NameCensus.

UK surname

Bridges

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

In the 1881 census there were 4,759 people recorded with the Bridges surname, ranking it #933 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,427, ranked #898, up from #933 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bath and North East Somerset and Merthyr Tydfil.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bridges is 7,670 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 56.1%.

1881 census count

4,759

Ranked #933

Modern count

7,427

2016, ranked #898

Peak year

1999

7,670 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bridges had 4,759 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #933 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,427 in 2016, ranked #898.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,426 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bridges surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bridges surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bridges 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 3,219 #897
1861 historical 3,045 #947
1881 historical 4,759 #933
1891 historical 5,068 #926
1901 historical 5,899 #941
1911 historical 6,426 #798
1997 modern 7,339 #877
1998 modern 7,630 #879
1999 modern 7,670 #884
2000 modern 7,662 #877
2001 modern 7,489 #878
2002 modern 7,663 #881
2003 modern 7,382 #887
2004 modern 7,439 #881
2005 modern 7,310 #886
2006 modern 7,240 #895
2007 modern 7,282 #900
2008 modern 7,333 #900
2009 modern 7,470 #904
2010 modern 7,625 #908
2011 modern 7,529 #903
2012 modern 7,395 #899
2013 modern 7,561 #896
2014 modern 7,579 #898
2015 modern 7,519 #892
2016 modern 7,427 #898

Geography

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Where Bridges' are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Bath and North East Somerset and Merthyr Tydfil. 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 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bath and North East Somerset 016 Bath and North East Somerset
2 Bath and North East Somerset 025 Bath and North East Somerset
3 Merthyr Tydfil 007 Merthyr Tydfil
4 Bath and North East Somerset 023 Bath and North East Somerset
5 Bath and North East Somerset 026 Bath and North East Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bridges

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bridges

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

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Bridges is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Bridges is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bridges falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bridges

The surname BRIDGES has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the medieval period as an occupational name for someone who built or maintained bridges. It derives from the Old English word "brycg," meaning a bridge.

In the early days, the name appeared in various spellings such as Brugge, Brigge, and Brygge. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Radulfus ad Brugges in Somerset.

As an occupational surname, BRIDGES would have initially referred to individuals who were employed in the construction or maintenance of bridges, a vital role in facilitating transportation and trade in medieval times. Over time, it became a hereditary surname passed down through generations.

In the 13th century, records show a William Brugge in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1230. Another early bearer of the name was John atte Brugge, mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1292.

The surname BRIDGES is also associated with various place names across England, such as Bridgetown in Somerset, Bridgewater in Somerset, and Bridgford in Nottinghamshire. These locations likely influenced the adoption of the surname by individuals residing in or near those areas.

Notable historical figures with the surname BRIDGES include:

1. John Bridges (1536-1618), an English author and historian who wrote the "History of Northamptonshire." 2. William Bridges (1608-1670), an English colonial leader and co-founder of the town of Taunton, Massachusetts. 3. Robert Bridges (1844-1930), an English poet and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1913 to 1930. 4. Nathaniel Bridges (1675-1720), an English naval officer and one of the first Europeans to explore the Kuril Islands. 5. Harry Bridges (1901-1990), an Australian-born American labor leader and long-time head of the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union.

