NameCensus.

UK surname

Brinn

A surname derived from the Old Norse word "brunnr," meaning a stream or brook.

In the 1881 census there were 102 people recorded with the Brinn surname, ranking it #19,518 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 155, ranked #23,197, down from #19,518 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), St Mary and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pembrokeshire, Leeds and Aylesbury Vale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brinn is 206 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 52.0%.

1881 census count

102

Ranked #19,518

Modern count

155

2016, ranked #23,197

Peak year

1901

206 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brinn had 102 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,518 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 155 in 2016, ranked #23,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 206 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Brinn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brinn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brinn 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 91 #18,187
1861 historical 129 #17,271
1881 historical 102 #19,518
1891 historical 180 #16,143
1901 historical 206 #14,845
1911 historical 181 #15,911
1997 modern 187 #18,398
1998 modern 176 #19,584
1999 modern 183 #19,248
2000 modern 182 #19,300
2001 modern 167 #20,060
2002 modern 180 #19,533
2003 modern 174 #19,760
2004 modern 175 #19,805
2005 modern 173 #19,851
2006 modern 166 #20,534
2007 modern 168 #20,634
2008 modern 164 #21,137
2009 modern 169 #21,190
2010 modern 161 #22,385
2011 modern 154 #22,886
2012 modern 166 #21,683
2013 modern 164 #22,236
2014 modern 171 #21,812
2015 modern 162 #22,509
2016 modern 155 #23,197

Geography

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Where Brinns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), St Mary, London parishes, Amroth and West Ham,Wanstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pembrokeshire, Leeds, Aylesbury Vale, Castle Point and Monmouthshire. 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 St Mary Pembrokeshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 Amroth Pembrokeshire
5 West Ham,Wanstead Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pembrokeshire 013 Pembrokeshire
2 Leeds 071 Leeds
3 Aylesbury Vale 002 Aylesbury Vale
4 Castle Point 012 Castle Point
5 Monmouthshire 001 Monmouthshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brinn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brinn

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Brinn, 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 Brinn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Brinn 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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Brinn is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brinn is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Brinn

The surname BRINN has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old German word "brinnen," meaning "to burn." This likely indicates that the name's earliest bearers were associated with professions involving fire, such as blacksmiths or glassmakers.

Records from the 1300s in the town of Mainz, Germany, show several variations of the name, including Bryn, Brynn, and Brynne, appearing in local tax rolls and property deeds. It is believed that the name spread from this region across central Europe during the subsequent centuries.

One of the earliest documented references to the BRINN surname can be found in a 1492 manuscript from the Abbey of Eberbach in Rheingau, Germany, which mentions a certain "Johannes Brinn" as a respected vintner in the region. This suggests that by the late 15th century, the name had become established among vineyard owners and wine merchants.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various church records and municipal archives throughout the German states, often spelled as "Brynne" or "Brynner." Notable bearers from this period include Hans Brynn (1524-1589), a master glassblower from Nuremberg, and Margaretha Brynner (1551-1628), a renowned herbalist and midwife from Heidelberg.

As the name spread across Europe, it took on various spellings and regional variations. In the Netherlands, for instance, the name was recorded as "Brinnen" and "Brinneman" in the 1600s. One prominent figure from this era was Willem Brinnen (1632-1701), a Dutch merchant and ship owner who established trade routes to the East Indies.

The 18th century saw the BRINN surname gain a foothold in England, where it was often anglicized as "Brinn" or "Bryn." A notable bearer from this period was Sir John Brynn (1745-1821), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became an MP.

Other historical figures bearing the BRINN surname include Auguste Brinn (1809-1872), a French poet and novelist; Johann Brinn (1837-1912), an Austrian composer and conductor; and Olga Brinn (1881-1942), a Russian ballerina who performed with the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brinn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brinn 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. Pembrokeshire leads with 46 Brinns recorded in 1881 and an index of 145.52x.

County Total Index
Pembrokeshire 46 145.52x
Norfolk 18 11.77x
Berkshire 12 16.07x
Glamorgan 4 2.31x
Middlesex 4 0.40x
Surrey 4 0.83x
Durham 3 1.01x
Kent 3 0.88x
Yorkshire 3 0.30x
Suffolk 2 1.65x
Dorset 1 1.53x
Essex 1 0.51x
Lancashire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Issells in Pembrokeshire leads with 12 Brinns recorded in 1881 and an index of 1791.04x.

Place Total Index
St Issells 12 1791.04x
Watlington 12 5714.29x
Lawrenny 9 9000.00x
Amroth 7 2800.00x
Catton 5 1923.08x
Pembroke St Mary 5 122.85x
Sandhurst 5 344.83x
Lamphey 4 3636.36x
Reading St Giles 4 54.57x
Ystradyfodwg 4 26.33x
Gateshead 3 13.54x
Battersea 2 5.46x
Bedingfield 2 1818.18x
Crinow 2 10000.00x
Downe 2 1052.63x
Halifax 2 13.82x
Manor Bier 2 952.38x
St Nicholas Olave London 2 10000.00x
Tenby St Mary In 2 124.22x
Calverley Cum Farsley 1 35.71x
Colchester St Giles 1 51.55x
Cosheston 1 526.32x
Deptford St Paul 1 3.82x
Hackney London 1 1.79x
Hubberston 1 217.39x
Liverpool 1 1.39x
New Windsor 1 39.84x
Newington 1 2.72x
Portland 1 28.49x
South Lynn 1 57.80x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 5.00x
St Marylebone London 1 1.88x
Steynton 1 98.04x
Warfield 1 147.06x
Winkfield 1 80.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 13
John 8
George 6
Thomas 5
Henry 3
Edward 2
Joseph 2
Abraham 1
Anne 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
David 1
Fred 1
Harry 1
James 1
Mark 1
Michael 1
Rees 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Brinn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brinn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 102 people were recorded with the Brinn surname. That placed it at #19,518 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brinn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 155 in 2016. That gives Brinn a modern rank of #23,197.

What does the Brinn surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old Norse word "brunnr," meaning a stream or brook.

What does the Brinn map show?

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