NameCensus.

UK surname

Bretherton

A locational surname derived from a place in Lancashire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 768 people recorded with the Bretherton surname, ranking it #4,815 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,211, ranked #4,912, down from #4,815 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Croston, Lytham and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, Chorley and South Ribble.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bretherton is 1,264 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.7%.

1881 census count

768

Ranked #4,815

Modern count

1,211

2016, ranked #4,912

Peak year

2000

1,264 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bretherton had 768 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,815 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,211 in 2016, ranked #4,912.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,092 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Bretherton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bretherton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bretherton 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 362 #6,537
1861 historical 457 #5,681
1881 historical 768 #4,815
1891 historical 917 #4,507
1901 historical 1,006 #4,735
1911 historical 1,092 #4,248
1997 modern 1,199 #4,714
1998 modern 1,213 #4,840
1999 modern 1,203 #4,923
2000 modern 1,264 #4,698
2001 modern 1,228 #4,710
2002 modern 1,236 #4,771
2003 modern 1,220 #4,739
2004 modern 1,198 #4,815
2005 modern 1,198 #4,764
2006 modern 1,191 #4,805
2007 modern 1,206 #4,795
2008 modern 1,221 #4,777
2009 modern 1,232 #4,841
2010 modern 1,264 #4,830
2011 modern 1,264 #4,772
2012 modern 1,196 #4,928
2013 modern 1,217 #4,930
2014 modern 1,225 #4,930
2015 modern 1,211 #4,936
2016 modern 1,211 #4,912

Geography

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Where Brethertons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Croston, Lytham, Preston, Liverpool and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan, Chorley and South Ribble. 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 Croston Lancashire
2 Lytham Lancashire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 015 Wigan
2 Chorley 006 Chorley
3 Chorley 010 Chorley
4 South Ribble 017 South Ribble
5 Chorley 008 Chorley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bretherton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bretherton

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Bretherton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Bretherton 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Bretherton is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bretherton 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

Bretherton falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bretherton

The surname Bretherton originated in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the town of Bretherton in Lancashire, which itself is composed of the Old English words "brether" meaning "brother" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement". This suggests the name may have originated as a description of a place where monks or brothers lived.

One of the earliest known records of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1176, where it is spelled "Brederton". Over time, various spelling variations emerged, including Bretherton,Brederton, Brotherton, and others. The name is also closely related to the place name Brotherton in Yorkshire, which shares a similar etymology.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the area now known as Bretherton is referred to as "Bredretun". This early record provides evidence of the name's long history and its connection to the local geography.

Notable individuals with the surname Bretherton throughout history include:

1. Thomas Bretherton (c. 1570 - c. 1640), an English Catholic priest and controversialist. 2. John Bretherton (1770 - 1851), an English Catholic priest and missionary who worked in Australia. 3. Humphrey Bretherton (1572 - 1609), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of James I. 4. William Bretherton (1687 - 1768), an English Catholic priest and mathematician. 5. John Bretherton (1925 - 2008), a British writer and dramatist best known for his plays and screenplays.

While the surname Bretherton is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history rooted in the geography and language of medieval England. The name's enduring presence over centuries is a testament to its significance in the local communities where it originated.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bretherton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bretherton 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 615 Brethertons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.92x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 615 6.92x
Gloucestershire 46 3.13x
Cheshire 28 1.69x
Hampshire 14 0.91x
Surrey 12 0.33x
Middlesex 10 0.13x
Yorkshire 10 0.13x
Warwickshire 9 0.48x
Staffordshire 6 0.24x
Cambridgeshire 5 1.05x
Sussex 5 0.40x
Worcestershire 5 0.51x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.33x
Herefordshire 1 0.33x
Somerset 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leyland in Lancashire leads with 53 Brethertons recorded in 1881 and an index of 342.60x.

