NameCensus.

UK surname

Breckenridge

A locational surname referring to a person from Breckenridge, a place in Scotland or England.

In the 1881 census there were 305 people recorded with the Breckenridge surname, ranking it #9,615 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 399, ranked #11,902, down from #9,615 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Riccarton and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Auchinleck, New Cumnock and Scone.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Breckenridge is 399 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.8%.

1881 census count

305

Ranked #9,615

Modern count

399

2016, ranked #11,902

Peak year

2016

399 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Breckenridge had 305 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,615 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 399 in 2016, ranked #11,902.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 317 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Breckenridge surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Breckenridge surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Breckenridge 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 126 #17,569
1881 historical 305 #9,615
1891 historical 317 #10,611
1901 historical 311 #11,363
1911 historical 29 #30,190
1997 modern 352 #12,117
1998 modern 373 #11,991
1999 modern 370 #12,124
2000 modern 388 #11,664
2001 modern 379 #11,676
2002 modern 388 #11,689
2003 modern 376 #11,791
2004 modern 365 #12,077
2005 modern 359 #12,143
2006 modern 366 #12,042
2007 modern 365 #12,205
2008 modern 377 #12,014
2009 modern 386 #12,044
2010 modern 396 #12,089
2011 modern 389 #12,106
2012 modern 377 #12,238
2013 modern 398 #11,967
2014 modern 392 #12,192
2015 modern 393 #12,059
2016 modern 399 #11,902

Geography

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Where Breckenridges are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Riccarton, Glasgow, Kilmarnock and Ardrossan. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Auchinleck, New Cumnock, Scone, Camden and Wycombe. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Riccarton Ayr
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Kilmarnock Ayr
5 Ardrossan Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Auchinleck East Ayrshire
2 New Cumnock East Ayrshire
3 Scone Perth and Kinross
4 Camden 002 Camden
5 Wycombe 009 Wycombe

Forenames

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First names often paired with Breckenridge

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Breckenridge

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Breckenridge is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

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

Breckenridge is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Breckenridge 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 Breckenridge is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Breckenridge

The surname Breckenridge is of Scottish origin, derived from the place name Brechin, a town in Angus, Scotland. The name is thought to have originated in the 12th century and is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words "brie" meaning "hill" and "cین" meaning "corner" or "angle."

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, when a Robert de Brechin was mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage pledges to King Edward I of England. The name was also found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in the 14th century, indicating its widespread use in the region.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Breckenridge was Sir David Brechin (1325-1395), a Scottish knight who fought alongside King Robert the Bruce during the Scottish Wars of Independence. He was granted lands in Angus for his service and became a prominent landowner in the region.

Another significant figure was William Breckenridge (1510-1578), a Scottish clergyman who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1572. He played a crucial role in the Scottish Reformation and was a staunch supporter of John Knox's teachings.

In the 17th century, the Breckenridge family gained prominence in the United States when Alexander Breckenridge (1635-1708) emigrated from Scotland to Virginia in 1668. He became a successful plantation owner and his descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the country.

One of the most notable Breckenridges in American history was John Cabell Breckinridge (1821-1875), a politician who served as the 14th Vice President of the United States under James Buchanan from 1857 to 1861. During the Civil War, he joined the Confederate Army and served as a general and later as the Confederate Secretary of War.

Another prominent individual with the surname was John Breckinridge (1789-1841), a Presbyterian minister and theologian who served as the president of Jefferson College (now Washington & Jefferson College) in Pennsylvania from 1819 to 1840. He played a significant role in shaping the theological education of the time.

The name Breckenridge has also been associated with various place names, such as Breckenridge, Colorado, a town named after the former Vice President John C. Breckinridge, and Breckenridge County, Kentucky, named in honor of John Breckinridge, the Presbyterian minister and theologian.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Breckenridge families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Breckenridge 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. Ayrshire leads with 147 Breckenridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 66.23x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 147 66.23x
Lanarkshire 92 9.59x
Renfrewshire 20 8.70x
Midlothian 8 2.01x
Stirlingshire 8 7.31x
Pembrokeshire 6 6.37x
East Lothian 5 12.73x
Northumberland 5 1.13x
Cheshire 4 0.61x
Argyllshire 2 2.42x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.25x
Kent 1 0.10x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 2.33x
Lancashire 1 0.03x
Middlesex 1 0.03x
Sussex 1 0.20x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kilmarnock in Ayrshire leads with 40 Breckenridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 151.46x.

Place Total Index
Kilmarnock 40 151.46x
Govan 35 14.76x
Ardrossan 26 338.54x
Barony 19 7.83x
Mauchline 14 549.02x
Riccarton 14 417.91x
Dundonald 11 134.47x
Glasgow 11 6.46x
Kilmaurs 11 291.01x
Eastwood 9 63.60x
Lanark 9 116.58x
Falkirk 8 31.25x
Dalrymple 7 503.60x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 4.38x
Hamilton 7 26.17x
Pembroke St Mary 6 49.42x
Athelstaneford 5 649.35x
Dalziel 5 48.45x
Dreghorn 5 124.38x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 5 86.21x
Avondale 4 71.30x
Birkenhead 4 7.67x
Old Cumnock 4 80.97x
Cathcart 3 24.14x
Irvine 3 48.70x
Kilbarchan 3 42.98x
Loudoun 3 56.18x
Dalry 2 19.16x
New Cumnock 2 51.95x
Paisley Middle Church 2 14.95x
Stair 2 210.53x
Abbey 1 2.85x
Ayr 1 9.55x
Bothwell 1 3.84x
Canterbury St Mildred 1 41.67x
Cockpen 1 21.55x
Craigie 1 163.93x
Everton 1 0.89x
Hastings St Mary In The 1 9.37x
Kensington London 1 0.61x
Kilcalmonell 1 53.48x
Kirkcudbright 1 28.17x
Kirkintilloch 1 9.23x
Middle Greenock 1 15.95x
Neilston 1 8.67x
Rutherglen 1 7.11x
Sorn 1 22.94x
Southend 1 103.09x
Wakefield 1 4.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 2
Ann 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Elizbeth 1
Margret 1
Mary 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 3
Robert 2
Charles 1
John 1
Oliver 1
Thomas 1
William 1

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 Breckenridge households.

FAQ

Breckenridge surname: questions and answers

How common was the Breckenridge surname in 1881?

In 1881, 305 people were recorded with the Breckenridge surname. That placed it at #9,615 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Breckenridge surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 399 in 2016. That gives Breckenridge a modern rank of #11,902.

What does the Breckenridge surname mean?

A locational surname referring to a person from Breckenridge, a place in Scotland or England.

What does the Breckenridge map show?

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