NameCensus.

UK surname

Brearey

A locational surname referring to someone from Brearey or Brearley.

In the 1881 census there were 91 people recorded with the Brearey surname, ranking it #20,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 154, ranked #23,293, down from #20,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Otley, London parishes and Birstall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Medway, Sunderland and South Hams.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brearey is 232 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 69.2%.

1881 census count

91

Ranked #20,843

Modern count

154

2016, ranked #23,293

Peak year

1911

232 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brearey had 91 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016, ranked #23,293.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 232 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Brearey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brearey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brearey 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 115 #15,634
1861 historical 75 #24,238
1881 historical 91 #20,843
1891 historical 142 #18,995
1901 historical 171 #16,689
1911 historical 232 #13,592
1997 modern 169 #19,578
1998 modern 171 #19,956
1999 modern 171 #20,072
2000 modern 180 #19,425
2001 modern 171 #19,770
2002 modern 167 #20,457
2003 modern 165 #20,401
2004 modern 164 #20,609
2005 modern 167 #20,296
2006 modern 169 #20,294
2007 modern 169 #20,562
2008 modern 156 #21,862
2009 modern 166 #21,469
2010 modern 167 #21,835
2011 modern 164 #21,900
2012 modern 172 #21,219
2013 modern 168 #21,914
2014 modern 171 #21,812
2015 modern 160 #22,701
2016 modern 154 #23,293

Geography

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Where Breareys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Otley, London parishes, Birstall, Batley and Dewsbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Medway, Sunderland, South Hams, Bradford and Leeds. 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 Otley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Dewsbury Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Medway 035 Medway
2 Sunderland 009 Sunderland
3 South Hams 008 South Hams
4 Bradford 023 Bradford
5 Leeds 022 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brearey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brearey

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Brearey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Brearey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Brearey 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

Brearey is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Brearey falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Brearey

The surname "BREAREY" is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bræra", which means a briar bush or a thorny shrub. This suggests that the name was originally an occupational name for someone who lived near or worked with briar bushes.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297, where it is listed as "Robert de Brerye". This indicates that the name was prevalent in the northern county of Yorkshire during the medieval period.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a place called "Brerehaugh" in Northumberland, which may have been the origin of the surname for some families. This place name contains the Old English elements "brer" (briar) and "haugr" (hill or mound), suggesting a location where briar bushes grew on a hill.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not include any direct mentions of the surname "BREAREY", but it does record several place names with similar roots, such as "Breretwode" (Briarwood) in Oxfordshire and "Breredic" (Briar Ditch) in Buckinghamshire.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "BREAREY" was John Brearey, born in 1562 in Wakefield, Yorkshire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a magistrate in the region.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Brearey (1580-1659), a successful merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1633. He was knighted by King Charles I in recognition of his contributions to the city.

During the English Civil War (1642-1651), Captain William Brearey (1620-1676) fought for the Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell. He was present at the Battle of Naseby in 1645, which proved to be a decisive victory for the Parliamentarians.

In the 18th century, Reverend James Brearey (1720-1791) was a prominent clergyman in the Church of England and served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire.

Another noteworthy figure was Elizabeth Brearey (1799-1878), a philanthropist and social reformer from Lancashire. She dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of the working class and establishing schools for underprivileged children.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brearey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brearey 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. Yorkshire leads with 72 Breareys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.19x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 72 8.19x
Lancashire 8 0.76x
Isle of Man 4 24.27x
Kent 3 0.99x
Lincolnshire 3 2.11x
Middlesex 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. Dewsbury in Yorkshire leads with 26 Breareys recorded in 1881 and an index of 288.25x.

Place Total Index
Dewsbury 26 288.25x
Soothill 26 817.61x
Batley 7 83.73x
Carnforth 6 1034.48x
Liversedge 6 153.06x
Shipley 5 109.65x
Onchan 4 84.21x
Greenwich 3 21.23x
Skegness 3 731.71x
Leeds 2 4.03x
Layton With Warbreck 1 25.91x
Salford 1 3.23x
Tottenham 1 7.07x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Brearey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brearey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 91 people were recorded with the Brearey surname. That placed it at #20,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brearey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016. That gives Brearey a modern rank of #23,293.

What does the Brearey surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Brearey or Brearley.

What does the Brearey map show?

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