NameCensus.

UK surname

Brearton

A locational surname likely originating from Brearton, North Yorkshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 82 people recorded with the Brearton surname, ranking it #21,957 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 102, ranked #30,722, down from #21,957 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lancaster, Bradford and Harrogate.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brearton is 123 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.4%.

1881 census count

82

Ranked #21,957

Modern count

102

2016, ranked #30,722

Peak year

1999

123 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brearton had 82 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,957 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016, ranked #30,722.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 82 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Brearton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brearton surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brearton 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 60 #22,584
1861 historical 54 #27,127
1881 historical 82 #21,957
1891 historical 81 #26,632
1901 historical 61 #27,379
1911 historical 74 #25,423
1997 modern 108 #25,788
1998 modern 122 #24,556
1999 modern 123 #24,643
2000 modern 120 #24,950
2001 modern 116 #25,089
2002 modern 114 #25,886
2003 modern 115 #25,538
2004 modern 112 #26,159
2005 modern 109 #26,583
2006 modern 105 #27,479
2007 modern 110 #27,087
2008 modern 117 #26,351
2009 modern 121 #26,373
2010 modern 115 #27,874
2011 modern 112 #28,117
2012 modern 104 #29,543
2013 modern 109 #29,209
2014 modern 108 #29,658
2015 modern 108 #29,512
2016 modern 102 #30,722

Geography

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Where Breartons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lancaster, Bradford and Harrogate. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lancaster 010 Lancaster
2 Bradford 036 Bradford
3 Harrogate 013 Harrogate
4 Bradford 032 Bradford
5 Lancaster 016 Lancaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brearton

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brearton

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

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Brearton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Brearton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Brearton is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brearton 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

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

Meaning and origin of Brearton

The surname Brearton is of English origin, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from a place name, referring to a settlement or location in northern England, specifically in the county of Yorkshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Brearton surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name had already established itself in the region by the late 11th century.

The name Brearton is thought to be derived from the Old English words "brere" and "tun," which together mean "the settlement near the briar patch." This indicates that the name may have initially referred to a community situated near an area overgrown with brambles or thorny bushes.

In the 13th century, variations of the name such as "Brerton" and "Breirton" appeared in historical records, reflecting the evolution of spelling conventions over time. During this period, the Brearton family likely held land or property in the vicinity of the original settlement from which their name was derived.

One notable figure bearing the Brearton surname was Richard Brearton (1572-1637), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Peterhouse, a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Another individual of historical significance was Sir John Brearton (1628-1692), a prominent merchant and Member of Parliament for the city of London during the reign of Charles II.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, members of the Brearton family were also recorded in parish registers across Yorkshire, suggesting a continued presence and influence in the region. Some of these individuals include William Brearton (1585-1653), a landowner in the village of Keighley, and Elizabeth Brearton (1610-1679), who was born in the town of Skipton.

As time passed, the Brearton surname spread beyond its original homeland, with descendants establishing themselves in various parts of England and, later, other parts of the world as a result of migration and exploration.

Despite its roots in northern England, the Brearton surname has left an indelible mark on history, with individuals bearing this name contributing to various fields, including academia, politics, and commerce, over several centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brearton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brearton 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 30 Breartons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.74x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 30 3.74x
Staffordshire 24 8.78x
Lancashire 11 1.15x
Cheshire 9 5.04x
Gloucestershire 5 3.15x
Midlothian 3 2.77x
Middlesex 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. Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 27 Breartons recorded in 1881 and an index of 139.03x.

Place Total Index
Bradford 27 139.03x
Audley Talk O Th Hill 9 1836.73x
Stoke Upon Trent 9 31.06x
Salford 6 21.24x
Wolstanton 6 72.29x
Bristol St James In 5 214.59x
Norley 4 2000.00x
Cheetham 3 41.90x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 6.88x
Bollington In 2 125.79x
Keighley 2 23.39x
Manchester 2 4.63x
Birkenhead 1 7.02x
Bowling 1 12.58x
Kensington London 1 2.22x
Nantwich 1 48.08x
Stockport 1 10.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Sarah 5
Ann 3
Catherine 2
Emily 2
Margaret 2
Alice 1
Annie 1
Betsey 1
Cather. 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Evaline 1
Fanny 1
Harriett 1
Kate 1
Lily 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Maryann 1
Matilda 1
Rhoda 1

Top male names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Brearton households.

FAQ

Brearton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brearton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 82 people were recorded with the Brearton surname. That placed it at #21,957 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brearton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016. That gives Brearton a modern rank of #30,722.

What does the Brearton surname mean?

A locational surname likely originating from Brearton, North Yorkshire, England.

What does the Brearton map show?

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