NameCensus.

UK surname

Brant

An English surname derived from the Old Norse word "brandr," meaning "sword" or "fire."

In the 1881 census there were 1,222 people recorded with the Brant surname, ranking it #3,311 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,118, ranked #3,054, up from #3,311 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Winkfield with Ascot and Warfield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Lindsey, East Riding of Yorkshire and Chelmsford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brant is 2,205 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 73.3%.

1881 census count

1,222

Ranked #3,311

Modern count

2,118

2016, ranked #3,054

Peak year

1999

2,205 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brant had 1,222 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,311 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,118 in 2016, ranked #3,054.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,881 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Brant surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brant surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brant 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 785 #3,397
1861 historical 879 #3,157
1881 historical 1,222 #3,311
1891 historical 1,342 #3,248
1901 historical 1,590 #3,249
1911 historical 1,881 #2,626
1997 modern 2,112 #2,925
1998 modern 2,201 #2,917
1999 modern 2,205 #2,938
2000 modern 2,114 #3,025
2001 modern 2,080 #3,009
2002 modern 2,139 #2,994
2003 modern 2,084 #3,005
2004 modern 2,080 #3,019
2005 modern 2,034 #3,031
2006 modern 2,040 #3,031
2007 modern 2,040 #3,068
2008 modern 2,060 #3,061
2009 modern 2,103 #3,072
2010 modern 2,124 #3,119
2011 modern 2,157 #3,035
2012 modern 2,144 #2,984
2013 modern 2,148 #3,036
2014 modern 2,166 #3,030
2015 modern 2,138 #3,036
2016 modern 2,118 #3,054

Geography

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Where Brants are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Winkfield with Ascot, Warfield, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Wokingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Lindsey, East Riding of Yorkshire and Chelmsford. 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 3
2 Winkfield with Ascot Berkshire
3 Warfield Berkshire
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Wokingham Berkshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Lindsey 005 East Lindsey
2 East Lindsey 006 East Lindsey
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 040 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 041 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Chelmsford 019 Chelmsford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brant

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brant

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

London Fringe

Within London, Brant is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Brant 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

Brant falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Brant

The surname Brant originated in the Netherlands, particularly in the province of Gelderland. It is believed to have derived from the Old Dutch word "brant," which means "fire" or "burning." This surname likely referred to someone who lived near a burning area or was associated with a profession related to fire, such as a charcoal burner or a blacksmith.

The earliest recorded instances of the Brant surname date back to the 13th century in the Netherlands. In medieval times, the name was spelled in various ways, including Brant, Brandt, and Brand. One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was Hendrick Brant, a merchant from Arnhem, who was mentioned in historical records from the year 1275.

The Brant surname gained prominence in the 15th century with the birth of Sebastian Brant (1457-1521), a German humanist, satirist, and scholar. He is best known for his satirical work, "Das Narrenschiff" (The Ship of Fools), which was published in 1494 and became a significant work of the Renaissance era.

Another notable figure with the Brant surname was Joseph Brant (1742-1807), a Mohawk military leader who played a crucial role in the American Revolutionary War. He was born in the Mohawk village of Canajorharie, in what is now New York. Brant's Mohawk name was Thayendanegea, and he is remembered for his efforts to protect the interests of the Iroquois Confederacy during the conflict.

In the Netherlands, the Brant surname is closely associated with the city of Rotterdam. One of the most famous individuals with this surname from Rotterdam was Jacob Brant (1613-1677), a successful merchant and politician who served as the mayor of Rotterdam from 1661 to 1677.

Another notable bearer of the Brant surname was Hubert Adriaan Brant (1786-1845), a Dutch jurist and politician who served as the Minister of Justice in the Netherlands from 1837 to 1840. He played a significant role in the drafting of the Dutch Criminal Code of 1838.

Throughout history, the Brant surname has been carried by individuals from various professions and backgrounds, including artists, writers, politicians, and military leaders. While its origins can be traced back to the Netherlands, the name has since spread to other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of its bearers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brant families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brant 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. Berkshire leads with 234 Brants recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.28x.

County Total Index
Berkshire 234 26.28x
Lincolnshire 181 9.54x
Middlesex 142 1.20x
Staffordshire 118 2.95x
Worcestershire 95 6.13x
Surrey 88 1.52x
Leicestershire 52 3.95x
Yorkshire 51 0.43x
Warwickshire 49 1.64x
Hampshire 47 1.93x
Lancashire 29 0.21x
Kent 26 0.64x
Buckinghamshire 14 1.95x
Gloucestershire 11 0.47x
Nottinghamshire 11 0.69x
Sussex 8 0.40x
Cheshire 7 0.27x
Devon 7 0.28x
Lanarkshire 5 0.13x
Carmarthenshire 4 0.80x
Cornwall 4 0.30x
Dorset 4 0.51x
Durham 4 0.11x
Essex 4 0.17x
Somerset 4 0.21x
Northamptonshire 3 0.27x
Derbyshire 2 0.11x
Glamorgan 2 0.10x
Norfolk 2 0.11x
Northumberland 2 0.11x
Royal Navy 2 1.41x
Wiltshire 2 0.19x
Flintshire 1 0.31x
Hertfordshire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wokingham in Berkshire leads with 58 Brants recorded in 1881 and an index of 285.43x.

