NameCensus.

UK surname

Breckell

In the 1881 census there were 128 people recorded with the Breckell surname, ranking it #17,079 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 181, ranked #20,955, down from #17,079 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Poulton, Manchester and Lytham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sandwell, Burnley and Hyndburn.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Breckell is 248 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.4%.

1881 census count

128

Ranked #17,079

Modern count

181

2016, ranked #20,955

Peak year

1911

248 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Breckell had 128 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,079 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 181 in 2016, ranked #20,955.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 248 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Breckell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Breckell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Breckell 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 89 #18,446
1861 historical 54 #27,127
1881 historical 128 #17,079
1891 historical 82 #26,494
1901 historical 208 #14,760
1911 historical 248 #12,988
1997 modern 178 #18,958
1998 modern 181 #19,229
1999 modern 184 #19,178
2000 modern 185 #19,118
2001 modern 178 #19,288
2002 modern 171 #20,177
2003 modern 164 #20,483
2004 modern 164 #20,609
2005 modern 165 #20,468
2006 modern 166 #20,534
2007 modern 162 #21,115
2008 modern 163 #21,238
2009 modern 180 #20,341
2010 modern 188 #20,235
2011 modern 181 #20,579
2012 modern 184 #20,291
2013 modern 184 #20,643
2014 modern 184 #20,809
2015 modern 179 #21,069
2016 modern 181 #20,955

Geography

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Where Breckells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Poulton, Manchester, Lytham, Liverpool and Preston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sandwell, Burnley, Hyndburn and West Lancashire. 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 Poulton Lancashire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Lytham Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Preston Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sandwell 014 Sandwell
2 Burnley 003 Burnley
3 Hyndburn 006 Hyndburn
4 West Lancashire 006 West Lancashire
5 Sandwell 003 Sandwell

Forenames

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First names often paired with Breckell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Breckell

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Breckell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Breckell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Breckell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Breckell is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Breckell 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 Breckell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Breckell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Breckell 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. Lancashire leads with 120 Breckells recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.10x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 120 8.10x
Middlesex 6 0.48x
Cheshire 2 0.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Everton in Lancashire leads with 21 Breckells recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.47x.

Place Total Index
Everton 21 44.47x
Edgeworth 13 1625.00x
Manchester 9 13.51x
Great Crosby 8 198.02x
Little Bolton 8 41.99x
Preesall With 7 1944.44x
Warton 7 4117.65x
Hackney London 6 8.57x
Ormskirk 6 212.01x
Freckleton 5 1020.41x
Moston 5 335.57x
Preston 5 12.61x
Liverpool 4 4.45x
Much Woolton 4 199.01x
Failsworth 3 88.50x
Royton 3 66.23x
West Derby 3 6.92x
Birkenhead 2 9.10x
Thornton In Fylde 2 61.73x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 8.50x
Cheetham 1 9.05x
Kirkdale 1 4.01x
Kirkham 1 51.02x
Lytham 1 44.25x
Marton 1 101.01x
Spotland 1 6.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 7
Mary 7
Ann 5
Ellen 5
Jane 4
Margaret 4
Alice 3
Emma 3
Sarah 3
Annie 1
Betsy 1
Betty 1
Catherine 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizebeth 1
Emily 1
Francis 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Joanna 1
Johannah 1
Maggie 1
Margret 1
Rachel 1
Susan 1
Sussannah 1
Victoria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 13
William 10
Thomas 8
Henry 6
Robert 5
James 4
Arthur 3
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Jonathan 2
Edwd. 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
Herbert 1
Joseph 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1
Sarah 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Breckell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Breckell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 128 people were recorded with the Breckell surname. That placed it at #17,079 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Breckell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 181 in 2016. That gives Breckell a modern rank of #20,955.

What does the Breckell map show?

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