NameCensus.

UK surname

Brenkley

In the 1881 census there were 66 people recorded with the Brenkley surname, ranking it #24,256 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 119, ranked #27,704, down from #24,256 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Richmondshire and Staffordshire Moorlands.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brenkley is 124 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 80.3%.

1881 census count

66

Ranked #24,256

Modern count

119

2016, ranked #27,704

Peak year

2010

124 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brenkley had 66 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,256 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016, ranked #27,704.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 91 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Brenkley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brenkley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brenkley 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 33 #27,390
1861 historical 69 #25,057
1881 historical 66 #24,256
1891 historical 91 #25,239
1901 historical 86 #24,508
1911 historical 89 #23,922
1997 modern 97 #27,342
1998 modern 106 #26,689
1999 modern 109 #26,439
2000 modern 105 #27,001
2001 modern 104 #26,765
2002 modern 115 #25,749
2003 modern 105 #26,940
2004 modern 105 #27,181
2005 modern 106 #27,044
2006 modern 107 #27,179
2007 modern 114 #26,491
2008 modern 123 #25,505
2009 modern 121 #26,373
2010 modern 124 #26,582
2011 modern 117 #27,334
2012 modern 110 #28,514
2013 modern 118 #27,686
2014 modern 119 #27,813
2015 modern 117 #27,982
2016 modern 119 #27,704

Geography

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Where Brenkleys 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 County Durham, Richmondshire and Staffordshire Moorlands. 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 County Durham 025 County Durham
2 County Durham 066 County Durham
3 Richmondshire 001 Richmondshire
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 004 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 County Durham 029 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brenkley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brenkley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Brenkley, 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 Brenkley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Brenkley 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, Brenkley 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

Brenkley 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

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

1881 census detail

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Brenkley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brenkley 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 51 Brenkleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.00x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 51 8.00x
Durham 15 7.83x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. High Abbotside in Yorkshire leads with 15 Brenkleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 13636.36x.

Place Total Index
High Abbotside 15 13636.36x
Hawes 12 2857.14x
Tudhoe 11 654.76x
Snape 7 7000.00x
Wortley In Bramley 6 118.81x
Masham 4 1666.67x
St Giles 4 333.33x
Grassington 2 1428.57x
Muker 2 1111.11x
Aiskew 1 555.56x
East Tanfield 1 10000.00x
Hellifield 1 1111.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Elizabeth 4
Isabella 4
Sarah 4
Margaret 3
Jane 2
Ann 1
Annie 1
Emily 1
Lillian 1
Phillis 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
Thomas 4
William 4
James 3
Robert 3
Francis 2
George 2
Richard 2
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Edmund 1
Peter 1
Ralph 1
Robt. 1
Samuel 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Brenkley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brenkley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 66 people were recorded with the Brenkley surname. That placed it at #24,256 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brenkley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016. That gives Brenkley a modern rank of #27,704.

What does the Brenkley map show?

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