NameCensus.

UK surname

Brinklow

A locational surname derived from a place name in England.

In the 1881 census there were 258 people recorded with the Brinklow surname, ranking it #10,836 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 385, ranked #12,232, down from #10,836 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Westoning, Tingrith, Totternhoe and Hemel Hempstead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Central Bedfordshire, Aylesbury Vale and Mendip.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brinklow is 445 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.2%.

1881 census count

258

Ranked #10,836

Modern count

385

2016, ranked #12,232

Peak year

1998

445 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brinklow had 258 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,836 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 385 in 2016, ranked #12,232.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 403 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Brinklow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brinklow surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brinklow 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 159 #12,400
1861 historical 114 #19,011
1881 historical 258 #10,836
1891 historical 337 #10,133
1901 historical 364 #10,128
1911 historical 403 #9,238
1997 modern 427 #10,476
1998 modern 445 #10,491
1999 modern 438 #10,695
2000 modern 422 #10,960
2001 modern 412 #10,980
2002 modern 404 #11,353
2003 modern 381 #11,667
2004 modern 395 #11,390
2005 modern 384 #11,538
2006 modern 380 #11,666
2007 modern 389 #11,604
2008 modern 397 #11,556
2009 modern 398 #11,768
2010 modern 389 #12,251
2011 modern 393 #12,017
2012 modern 389 #11,963
2013 modern 402 #11,871
2014 modern 394 #12,144
2015 modern 382 #12,322
2016 modern 385 #12,232

Geography

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Where Brinklows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Westoning, Tingrith, Totternhoe, Hemel Hempstead, Fenny Stratford, Simpson and Ivinghoe, Cheddington, Slapton, Pitstone (Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire), Eddlesborough, Little Gadde. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Central Bedfordshire, Aylesbury Vale, Mendip and Kirklees. 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 Westoning, Tingrith Bedfordshire
2 Totternhoe Bedfordshire
3 Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire
4 Fenny Stratford, Simpson Buckinghamshire
5 Ivinghoe, Cheddington, Slapton, Pitstone (Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire), Eddlesborough, Little Gadde Bedfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Central Bedfordshire 019 Central Bedfordshire
2 Aylesbury Vale 009 Aylesbury Vale
3 Mendip 005 Mendip
4 Kirklees 028 Kirklees
5 Central Bedfordshire 009 Central Bedfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brinklow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brinklow

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Brinklow, 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 Brinklow surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Brinklow 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, Brinklow 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

Brinklow 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

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

Meaning and origin of Brinklow

The surname Brinklow is of English origin, deriving from a place name in Warwickshire. It is believed to have originated in the 13th century, with the earliest recorded spelling being 'de Brynklow' in the Hundred Rolls of Warwickshire in 1275.

The name is derived from the Old English words 'brink' meaning a slope or edge, and 'hlaw' which means a hill or mound. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name likely lived near a prominent slope or hill.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a Robert de Brynklawe is mentioned in 1317.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records with slight spelling variations, such as 'Brynkelow' and 'Brynkelowe'. These variations likely reflect the local dialects and pronunciations of the time.

A notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Brinklow, a member of the English gentry who lived in the late 16th century. He was born around 1545 and served as a Member of Parliament for Warwickshire in 1586.

Another historical figure with the surname was John Brinklow, a religious reformer and author who lived in the early 16th century. He was born around 1480 and is best known for his work 'The Complaynt of Roderyck Mors', which criticized the Catholic Church.

In the 17th century, the name can be found in parish records from various parts of England, including Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire. One such record is the baptism of Thomas Brinklow in Bidford, Warwickshire, in 1623.

The surname Brinklow is also associated with a village in Warwickshire, which is believed to have been named after the family who originally held land there. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 under the name 'Brinchelou'.

Another notable bearer of the name was William Brinklow, a prominent English architect who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Walsall, Staffordshire, which was completed in 1819.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brinklow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brinklow 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. Bedfordshire leads with 109 Brinklows recorded in 1881 and an index of 83.98x.

County Total Index
Bedfordshire 109 83.98x
Middlesex 45 1.80x
Hertfordshire 42 24.31x
Buckinghamshire 34 22.43x
Warwickshire 6 0.95x
Northamptonshire 5 2.12x
Surrey 5 0.41x
Berkshire 4 2.13x
Derbyshire 4 1.02x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.59x
Worcestershire 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tingrith in Bedfordshire leads with 30 Brinklows recorded in 1881 and an index of 21428.57x.

Place Total Index
Tingrith 30 21428.57x
Hemel Hempstead 15 192.55x
Eaton Bray 13 992.37x
Houghton Conquest 12 2264.15x
Billington 10 2702.70x
Eggington 9 3750.00x
Islington London 9 3.70x
Luton 9 40.05x
Simpson 9 1428.57x
Bromley London 8 14.51x
St Pancras London 8 3.96x
Fenny Stratford 7 489.51x
Hertford St Andrew 7 328.64x
Westoning 7 1250.00x
Bow Brickhill 6 1538.46x
Hockliffe 6 2142.86x
Rugby 6 70.18x
Great Amwell 5 289.02x
Kingsbury 5 769.23x
Totternhoe 5 819.67x
Chalfont St Peter 4 320.00x
Kensington London 4 2.87x
North Mimms 4 366.97x
Rickmansworth 4 84.03x
Shinfield 4 360.36x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 7.93x
St George Hanover Square 4 9.06x
Watton 4 563.38x
Whittington 4 73.66x
Dunstable 3 75.19x
Hardingstone 3 133.33x
Adstock 2 666.67x
Bow London 2 6.27x
Houghton Regis 2 96.62x
Radford 2 11.65x
Steeple Claydon 2 273.97x
Aldbury 1 128.21x
Aspley Guise 1 80.65x
Chalgrave 1 133.33x
Clent 1 116.28x
Ealing 1 4.46x
Haddenham 1 80.65x
Hampstead London 1 2.56x
Hillingdon 1 12.52x
Loughton 1 357.14x
Newport Pagnell 1 31.55x
Paddington London 1 1.09x
Pitstone 1 243.90x
St Albans St Peter 1 17.15x
St Dunstan In West London 1 128.21x
Standon 1 56.18x
Stoke Bruern 1 138.89x
Streatham 1 5.38x
Wicken 1 285.71x
Woburn 1 88.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 12
Elizabeth 10
Mary 9
Eliza 7
Alice 6
Jane 6
Martha 5
Anne 4
Kate 4
Ada 3
Agnes 3
Clara 3
Emily 3
Emma 3
Harriet 3
Lucy 3
Ann 2
Annie 2
Ellen 2
Florence 2
Laura 2
Mabel 2
Matilda 2
Minnie 2
Rose 2
Ruth 2
Susan 2
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Fanny 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Henry 1
Hetty 1
Isabella 1
Julia 1
Keziah 1
Lavina 1
Lille 1
Lily 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Phillis 1
Priscilla 1
Rebecca 1
Rhoda 1
Scelina 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Brinklow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brinklow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 258 people were recorded with the Brinklow surname. That placed it at #10,836 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brinklow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 385 in 2016. That gives Brinklow a modern rank of #12,232.

What does the Brinklow surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in England.

What does the Brinklow map show?

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