a person who lived by a brown or dark-colored hill.

The earliest known record of the Brandon surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Brendon" and "Brantone". This suggests the name was already established in parts of England by the late 11th century.

In the 12th century, records show variations like "Braundone" and "Braundon". These likely refer to places like Brandon in Suffolk, Brandon in Warwickshire, and other locations called Brandon across England. Many people adopted the place name as their surname.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Brandon name was Sir William Brandon (c.1425-1491), a soldier and courtier during the Wars of the Roses. He fought for the House of York and later served under Henry VII.

Another notable figure was Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk (c.1484-1545). He was a close friend of Henry VIII and married his sister Mary Tudor in 1515 after the death of her first husband Louis XII of France.

In the arts, Raphael Brandon (1909-1983) was an English painter and etcher known for his landscapes and portraits. He studied at the Slade School of Art in London.

Geoffrey Brandon (1909-1998) was a 20th century English historian and archaeologist specializing in ancient religions and symbolism. He authored many books on ancient cultures.

Samuel Musgrave Brandon (1907-1971) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Hampshire County Cricket Club in the 1930s as a right-handed batsman.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brandon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brandon 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. Middlesex leads with 399 Brandons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.69x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 399 2.69x
Buckinghamshire 161 17.96x
Lancashire 125 0.71x
Surrey 108 1.49x
Staffordshire 86 1.72x
Kent 80 1.58x
Bedfordshire 77 10.03x
Warwickshire 68 1.82x
Hertfordshire 58 5.67x
Cheshire 42 1.28x
Essex 32 1.09x
Yorkshire 29 0.20x
Durham 24 0.54x
Renfrewshire 22 1.91x
Berkshire 18 1.62x
Lanarkshire 18 0.38x
Hampshire 17 0.56x
Ayrshire 15 1.35x
Northumberland 15 0.68x
Oxfordshire 14 1.53x
Worcestershire 14 0.72x
Leicestershire 13 0.79x
Gloucestershire 11 0.38x
Cumberland 10 0.78x
Sussex 8 0.32x
Derbyshire 7 0.30x
Lincolnshire 6 0.25x
Stirlingshire 6 1.10x
Devon 5 0.16x
Midlothian 5 0.25x
Northamptonshire 5 0.36x
Herefordshire 3 0.49x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.15x
Norfolk 2 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.42x
Shropshire 2 0.16x
Somerset 2 0.08x
Suffolk 2 0.11x
Argyllshire 1 0.24x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.11x
Flintshire 1 0.25x
Glamorgan 1 0.04x
Perthshire 1 0.15x
Royal Navy 1 0.57x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 73 Brandons recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.33x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 73 11.33x
Aston 52 5.05x
Chesham 42 127.12x
Islington London 35 2.44x
Shoreditch London 30 4.67x
Stone 30 46.86x
Eaton Bray 27 348.39x
Kensington London 24 2.91x
St Marylebone London 24 3.03x
Camberwell 21 2.22x
Bushey 20 82.20x
Luton 20 15.05x
Ashton Under Lyne 19 4.94x
Hackney London 18 2.17x
Chelsea London 17 3.80x
Hendon 17 31.87x
St Pancras London 17 1.42x
Aylesbury 16 40.28x
Kilbarchan 16 45.85x
Tring 16 58.63x
Fulham London 14 6.51x
Spitalfields London 14 12.55x
Stoke Upon Trent 14 2.64x
Wandsworth 14 9.81x
Deptford St Paul 13 3.33x
Lambeth 13 1.01x
Southwark St George Martyr 13 4.36x
Thame 13 78.08x
West Ham 13 2.01x
Blackburn 12 2.56x
Brightside Bierlow 12 4.16x
Burton Upon Trent 12 10.25x
Mile End Old Town London 11 3.49x
St Luke London 11 4.63x
Birmingham 10 0.80x
Bromley London 10 3.07x
Leighton Buzzard 10 30.28x
Lewisham 10 3.71x
North Crawley 10 281.69x
Portsea 10 1.68x
Wharton 10 56.09x
Willesden 10 7.15x
Barony 9 0.74x
Birkenhead 9 3.45x
Bootle Cum Linacre 9 6.44x
Keswick 9 55.15x
Lee 9 12.25x
Liverpool 9 0.84x
Manchester 9 1.14x
Paddington London 9 1.65x
Plumstead 9 5.34x
Aston Clinton 8 105.26x
Bermondsey 8 1.81x
Bury 8 3.98x
Hughenden 8 87.43x
Kilbirnie 8 30.02x
Leeds 8 0.96x
Mile End New Town London 8 27.30x
Over 8 24.05x
St Albans St Michael 8 70.05x
St George In East London 8 5.74x
Wycombe 8 11.97x
Beckenham 7 10.59x
Beith 7 21.14x
Castle Church 7 23.27x
Claughton With Grange 7 46.95x
Great Gaddesden 7 146.14x
Leicester St Margaret 7 1.75x
Linslade 7 79.73x
Livesey 7 22.67x
New Windsor 7 18.71x
Redditch 7 17.83x
Stranton 7 4.71x
Watford 7 8.83x
Woolwich 7 3.75x
Bishopwearmouth 6 1.58x
East Ham 6 11.05x
Falkirk 6 4.69x
Hammersmith London 6 1.64x
West Thurrock 6 61.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 73
Elizabeth 53
Sarah 52
Annie 33
Emily 26
Ann 23
Jane 23
Emma 22
Alice 18
Ellen 18
Eliza 17
Hannah 16
Caroline 14
Louisa 13
Edith 11
Fanny 10
Margaret 10
Martha 10
Florence 9
Charlotte 8
Kate 8
Sophia 8
Agnes 7
Lucy 7
Maria 7
Ada 6
Anne 6
Bertha 6
Catherine 6
Harriet 6
Susan 6
Eleanor 5
Elizth. 5
Harriett 5
Minnie 5
Rose 5
Beatrice 4
Clara 4
Esther 4
Ethel 4
Grace 4
Helen 4
Julia 4
Rebecca 4
Bridget 3
Isabella 3
Jessie 3
Matilda 3
Maud 3
May 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 72
John 64
Thomas 55
George 47
James 39
Henry 37
Charles 35
Frederick 23
Joseph 23
Arthur 19
Alfred 17
Albert 16
Edward 15
Harry 15
Frank 11
Robert 11
Samuel 11
Ernest 9
Walter 9
David 7
Richard 7
Herbert 6
Daniel 5
Edwin 5
Francis 5
Michael 5
Stephen 5
Wm. 5
Geo. 4
Mark 4
Abraham 3
Alexander 3
Benjamin 3
Chas. 3
Edgar 3
Nathaniel 3
Sidney 3
Andrew 2
Fred 2
Fredk. 2
Jas. 2
Jeremiah 2
Jonathan 2
Mathew 2
Matthew 2
Moses 2
Percy 2
Philip 2
Robt. 2
Rowland 2

FAQ

Brandon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brandon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,525 people were recorded with the Brandon surname. That placed it at #2,757 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brandon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,833 in 2016. That gives Brandon a modern rank of #2,376.

What does the Brandon surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "hill covered with broom" in Old English.

What does the Brandon map show?

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