NameCensus.

UK surname

Brewer

An occupational surname referring to someone who brews beer or ale.

In the 1881 census there were 7,915 people recorded with the Brewer surname, ranking it #527 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,210, ranked #710, down from #527 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, The Vale of Glamorgan and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brewer is 10,568 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.4%.

1881 census count

7,915

Ranked #527

Modern count

9,210

2016, ranked #710

Peak year

1911

10,568 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brewer had 7,915 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #527 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,210 in 2016, ranked #710.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 10,568 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Brewer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brewer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brewer 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 5,375 #514
1861 historical 4,751 #594
1881 historical 7,915 #527
1891 historical 8,126 #538
1901 historical 9,791 #535
1911 historical 10,568 #462
1997 modern 9,663 #643
1998 modern 9,977 #647
1999 modern 10,049 #645
2000 modern 9,965 #650
2001 modern 9,685 #657
2002 modern 9,854 #662
2003 modern 9,710 #655
2004 modern 9,537 #667
2005 modern 9,294 #674
2006 modern 9,251 #676
2007 modern 9,276 #680
2008 modern 9,253 #692
2009 modern 9,401 #698
2010 modern 9,578 #701
2011 modern 9,434 #702
2012 modern 9,279 #695
2013 modern 9,411 #703
2014 modern 9,456 #703
2015 modern 9,277 #709
2016 modern 9,210 #710

Geography

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Where Brewers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Lambeth and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, The Vale of Glamorgan and Wiltshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 008 Cornwall
2 The Vale of Glamorgan 014 Vale of Glamorgan
3 Cornwall 019 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 007 Cornwall
5 Wiltshire 032 Wiltshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brewer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brewer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Brewer, 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 Brewer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Brewer 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, Brewer 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

Brewer is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Brewer

The surname Brewer originated in England and has been used since the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word 'brewere', meaning a person who brewed ale or beer for a living. The name first appeared in historical records in the late 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Brewer can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Dorset from 1195, where a Robert le Breuuere is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time. Another early reference is found in the Curia Regis Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1212, which lists a William le Bruwere.

The Brewer surname is also recorded in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, albeit under various spellings such as 'Breaur' and 'Bruuator'. This ancient document provides valuable insights into the distribution of the name across different regions of medieval England.

Several notable individuals have borne the Brewer surname throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir Thomas Brewer (c. 1490-1548), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. Another prominent figure was James Brewer (1667-1717), a British clergyman who became the Bishop of Gloucester in 1715.

In the literary world, John Brewer (1616-1667) was an English playwright and poet who wrote several plays, including The Lovesick Maid and The Lovesick Court. The name also has ties to the scientific community, with the astronomer John Brewer (1783-1862) who discovered several comets and asteroids.

Moving into the 20th century, one cannot overlook the contributions of Roy Brewer (1909-2006), an American chemist who played a crucial role in the development of the birth control pill. His research on synthetic hormones and their applications in contraception revolutionized the field of reproductive health.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brewer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brewer 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 1,034 Brewers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.33x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,034 1.33x
Lancashire 602 0.65x
Surrey 540 1.43x
Devon 528 3.27x
Cornwall 473 5.39x
Yorkshire 467 0.61x
Hampshire 455 2.86x
Somerset 449 3.60x
Essex 444 2.90x
Gloucestershire 322 2.12x
Wiltshire 272 3.97x
Kent 245 0.93x
Warwickshire 197 1.01x
Lincolnshire 162 1.31x
Dorset 160 3.15x
Berkshire 137 2.36x
Worcestershire 133 1.31x
Monmouthshire 130 2.32x
Glamorgan 113 0.84x
Hertfordshire 113 2.12x
Sussex 103 0.79x
Suffolk 101 1.07x
Bedfordshire 98 2.44x
Staffordshire 86 0.33x
Nottinghamshire 61 0.58x
Durham 56 0.24x
Oxfordshire 54 1.13x
Cheshire 53 0.31x
Norfolk 45 0.38x
Herefordshire 40 1.26x
Derbyshire 35 0.29x
Channel Islands 32 1.39x
Buckinghamshire 29 0.62x
Lanarkshire 26 0.10x
Shropshire 21 0.31x
Cambridgeshire 19 0.39x
Leicestershire 14 0.16x
Northamptonshire 14 0.19x
Cumberland 13 0.19x
Northumberland 13 0.11x
Royal Navy 13 1.41x
Brecknockshire 11 0.71x
Angus 6 0.08x
Pembrokeshire 5 0.20x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.19x
Aberdeenshire 3 0.04x
Denbighshire 2 0.07x
Flintshire 2 0.10x
Midlothian 2 0.02x
Westmorland 2 0.12x
Berwickshire 1 0.11x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.03x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.07x
Perthshire 1 0.03x

