NameCensus.

UK surname

Briley

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "a clearing or wood of broom shrubs."

In the 1881 census there were 176 people recorded with the Briley surname, ranking it #13,930 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 281, ranked #15,449, down from #13,930 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tunbridge Wells, Hastings and Tonbridge and Malling.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Briley is 327 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 59.7%.

1881 census count

176

Ranked #13,930

Modern count

281

2016, ranked #15,449

Peak year

1861

327 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Briley had 176 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,930 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 281 in 2016, ranked #15,449.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 327 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Briley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Briley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Briley 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 125 #14,700
1861 historical 327 #7,788
1881 historical 176 #13,930
1891 historical 267 #12,136
1901 historical 213 #14,563
1911 historical 220 #14,088
1997 modern 263 #14,769
1998 modern 270 #14,913
1999 modern 264 #15,223
2000 modern 263 #15,228
2001 modern 261 #15,066
2002 modern 263 #15,277
2003 modern 260 #15,216
2004 modern 267 #15,038
2005 modern 251 #15,590
2006 modern 247 #15,860
2007 modern 260 #15,476
2008 modern 261 #15,597
2009 modern 269 #15,589
2010 modern 274 #15,705
2011 modern 276 #15,471
2012 modern 272 #15,586
2013 modern 290 #15,107
2014 modern 285 #15,416
2015 modern 279 #15,527
2016 modern 281 #15,449

Geography

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Where Brileys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George in the East, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, St George the Martyr and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Tonbridge and Malling, South Northamptonshire and Allerdale. 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 St George in the East London (East Districts)
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St George the Martyr London (South Districts)
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tunbridge Wells 013 Tunbridge Wells
2 Hastings 008 Hastings
3 Tonbridge and Malling 005 Tonbridge and Malling
4 South Northamptonshire 009 South Northamptonshire
5 Allerdale 008 Allerdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Briley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Briley

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

Briley is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Briley

The surname Briley is of English origin, derived from a place name in Staffordshire, England. It is believed to have originated in the 12th century from the Old English words "bri" meaning hill or ridge, and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Briley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from the year 1195, where a person named Walter de Brileye is mentioned. This form of the name suggests a connection to the place name Brileye, which is likely the modern-day Brereley in Staffordshire.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms such as de Bryley, de Brileygh, and de Brilegh, reflecting the evolution of spelling and pronunciation over time. These variations were common in medieval records due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

The Briley surname is not found in the Domesday Book of 1086, likely because it emerged later from the place name. However, it is possible that the surname's roots can be traced back to landowners or residents of the area during the Norman conquest.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Briley was John Briley, who was born in Staffordshire in 1540. He served as a member of the English Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Briley (1618-1681), an English merchant and landowner who played a crucial role in the development of the city of Bristol. He served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1670 and was knighted by King Charles II for his contributions to the city's prosperity.

In the 18th century, William Briley (1725-1798) was a renowned English author and poet. He is best known for his collection of poems titled "The Pastures of Parnassus," which celebrated the beauty of the English countryside.

In the 19th century, Mary Briley (1823-1896) was a pioneering educator who established several schools for underprivileged children in London. She was recognized for her efforts in improving access to education for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

More recently, James Briley (1920-2005) was an American screenwriter and author. He won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on the 1977 film "The Prince of Tides," based on the novel by Pat Conroy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Briley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Briley 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. Surrey leads with 27 Brileys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.25x.

County Total Index
Surrey 27 3.25x
Yorkshire 23 1.36x
Lancashire 20 0.99x
Middlesex 16 0.94x
Nottinghamshire 16 6.95x
Warwickshire 14 3.25x
Staffordshire 10 1.74x
Cumberland 9 6.12x
Northumberland 9 3.54x
Durham 5 0.98x
Gloucestershire 5 1.49x
Derbyshire 3 1.12x
Leicestershire 3 1.59x
Lincolnshire 3 1.10x
Worcestershire 3 1.35x
Angus 2 1.26x
Wiltshire 2 1.32x
Cheshire 1 0.27x
Hertfordshire 1 0.85x
Kent 1 0.17x
Monmouthshire 1 0.81x
Northamptonshire 1 0.62x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bermondsey in Surrey leads with 10 Brileys recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.68x.

Place Total Index
Bermondsey 10 19.68x
Nottingham St Mary 10 16.80x
Newington 9 14.27x
St George In East London 9 56.04x
Byker 8 63.75x
Gilcrux 8 2666.67x
Handsworth 8 56.34x
Southwark St George Martyr 8 23.29x
Thornaby 8 126.58x
Aston 7 5.91x
Bristol St Paul In 5 56.05x
Halliwell 5 67.84x
Shipley 5 56.95x
Birmingham 4 2.79x
Clerkenwell London 4 9.93x
Colwick 4 5714.29x
Holy Trinity 4 9.83x
North Bedburn 4 281.69x
Burnley 3 17.59x
Edgbaston 3 22.47x
Kings Norton 3 15.01x
Loughborough 3 34.92x
Sculcoates 3 11.19x
Toxteth Park 3 4.37x
Ardwick 2 10.95x
Doncaster 2 16.18x
Dundee 2 3.39x
Fugglestone St Peter 2 333.33x
Great Bolton 2 7.45x
Long Bennington 2 377.36x
Walton Le Dale 2 36.76x
Westminster St Margaret 2 24.30x
Bakewell 1 68.49x
Bedwellty 1 4.59x
Bilston 1 8.95x
Birkenhead 1 3.33x
Bradmore 1 625.00x
Church Gresley 1 23.53x
Cockermouth 1 32.36x
Conisbrough 1 62.89x
Deptford St Nicholas 1 21.65x
East Barnet 1 42.92x
Everton 1 1.55x
Great Grimsby 1 5.77x
Ilkeston 1 13.35x
Nassington 1 238.10x
Radford 1 8.55x
Rishton 1 42.02x
Shoreditch London 1 1.35x
Stockton On Tees 1 4.09x
Tonge With Haulgh 1 25.38x
Westgate 1 6.36x
Wolverhampton 1 2.26x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Briley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Briley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 176 people were recorded with the Briley surname. That placed it at #13,930 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Briley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 281 in 2016. That gives Briley a modern rank of #15,449.

What does the Briley surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "a clearing or wood of broom shrubs."

What does the Briley map show?

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