Place Total Index
Wokingham 58 285.43x
Winkfield 47 318.00x
Warfield 35 433.17x
Leicester St Margaret 34 10.60x
Willenhall 33 44.00x
Camberwell 26 3.43x
Louth 26 59.81x
Birmingham 25 2.51x
Theddlethorpe St Helen 23 1369.05x
Aston 22 2.67x
Wednesbury 19 18.99x
St Luke London 18 9.46x
Tathwell 18 1052.63x
Binfield 16 234.26x
Oldbury 15 19.68x
Wallingford St Mary Le 15 298.21x
Islington London 14 1.22x
Kings Norton 14 10.08x
Bermondsey 13 3.68x
Sherfield Upon Loddon 13 498.08x
Wolverhampton 13 4.22x
Arborfield 12 1090.91x
St Pancras London 12 1.26x
Great Grimsby 11 9.14x
Lambeth 11 1.06x
Lewisham 11 5.10x
Ludborough 11 780.14x
Swaby 11 654.76x
Barrow On Humber 10 90.83x
Sheffield 10 2.67x
Boston 9 15.64x
Claines 9 21.17x
Clerkenwell London 9 3.21x
Moss Side 9 12.15x
Rushall 9 38.20x
Severn Stoke 9 319.15x
Southwark Christchurch 9 16.19x
Chelsea London 8 2.24x
Cove 8 250.78x
Kensington London 8 1.21x
Liverpool 8 0.94x
Sculcoates 8 4.29x
Sutton Stoneferry 8 23.79x
Warrington 8 4.79x
Bilston 7 9.02x
Hollington 7 98.31x
Mile End New Town London 7 29.86x
Newington 7 1.60x
Nottingham St Mary 7 1.69x
Old Windsor 7 67.90x
Paddington London 7 1.60x
Pershore Holy Cross 7 70.49x
Stoulton 7 466.67x
Worlaby By Aldford 7 2592.59x
Alford 6 51.06x
Belgrave 6 20.22x
Crowle 6 279.07x
Croydon 6 1.87x
Hampstead London 6 3.25x
Harborne 6 4.68x
Leicester Newarke 6 87.46x
Mile End Old Town London 6 2.38x
Northfield 6 20.42x
Saltfleetby All Sts 6 869.57x
Shoreditch London 6 1.17x
The Hill 6 60.30x
Westminster St Margaret 6 10.49x
Wraysbury 6 223.88x
Aylesby 5 1111.11x
Cannock 5 7.16x
Crowle 5 43.33x
Deptford St Paul 5 1.60x
Exeter St Thomas The 5 19.86x
Nether Hallam 5 3.14x
Old Monkland 5 3.28x
Portsmouth 5 8.93x
Tettenhall 5 20.42x
Theddlethorpe All Sts 5 373.13x
West Swallowfield 5 118.48x
Wycombe 5 9.35x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 73
Elizabeth 52
Sarah 39
Ann 34
Emma 27
Jane 26
Eliza 25
Ellen 24
Emily 23
Alice 16
Caroline 13
Fanny 12
Hannah 12
Annie 11
Ada 10
Charlotte 9
Martha 9
Lucy 8
Edith 7
Florence 7
Harriet 7
Catherine 6
Maria 6
Minnie 6
Frances 5
Julia 5
Kate 5
Lizzie 5
Rebecca 5
Rose 5
Anne 4
Betsy 4
Clara 4
Elizth. 4
Louisa 4
Rosa 4
Sophia 4
Amelia 3
Esther 3
Isabella 3
May 3
Phoebe 3
Susan 3
Anna 2
Editha 2
Eleanor 2
Lily 2
Matilda 2
Maud 2
Olive 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 93
John 61
George 52
Thomas 50
Charles 34
Henry 33
James 29
Robert 21
Joseph 18
Arthur 16
Richard 14
Albert 9
Alfred 9
Daniel 9
Edward 9
Samuel 9
Walter 7
Stephen 6
Benjamin 5
Francis 5
Wm. 5
David 4
Edwin 4
Ernest 4
Fred 4
Frederick 4
Peter 4
Oliver 3
Reuben 3
Robinson 3
Frank 2
Harry 2
Percy 2
Robt. 2
Sydney 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
Andrew 1
Aquale 1
Benjiman 1
Boaz 1
Chas. 1
Edwd.Fredk. 1
Eli 1
Elias 1
Elizabeth 1
Isaac 1
Isadore 1
Jack 1
Zephenia 1

FAQ

Brant surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brant surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,222 people were recorded with the Brant surname. That placed it at #3,311 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brant surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,118 in 2016. That gives Brant a modern rank of #3,054.

What does the Brant surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old Norse word "brandr," meaning "sword" or "fire."

What does the Brant map show?

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