NameCensus.

UK surname

Brennen

From the German word meaning "to burn", referring to an occupation involving fire or burning.

In the 1881 census there were 185 people recorded with the Brennen surname, ranking it #13,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 204, ranked #19,320, down from #13,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Newchurch and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Sandwell and Trafford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brennen is 327 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10.3%.

1881 census count

185

Ranked #13,506

Modern count

204

2016, ranked #19,320

Peak year

1911

327 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brennen had 185 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 204 in 2016, ranked #19,320.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 327 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Brennen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brennen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brennen 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 108 #16,308
1861 historical 94 #21,883
1881 historical 185 #13,506
1891 historical 201 #14,866
1901 historical 315 #11,263
1911 historical 327 #10,742
1997 modern 212 #16,996
1998 modern 220 #17,074
1999 modern 222 #17,080
2000 modern 227 #16,792
2001 modern 221 #16,848
2002 modern 219 #17,288
2003 modern 200 #18,139
2004 modern 197 #18,368
2005 modern 181 #19,334
2006 modern 193 #18,675
2007 modern 205 #18,194
2008 modern 191 #19,195
2009 modern 210 #18,426
2010 modern 220 #18,265
2011 modern 212 #18,575
2012 modern 198 #19,340
2013 modern 211 #18,872
2014 modern 214 #18,825
2015 modern 207 #19,155
2016 modern 204 #19,320

Geography

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Where Brennens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, Newchurch, Gateshead, Manchester and Nottingham St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Sandwell and Trafford. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Newchurch Hampshire
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 064 County Durham
2 Sandwell 028 Sandwell
3 County Durham 045 County Durham
4 County Durham 057 County Durham
5 Trafford 020 Trafford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brennen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brennen

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Brennen is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brennen is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Brennen 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 Brennen is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Brennen

The surname Brennen is of German origin, derived from the Old High German word "brennen" meaning "to burn." It is believed to have originated in the 12th century as a descriptive name for someone who worked as a charcoal burner or in a related profession.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brennen can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, where a person named Henricus Brennen is mentioned in a legal document dated 1287.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Brenner, Brener, and Brenher, in records from different regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Swabia. During this period, the name was often associated with individuals who lived near a charcoal burning site or worked in related occupations.

The name Brennen has also been linked to several historical figures, including Johann Brennen (1524-1598), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Another notable bearer of the name was Friedrich Brennen (1784-1863), a German architect and urban planner who designed several prominent buildings in Berlin.

In the 16th century, the name Brennen appeared in the records of the Hanseatic League, a powerful commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Northern Europe. This suggests that individuals with this surname may have been involved in trade and commerce during that time.

Other notable individuals with the surname Brennen include Wilhelm Brennen (1801-1877), a German sculptor and painter known for his mythological and historical works, and Karl Brennen (1838-1920), a German engineer and inventor who contributed significantly to the development of early aviation technology.

The name Brennen has also been associated with various place names across Germany, such as Brennenburg, a town in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and Brennerberg, a mountain in the Bavarian Alps. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brennen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brennen 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 56 Brennens recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.62x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 56 2.62x
Middlesex 25 1.39x
Durham 20 3.73x
Nottinghamshire 18 7.40x
Derbyshire 10 3.54x
Suffolk 10 4.55x
Yorkshire 9 0.50x
Cheshire 8 2.01x
Dorset 5 4.22x
Surrey 4 0.45x
Northumberland 3 1.12x
Selkirkshire 3 18.37x
Glamorgan 2 0.64x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.60x
Berkshire 1 0.74x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.92x
Cumberland 1 0.64x
Devon 1 0.27x
Flintshire 1 2.06x
Hampshire 1 0.27x
Kent 1 0.16x
Leicestershire 1 0.50x
Norfolk 1 0.36x
Renfrewshire 1 0.72x
Staffordshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nottingham St Mary in Nottinghamshire leads with 18 Brennens recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.61x.

Place Total Index
Nottingham St Mary 18 28.61x
Nayland 10 1785.71x
Acton 9 85.07x
Liverpool 8 6.15x
Chorlton On Medlock 7 20.58x
Hulme 7 15.66x
St Giles 7 208.96x
Parr 6 78.33x
Bethnal Green London 5 6.38x
Derby St Werburgh 5 30.66x
Gateshead 5 12.44x
Normanton 5 209.21x
Pennington In Ulverston 5 471.70x
Shoreditch London 5 6.39x
Wigan 5 16.71x
Huddersfield 4 15.36x
Birkenhead 3 9.45x
Darlington 3 14.47x
Portland 3 47.10x
Salford 3 4.76x
Selkirk 3 65.22x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 4.27x
Bermondsey 2 3.72x
Cornsay 2 137.93x
Dukinfield 2 10.86x
Eccleston In Prescot 2 18.60x
Kensington London 2 1.99x
Preston 2 3.49x
Stockport 2 9.76x
Studland 2 526.32x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 2 32.47x
Bedlington 1 11.15x
Blackburn 1 1.76x
Bray 1 25.13x
Chelsea London 1 1.84x
Colne 1 15.67x
Cowpen 1 16.18x
Elvet 1 25.77x
Everton 1 1.47x
Gate Fulford 1 23.92x
Hawarden 1 26.25x
Heigham 1 6.72x
Holdenhurst 1 10.31x
Holy Trinity 1 2.33x
Hornsey 1 4.38x
Islington London 1 0.57x
Langfield 1 31.95x
Leeds 1 0.99x
Leicester St Margaret 1 2.05x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 3.31x
Middlesbrough 1 4.29x
Millom 1 21.01x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 7.18x
Paddington London 1 1.51x
Paisley Low Church 1 22.57x
Pendleton In Salford 1 3.92x
Pownall Fee 1 56.18x
Reigate Foreign 1 10.50x
Roath 1 7.01x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 2.75x
Steeple Claydon 1 188.68x
Stoke Damerel 1 3.80x
Tarland 1 138.89x
Tonbridge 1 4.50x
Toxteth Park 1 1.38x
Walton On Hill 1 8.62x
Widnes 1 6.48x
Willington 1 32.26x
Wolsingham 1 20.45x
Wolstanton 1 5.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 26
Ann 7
Annie 6
Catherine 6
Ellen 6
Alice 4
Bridget 3
Elizabeth 3
Margaret 3
Carry 2
Eliza 2
Louisa 2
M. 2
Sarah 2
A. 1
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Bridged 1
Bridgett 1
Edith 1
Eliz. 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Helena 1
Isabella 1
Isabelle 1
Jane 1
Jannet 1
Jeanette 1
Juliette 1
Kate 1
Lizzie 1
Margert 1
Rose 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 19
James 10
Thomas 6
Edward 5
William 5
George 4
Joseph 3
Michael 3
Francis 2
Frank 2
Geo. 2
Henry 2
Martin 2
Patrick 2
Peter 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arther 1
Arthur 1
Bertram 1
Charles 1
Follaruca 1
Frederick 1
Jas. 1
Richard 1
Timothy 1
W. 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Brennen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brennen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 185 people were recorded with the Brennen surname. That placed it at #13,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brennen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 204 in 2016. That gives Brennen a modern rank of #19,320.

What does the Brennen surname mean?

From the German word meaning "to burn", referring to an occupation involving fire or burning.

What does the Brennen map show?

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