NameCensus.

UK surname

Brinton

Derived from a place name meaning "burnt enclosure" or "place cleared by burning" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 356 people recorded with the Brinton surname, ranking it #8,665 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 432, ranked #11,135, down from #8,665 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Newchurch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, Isle of Wight and Surrey Heath.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brinton is 560 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.3%.

1881 census count

356

Ranked #8,665

Modern count

432

2016, ranked #11,135

Peak year

1911

560 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brinton had 356 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,665 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 432 in 2016, ranked #11,135.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 560 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Brinton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brinton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brinton 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 278 #8,089
1861 historical 336 #7,589
1881 historical 356 #8,665
1891 historical 447 #8,115
1901 historical 518 #7,842
1911 historical 560 #7,188
1997 modern 468 #9,769
1998 modern 496 #9,658
1999 modern 497 #9,698
2000 modern 490 #9,772
2001 modern 472 #9,873
2002 modern 482 #9,906
2003 modern 455 #10,201
2004 modern 438 #10,532
2005 modern 432 #10,531
2006 modern 429 #10,645
2007 modern 424 #10,867
2008 modern 426 #10,911
2009 modern 437 #10,947
2010 modern 445 #11,002
2011 modern 431 #11,155
2012 modern 437 #10,915
2013 modern 442 #10,997
2014 modern 441 #11,082
2015 modern 430 #11,226
2016 modern 432 #11,135

Geography

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Where Brintons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Newchurch and Corfe Castle. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, Isle of Wight, Surrey Heath and Sandwell. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Newchurch Hampshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Corfe Castle Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
2 Isle of Wight 002 Isle of Wight
3 Isle of Wight 001 Isle of Wight
4 Surrey Heath 001 Surrey Heath
5 Sandwell 032 Sandwell

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brinton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brinton

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Brinton is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brinton is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Brinton

The surname Brinton originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, deriving from the Old English words "burna" meaning stream and "tun" meaning enclosure or settlement. This suggests the name likely referred to someone who lived near a stream or a settlement by a stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Brineton" in Shropshire. This indicates the name was already well-established by the 11th century in certain parts of England.

During the Middle Ages, variations of the spelling included Bryntone, Brynton, and Brineton, reflecting the diverse dialects and inconsistent record keeping of the time. Place names like Brinton in Norfolk and Brinton in Somerset may have contributed to the surname's spread across different regions.

Notable historical figures with the surname Brinton include William Brinton (c.1537-1618), an English physician and medical writer known for his work on scurvy. Daniel Garrison Brinton (1837-1899) was an American anthropologist and linguist who made significant contributions to the study of Native American languages and cultures.

Other individuals of note are Howard Brinton (1884-1973), an American Quaker and peace activist, and Maurice Brinton (1923-2005), a British Trotskyist writer and activist. Christopher Brinton (1512-1581) was an English Catholic martyr who was executed during the Reformation for denying the religious supremacy of Queen Elizabeth I.

Throughout its history, the surname Brinton has maintained a presence primarily in England, but has also been carried by individuals of English descent to other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brinton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brinton 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 70 Brintons recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.64x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 70 9.64x
Middlesex 56 1.58x
Worcestershire 39 8.43x
Staffordshire 26 2.18x
Warwickshire 23 2.58x
Dorset 20 8.61x
Cornwall 15 3.74x
Yorkshire 13 0.37x
Northumberland 12 2.28x
Lancashire 11 0.26x
Gloucestershire 10 1.44x
Surrey 10 0.58x
Sussex 10 1.68x
Glamorgan 8 1.30x
Shropshire 8 2.62x
Channel Islands 6 5.72x
Kent 5 0.41x
Devon 4 0.54x
Durham 3 0.28x
Essex 3 0.43x
Wiltshire 3 0.96x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.89x
Norfolk 2 0.37x
Cheshire 1 0.13x
Leicestershire 1 0.25x
Lincolnshire 1 0.18x
Royal Navy 1 2.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whippingham in Hampshire leads with 32 Brintons recorded in 1881 and an index of 581.82x.

