NameCensus.

UK surname

Bree

A surname derived from the Old French word for a hill or raised ground.

In the 1881 census there were 154 people recorded with the Bree surname, ranking it #15,259 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 392, ranked #12,052, up from #15,259 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Phillack, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wealden, Chiltern and Ardler and St Marys.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bree is 392 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 154.5%.

1881 census count

154

Ranked #15,259

Modern count

392

2016, ranked #12,052

Peak year

2016

392 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bree had 154 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,259 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 392 in 2016, ranked #12,052.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 274 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bree surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bree surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Bree 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 117 #15,456
1861 historical 140 #16,169
1881 historical 154 #15,259
1891 historical 203 #14,754
1901 historical 274 #12,370
1911 historical 244 #13,127
1997 modern 330 #12,701
1998 modern 341 #12,761
1999 modern 348 #12,670
2000 modern 349 #12,585
2001 modern 332 #12,841
2002 modern 330 #13,140
2003 modern 335 #12,815
2004 modern 331 #12,973
2005 modern 348 #12,410
2006 modern 343 #12,626
2007 modern 338 #12,925
2008 modern 346 #12,813
2009 modern 349 #12,995
2010 modern 358 #13,001
2011 modern 356 #12,943
2012 modern 353 #12,877
2013 modern 368 #12,676
2014 modern 384 #12,362
2015 modern 381 #12,345
2016 modern 392 #12,052

Geography

Back to top

Where Brees are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Phillack, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Crowan. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wealden, Chiltern, Ardler and St Marys, Daventry and Rotherham. 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 Phillack Cornwall
2 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Crowan Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wealden 019 Wealden
2 Chiltern 010 Chiltern
3 Ardler and St Marys Dundee City
4 Daventry 009 Daventry
5 Rotherham 015 Rotherham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Bree

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Bree

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Bree is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bree 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

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

Meaning and origin of Bree

The surname Bree originates from the Netherlands and Belgium, and it is believed to have derived from the Dutch word "brij," which means "porridge" or "gruel." This name was likely given as a nickname to someone who had a fondness for porridge or worked in the preparation or distribution of this food item.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bree surname can be found in the historical records of the city of Ghent, Belgium, dating back to the 13th century. In these records, a person named Willem Bree was mentioned as a baker who specialized in the production of porridge and other grain-based dishes.

The name Bree also has connections to various place names in the Netherlands and Belgium. For instance, the town of Bree in the Belgian province of Limburg is believed to have been named after the Bree family, who held significant influence in the region during the Middle Ages.

Notable individuals with the surname Bree include:

1. Matthias Bree (1773-1839), a Dutch painter known for his landscape and genre paintings. 2. Robert Bree (1759-1839), an English naturalist and writer, best known for his work on insects and other invertebrates. 3. Carel Christiaan Bree (1658-1728), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his portraits and genre scenes. 4. Adriaen Bree (1617-1670), a Dutch Golden Age painter and etcher, known for his landscape paintings and etchings. 5. Jan Bree (1801-1857), a Dutch painter known for his historical and genre paintings, as well as his works depicting scenes from everyday life in the Netherlands.

Throughout history, variations of the spelling of the Bree surname have been documented, such as Brey, Breij, and Breye. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and the evolution of language over time.

While the Bree surname has its roots in the Low Countries, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, with individuals bearing this name contributing to various fields, including art, literature, and science.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Bree families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bree 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. Channel Islands leads with 117 Brees recorded in 1881 and an index of 152.17x.

County Total Index
Channel Islands 117 152.17x
Northamptonshire 27 11.06x
Cornwall 19 6.47x
Angus 11 4.58x
Leicestershire 11 3.82x
Bedfordshire 9 6.70x
Cheshire 8 1.40x
Rutland 8 41.99x
Lanarkshire 7 0.83x
Hertfordshire 6 3.35x
Middlesex 6 0.23x
Yorkshire 6 0.23x
Warwickshire 5 0.76x
Huntingdonshire 4 7.76x
Devon 3 0.56x
Hampshire 3 0.56x
Lincolnshire 3 0.72x
Staffordshire 3 0.34x
Cambridgeshire 2 1.22x
Essex 2 0.39x
Lancashire 2 0.07x
Norfolk 2 0.50x
Kent 1 0.11x
Royal Navy 1 3.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Grouville in Channel Islands leads with 41 Brees recorded in 1881 and an index of 1915.89x.

Place Total Index
Grouville 41 1915.89x
St Helier 20 79.90x
St Martin 16 339.70x
Dundee 11 12.26x
Phillack 11 290.24x
St Saviour 11 258.82x
Long Buckby 10 442.48x
St Clement 10 854.70x
St Peter 10 450.45x
Birkenhead 8 17.52x
Toddington 8 414.51x
Govan 7 3.37x
Chipping Barnet 6 191.69x
Crowan 6 257.51x
Oakham Lordshold 6 301.51x
Leicester St Margaret 5 7.13x
Northampton St Peter 5 337.84x
Norton 5 1388.89x
St John 5 340.14x
Brampton 4 373.83x
Daventry 4 115.94x
Wakefield 4 20.26x
Aston 3 1.66x
Catthorpe 3 2500.00x
St Sampson 3 86.71x
West Fen 3 1034.48x
Allesley 2 232.56x
Colchester St James 2 96.15x
Great Bowden 2 76.34x
Lakenham 2 35.27x
Mullion 2 370.37x
Nunburnholme 2 909.09x
Shoreditch London 2 1.78x
St Marylebone London 2 1.44x
Washford Pyne 2 1428.57x
Wednesbury 2 9.14x
Whissendine 2 307.69x
Aylestone 1 44.05x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 1 13.95x
Greenwich 1 2.42x
Handsworth 1 4.63x
Liverpool 1 0.53x
Luton 1 4.30x
Northampton Priory St 1 6.83x
Northampton St Sepulchre 1 8.05x
Paddington London 1 1.05x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 2.40x
Portsea 1 0.96x
Ringwood 1 29.41x
Royal Navy 1 3.78x
Southampton St Mary 1 2.99x
St Peterinthe Wood 1 96.15x
Toxteth Park 1 0.96x
Wellingborough 1 8.15x
Westminster St Margaret 1 7.99x
Wisbech St Peter 1 12.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 24
William 10
Elias 8
Charles 7
George 7
Philip 7
Thomas 5
Edward 4
Frederick 3
Alfred 2
Andrew 2
Harry 2
Mark 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Amos 1
Antoine 1
Arthur 1
Caleb 1
Dennis 1
Eli 1
Elis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
H. 1
Helier 1
Herbert 1
Jesse 1
Joseph 1
Louis 1
Myles 1
Owen 1
Percy 1
Ph.J. 1
Ph.Jn. 1
Philippe 1
Rich. 1
Sidney 1
Solomon 1
Thos.H. 1
Touzel 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Bree surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bree surname in 1881?

In 1881, 154 people were recorded with the Bree surname. That placed it at #15,259 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bree surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 392 in 2016. That gives Bree a modern rank of #12,052.

What does the Bree surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French word for a hill or raised ground.

What does the Bree map show?

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