NameCensus.

UK surname

Brisbane

An English locational surname referring to a person from Brisbane, Australia.

In the 1881 census there were 271 people recorded with the Brisbane surname, ranking it #10,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 438, ranked #11,028, down from #10,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rutherglen, Govan Combination and St. Ninians. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ruchill, Carse of Stirling and Hawick West End.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brisbane is 440 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 61.6%.

1881 census count

271

Ranked #10,449

Modern count

438

2016, ranked #11,028

Peak year

2014

440 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brisbane had 271 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 438 in 2016, ranked #11,028.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 318 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Brisbane surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brisbane surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brisbane 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 157 #12,504
1861 historical 208 #11,642
1881 historical 271 #10,449
1891 historical 293 #11,319
1901 historical 318 #11,187
1911 historical 44 #28,454
1997 modern 376 #11,533
1998 modern 393 #11,495
1999 modern 401 #11,422
2000 modern 413 #11,142
2001 modern 402 #11,183
2002 modern 405 #11,335
2003 modern 383 #11,614
2004 modern 383 #11,650
2005 modern 385 #11,512
2006 modern 381 #11,644
2007 modern 383 #11,751
2008 modern 396 #11,581
2009 modern 419 #11,282
2010 modern 419 #11,550
2011 modern 406 #11,730
2012 modern 429 #11,078
2013 modern 432 #11,210
2014 modern 440 #11,107
2015 modern 440 #11,017
2016 modern 438 #11,028

Geography

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Where Brisbanes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rutherglen, Govan Combination, St. Ninians, Glasgow and Cambuslang. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ruchill, Carse of Stirling, Hawick West End, Winchester and Tewkesbury. 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 Rutherglen Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 St. Ninians Stirling
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Cambuslang Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ruchill Glasgow City
2 Carse of Stirling Stirling
3 Hawick West End Scottish Borders
4 Winchester 007 Winchester
5 Tewkesbury 007 Tewkesbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brisbane

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brisbane

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Brisbane surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Brisbane household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Brisbane is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brisbane is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Brisbane falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Brisbane 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 Brisbane, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Brisbane

The surname Brisbane is of Scottish origin and is believed to have derived from a place name. It is thought to have originated from the lands of Brisbane, located in the former county of Lanarkshire, Scotland. The name Brisbane is likely a combination of the Gaelic words "brisge" meaning "bridge" and "bun" meaning "foot" or "base", suggesting it may have referred to a location near the base of a bridge.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Brisbane can be traced back to the 13th century. In the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document recording the names of Scottish landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England, the name "Robert de Brysbane" is listed.

The Brisbane family played a significant role in Scottish history, particularly in the 16th and 17th centuries. Sir Matthew Brisbane of Rosslyn, born in 1516, was a prominent figure during the Scottish Reformation and served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1585 to 1586.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, born in 1773. He was a Scottish soldier and colonial administrator who served as Governor of New South Wales, Australia, from 1821 to 1825. The city of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia, was named after him in recognition of his contributions to the colony.

In the 18th century, James Brisbane, born in 1677, was a Scottish minister and theologian who played a crucial role in the establishment of the Associate Presbytery, a precursor to the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland.

John Brisbane, born in 1619, was a Scottish minister and academic who served as Principal of the University of Glasgow from 1690 to 1693.

The surname Brisbane has also been associated with several notable figures in more recent history, including Sir Thomas Brisbane, a British astronomer and colonial administrator who served as Governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825, and Sir Evan Yorke Brisbane, a British naval officer who participated in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brisbane families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brisbane 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. Lanarkshire leads with 112 Brisbanes recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.96x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 112 12.96x
Stirlingshire 56 56.81x
Lancashire 29 0.91x
Renfrewshire 24 11.59x
Ayrshire 18 9.00x
Dumfriesshire 9 15.24x
Perthshire 5 4.17x
Monmouthshire 4 2.07x
Middlesex 3 0.11x
Shropshire 3 1.30x
Angus 2 0.81x
Midlothian 2 0.56x
Surrey 2 0.15x
Devon 1 0.18x
Herefordshire 1 0.91x
Roxburghshire 1 2.07x
Royal Navy 1 3.14x
Sussex 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Ninians in Stirlingshire leads with 40 Brisbanes recorded in 1881 and an index of 409.42x.

Place Total Index
St Ninians 40 409.42x
Govan 31 14.50x
Barony 30 13.71x
Glasgow 23 14.98x
Cambuslang 15 172.22x
Hulme 11 16.61x
Paisley Middle Church 11 91.21x
Kirkmichael 10 549.45x
Morton 9 459.18x
Shotts 9 87.04x
Falkirk 7 30.33x
Larbert 7 118.85x
Inverkip 6 122.95x
Openshaw 6 40.40x
Heaton Norris 5 27.70x
Monkton Prestwick 5 256.41x
Neilston 5 48.08x
Abergavenny 4 55.25x
Orell Ford 4 689.66x
Rutherglen 4 31.55x
Logie 3 69.77x
Longdon On Tern 3 2500.00x
Chelsea London 2 2.48x
Largs 2 42.46x
Liff Benvie 2 5.32x
Mearns 2 55.10x
Rotherhithe 2 6.06x
Barrow In Furness 1 2.32x
Blairgowrie 1 21.10x
Brighton 1 1.10x
Campsie 1 18.48x
Cramond 1 36.90x
Edinburgh Canongate 1 10.98x
Everton 1 0.99x
Hawick 1 9.23x
Kincardine 1 80.65x
Liverpool 1 0.52x
Maybole 1 16.42x
St Devereux 1 555.56x
St Marylebone London 1 0.70x
Stirling 1 8.05x
Stoke Damerel 1 2.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 4
Charles 3
James 2
William 2
E.J. 1
Henry 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
W.J. 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 Brisbane households.

FAQ

Brisbane surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brisbane surname in 1881?

In 1881, 271 people were recorded with the Brisbane surname. That placed it at #10,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brisbane surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 438 in 2016. That gives Brisbane a modern rank of #11,028.

What does the Brisbane surname mean?

An English locational surname referring to a person from Brisbane, Australia.

What does the Brisbane map show?

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