NameCensus.

UK surname

Brimmer

An occupational surname for a person who made or sold brimming measures or vessels, such as bowls or cups.

In the 1881 census there were 42 people recorded with the Brimmer surname, ranking it #27,721 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 71, ranked #33,633, down from #27,721 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Henley-on-Thames and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Southwark, St Albans and Banchory West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brimmer is 111 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 69.0%.

1881 census count

42

Ranked #27,721

Modern count

71

2016, ranked #33,633

Peak year

1901

111 bearers

Map years

3

1901 to 1998

Key insights

  • Brimmer had 42 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,721 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 71 in 2016, ranked #33,633.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 111 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Brimmer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brimmer surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brimmer 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 46 #24,985
1861 historical 54 #27,127
1881 historical 42 #27,721
1891 historical 79 #26,897
1901 historical 111 #21,492
1911 historical 104 #22,209
1997 modern 97 #27,342
1998 modern 105 #26,822
1999 modern 104 #27,164
2000 modern 105 #27,001
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 100 #27,944
2003 modern 93 #28,829
2004 modern 96 #28,605
2005 modern 94 #28,973
2006 modern 81 #31,044
2007 modern 82 #31,295
2008 modern 83 #31,483
2009 modern 79 #32,372
2010 modern 77 #32,927
2011 modern 82 #32,449
2012 modern 68 #33,763
2013 modern 70 #33,753
2014 modern 73 #33,587
2015 modern 70 #33,717
2016 modern 71 #33,633

Geography

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Where Brimmers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Henley-on-Thames, London parishes and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Southwark, St Albans, Banchory West, Hastings and Luton. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Henley-on-Thames Oxfordshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Southwark 011 Southwark
2 St Albans 019 St Albans
3 Banchory West Aberdeenshire
4 Hastings 008 Hastings
5 Luton 011 Luton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brimmer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brimmer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Brimmer, 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 Brimmer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Brimmer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Brimmer is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brimmer 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

Brimmer 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 Brimmer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Brimmer, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Brimmer

The surname Brimmer is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "brymmere," which means "someone who lives near a brook or stream." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name likely lived near a watercourse or in a marshy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Brimmer surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document mentions a landowner named Brimmer residing in the county of Gloucestershire.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Brymmer, Brymere, and Brymour, reflecting the inconsistencies in written records and regional dialects of the time. One notable individual from this era was Robert Brimmer, a merchant from the city of Bristol, who was mentioned in local trade records in 1275.

In the 14th century, the Brimmer surname began to spread beyond its original region, with individuals bearing this name appearing in various parts of England. One such example is John Brimmer, a farmer from the village of Brimmer near Maidenhead, Berkshire, whose name was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Brimmer surname continued to flourish, and several notable individuals emerged. One such person was Sir William Brimmer (1535-1609), a wealthy landowner and member of the English gentry from Oxfordshire. Another prominent figure was Richard Brimmer (1610-1672), a Puritan minister and one of the founders of the town of Ipswich, Massachusetts, in the American colonies.

In the 18th century, the Brimmer name gained further recognition with the birth of Andrew Brimmer (1735-1805), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. Another noteworthy individual from this era was Elizabeth Brimmer (1776-1847), a philanthropist and benefactor of educational institutions in the United States.

As the centuries passed, the Brimmer surname continued to spread across England and beyond, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields, including politics, academia, and the arts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brimmer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brimmer 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. Hampshire leads with 13 Brimmers recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.13x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 13 15.13x
Surrey 12 5.87x
Middlesex 6 1.43x
Glamorgan 4 5.48x
Angus 2 5.15x
Devon 2 2.29x
Oxfordshire 2 7.73x
Berkshire 1 3.18x
Royal Navy 1 20.00x

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 11 Brimmers recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.10x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 11 30.10x
Basing 8 5000.00x
St Pancras London 6 17.78x
Ystradyfodwg 4 62.50x
Alverstoke 2 64.31x
Bramshott 2 952.38x
Dundee 2 13.79x
Eye Dunsden 2 1666.67x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 29.76x
Basingstoke 1 101.01x
Dorking 1 72.99x
Reading St Giles 1 32.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Edith 2
Elzabeth 2
Jane 2
Lucy 2
Martha 2
Mary 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Amy 1
Augusta 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Esther 1
Frances 1
Jeannie 1
Minnie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Arthur 2
Joseph 2
Orlando 2
William 2
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Elwin 1
Henry 1
James 1
Jenkin 1
John 1
Richard 1
Thomas 1
Trial 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Brimmer households.

FAQ

Brimmer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brimmer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 42 people were recorded with the Brimmer surname. That placed it at #27,721 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brimmer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 71 in 2016. That gives Brimmer a modern rank of #33,633.

What does the Brimmer surname mean?

An occupational surname for a person who made or sold brimming measures or vessels, such as bowls or cups.

What does the Brimmer map show?

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