NameCensus.

UK surname

Bridgeman

An occupational surname referring to a person who maintained or guarded bridges.

In the 1881 census there were 1,097 people recorded with the Bridgeman surname, ranking it #3,619 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,162, ranked #2,992, up from #3,619 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Swindon, Lyddington and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend and East Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bridgeman is 2,206 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 97.1%.

1881 census count

1,097

Ranked #3,619

Modern count

2,162

2016, ranked #2,992

Peak year

2010

2,206 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bridgeman had 1,097 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,619 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,162 in 2016, ranked #2,992.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,382 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bridgeman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bridgeman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bridgeman 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 666 #3,899
1861 historical 815 #3,376
1881 historical 1,097 #3,619
1891 historical 1,042 #4,013
1901 historical 1,176 #4,160
1911 historical 1,382 #3,489
1997 modern 2,062 #2,983
1998 modern 2,118 #3,019
1999 modern 2,132 #3,024
2000 modern 2,127 #3,010
2001 modern 2,062 #3,028
2002 modern 2,117 #3,024
2003 modern 2,061 #3,042
2004 modern 2,061 #3,041
2005 modern 2,019 #3,059
2006 modern 2,031 #3,044
2007 modern 2,048 #3,055
2008 modern 2,056 #3,069
2009 modern 2,154 #3,013
2010 modern 2,206 #3,004
2011 modern 2,185 #2,992
2012 modern 2,153 #2,976
2013 modern 2,197 #2,970
2014 modern 2,197 #2,989
2015 modern 2,161 #3,000
2016 modern 2,162 #2,992

Geography

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Where Bridgemans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Swindon, Lyddington, London parishes and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, East Cambridgeshire and Powys. 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 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 Swindon, Lyddington Wiltshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blaenau Gwent 005 Blaenau Gwent
2 Bridgend 004 Bridgend
3 East Cambridgeshire 008 East Cambridgeshire
4 Powys 014 Powys
5 Blaenau Gwent 003 Blaenau Gwent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bridgeman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bridgeman

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Bridgeman is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bridgeman 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

Bridgeman falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bridgeman

The surname Bridgeman is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English words "brycg" meaning bridge and "man" meaning an attendant or keeper. The name was given to those individuals who were responsible for maintaining and overseeing bridges, which were crucial structures in medieval times.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Yorkshire in 1273, where a certain William le Bridgeman is mentioned. The use of the prefix "le" in this early spelling indicates the occupational nature of the surname.

The Bridgeman surname is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a Richard le Bridgeman is listed. This record suggests that the name was not confined to a single region but was present in different parts of England during the medieval period.

In the 15th century, the surname began to be spelled in its more modern form, as evidenced by the mention of a John Bridgeman in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1459.

One notable individual with the Bridgeman surname was Sir Orlando Bridgeman (1609-1674), who served as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal under King Charles II. He was born in Teddington, Middlesex, and his family had long been associated with the legal profession.

Another prominent figure was Sir Francis Bridgeman (1648-1737), an English sailor and politician who served as First Lord of the Admiralty. He was born in Greenford, Middlesex, and had a distinguished naval career before entering Parliament.

In the literary world, the name is associated with Richard Bridgeman (1532-1598), an English theologian and author of several religious works, including "A Concertation of Scripture" and "A Descant on the Apocalypse."

The Bridgeman surname also has connections to the field of horticulture. John Bridgeman (1677-1741) was a prominent gardener and landscape architect who designed several notable gardens in England, including those at Claremont House and Stowe.

Lastly, mention should be made of William Bridgeman (1779-1864), an English engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early steam locomotives and railways. He was born in Shropshire and is credited with designing and building one of the earliest successful steam-powered vehicles.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bridgeman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bridgeman 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 165 Bridgemans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.54x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 165 1.54x
Devon 105 4.70x
Surrey 101 1.93x
Cambridgeshire 95 13.98x
Wiltshire 82 8.64x
Gloucestershire 75 3.56x
Lancashire 51 0.40x
Berkshire 43 5.34x
Essex 39 1.84x
Yorkshire 30 0.28x
Hampshire 27 1.23x
Suffolk 26 1.99x
Kent 24 0.66x
Glamorgan 23 1.23x
Hertfordshire 23 3.11x
Cornwall 22 1.81x
Staffordshire 20 0.55x
Warwickshire 18 0.67x
Worcestershire 18 1.28x
Oxfordshire 17 2.57x
Somerset 14 0.81x
Northamptonshire 11 1.09x
Lincolnshire 8 0.47x
Westmorland 8 3.39x
Dorset 7 0.99x
Derbyshire 6 0.36x
Shropshire 6 0.65x
Sussex 6 0.33x
Herefordshire 5 1.14x
Leicestershire 4 0.34x
Lanarkshire 3 0.09x
Norfolk 3 0.18x
Royal Navy 3 2.35x
Cheshire 2 0.08x
Durham 2 0.06x
Inverness-shire 2 0.62x
Perthshire 2 0.42x
Bedfordshire 1 0.18x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.15x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.22x
Monmouthshire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Burwell in Cambridgeshire leads with 57 Bridgemans recorded in 1881 and an index of 700.25x.

