NameCensus.

UK surname

Brightwell

An English locational surname denoting someone who lived near a bright or clear spring or stream.

In the 1881 census there were 624 people recorded with the Brightwell surname, ranking it #5,666 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 733, ranked #7,430, down from #5,666 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mildenhall, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Maldon, Babergh and Leicester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brightwell is 859 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 17.5%.

1881 census count

624

Ranked #5,666

Modern count

733

2016, ranked #7,430

Peak year

1911

859 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brightwell had 624 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,666 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 733 in 2016, ranked #7,430.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 859 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Brightwell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brightwell surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brightwell 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 438 #5,615
1861 historical 427 #6,020
1881 historical 624 #5,666
1891 historical 699 #5,606
1901 historical 770 #5,819
1911 historical 859 #5,168
1997 modern 762 #6,796
1998 modern 799 #6,757
1999 modern 799 #6,799
2000 modern 795 #6,807
2001 modern 786 #6,738
2002 modern 780 #6,920
2003 modern 734 #7,121
2004 modern 740 #7,098
2005 modern 717 #7,188
2006 modern 719 #7,210
2007 modern 719 #7,277
2008 modern 718 #7,335
2009 modern 720 #7,470
2010 modern 708 #7,718
2011 modern 715 #7,570
2012 modern 728 #7,393
2013 modern 741 #7,417
2014 modern 740 #7,461
2015 modern 735 #7,438
2016 modern 733 #7,430

Geography

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Where Brightwells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mildenhall, London parishes, Lambeth and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Maldon, Babergh, Leicester, Eden and County Durham. 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 Mildenhall Suffolk
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Maldon 001 Maldon
2 Babergh 007 Babergh
3 Leicester 026 Leicester
4 Eden 001 Eden
5 County Durham 025 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brightwell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brightwell

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

Brightwell 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

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

Meaning and origin of Brightwell

The surname Brightwell has its origins in England, dating back to the early medieval period. It is a locational name derived from one of several places called Brightwell, which stems from the Old English words "bryht" meaning "bright" and "well" referring to a spring or stream.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Brightwell can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Brichtewelle" in reference to a settlement in Berkshire. This indicates that the name was already established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.

During the 13th century, the name Brightwell appeared in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded landowners and tenants in various counties of England. The different spellings found in these records, such as "Brichtewell" and "Bryghtewelle," reflect the evolution of the name over time.

One notable individual with the surname Brightwell was John Brightwell (c. 1562-1618), an English clergyman and author from Oxfordshire. He published works on theology and religious education, including "A Revelation of the Revelations" in 1615.

Another prominent figure was Thomas Brightwell (1756-1835), an English naturalist and topographer from Suffolk. He authored several works on the natural history and antiquities of his home county, including "A Topographical and Descriptive Account of the Hundreds of Loes and Wilford" in 1817.

In the 19th century, Celia Brightwell (1809-1875) was a notable English writer and artist from Gloucestershire. She published works on natural history, including "Life of Laetitia Barbauld" in 1839 and "Memorials of the Life of Amelia Opie" in 1854.

Robert Brightwell (1821-1904) was a British engineer and inventor from Oxfordshire. He is credited with developing one of the earliest successful internal combustion engines in the late 19th century, which laid the groundwork for modern automotive technology.

Additionally, William Brightwell (1871-1945) was an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, participating in several high-profile matches during his career.

These examples illustrate the widespread use and historical significance of the surname Brightwell across various professions and regions of England over several centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brightwell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brightwell 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 132 Brightwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.17x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 132 2.17x
Northamptonshire 86 15.05x
Surrey 72 2.43x
Suffolk 68 9.19x
Norfolk 67 7.17x
Essex 40 3.33x
Sussex 38 3.71x
Warwickshire 28 1.83x
Kent 16 0.77x
Cambridgeshire 11 2.86x
Yorkshire 11 0.18x
Oxfordshire 10 2.66x
Hampshire 9 0.72x
Staffordshire 8 0.39x
Berkshire 6 1.32x
Shropshire 5 0.95x
Lincolnshire 4 0.41x
Durham 3 0.17x
Bedfordshire 2 0.64x
Derbyshire 2 0.21x
Hertfordshire 2 0.48x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.24x
Lanarkshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Irthlingborough in Northamptonshire leads with 19 Brightwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 339.29x.

