NameCensus.

UK surname

Brayfield

A locational surname stemming from a place named Brayfield.

In the 1881 census there were 87 people recorded with the Brayfield surname, ranking it #21,334 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 111, ranked #29,049, down from #21,334 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wellingborough, Stockport and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Northamptonshire, Wellingborough and Lancaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brayfield is 121 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.6%.

1881 census count

87

Ranked #21,334

Modern count

111

2016, ranked #29,049

Peak year

2013

121 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brayfield had 87 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,334 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 111 in 2016, ranked #29,049.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 109 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Brayfield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brayfield surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brayfield 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 51 #24,096
1861 historical 83 #23,189
1881 historical 87 #21,334
1891 historical 87 #25,802
1901 historical 106 #22,076
1911 historical 109 #21,611
1997 modern 97 #27,342
1998 modern 94 #28,435
1999 modern 94 #28,593
2000 modern 98 #27,988
2001 modern 91 #28,670
2002 modern 100 #27,944
2003 modern 101 #27,561
2004 modern 99 #28,136
2005 modern 101 #27,854
2006 modern 102 #27,926
2007 modern 107 #27,557
2008 modern 106 #28,016
2009 modern 111 #27,846
2010 modern 118 #27,404
2011 modern 117 #27,334
2012 modern 119 #27,100
2013 modern 121 #27,255
2014 modern 117 #28,109
2015 modern 114 #28,478
2016 modern 111 #29,049

Geography

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Where Brayfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wellingborough, Stockport, London parishes, St Giles Camberwell and Woodford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Northamptonshire, Wellingborough, Lancaster and Redcar and Cleveland. 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 Wellingborough Northamptonshire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)
5 Woodford Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Northamptonshire 008 East Northamptonshire
2 Wellingborough 010 Wellingborough
3 Lancaster 019 Lancaster
4 Redcar and Cleveland 022 Redcar and Cleveland
5 East Northamptonshire 007 East Northamptonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brayfield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brayfield

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Brayfield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Brayfield 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Brayfield is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brayfield is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Brayfield falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Brayfield

The surname Brayfield is of English origin, originating in the Middle Ages. It is believed to be a locational name derived from a place name, specifically a location called Brayfield or Brayfield Neville in Northamptonshire. The name likely comes from the Old English words "bræge" meaning hill or slope, and "feld" meaning field or open area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Brayfield can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a Peter de Breyfeld is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already established by the 13th century in England.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various legal records and charters, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a Robert de Brayfeld is mentioned in 1347.

During the 16th century, the surname Brayfield continued to be found in various parish records and tax rolls. One notable example is John Brayfield, who was born in 1545 in Northamptonshire and served as a member of the English Parliament.

In the 17th century, the name Brayfield appeared in the parish records of several villages in Northamptonshire and surrounding counties, suggesting that the name was well-established in these areas. One example is William Brayfield, who was baptized in Northampton in 1632.

By the 18th century, the surname Brayfield had spread to other parts of England, as evidenced by the birth of James Brayfield in 1712 in Somerset. Another notable bearer of the name during this period was Thomas Brayfield, a physician born in 1761 in Gloucestershire, who published several medical treatises.

In the 19th century, the Brayfield surname continued to be found throughout England, with individuals bearing the name living in various counties. One example is Samuel Brayfield, a farmer born in 1823 in Oxfordshire.

Overall, the surname Brayfield has a long history in England, with its origins dating back to the Middle Ages. While not a particularly common name, it has been consistently found in various records throughout the centuries, particularly in the counties of Northamptonshire and surrounding areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brayfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brayfield 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. Northamptonshire leads with 27 Brayfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.83x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 27 33.83x
Surrey 27 6.53x
Essex 8 4.78x
Derbyshire 5 3.76x
Yorkshire 5 0.59x
Cheshire 4 2.14x
Durham 3 1.19x
Middlesex 3 0.35x
Kent 1 0.35x
Lancashire 1 0.10x
Shropshire 1 1.36x
Staffordshire 1 0.35x
Sussex 1 0.70x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 17 Brayfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.36x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 17 31.36x
Wellingborough 12 299.25x
Bermondsey 10 39.57x
Raunds 8 987.65x
Clifton In York 5 284.09x
West Ham 5 13.52x
Northampton St Sepulchre 4 98.52x
Bredbury 3 277.78x
High Easter 3 1304.35x
Littleover 3 1304.35x
Ford 2 263.16x
Hazelwood 2 1818.18x
Shoreditch London 2 5.44x
Brighton 1 3.46x
Everton 1 3.12x
Lichfield St Michael 1 111.11x
Ludlow St Lawrence 1 68.49x
Macclesfield 1 12.00x
Northampton St Giles 1 32.89x
Plumstead 1 10.36x
Shildon 1 49.26x
St George In East London 1 12.53x
Sudborough 1 1250.00x
Towcester 1 121.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Elizabeth 4
Emily 4
Hannah 4
Ellen 3
Maria 3
Emma 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Barbara 1
Blanche 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Ellenor 1
Freddie 1
Gertrude 1
Harrett 1
Harriett 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Jennie 1
Johanna 1
Sabina 1
Saley 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 8
William 4
Thomas 3
Arthur 2
John 2
Joseph 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Charles 1
Edwaine 1
Edward 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Hy. 1
Jame 1
James 1
Jno. 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Brayfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brayfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 87 people were recorded with the Brayfield surname. That placed it at #21,334 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brayfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 111 in 2016. That gives Brayfield a modern rank of #29,049.

What does the Brayfield surname mean?

A locational surname stemming from a place named Brayfield.

What does the Brayfield map show?

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