NameCensus.

UK surname

Branston

A locational surname derived from the parish of Branston in Leicestershire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 564 people recorded with the Branston surname, ranking it #6,143 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 615, ranked #8,539, down from #6,143 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Bowden Magna and Newark-on-Trent, East Stoke (East Stoke), Park Leys, Rolleston (Fiskerton), Morton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Charnwood, Kirklees and Cotswold.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Branston is 662 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9.0%.

1881 census count

564

Ranked #6,143

Modern count

615

2016, ranked #8,539

Peak year

2000

662 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Branston had 564 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,143 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 615 in 2016, ranked #8,539.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 640 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Branston surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Branston surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Branston 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 414 #5,863
1861 historical 447 #5,786
1881 historical 564 #6,143
1891 historical 526 #7,125
1901 historical 585 #7,209
1911 historical 640 #6,517
1997 modern 650 #7,655
1998 modern 649 #7,923
1999 modern 658 #7,874
2000 modern 662 #7,826
2001 modern 640 #7,883
2002 modern 657 #7,880
2003 modern 633 #7,986
2004 modern 624 #8,099
2005 modern 610 #8,176
2006 modern 604 #8,246
2007 modern 616 #8,193
2008 modern 621 #8,194
2009 modern 628 #8,299
2010 modern 644 #8,312
2011 modern 638 #8,281
2012 modern 631 #8,266
2013 modern 637 #8,336
2014 modern 637 #8,390
2015 modern 626 #8,439
2016 modern 615 #8,539

Geography

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Where Branstons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Bowden Magna, Newark-on-Trent, East Stoke (East Stoke), Park Leys, Rolleston (Fiskerton), Morton, Belton (incl. Gunthorpe) and Holdenby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Charnwood, Kirklees, Cotswold and Leicester. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 Bowden Magna Leicestershire
3 Newark-on-Trent, East Stoke (East Stoke), Park Leys, Rolleston (Fiskerton), Morton Nottinghamshire
4 Belton (incl. Gunthorpe) Rutland
5 Holdenby Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Charnwood 017 Charnwood
2 Kirklees 058 Kirklees
3 Cotswold 003 Cotswold
4 Leicester 037 Leicester
5 Charnwood 021 Charnwood

Forenames

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First names often paired with Branston

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Branston

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Branston surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Branston household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Branston 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

Branston is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Branston

The surname Branston is of English origin, deriving from the place name Branston, which can be found in several locations across England, including Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and Staffordshire. The name is believed to have originated in the early Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Branston can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Branteston" in reference to a settlement in Lincolnshire. This suggests that the name may have its roots in Old English, possibly derived from the words "bran" (meaning "broom") and "tun" (meaning "farm" or "settlement").

During the medieval period, the name Branston was primarily concentrated in the Midlands region of England, particularly in Leicestershire and Lincolnshire. In the 14th century, a prominent figure named William Branston was recorded as a landowner in the village of Branston, near Grantham, Lincolnshire.

By the 16th century, the surname had spread to other parts of England, including London. One notable individual from this era was John Branston (c. 1560-1620), a merchant and alderman of the City of London. He was also known for his involvement in the Virginia Company, which established the first permanent English settlement in North America.

In the 18th century, another prominent figure bearing the name Branston was Henry Branston (1712-1784), an English architect and surveyor who worked on several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.

Moving into the 19th century, William Branston (1786-1857) was a successful manufacturer of pottery and bricks in the town of Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire. His company, Branston & Co., played a significant role in the development of the local pottery industry.

