NameCensus.

UK surname

Brazil

A locational surname referring to an individual who came from or had ties to the country of Brazil.

In the 1881 census there were 141 people recorded with the Brazil surname, ranking it #16,091 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,086, ranked #5,382, up from #16,091 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Amersham, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew and Lewisham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fenland, Elmbridge and King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brazil is 1,086 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 670.2%.

1881 census count

141

Ranked #16,091

Modern count

1,086

2016, ranked #5,382

Peak year

2016

1,086 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brazil had 141 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,091 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,086 in 2016, ranked #5,382.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 321 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Brazil surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brazil surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brazil 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 65 #21,747
1861 historical 73 #24,492
1881 historical 141 #16,091
1891 historical 223 #13,800
1901 historical 259 #12,848
1911 historical 321 #10,902
1997 modern 838 #6,306
1998 modern 881 #6,276
1999 modern 871 #6,368
2000 modern 897 #6,187
2001 modern 872 #6,208
2002 modern 897 #6,211
2003 modern 873 #6,219
2004 modern 898 #6,097
2005 modern 914 #5,953
2006 modern 930 #5,887
2007 modern 942 #5,888
2008 modern 968 #5,791
2009 modern 1,005 #5,741
2010 modern 1,042 #5,685
2011 modern 1,066 #5,518
2012 modern 1,063 #5,440
2013 modern 1,069 #5,515
2014 modern 1,084 #5,474
2015 modern 1,084 #5,411
2016 modern 1,086 #5,382

Geography

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Where Brazils are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Amersham, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Lewisham, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fenland, Elmbridge, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Swale. 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 Amersham Buckinghamshire
2 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
3 Lewisham London (South Districts)
4 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
5 London parishes London 1

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fenland 003 Fenland
2 Elmbridge 004 Elmbridge
3 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 013 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4 Swale 014 Swale
5 Swale 007 Swale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brazil

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brazil

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Brazil is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brazil 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

Brazil falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Brazil is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Brazil, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Brazil

The surname Brazil is derived from the name of the country Brazil in South America. The name Brazil itself originated from the Portuguese word for a type of red dye wood called pau-brasil, which was highly valued and exported from the region. The surname likely came into use during the early colonial period, when Portuguese explorers and settlers began arriving in Brazil in the 16th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Brazil can be found in the records of the Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral, who is credited with discovering Brazil in 1500. Cabral's expedition included several individuals with the surname Brazil, suggesting that the name was already in use at that time.

In the 17th century, the surname Brazil appeared in various historical documents related to the colonization of Brazil. For example, the name is mentioned in the writings of the Dutch explorer and colonial governor Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen, who ruled over the Dutch colony of Northeastern Brazil from 1637 to 1644.

Notable individuals with the surname Brazil throughout history include:

1. Francisco de Brasil (1624-1688), a Portuguese explorer and cartographer who mapped the interior of Brazil. 2. Tomé de Brasil (1570-1638), a Portuguese Jesuit missionary who worked among the indigenous populations of Brazil. 3. João de Brasil (1620-1692), a Portuguese colonial administrator who served as the governor of the captaincy of Rio de Janeiro. 4. Isabel de Brasil (1670-1744), a Brazilian landowner and philanthropist who founded several schools and hospitals in the city of Salvador. 5. Pedro de Brasil (1780-1855), a Brazilian military officer who fought in the Brazilian War of Independence against Portugal.

As the Portuguese colonial presence in Brazil grew, the surname Brazil became more widespread, particularly among families with ties to the lucrative pau-brasil trade or colonial administration. Over time, the name also spread to other parts of the Portuguese Empire and beyond, carried by individuals and families who migrated from Brazil.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brazil families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brazil 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 29 Brazils recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.11x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 29 2.11x
Lancashire 22 1.35x
Surrey 20 2.98x
Oxfordshire 10 11.77x
Kent 9 1.92x
Sussex 9 3.88x
Durham 8 1.96x
Essex 6 2.21x
Northumberland 6 2.93x
Carmarthenshire 5 8.63x
Glamorgan 4 1.67x
Gloucestershire 3 1.11x
Berkshire 2 1.94x
Buckinghamshire 2 2.41x
Lanarkshire 2 0.45x
Norfolk 2 0.95x
Hampshire 1 0.35x
Worcestershire 1 0.56x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wardleworth in Lancashire leads with 11 Brazils recorded in 1881 and an index of 117.90x.

Place Total Index
Wardleworth 11 117.90x
Islington London 10 7.50x
Camberwell 9 10.24x
Lewisham 9 35.97x
Oxford St Thomas 9 227.27x
Bethnal Green London 8 13.39x
Hastings St Mary In The 6 121.21x
Monkwearmouth Shore 6 75.09x
Rusholme 6 137.93x
West Ham 6 10.01x
Llangennech 5 537.63x
Godalming 4 94.79x
North Shields 4 98.04x
Southwark St John 4 95.01x
Hackney London 3 3.89x
Heathfield 3 319.15x
Swansea Town 3 15.28x
Barony 2 1.78x
Bermondsey 2 4.88x
Bray 2 66.01x
Hammersmith London 2 5.90x
Heigham 2 17.62x
Heworth 2 24.81x
Ince In Makerfield 2 26.35x
Liverpool 2 2.02x
St Botolph Aldgate London 2 70.67x
Tynemouth 2 18.25x
Alverstoke 1 9.80x
Birkdale 1 24.21x
Brill 1 163.93x
Bristol St Michael 1 43.29x
Cheltenham 1 4.81x
Clerkenwell London 1 3.08x
Feckenham 1 48.54x
Gloucester St Mary Lode 1 158.73x
Harlington 1 136.99x
Lambeth 1 0.83x
Oxford St Martin 1 714.29x
Shoreditch London 1 1.68x
Spitalfields London 1 9.67x
Worminghall 1 714.29x
Ystradyfodwg 1 4.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 7
Mary 6
Alice 4
Catherine 3
Emily 3
Louisa 3
Amy 2
Annie 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Isabella 2
Margaret 2
Susannah 2
Sussannah 2
Agnes 1
Angela 1
Angelica 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Dorothy 1
Ellen 1
Ethel 1
Florence 1
Helen 1
Joana 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Katie 1
Maria 1
Marion 1
Mercy 1
Norah 1
Phillis 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
James 9
John 9
Ernest 5
George 5
Thomas 5
Henry 4
Albert 2
Clarence 2
Joseph 2
Walter 2
Andrew 1
Benjamin 1
Christopher 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Infant 1
Noah 1
Percival 1
Peter 1
Rees 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Brazil surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brazil surname in 1881?

In 1881, 141 people were recorded with the Brazil surname. That placed it at #16,091 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brazil surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,086 in 2016. That gives Brazil a modern rank of #5,382.

What does the Brazil surname mean?

A locational surname referring to an individual who came from or had ties to the country of Brazil.

What does the Brazil map show?

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