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 163 Brewers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.17x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 163 2.17x
Lambeth 123 1.82x
St Marylebone London 95 2.30x
Camberwell 91 1.84x
Cranborne 89 144.76x
St Pancras London 84 1.35x
Shoreditch London 82 2.44x
Preston 79 3.21x
Portsea 77 2.47x
Birmingham 73 1.12x
Kensington London 70 1.62x
Calne 56 39.69x
Aston 51 0.95x
West Ham 50 1.48x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 49 3.42x
Bitton 46 34.78x
Walcot 44 6.62x
Everton 37 1.26x
Chelsea London 35 1.50x
Clerkenwell London 35 1.91x
Horton In Bradford 35 2.92x
Plymouth Charles The 35 4.93x
Holy Trinity 34 1.84x
Luton 34 4.90x
Nottingham St Mary 34 1.26x
Padstow 34 58.32x
Paddington London 33 1.16x
Exeter St Thomas The 32 19.46x
Hammersmith London 31 1.62x
Holdenhurst 31 7.44x
St George Hanover Square 31 2.27x
Hackney London 30 0.69x
Liverpool 30 0.54x
Bridgewater 29 8.56x
Chorlton On Medlock 29 1.99x
St Austell 29 9.67x
Weston Super Mare 29 9.21x
Reigate Foreign 28 6.85x
Sculcoates 28 2.30x
St Helier 28 3.75x
Cheltenham 27 2.30x
Todmorden Walsden 27 10.96x
Weston 27 28.15x
Aberystruth 26 5.27x
Battersea 26 0.91x
Newington 26 0.91x
Newport 26 30.18x
Barking 25 5.59x
Kirkdale 25 1.62x
St Luke London 25 2.01x
Stoke Damerel 25 2.21x
Brighton 24 0.91x
Mile End Old Town London 24 1.46x
North Petherton 24 23.86x
Old Cleeve 23 51.65x
Ramsgate 23 5.33x
Woolwich 23 2.35x
Falmouth 22 7.09x
Madron Penzance 22 6.90x
Plymouth St Andrew 22 1.77x
Southampton St Mary 22 2.20x
St Nicholas Lincoln 22 18.58x
St Stephens By Saltash 22 58.20x
Westminster St James 22 2.76x
Bradford 21 1.13x
Chard 21 13.90x
Exeter St Sidwell 21 5.69x
Lancaster 21 3.84x
Rastrick 21 9.85x
Bristol St George 20 2.85x
Brockenhurst 20 72.86x
Cardiff St Mary 20 2.69x
Felsham 20 227.79x
Kingsclere 20 27.57x
St Albans St Peter 20 11.10x
Christchurch 19 5.52x
Felstead 19 36.25x
Lanlivery 19 51.57x
Probus 19 52.82x
Tottenham 19 1.54x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 493
Elizabeth 321
Sarah 245
Jane 155
Ellen 146
Eliza 141
Ann 138
Emma 131
Alice 126
Emily 122
Annie 119
Louisa 68
Charlotte 59
Fanny 58
Martha 55
Hannah 54
Margaret 51
Edith 50
Caroline 49
Florence 49
Harriet 49
Maria 47
Kate 42
Ada 40
Lucy 39
Agnes 36
Bessie 35
Clara 35
Anne 34
Frances 31
Susan 31
Rose 30
Catherine 29
Amelia 28
Matilda 26
Harriett 24
Rebecca 24
Jessie 22
Elizth. 21
Eleanor 20
Sophia 18
Julia 17
Amy 16
Esther 16
Minnie 16
Anna 14
Ruth 14
Ethel 13
Gertrude 12
Laura 12

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 545
John 431
George 327
James 257
Thomas 239
Henry 182
Charles 181
Alfred 110
Joseph 98
Robert 90
Frederick 85
Richard 74
Edward 63
Walter 61
Albert 59
Arthur 56
Samuel 56
Frank 52
Harry 50
Ernest 47
Edwin 40
Francis 40
Herbert 36
Wm. 30
Tom 20
David 19
Fred 19
Geo. 16
Benjamin 15
Thos. 14
Jesse 13
Matthew 13
Fredk. 11
Willm. 11
Daniel 10
Isaac 10
Peter 10
Stephen 10
Henery 9
Sydney 9
Sidney 8
W. 8
Willie 8
Alexander 7
Christopher 7
Edmund 7
Lot 7
Mark 7
Percy 7
Fredrick 6

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Brewer households.

FAQ

Brewer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brewer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7,915 people were recorded with the Brewer surname. That placed it at #527 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brewer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,210 in 2016. That gives Brewer a modern rank of #710.

What does the Brewer surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who brews beer or ale.

What does the Brewer map show?

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