Place Total Index
Whippingham 32 581.82x
Islington London 13 3.79x
Aston 12 4.88x
Liverpool 10 3.92x
Brighton 9 7.47x
Tottenham 8 14.18x
Bristol St Augustine 7 62.44x
Christchurch 7 44.47x
Isleworth 7 44.47x
St Austell 7 51.09x
Tipton 7 19.13x
Birmingham 6 2.02x
Cakemore 6 789.47x
Chirbury 6 333.33x
Claines 6 47.28x
Corfe Castle 6 279.07x
Rowley Regis 6 18.01x
Ryde 6 38.49x
Southampton All Sts 6 48.19x
St Peter Port 6 30.91x
Wareham Holy Trinity 6 594.06x
Westgate 6 18.39x
Cardiff St Mary 5 14.72x
Elswick 5 11.89x
Hampstead London 5 9.07x
Harborne 5 13.05x
Kidderminster Foreign 5 76.45x
Newington 5 51.76x
Sopley 5 500.00x
Spetisbury 5 781.25x
St Anne Soho London 5 24.73x
The Hill 5 168.35x
Warley Salop 5 757.58x
West Bromwich 5 7.31x
West Bromwich 5 694.44x
Holdenhurst 4 21.01x
Chatham 3 9.03x
Dunsfold 3 319.15x
Edgbaston 3 10.83x
Falmouth 3 21.14x
Hackney London 3 1.51x
Rotherham 3 15.17x
Southampton St Mary 3 6.57x
St Luke London 3 5.28x
Wolstanton 3 8.26x
Alverstoke 2 7.61x
Belbroughton 2 83.33x
Camberwell 2 0.88x
Chelmsford 2 16.68x
Clerkenwell London 2 2.39x
Droitwich St Andrew 2 170.94x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 2.80x
Heigham 2 6.84x
Holy Trinity 2 2.37x
Lilleshall 2 42.74x
Portsea 2 1.41x
Richmond 2 8.27x
Roath 2 7.14x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 2.81x
St Breock 2 92.17x
St George Hanover Square 2 3.21x
St Marylebone London 2 1.06x
St Pancras London 2 0.70x
Wareham St Martin 2 224.72x
Westbury On Severn East 2 12.74x
Wolborough 2 21.46x
Wootton Wawen 2 71.17x
Bristol St Nicholas 1 80.00x
Broughton In Salford 1 2.60x
Harton 1 24.04x
Kidderminster Borough 1 3.70x
Lower Mitton 1 24.51x
Lytchett Matravers 1 119.05x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 1.69x
North Shields 1 9.51x
Northwood 1 9.67x
Oldbury 1 4.40x
Ringwood 1 21.55x
Stratton 1 46.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 26
Sarah 13
Eliza 12
Elizabeth 11
Annie 6
Emily 6
Jane 6
Emma 5
Louisa 5
Ada 4
Ann 4
Charlotte 4
Hannah 4
Lucy 4
Martha 4
Alice 3
Ellen 3
Fanny 3
Harriet 3
Matilda 3
Susan 3
Florence 2
Jessie 2
Maria 2
Rosina 2
Sophia 2
Bertha 1
Brenda 1
Caroline 1
Cate 1
Clara 1
Dora 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizh. 1
Elsie 1
Elzabeth 1
Emmeline 1
Esther 1
Flora 1
Jean 1
Lavinia 1
Leah 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Louise 1
Mabel 1
Mable 1
Maggie 1
Margaret 1
Winnie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 26
Thomas 16
George 13
John 12
Henry 9
Charles 8
Alfred 7
James 7
Joseph 7
Robert 5
Francis 4
Frederick 4
Samuel 4
Arthur 3
Benjamin 2
Bruce 2
Daniel 2
Edward 2
Fredk.R. 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Jas. 2
Walter 2
Cecil 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Ernest 1
Frances 1
Fredk.Alfred 1
Geo. 1
Hubert 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
Jesse 1
Jos. 1
Jos.Theodore 1
Josh. 1
Neville 1
Percival 1
R.S. 1
Richard 1
Roger 1
Roland 1
Selwyn 1
Sidney 1
T.C. 1
Thos.A. 1
Wallace 1
Wilfred 1

FAQ

Brinton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brinton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 356 people were recorded with the Brinton surname. That placed it at #8,665 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brinton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 432 in 2016. That gives Brinton a modern rank of #11,135.

What does the Brinton surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "burnt enclosure" or "place cleared by burning" in Old English.

What does the Brinton map show?

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