NameCensus.

UK surname

Brignell

In the 1881 census there were 138 people recorded with the Brignell surname, ranking it #16,292 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 196, ranked #19,848, down from #16,292 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict and St Mary Islington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cambridge, Richmond upon Thames and South Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brignell is 248 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.0%.

1881 census count

138

Ranked #16,292

Modern count

196

2016, ranked #19,848

Peak year

1999

248 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brignell had 138 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,292 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 196 in 2016, ranked #19,848.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 214 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Brignell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brignell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brignell 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 88 #18,569
1861 historical 161 #14,392
1881 historical 138 #16,292
1891 historical 162 #17,390
1901 historical 214 #14,517
1911 historical 212 #14,423
1997 modern 221 #16,565
1998 modern 231 #16,555
1999 modern 248 #15,884
2000 modern 231 #16,610
2001 modern 225 #16,664
2002 modern 229 #16,771
2003 modern 220 #17,033
2004 modern 209 #17,706
2005 modern 201 #18,080
2006 modern 206 #17,945
2007 modern 198 #18,600
2008 modern 212 #17,950
2009 modern 215 #18,179
2010 modern 211 #18,774
2011 modern 207 #18,841
2012 modern 200 #19,207
2013 modern 209 #18,984
2014 modern 210 #19,064
2015 modern 198 #19,714
2016 modern 196 #19,848

Geography

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Where Brignells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict, St Mary Islington, Woodham Ferris and Rotherham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cambridge, Richmond upon Thames and South Cambridgeshire. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict Cambridgeshire
3 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
4 Woodham Ferris Essex
5 Rotherham Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cambridge 001 Cambridge
2 Richmond upon Thames 010 Richmond upon Thames
3 South Cambridgeshire 015 South Cambridgeshire
4 Cambridge 002 Cambridge
5 South Cambridgeshire 018 South Cambridgeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brignell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brignell

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Brignell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Brignell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Brignell is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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.

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Group profile

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Brignell 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

Brignell falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Brignell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brignell 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. Essex leads with 39 Brignells recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.01x.

County Total Index
Essex 39 15.01x
Cambridgeshire 29 34.77x
Middlesex 27 2.05x
Yorkshire 27 2.07x
Caernarfonshire 6 11.27x
Brecknockshire 2 7.60x
Hampshire 2 0.74x
Oxfordshire 1 1.23x
Sussex 1 0.45x
Wiltshire 1 0.86x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Andrewthe Less in Cambridgeshire leads with 28 Brignells recorded in 1881 and an index of 293.81x.

Place Total Index
St Andrewthe Less 28 293.81x
Holy Trinity 11 35.05x
West Ham 9 15.68x
Great Totham 8 2352.94x
Rawreth 8 5333.33x
Conway 6 582.52x
Islington London 6 4.70x
St Pancras London 6 5.66x
Sculcoates 5 24.17x
Shoreditch London 5 8.76x
St Gilesin Fields London 5 450.45x
Colchester St James 4 380.95x
Darton 4 298.51x
East Horndon 4 1739.13x
Paull 4 1600.00x
Broomfield 3 731.71x
Poplar London 3 12.07x
Brecknock St John 2 90.09x
Little Burstead 2 2222.22x
West Heslerton 2 1250.00x
Asthall 1 588.24x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.75x
Freshwater 1 81.30x
Hackney London 1 1.35x
Hastings St Leonards 1 30.67x
Patrck Brmptn Newton 1 434.78x
Portsmouth 1 16.10x
St Michael Cambridge 1 416.67x
West Lavington 1 178.57x
Woodham Ferris 1 333.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 15
George 8
Charles 6
James 5
John 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Henry 2
Herbert 2
Richard 2
Thomas 2
Thos. 2
Absalom 1
Albert 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Francas 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Hy. 1
Hy.Wm. 1
Isaac 1
Robin 1
Samuel 1
Simon 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Brignell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brignell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 138 people were recorded with the Brignell surname. That placed it at #16,292 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brignell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 196 in 2016. That gives Brignell a modern rank of #19,848.

What does the Brignell map show?

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