NameCensus.

UK surname

Brisley

A locative surname originating from a place named Brisley in Norfolk, England.

In the 1881 census there were 301 people recorded with the Brisley surname, ranking it #9,694 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 367, ranked #12,669, down from #9,694 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ash-near-Sandwich, Minster and Charlton-near-Dover. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shepway, Dover and Medway.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brisley is 453 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.9%.

1881 census count

301

Ranked #9,694

Modern count

367

2016, ranked #12,669

Peak year

1911

453 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brisley had 301 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,694 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 367 in 2016, ranked #12,669.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 453 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Brisley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brisley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brisley 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 271 #8,257
1861 historical 374 #6,826
1881 historical 301 #9,694
1891 historical 430 #8,344
1901 historical 399 #9,495
1911 historical 453 #8,460
1997 modern 415 #10,709
1998 modern 423 #10,899
1999 modern 429 #10,874
2000 modern 418 #11,047
2001 modern 403 #11,163
2002 modern 401 #11,429
2003 modern 379 #11,714
2004 modern 367 #12,028
2005 modern 364 #12,008
2006 modern 366 #12,042
2007 modern 374 #11,974
2008 modern 382 #11,901
2009 modern 379 #12,224
2010 modern 391 #12,207
2011 modern 381 #12,300
2012 modern 358 #12,724
2013 modern 369 #12,655
2014 modern 375 #12,578
2015 modern 367 #12,696
2016 modern 367 #12,669

Geography

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Where Brisleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ash-near-Sandwich, Minster, Charlton-near-Dover, London parishes and Dover St James, Dover St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shepway, Dover and Medway. 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 Ash-near-Sandwich Kent
2 Minster Kent
3 Charlton-near-Dover Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shepway 015 Shepway
2 Dover 014 Dover
3 Medway 016 Medway
4 Shepway 002 Shepway
5 Shepway 005 Shepway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brisley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brisley

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Brisley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brisley is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Brisley

The surname Brisley is of English origin, derived from a place name in Norfolk, England. The name is believed to have originated in the 11th century, around the time of the Norman Conquest. It's thought to be derived from the Old English words "brycg" meaning bridge and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing, suggesting the name refers to a meadow near a bridge.

One of the earliest records of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Brieslau." This entry refers to a settlement in Norfolk, which was likely the ancestral home of the Brisley family. Other early spellings include "Brislee," "Bryseley," and "Brisleigh."

In the 13th century, a Robert de Brisley is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk from 1202. These rolls were financial records kept by the Exchequer of England, indicating that Robert de Brisley was a landowner or taxpayer of some significance at the time.

During the 14th century, a John Brisley is recorded as being a member of the Guild of Pepperers in Norwich, which was a guild for spice merchants and grocers. This suggests that the Brisley family had established themselves in the city of Norwich by this time.

In the 16th century, a notable figure was Sir Walter Brisley (c.1520-1589), who served as a Member of Parliament for Norfolk and was also a justice of the peace. He was involved in the suppression of the Norfolk Rebellion in 1549.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Thomas Brisley (1644-1706), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Doctrine of the Sabbath" and "The Seed of the Serpent Bruised."

In the 18th century, John Brisley (1785-1875) was a well-known English artist and painter, known for his landscape and genre scenes. He exhibited his works at the Royal Academy and the British Institution.

The Brisley name has also been associated with several places in England, such as Brisley, a village in Norfolk, and Brisley Green, a hamlet in Essex. These place names likely derived from the same origins as the surname, reflecting the family's historical roots in these areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brisley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brisley 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. Kent leads with 229 Brisleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.86x.

County Total Index
Kent 229 22.86x
Middlesex 35 1.19x
Surrey 22 1.54x
Norfolk 7 1.55x
Berkshire 4 1.82x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.51x
Gloucestershire 1 0.17x
Suffolk 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Minster In Sheppey in Kent leads with 30 Brisleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 180.72x.

Place Total Index
Minster In Sheppey 30 180.72x
Chatham 19 68.94x
Ash Next Sandwich 18 810.81x
Charing 15 1102.94x
Deal 15 175.64x
Charlton 14 210.53x
Margate St John Baptist 14 76.34x
Willesborough 14 520.45x
Folkestone 12 61.76x
Lambeth 11 4.30x
Chelsea London 8 9.04x
Greenwich 8 17.12x
Ham 8 13333.33x
St Lawrence 8 116.11x
Ashill 7 1060.61x
Mile End Old Town London 7 11.20x
Aldington 6 882.35x
Alkham 5 862.07x
Kensington London 5 3.06x
Boughton Under Blean 4 238.10x
Cookham 4 58.22x
Hougham 4 67.11x
Rochester St Margaret 4 37.88x
St Marylebone London 4 2.55x
Bexley 3 33.86x
Clerkenwell London 3 4.33x
East Malling 3 125.52x
Islington London 3 1.05x
Swanscombe 3 66.67x
Aylesford 2 71.94x
Bermondsey 2 2.29x
Bilsington 2 526.32x
Buckland In Dover 2 60.24x
Burham 2 144.93x
Eastry 2 143.88x
Kingston On Thames 2 5.82x
Newington 2 1.84x
Nottingham St Mary 2 1.95x
Paddington London 2 1.85x
Ashford 1 10.25x
Bearsted 1 166.67x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 5.21x
Canterbury St Mary 1 14.88x
Chartham 1 40.00x
Clapham 1 2.72x
Edmonton 1 4.23x
Eltham 1 17.04x
Godalming 1 11.10x
Hawkinge 1 833.33x
Hollingbourn 1 86.21x
Ipswich St Mathew 1 9.98x
Lee 1 6.88x
Maidstone 1 3.35x
Milton In Milton 1 23.47x
Penge 1 5.33x
Poplar London 1 1.80x
Sittingbourne 1 12.64x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.69x
St George Martyr London 1 16.81x
Sutton 1 9.66x
Walmer 1 22.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Annie 10
Elizabeth 10
Emily 8
Caroline 7
Eliza 7
Ellen 6
Sarah 6
Amelia 5
Emma 5
Alice 4
Clara 3
Florence 3
Jane 3
Kate 3
Maria 3
Ann 2
Anne 2
Augusta 2
Charlotte 2
Edith 2
Fanny 2
Gertrude 2
Hester 2
Julia 2
Katherine 2
Louisa 2
Matilda 2
Millicent 2
Susannah 2
Charlott 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Ellanor 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Georgina 1
Grace 1
H.E. 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Hennietta 1
Henrietta 1
Ida 1
Laura 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Maryann 1
Milred 1
Phobe 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 16
George 14
William 14
Thomas 10
Edward 9
Charles 8
Alfred 7
James 6
Stephen 5
Abraham 4
Henry 4
Walter 4
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Richard 3
David 2
Ernest 2
Robert 2
Thos. 2
Timothy 2
A. 1
Alex 1
Algy 1
Chas. 1
Chr. 1
Clement 1
Daniel 1
Edwd. 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.W. 1
G.D. 1
G.S. 1
H. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Joseph 1
Percy 1
Pierce 1
Robt. 1
Sidney 1
Victor 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Brisley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brisley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 301 people were recorded with the Brisley surname. That placed it at #9,694 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brisley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 367 in 2016. That gives Brisley a modern rank of #12,669.

What does the Brisley surname mean?

A locative surname originating from a place named Brisley in Norfolk, England.

What does the Brisley map show?

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