Place Total Index
Leyland 53 342.60x
Blackburn 39 16.49x
Farington 29 560.93x
Bretherton 28 1546.96x
Preston 26 10.93x
West Derby 21 8.07x
Bootle Cum Linacre 20 28.33x
Eccleston In Chorley 20 865.80x
Everton 20 7.06x
Little Bolton 20 17.50x
Toxteth Park 20 6.64x
Wigan 20 16.10x
Liverpool 18 3.33x
Lytham 17 125.28x
Scotforth 14 242.21x
Cheltenham 13 11.47x
Goosnargh 13 451.39x
Horwich 12 123.71x
Kirkham 11 93.62x
South Hamlet 10 110.01x
Alston 9 217.39x
Bowland Forest High 9 1525.42x
Euxton 9 305.08x
Fareham 9 48.78x
Kirkdale 9 6.02x
Maghull 9 243.90x
Pendleton In Salford 9 8.50x
Warrington 9 8.54x
Caterham 8 49.57x
Chipping 8 316.21x
Chorley 8 16.04x
Much Hoole 8 536.91x
St Marylebone London 8 2.00x
Walton Le Dale 8 33.49x
Little Dean 7 331.75x
Little Hoole 7 619.47x
Gloucester Barton St 6 69.69x
Latchford 6 54.60x
Litherland 6 32.28x
Pemberton 6 16.93x
Thornton In Fylde 6 30.85x
Tottington Lower End 6 14.20x
Ulnes Walton 6 606.06x
Castle Northwich 5 91.41x
Gloucester St Catherine 5 120.77x
Lancaster 5 9.45x
Meriden 5 232.56x
Much Woolton 5 41.46x
Over Wyresdale 5 378.79x
Skelmersdale 5 33.76x
St Andrewthe Less 5 9.22x
Stourbridge 5 19.86x
Walsall Foreign 5 3.83x
Clayton Le Moors 4 23.19x
Frant 4 44.69x
Garstang 4 199.01x
Over Darwen 4 5.63x
Wiswell 4 210.53x
Charnock Richard 3 170.45x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 3 11.16x
Great Crosby 3 12.38x
Habergham Eaves 3 3.69x
Newington 3 1.08x
Newton By Daresbury 3 625.00x
North Meols 3 3.45x
Rishton 3 28.76x
Standish With Langtree 3 27.40x
Westby With Plumpton 3 218.98x
Whittingham 3 76.53x
Birmingham 2 0.32x
Brindle 2 65.36x
Broughton In Preston 2 130.72x
Christchurch 2 6.01x
Cockerham 2 88.11x
Gloucester St Mary Crypt 2 88.89x
Halliwell 2 6.18x
Higher Bebington 2 18.89x
Macclesfield 2 2.72x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 2 10.52x
Ventnor 2 13.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 56
Elizabeth 47
Ann 23
Ellen 23
Margaret 21
Sarah 21
Jane 20
Alice 17
Isabella 12
Annie 10
Agnes 7
Emily 7
Eliza 6
Martha 6
Maria 5
Anne 4
Catherine 4
Edith 4
Gertrude 4
Grace 4
Louisa 4
Margret 4
Emma 3
Maggie 3
Ruth 3
Amelia 2
Betty 2
Esther 2
Fanny 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Sophia 2
Winifred 2
Agnis 1
Annah 1
Betsy 1
Blanchie 1
Caroline 1
Celia 1
Charlotte 1
Christiana 1
Christina 1
Cicely 1
Edithy 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz. 1
Eva 1
Evelyn 1
Florence 1
Frances 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 51
John 50
James 47
Thomas 44
Henry 24
Joseph 18
George 12
Robert 12
Richard 11
Edward 10
Albert 7
Frederick 7
Alfred 6
Thos. 5
Charles 4
Francis 4
Harry 3
Herbert 3
Peter 3
Walter 3
Daniel 2
David 2
Edwin 2
Evan 2
Frank 2
Fredk. 2
Ralph 2
Samuel 2
Wm. 2
Benjamin 1
Bernard 1
Doctor 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1
Elijah 1
Eliza 1
Etoh 1
Gilbert 1
Herbet 1
Hugh 1
Isabella 1
Jas. 1
Jas.E. 1
Michael 1
Miles 1
Morris 1
Nicholas 1
Philip 1
Robt. 1
Saml. 1

FAQ

Bretherton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bretherton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 768 people were recorded with the Bretherton surname. That placed it at #4,815 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bretherton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,211 in 2016. That gives Bretherton a modern rank of #4,912.

What does the Bretherton surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place in Lancashire, England.

What does the Bretherton map show?

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