NameCensus.

UK surname

Bremer

A German occupational surname referring to a person who distills spirits or manufactures yeast.

In the 1881 census there were 119 people recorded with the Bremer surname, ranking it #17,841 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 179, ranked #21,086, down from #17,841 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Erith, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eastbourne, Peterborough and Wychavon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bremer is 179 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.4%.

1881 census count

119

Ranked #17,841

Modern count

179

2016, ranked #21,086

Peak year

2016

179 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bremer had 119 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,841 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 179 in 2016, ranked #21,086.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 159 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Bremer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bremer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bremer 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 93 #17,946
1861 historical 125 #17,678
1881 historical 119 #17,841
1891 historical 131 #20,073
1901 historical 159 #17,442
1911 historical 141 #18,571
1997 modern 157 #20,513
1998 modern 170 #20,030
1999 modern 175 #19,798
2000 modern 166 #20,426
2001 modern 170 #19,838
2002 modern 168 #20,396
2003 modern 163 #20,554
2004 modern 161 #20,840
2005 modern 156 #21,221
2006 modern 155 #21,477
2007 modern 157 #21,546
2008 modern 155 #21,956
2009 modern 166 #21,469
2010 modern 174 #21,259
2011 modern 175 #21,035
2012 modern 167 #21,598
2013 modern 167 #21,984
2014 modern 168 #22,075
2015 modern 169 #21,888
2016 modern 179 #21,086

Geography

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Where Bremers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Erith, London parishes, Gateshead, St Dunstan Stepney and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Eastbourne, Peterborough, Wychavon and Southwark. 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 Erith Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Eastbourne 007 Eastbourne
2 Peterborough 021 Peterborough
3 Wychavon 012 Wychavon
4 Southwark 031 Southwark
5 Peterborough 007 Peterborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bremer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bremer

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

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Bremer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Bremer 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 many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Bremer is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Bremer is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bremer falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bremer

The surname Bremer originated in Germany and can be traced back to the medieval era. It is derived from the German word "Bremer," which means "someone from Bremen," a city in northern Germany. The name is likely an occupational surname, referring to a person who lived or worked in Bremen.

The earliest known record of the surname Bremer dates back to the 13th century, appearing in various historical documents and manuscripts from the region. One notable reference is found in the Bremische Jahrbücher, a chronicle of events in Bremen, which mentions several individuals with the surname Bremer.

In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Johann Bremer (1310-1375) was a respected merchant and city councilor in Bremen. His legacy is still celebrated in the city, with a street and a square bearing his name.

Another notable individual was Gerhard Bremer (1487-1558), a German reformer and theologian who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and helped spread the Reformation ideas in northern Germany.

During the 16th century, the surname Bremer also appeared in various records in the Netherlands, indicating that some families with this name had migrated or established connections in that region.

In the 17th century, Frederic Bremer (1622-1698) was a prominent Dutch painter and engraver known for his landscapes and architectural works. His artworks are still highly regarded and can be found in museums across Europe.

In the late 18th century, Frederika Bremer (1801-1865) was a Swedish writer and feminist who made significant contributions to the women's rights movement. Her novels and non-fiction works advocated for gender equality and social reforms, earning her widespread recognition and influence.

The name Bremer has also been associated with various place names and older spellings of place names in Germany and the surrounding regions. For example, the city of Bremen was formerly known as Bremun or Brahmanopolis in ancient times, which may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bremer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bremer 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. Middlesex leads with 48 Bremers recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.14x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 48 4.14x
Surrey 35 6.19x
Lancashire 8 0.58x
Durham 7 2.03x
Essex 5 2.18x
Angus 4 3.72x
Northumberland 4 2.32x
Kent 3 0.76x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.93x
Midlothian 1 0.64x
Perthshire 1 1.92x
Royal Navy 1 7.23x
Warwickshire 1 0.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 14 Bremers recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.44x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 14 12.44x
Mile End Old Town London 14 56.68x
Lambeth 13 12.85x
Rotherhithe 11 76.71x
Bishopwearmouth 7 23.62x
Bethnal Green London 5 9.92x
Newington 5 11.66x
West Ham 5 9.89x
Monifieth 4 105.26x
Tynemouth 4 43.24x
Bow London 3 20.30x
Bury 3 19.07x
Kensington London 3 4.65x
Moss Side 3 41.38x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 12.84x
Deptford St Paul 2 6.55x
Hampstead London 2 11.06x
Liverpool 2 2.39x
Norwood 2 75.47x
Shoreditch London 2 3.98x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 4.97x
Camberwell 1 1.35x
Canterbury St Martin 1 1250.00x
Clerkenwell London 1 3.65x
Edgbaston 1 11.01x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 33.11x
Penge 1 13.50x
Perth Middle Church 1 51.02x
Royal Navy 1 8.46x
St Marylebone London 1 1.61x
St Pancras London 1 1.07x
Sutton 1 24.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 4
Elizabeth 3
Mary 3
Alice 2
Anna 2
Eleanor 2
Eleen 2
Jane 2
Maria 2
Sarah 2
A. 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Augusta 1
Bridget 1
Carolina 1
Caroline 1
Catharine 1
Cathrine 1
Cecile 1
Christina 1
E. 1
E.G. 1
Edith 1
Eliabeth 1
Ely 1
Emilie 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Fredericka 1
Hannah 1
Isabella 1
Lilian 1
Louisa 1
Lovell 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Margret 1
Marie 1
Maud 1
Reb. 1
Rebecka 1
Selina 1
Viva 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 5
George 4
John 4
Edward 3
Henry 3
Albert 2
Frederick 2
A.H. 1
Adolph 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Dietrich 1
Edwin 1
F.J. 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Herman 1
Herrmam 1
Howard 1
James 1
Joachim 1
Joseph 1
Julius 1
M.A. 1
M.F. 1
Mary 1
Rendolph 1
Robert 1
S.J. 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1
Wary 1
Wilfred 1

FAQ

Bremer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bremer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 119 people were recorded with the Bremer surname. That placed it at #17,841 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bremer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 179 in 2016. That gives Bremer a modern rank of #21,086.

What does the Bremer surname mean?

A German occupational surname referring to a person who distills spirits or manufactures yeast.

What does the Bremer map show?

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