NameCensus.

UK surname

Brann

A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Braoin," meaning "descendant of Braon" (a byname meaning "sorrow").

In the 1881 census there were 206 people recorded with the Brann surname, ranking it #12,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 236, ranked #17,470, down from #12,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, London parishes and Ore. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bracknell Forest, Hastings and Croydon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brann is 322 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.6%.

1881 census count

206

Ranked #12,596

Modern count

236

2016, ranked #17,470

Peak year

1911

322 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brann had 206 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 236 in 2016, ranked #17,470.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 322 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Brann surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brann surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brann 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 141 #13,507
1861 historical 205 #11,769
1881 historical 206 #12,596
1891 historical 247 #12,880
1901 historical 293 #11,829
1911 historical 322 #10,873
1997 modern 267 #14,623
1998 modern 270 #14,913
1999 modern 276 #14,762
2000 modern 263 #15,228
2001 modern 249 #15,573
2002 modern 247 #15,941
2003 modern 241 #16,013
2004 modern 240 #16,144
2005 modern 247 #15,763
2006 modern 257 #15,448
2007 modern 239 #16,449
2008 modern 247 #16,205
2009 modern 242 #16,789
2010 modern 246 #16,975
2011 modern 250 #16,637
2012 modern 237 #17,132
2013 modern 230 #17,756
2014 modern 241 #17,338
2015 modern 239 #17,322
2016 modern 236 #17,470

Geography

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Where Branns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, London parishes, Ore and Wittersham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bracknell Forest, Hastings, Croydon, Ashford and Tonbridge and Malling. 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 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
2 London parishes London 1
3 Ore Sussex
4 London parishes London 3
5 Wittersham Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bracknell Forest 011 Bracknell Forest
2 Hastings 004 Hastings
3 Croydon 043 Croydon
4 Ashford 012 Ashford
5 Tonbridge and Malling 003 Tonbridge and Malling

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brann

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brann

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Brann is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brann is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Brann falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Brann

The surname Brann has its origins in Germany and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "bran," which means "brown" or "dark-colored." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion.

The earliest recorded instances of the Brann surname can be found in medieval German records and documents, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Otto Brann, a landowner mentioned in a deed from the town of Bamberg in 1187.

In the 13th century, the Brann name appeared in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony. This suggests that the name had spread from its Bavarian roots and was becoming more widespread across German-speaking areas.

During the 15th century, a notable figure named Hans Brann was a respected scholar and theologian who taught at the University of Leipzig. He was born in 1428 and passed away in 1495, leaving behind a legacy of academic works on theology and philosophy.

Another prominent individual with the Brann surname was Johann Brann, a German composer and organist who lived from 1673 to 1738. He was known for his contributions to the development of German Baroque music and his compositions for the organ.

In the 19th century, the Brann name gained recognition through the work of Marcus Brann, a German-Jewish historian and scholar who specialized in the study of Jewish culture and history. He was born in 1849 and died in 1920, leaving behind a significant body of research and writings on Jewish history and literature.

As the Brann surname spread across Europe, it also found its way to other parts of the world through immigration. For example, in the United States, there are records of individuals with the Brann surname arriving from Germany and settling in various regions, particularly in the Midwest and Northeast, during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

While the Brann surname may have originated from a descriptive term related to physical appearance, it has since become a respected and well-established name with a rich history spanning several centuries and crossing various cultural and geographical boundaries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brann families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brann 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. Kent leads with 97 Branns recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.22x.

County Total Index
Kent 97 14.22x
Sussex 46 13.64x
Surrey 10 1.03x
Middlesex 9 0.45x
Yorkshire 9 0.45x
Devon 7 1.68x
Lancashire 7 0.30x
Cornwall 6 2.65x
Midlothian 5 1.87x
Hampshire 3 0.73x
Cumberland 2 1.16x
Durham 2 0.34x
Dorset 1 0.76x
Inverness-shire 1 1.67x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wittersham in Kent leads with 50 Branns recorded in 1881 and an index of 8196.72x.

Place Total Index
Wittersham 50 8196.72x
Peasmarsh 13 2280.70x
Boughton Malherbe 10 3333.33x
Broomhill 10 11111.11x
Ore 7 278.88x
Sandhurst 7 875.00x
Herstmonceaux 6 594.06x
Paul 6 145.99x
Salford 6 8.60x
Stoke Damerel 6 20.60x
Buckland In Dover 5 221.24x
Inveresk 5 68.97x
Hastings St Mary 4 47.68x
Newington 4 5.41x
Ramsgate 4 35.91x
Tenterden 4 165.98x
Whitechapel London 4 20.29x
Aylesford 3 158.73x
Brighton 3 4.41x
Clapham 3 12.00x
Ecclesall Bierlow 3 7.44x
Folkestone 3 22.68x
Middlesbrough 3 11.63x
Sculcoates 3 9.55x
Aldershot 2 14.57x
Bermondsey 2 3.36x
Brabourne 2 392.16x
Heworth 2 17.06x
Lydd 2 136.99x
Rye 2 62.50x
Sellinge 2 454.55x
Woolwich 2 7.93x
Workington 2 20.28x
Beckenham 1 11.21x
Challock 1 416.67x
Daviot Dunlichity 1 116.28x
East Malling 1 61.35x
Hastings St Andrew 1 82.64x
Kensington London 1 0.90x
Mile End Old Town London 1 2.35x
North Meols 1 4.30x
Paddington London 1 1.36x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 3.12x
Portland 1 14.16x
Ryde 1 11.36x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.84x
Walton On Thames 1 22.37x
Westminster St James 1 4.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Elizabeth 6
Emma 5
Jane 5
Sarah 5
Eliza 4
Fanny 4
Louisa 4
Anne 3
Emily 3
Frances 3
Ann 2
Anna 2
Bertha 2
Caroline 2
Celia 2
Charlotte 2
Ellen 2
Kate 2
Lydia 2
Matilda 2
Ada 1
Agness 1
Annie 1
Betsy 1
Catherine 1
Clare 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Flossie 1
Franes 1
Georgiana 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Maude 1
Minnie 1
Oranda 1
Sophie 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 16
John 14
William 11
James 7
Alfred 6
Thomas 6
Henry 5
Richard 4
Curtis 2
Fredrick 2
Robert 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Charlie 1
David 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Emile 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Herbert 1
Jesse 1
Jnt. 1
Joseph 1
Julius 1
Lorenza 1
Otto 1
Robt. 1
Samuel 1
Sgt.James 1
Stephen 1

FAQ

Brann surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brann surname in 1881?

In 1881, 206 people were recorded with the Brann surname. That placed it at #12,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brann surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 236 in 2016. That gives Brann a modern rank of #17,470.

What does the Brann surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Braoin," meaning "descendant of Braon" (a byname meaning "sorrow").

What does the Brann map show?

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