The surname BRIDGES has a rich history dating back to medieval England, where it originated as an occupational name associated with the construction and maintenance of bridges. Over the centuries, it has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including authors, colonial leaders, poets, naval officers, and labor activists.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bridges families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bridges 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 677 Bridges' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.46x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 677 1.46x
Surrey 398 1.76x
Kent 357 2.25x
Suffolk 321 5.67x
Norfolk 283 3.96x
Gloucestershire 272 2.98x
Yorkshire 241 0.52x
Essex 203 2.21x
Somerset 171 2.29x
Worcestershire 161 2.65x
Lancashire 153 0.28x
Warwickshire 141 1.20x
Derbyshire 127 1.75x
Oxfordshire 94 3.28x
Hampshire 90 0.94x
Herefordshire 88 4.62x
Wiltshire 88 2.14x
Staffordshire 86 0.55x
Sussex 80 1.02x
Midlothian 64 1.03x
Lincolnshire 57 0.77x
Hertfordshire 52 1.62x
Durham 50 0.36x
Lanarkshire 50 0.33x
Monmouthshire 50 1.49x
East Lothian 40 6.50x
Buckinghamshire 37 1.32x
Cambridgeshire 37 1.26x
Glamorgan 31 0.38x
Fife 28 1.02x
Shropshire 27 0.67x
Northumberland 23 0.33x
Nottinghamshire 22 0.35x
Berkshire 19 0.54x
Leicestershire 15 0.29x
Bedfordshire 13 0.54x
Devon 13 0.13x
Huntingdonshire 13 1.41x
Angus 11 0.26x
Perthshire 10 0.48x
Cheshire 9 0.09x
Royal Navy 8 1.44x
Ayrshire 7 0.20x
Dorset 7 0.23x
Dumfriesshire 7 0.68x
Wigtownshire 7 1.13x
Brecknockshire 6 0.65x
Cornwall 5 0.10x
Northamptonshire 5 0.11x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.05x
Cumberland 2 0.05x
Channel Islands 1 0.07x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.15x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.07x
Roxburghshire 1 0.12x
Rutland 1 0.29x
West Lothian 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 95 Bridges' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.34x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 95 2.34x
St Pancras London 94 2.51x
Islington London 78 1.73x
Camberwell 54 1.82x
Farmborough 50 371.47x
Bethnal Green London 49 2.43x
Belper 44 31.19x
Kingham 41 417.09x
St Marylebone London 41 1.65x
Brightside Bierlow 39 4.32x
Clifton 38 8.25x
Bermondsey 35 2.53x
Birmingham 35 0.90x
Timsbury 35 154.39x
Framlingham 31 77.15x
Great Glemham 31 566.73x
Minster In Sheppey 30 11.42x
Paddington London 30 1.76x
Aston 28 0.87x
South Leith 28 4.00x
Deptford St Paul 27 2.21x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 27 12.59x
Poplar London 27 3.08x
Flitcham Cum Appleton 26 349.93x
Newington 26 1.51x
West Ham 26 1.28x
Barony 25 0.66x
Cirencester 25 20.26x
Trevethin 25 7.88x
Bow London 23 3.89x
Croydon 23 1.83x
Wroughton 23 64.61x
Chelsea London 22 1.57x
Cheltenham 22 3.13x
Hackney London 22 0.84x
Holy Trinity 22 1.99x
Mile End Old Town London 22 2.22x
Nether Hallam 21 3.37x
Old Stratford 21 31.65x
St George Hanover Square 21 2.56x
Wivenhoe 21 57.64x
Woolwich 21 3.58x
Carleton Rode 20 162.07x
Caton 20 115.74x
Derby St Alkmund 20 9.17x
Hammersmith London 20 1.75x
Horfield 20 21.81x
Walton On Hill 20 203.46x
Drayton 19 264.99x
Gislingham 19 216.40x
Leckhampton 19 33.84x
Heigham 18 4.69x
Lewisham 18 2.13x
Sheffield 18 1.23x
Shoreditch London 18 0.89x
Sutton 18 34.30x
Hoxne 17 105.92x
Kensington London 17 0.66x
Welland 17 122.30x
Worlingworth 17 166.18x
Battersea 16 0.94x
Brighton 16 1.01x
Christchurch 16 15.40x
Ecclesall Bierlow 16 1.71x
Grimston 16 88.59x
Heeley 16 11.43x
Portsea 16 0.86x
Erith 15 9.60x
Gillingham 15 4.59x
Greenwich 15 2.03x
Hereford St Owen 15 23.84x
Highworth 15 28.55x
Limehouse London 15 2.94x
Liverpool 15 0.45x
Ludlow St Lawrence 15 18.78x
North Weald Bassett 15 94.10x
Norwich St Benedict 15 47.10x
St Andrewthe Less 15 4.46x
West Bromwich 15 1.67x
Westminster St John 15 2.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 259
Sarah 147
Elizabeth 142
Eliza 87
Alice 84
Emma 84
Jane 77
Ann 70
Ellen 64
Annie 60
Emily 58
Charlotte 47
Hannah 43
Florence 39
Maria 36
Louisa 35
Harriet 33
Edith 30
Caroline 28
Martha 28
Susan 28
Ada 27
Kate 25
Rose 22
Sophia 22
Agnes 21
Clara 21
Frances 21
Catherine 19
Lucy 19
Fanny 17
Anna 15
Jessie 15
Margaret 15
Harriett 14
Lydia 14
Minnie 14
Anne 13
Amelia 12
Esther 12
Ethel 12
Rebecca 12
Susannah 12
Eleanor 10
Elizth. 10
Maud 9
Amy 8
Gertrude 8
Mabel 8
Matilda 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 306
John 218
George 181
James 123
Thomas 117
Henry 111
Charles 108
Joseph 68
Alfred 66
Arthur 65
Robert 56
Edward 53
Frederick 49
Albert 46
Walter 42
Samuel 39
Harry 35
Ernest 31
Richard 31
Herbert 30
Frank 19
David 18
Benjamin 17
Edwin 17
Wm. 13
Francis 10
Percy 10
Elijah 9
Fredrick 9
Geo. 9
Horace 9
Sidney 9
Isaac 8
Thos. 8
Daniel 7
Eli 7
Peter 7
Fredk. 6
Reuben 6
Alexander 4
Allan 4
Christopher 4
Earnest 4
Ebenezer 4
Fred 4
Lewis 4
Mark 4
Martin 4
Robt. 4
Stephen 4

FAQ

Bridges surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bridges surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,759 people were recorded with the Bridges surname. That placed it at #933 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bridges surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,427 in 2016. That gives Bridges a modern rank of #898.

What does the Bridges surname mean?

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

What does the Bridges map show?

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