Place Total Index
Irthlingborough 19 339.29x
Harting 17 639.10x
Lambeth 17 3.21x
Croydon 15 9.13x
Bow London 14 18.10x
Newington 13 5.79x
Northampton St Sepulchre 13 44.70x
Norwich St Clement 13 120.04x
Kensington London 12 3.55x
Bethnal Green London 11 4.17x
Mildenhall 11 139.77x
Morton Pinkney 11 1182.80x
Stoneleigh 11 433.07x
Westminster St John 11 14.86x
Little Glemham 10 1785.71x
Stonham Aspall 10 662.25x
West Ham 10 3.78x
Heigham 9 17.95x
Wellingborough 9 31.32x
Battersea 8 3.58x
Burton Upon Trent 8 16.67x
Great Yarmouth 8 10.34x
Norwich St Edmund 8 529.80x
Oxford St Ebbe 8 72.40x
Paddington London 8 3.58x
Petersfield 8 233.24x
St Giles In Fields London 8 26.84x
St Marylebone London 8 2.47x
Tottenham 8 8.27x
Woodbridge 8 84.57x
Byfield 7 424.24x
Colchester St Mary At 7 164.71x
Greenwich 7 7.24x
Lakenham 7 52.71x
Rainham 7 122.81x
Daventry 6 74.17x
Exning 6 160.43x
Iping 6 550.46x
Isleworth 6 22.21x
Kingsthorpe 6 94.49x
Norwich St Paul 6 107.33x
Rogate 6 292.68x
Rushden 6 78.43x
Burwell 5 108.46x
Camberwell 5 1.29x
Eyke 5 632.91x
Newbold Upon Avon 5 344.83x
Prittlewell 5 30.08x
Rugby 5 24.12x
Stetchworth 5 396.83x
Swaffham 5 65.79x
Tunstall 5 390.63x
Blackmore 4 336.13x
Brighton 4 1.94x
Hampstead London 4 4.23x
Hutton 4 425.53x
Leiston 4 78.74x
Preston 4 22.36x
Putney 4 14.44x
Ruscombe 4 512.82x
Shrewsbury St Chad 4 21.70x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 3.27x
St George Hanover Square 4 3.74x
St George Martyr London 4 32.49x
St Pancras London 4 0.82x
Yeadon 4 29.41x
Aston 3 0.71x
Bilton 3 84.99x
Brandon 3 59.76x
Edmonton 3 6.13x
Enfield 3 7.52x
Hornsey 3 3.90x
Intwood 3 4285.71x
Naseby 3 236.22x
St George Bloomsbury 3 8.60x
Stoke Newington London 3 6.34x
Westoe 3 2.93x
York St John Delpike 3 461.54x
York St Lawrence 3 47.77x
Boreham 2 96.62x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 45
John 28
George 23
James 19
Charles 17
Thomas 16
Robert 14
Joseph 10
Alfred 9
Arthur 9
Henry 9
Edward 7
Harry 7
Frederick 6
Walter 5
Herbert 4
Horace 4
Stephen 4
Geo. 3
Wm. 3
Albert 2
Castle 2
David 2
Elias 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Sydney 2
Albt.T. 1
Andrew 1
Benjamin 1
Bertey 1
Chas.P. 1
Chas.Robt. 1
Daniel 1
Earnest 1
Edwin 1
Hugh 1
Jack 1
Leonard 1
M.S. 1
Martin 1
Noah 1
Percy 1
Robt. 1
Septimus 1
Sidney 1
Thorp 1
Uriah 1

FAQ

Brightwell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brightwell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 624 people were recorded with the Brightwell surname. That placed it at #5,666 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brightwell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 733 in 2016. That gives Brightwell a modern rank of #7,430.

What does the Brightwell surname mean?

An English locational surname denoting someone who lived near a bright or clear spring or stream.

What does the Brightwell map show?

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