Another noteworthy individual with the surname Branston was Charles Branston (1846-1928), a British painter and illustrator who was known for his depictions of rural life and landscapes in England. Many of his works can be found in museums and galleries across the country.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Branston families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Branston 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. Leicestershire leads with 105 Branstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.31x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 105 17.31x
Nottinghamshire 61 8.27x
Lincolnshire 56 6.40x
Northamptonshire 52 10.10x
Middlesex 45 0.82x
Warwickshire 43 3.12x
Lancashire 22 0.34x
Lanarkshire 20 1.13x
Durham 19 1.17x
Rutland 18 44.80x
Yorkshire 17 0.31x
Surrey 15 0.56x
Sussex 13 1.41x
Buckinghamshire 10 3.02x
Northumberland 10 1.23x
Staffordshire 10 0.54x
Kent 8 0.43x
Derbyshire 6 0.70x
Suffolk 6 0.90x
Fife 5 1.54x
Wiltshire 5 1.03x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.87x
Dorset 3 0.84x
Worcestershire 3 0.42x
Gloucestershire 2 0.19x
Devon 1 0.09x
Hampshire 1 0.09x
Hertfordshire 1 0.27x
Somerset 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 24 Branstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.22x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 24 16.22x
Leicester St Mary 19 38.76x
Caythorpe 15 2678.57x
Market Harborough 15 547.45x
Nottingham St Mary 15 7.86x
Belton 13 1830.99x
Govan 12 2.74x
Holdenby 10 2564.10x
South Witham 10 1298.70x
Warwick St Nicholas 10 98.81x
Westgate 10 19.83x
Wothorpe 10 5000.00x
Hanslope 9 303.03x
Newborough 9 687.02x
Bottesford 8 321.29x
Great Grimsby 8 14.41x
Lapley 8 575.54x
Leicester Augustin 8 4444.44x
Stainby 8 2758.62x
Stockton On Tees 8 10.19x
Stokesley 8 236.69x
Aston 7 1.84x
Balderton 7 346.53x
Clapham 7 10.23x
Hackney London 7 2.28x
Manchester 7 2.40x
Winthorpe 7 1458.33x
Bethnal Green London 6 2.52x
Bourn 6 84.87x
Brighton 6 3.22x
Deptford St Paul 6 4.17x
Durham St Nicholas 6 150.00x
Gorton 6 9.83x
Loughborough 6 21.79x
St Marylebone London 6 2.05x
Syston 6 105.63x
Barony 5 1.12x
Birmingham 5 1.09x
Coventry Holy Trinity 5 12.13x
Dunfermline 5 10.04x
Great Bowden 5 90.58x
Hastings Holy Trinity 5 73.53x
Kensington London 5 1.64x
Newark Upon Trent 5 18.86x
Northampton St Sepulchre 5 19.09x
Peterborough 5 13.42x
Stanhope 5 29.74x
Dunston 4 273.97x
Gorleston 4 23.63x
Moss Side 4 11.71x
Shoreditch London 4 1.69x
Snenton 4 13.80x
Tanworth 4 109.59x
West Haddon 4 239.52x
Frisby On The Wreake 3 405.41x
Hammersmith London 3 2.23x
Hulme 3 2.21x
Kingston On Thames 3 4.68x
Marton 3 428.57x
New Sleaford 3 53.48x
Northampton Priory St 3 9.71x
Parson Drove 3 215.83x
Southcoates 3 9.97x
Swinstead 3 461.54x
Uppingham 3 62.63x
Westminster St Margaret 3 11.36x
Westport St Mary 3 85.47x
Wolston Marston 3 291.26x
Affpuddle 2 219.78x
Alexton 2 2222.22x
Basford 2 5.88x
Crowland 2 36.43x
Egham 2 12.22x
Kibworth Beauchamp 2 95.24x
Newcastle Under Lyme 2 6.12x
Oundle 2 34.78x
Ratby 2 65.79x
St Gilesin Fields London 2 43.20x
Stamford St Mary 2 112.99x
Whitwell 2 1000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 39
John 32
Thomas 25
George 17
Charles 14
Richard 13
Joseph 12
Henry 10
James 8
Arthur 5
Frederick 5
Harry 5
Robert 5
Edward 4
Herbert 4
Samuel 4
Simeon 4
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Bernard 2
Ernest 2
Geo. 2
Reuben 2
Baccheus 1
Basil 1
Bentley 1
Brian 1
Chas. 1
Cyril 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Earnest 1
Edmond 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Emma 1
Francis 1
Fred. 1
Fredk. 1
Jack 1
Johnathan 1
Joshua 1
Leo 1
Lovell 1
Michael 1
Richd. 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Thoms.R. 1

FAQ

Branston surname: questions and answers

How common was the Branston surname in 1881?

In 1881, 564 people were recorded with the Branston surname. That placed it at #6,143 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Branston surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 615 in 2016. That gives Branston a modern rank of #8,539.

What does the Branston surname mean?

A locational surname derived from the parish of Branston in Leicestershire, England.

What does the Branston map show?

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