NameCensus.

UK surname

Brims

In the 1881 census there were 196 people recorded with the Brims surname, ranking it #13,006 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 147, ranked #24,071, down from #13,006 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wick, London parishes and Watten. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caithness North East, Caithness North West and West Berkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brims is 313 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 25.0%.

1881 census count

196

Ranked #13,006

Modern count

147

2016, ranked #24,071

Peak year

1891

313 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brims had 196 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,006 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 147 in 2016, ranked #24,071.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 313 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Brims surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brims surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brims 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 177 #11,441
1861 historical 309 #8,207
1881 historical 196 #13,006
1891 historical 313 #10,723
1901 historical 209 #14,712
1911 historical 72 #25,642
1997 modern 115 #24,834
1998 modern 137 #22,922
1999 modern 135 #23,279
2000 modern 139 #22,855
2001 modern 138 #22,647
2002 modern 137 #23,198
2003 modern 130 #23,672
2004 modern 142 #22,573
2005 modern 130 #23,848
2006 modern 128 #24,267
2007 modern 137 #23,590
2008 modern 134 #24,249
2009 modern 139 #24,161
2010 modern 130 #25,775
2011 modern 121 #26,789
2012 modern 139 #24,485
2013 modern 144 #24,323
2014 modern 149 #23,969
2015 modern 147 #24,036
2016 modern 147 #24,071

Geography

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Where Brims' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wick, London parishes, Watten, Edinburgh and Halkirk. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caithness North East, Caithness North West, West Berkshire, Northumberland and Fareham. 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 Wick Caithness
2 London parishes London 3
3 Watten Caithness
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Halkirk Caithness

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caithness North East Highland
2 Caithness North West Highland
3 West Berkshire 011 West Berkshire
4 Northumberland 034 Northumberland
5 Fareham 014 Fareham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brims

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brims

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Brims surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Brims household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Brims is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Brims is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Brims families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brims 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. Caithness leads with 116 Brims' recorded in 1881 and an index of 438.73x.

County Total Index
Caithness 116 438.73x
Midlothian 28 10.82x
Lanarkshire 15 2.40x
Inverness-shire 7 12.14x
Angus 6 3.35x
Lancashire 4 0.17x
Northumberland 4 1.39x
Renfrewshire 4 2.67x
East Lothian 3 11.73x
Surrey 3 0.32x
Middlesex 2 0.10x
Roxburghshire 2 5.72x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.86x
Channel Islands 1 1.75x
Morayshire 1 3.33x
Sutherland 1 6.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Thurso in Caithness leads with 51 Brims' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1237.86x.

Place Total Index
Thurso 51 1237.86x
Wick 36 421.55x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 25 24.02x
Watten 12 1290.32x
Bower 7 654.21x
Inverness 7 48.24x
Halkirk 6 335.20x
Monifieth 6 94.94x
Barony 5 3.16x
Glasgow 5 4.51x
Elswick 4 17.44x
Govan 4 2.59x
Renfrew 4 80.97x
West Derby 4 5.97x
Aberlady 3 454.55x
Lambeth 3 1.78x
Bowden 2 392.16x
Edinburgh High Church 2 123.46x
Latheron 2 45.25x
Dunnet 1 94.34x
East Kilbride 1 37.45x
Forres 1 31.75x
Medmenham 1 454.55x
Poplar London 1 2.74x
Reay 1 68.97x
South Leith 1 3.44x
St Helier 1 5.37x
St Marylebone London 1 0.97x
Tongue 1 78.13x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 2
Mary 2
Catherine 1
Cathrine 1
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 3
Archibald 1
David 1
Donald 1
John 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 Brims households.

FAQ

Brims surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brims surname in 1881?

In 1881, 196 people were recorded with the Brims surname. That placed it at #13,006 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brims surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 147 in 2016. That gives Brims a modern rank of #24,071.

What does the Brims map show?

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