NameCensus.

UK surname

Brink

Derived from Middle English and Middle Low German, referring to someone living near a hillside or slope.

In the 1881 census there were 14 people recorded with the Brink surname, ranking it #31,604 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 146, ranked #24,173, up from #31,604 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Merton, Cambridge and Bonaly and The Pentlands.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brink is 146 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 942.9%.

1881 census count

14

Ranked #31,604

Modern count

146

2016, ranked #24,173

Peak year

2016

146 bearers

Map years

2

2006 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brink had 14 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,604 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 146 in 2016, ranked #24,173.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 27 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Brink surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brink surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brink 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 2 #33,133
1861 historical 25 #30,804
1881 historical 14 #31,604
1891 historical 24 #32,320
1901 historical 27 #31,057
1911 historical 16 #31,804
1997 modern 49 #32,776
1998 modern 74 #30,562
1999 modern 80 #30,152
2000 modern 81 #30,036
2001 modern 84 #29,508
2002 modern 97 #28,383
2003 modern 102 #27,383
2004 modern 102 #27,637
2005 modern 112 #26,114
2006 modern 112 #26,415
2007 modern 111 #26,954
2008 modern 123 #25,505
2009 modern 122 #26,220
2010 modern 134 #25,263
2011 modern 131 #25,430
2012 modern 138 #24,614
2013 modern 137 #25,149
2014 modern 142 #24,734
2015 modern 141 #24,723
2016 modern 146 #24,173

Geography

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Where Brinks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Merton, Cambridge, Bonaly and The Pentlands, Wandsworth and Bracknell Forest. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Merton 006 Merton
2 Cambridge 007 Cambridge
3 Bonaly and The Pentlands City of Edinburgh
4 Wandsworth 025 Wandsworth
5 Bracknell Forest 005 Bracknell Forest

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brink

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brink

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Brink surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Brink 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Brink is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brink 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

Brink falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Brink 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Brink

The surname Brink is of Dutch origin, derived from the word "brink" meaning the edge or border of a field or village. It likely emerged as a descriptive surname referring to someone who lived near the edge or boundary of a town or settlement.

The earliest known records of the name date back to the 13th century in the Netherlands. One of the earliest documented instances is a man named Ghiselbrecht van den Brink, who was mentioned in a legal record from the city of Dordrecht in 1281.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the name appears in various Dutch historical documents and records, often with slight variations in spelling such as Brinck, Brincke, or Brincken. These variations reflect regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time.

In the 16th century, the name Brink gained prominence in the Dutch Republic. One notable figure was Pieter Brink, a successful merchant and city councilor in Amsterdam, who lived from 1525 to 1591.

The Brink surname also spread to other parts of Europe, particularly Germany, where it was sometimes rendered as Brinkmann or Brinckmann. A famous bearer of this variant was Johann Brinkmann, a German botanist and explorer who lived from 1766 to 1835.

As Dutch settlers migrated to other parts of the world, the surname Brink traveled with them. In the 17th century, several families with the name Brink were among the early Dutch settlers in South Africa, where the name remains relatively common today.

One notable South African bearer of the name was André Brink, a renowned novelist and academic who lived from 1935 to 2015. His works explored themes of apartheid and social injustice, earning him international acclaim.

In North America, the Brink surname was brought by Dutch immigrants to New Amsterdam (later New York) in the 17th century. One of the earliest recorded instances is Jacobus Brink, who was born in New Amsterdam in 1663.

Another prominent individual with the surname was Gerrit Brink, an American Revolutionary War soldier who fought in the Battle of Long Island in 1776. He later became a successful farmer and landowner in New York.

While the surname Brink has its roots in the Netherlands, it has since spread worldwide and been borne by individuals from various backgrounds and professions throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brink families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brink 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 8 Brinks recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.86x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 8 5.86x
Lancashire 2 1.24x
Kent 1 2.15x
Norfolk 1 4.77x
Staffordshire 1 2.17x
Surrey 1 1.50x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mile End New Town London in Middlesex leads with 4 Brinks recorded in 1881 and an index of 1481.48x.

Place Total Index
Mile End New Town London 4 1481.48x
Bethnal Green London 2 33.73x
Broughton In Salford 1 67.57x
Ditchingham 1 2000.00x
Hackney London 1 13.07x
Lewisham 1 40.32x
Oldham 1 19.12x
Oxted 1 1250.00x
St Michael Bassishaw 1 10000.00x
Tipton 1 70.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Hannah 2
Anne 1
Emma 1
Hilda 1
Infant 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Frederick 1
George 1
Matthias 1
Otto 1
Soren 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 Brink households.

FAQ

Brink surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brink surname in 1881?

In 1881, 14 people were recorded with the Brink surname. That placed it at #31,604 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brink surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 146 in 2016. That gives Brink a modern rank of #24,173.

What does the Brink surname mean?

Derived from Middle English and Middle Low German, referring to someone living near a hillside or slope.

What does the Brink map show?

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