Place Total Index
Burwell 57 700.25x
Hackney London 28 4.65x
St Pancras London 26 3.01x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 22 74.22x
Kensington London 19 3.18x
Lambeth 18 1.92x
Bermondsey 16 5.01x
Swindon 15 20.38x
Aston 14 1.88x
Bromley London 13 5.51x
Mangotsfield 13 61.96x
Newington 13 3.28x
Plymouth Charles The 13 13.21x
Tormoham 13 13.76x
Croydon 12 4.13x
Gulval 12 153.45x
Combs 11 252.29x
Hulme 11 4.14x
Kettering 11 26.95x
Reading St Giles 11 13.92x
Dauntsey 10 564.97x
Marldon 10 534.76x
Plymouth St Andrew 10 5.81x
Lyneham 9 242.59x
Newbury 9 34.88x
Oxford St Aldate 9 128.94x
South Savernake 9 1125.00x
St Marylebone London 9 1.57x
Avening 8 107.67x
Bishop Stortford 8 32.39x
Brightside Bierlow 8 3.84x
Deptford St Paul 8 2.83x
Hammersmith London 8 3.03x
Paddington London 8 2.03x
Standon 8 105.12x
Enfield 7 9.94x
Everton 7 1.72x
Kingsclere 7 69.65x
Malmesbury St Paul 7 85.78x
Melcombe Regis 7 23.98x
Merthyr Tydfil 7 3.90x
Nazeing 7 257.35x
Newington 7 23.91x
Patterdale 7 268.20x
Spalding 7 20.56x
West Derby 7 1.88x
Woking 7 22.22x
Wolverhampton 7 2.51x
Bromsgrove 6 12.72x
Camberwell 6 0.88x
Cirencester 6 21.06x
Heddington 6 458.02x
Hurst 6 56.93x
Inkpen 6 236.22x
Kings Norton 6 4.78x
Kingston On Thames 6 4.78x
Llanedarn 6 689.66x
Salford 6 1.60x
Soham 6 41.01x
St Andrewthe Less 6 7.73x
Twickenham 6 13.04x
Bristol St James St Paul 5 7.13x
Failsworth 5 17.16x
Gorleston 5 15.06x
Islington London 5 0.48x
Kingsteignton 5 80.52x
Knockin 5 515.46x
Litchurch 5 7.40x
New Alresford 5 87.72x
South Molton 5 40.75x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 2.32x
Stoke Damerel 5 3.20x
Stowmarket 5 33.11x
Takeley 5 165.02x
Uffington 5 239.23x
Ugborough 5 92.59x
Walton On Hill 5 7.25x
West Ham 5 1.07x
Westerleigh 5 105.93x
Willesden 5 4.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 69
Elizabeth 40
Sarah 33
Jane 23
Ann 21
Ellen 21
Annie 20
Eliza 16
Caroline 13
Margaret 13
Alice 11
Martha 11
Charlotte 10
Hannah 10
Emily 9
Emma 9
Harriet 9
Agnes 8
Edith 7
Florence 7
Louisa 7
Lucy 7
Anne 6
Harriett 5
Jessie 5
Rosa 5
Rose 5
Catherine 4
Frances 4
Grace 4
Maria 4
Susan 4
Adelaide 3
Anna 3
Beatrice 3
Dorothy 3
Elizth. 3
Fanny 3
Helen 3
Kate 3
Maud 3
Ada 2
Augusta 2
Bertha 2
Constance 2
Esther 2
Ethel 2
Etheldreda 2
Eva 2
Lily 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 63
John 56
James 38
George 35
Henry 28
Thomas 27
Charles 24
Joseph 20
Frederick 13
Alfred 12
Edward 10
Richard 10
Robert 10
Arthur 8
Benjamin 8
Albert 7
Ernest 7
Fredrick 6
Harry 5
Walter 5
David 4
Edmund 4
Francis 4
Orlando 4
Samuel 4
Wm. 4
Adam 3
Andrew 3
Chas. 3
Edwd. 3
Edwin 3
Frank 3
Fred 3
Herbert 3
Leonard 3
Wm.Hy. 3
Alexander 2
Christopher 2
Daniel 2
Isaac 2
Jesse 2
Jonathan 2
Patrick 2
Roger 2
Worthy 2
Bell 1
Bertram 1
Denis 1
Edwd.L.J. 1
J. 1

FAQ

Bridgeman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bridgeman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,097 people were recorded with the Bridgeman surname. That placed it at #3,619 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bridgeman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,162 in 2016. That gives Bridgeman a modern rank of #2,992.

What does the Bridgeman surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who maintained or guarded bridges.

What does the Bridgeman map show?

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