NameCensus.

UK surname

Britnell

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "bright valley" or "briton's valley."

In the 1881 census there were 265 people recorded with the Britnell surname, ranking it #10,612 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 559, ranked #9,178, up from #10,612 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Bledlow with Bledlow Ridge and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wycombe, Dover and South Oxfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Britnell is 636 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 110.9%.

1881 census count

265

Ranked #10,612

Modern count

559

2016, ranked #9,178

Peak year

2002

636 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Britnell had 265 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,612 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 559 in 2016, ranked #9,178.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 550 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Britnell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Britnell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Britnell 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 165 #12,053
1861 historical 173 #13,553
1881 historical 265 #10,612
1891 historical 326 #10,405
1901 historical 394 #9,579
1911 historical 550 #7,287
1997 modern 569 #8,454
1998 modern 631 #8,095
1999 modern 633 #8,132
2000 modern 627 #8,163
2001 modern 609 #8,208
2002 modern 636 #8,107
2003 modern 607 #8,255
2004 modern 585 #8,500
2005 modern 573 #8,544
2006 modern 566 #8,646
2007 modern 577 #8,604
2008 modern 591 #8,512
2009 modern 585 #8,747
2010 modern 625 #8,512
2011 modern 600 #8,696
2012 modern 580 #8,813
2013 modern 591 #8,837
2014 modern 573 #9,089
2015 modern 577 #8,985
2016 modern 559 #9,178

Geography

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Where Britnells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Bledlow with Bledlow Ridge, Wigan and Aston Rowant. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wycombe, Dover and South Oxfordshire. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Bledlow with Bledlow Ridge Buckinghamshire
4 Wigan Lancashire
5 Aston Rowant Oxfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wycombe 007 Wycombe
2 Wycombe 017 Wycombe
3 Wycombe 015 Wycombe
4 Dover 013 Dover
5 South Oxfordshire 003 South Oxfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Britnell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Britnell

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Britnell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Britnell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Britnell is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Britnell is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Britnell falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Britnell

The surname Britnell is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English word "byrne", meaning a stream or stream valley, and the Old English word "snel", meaning fast or rapid. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a fast-flowing stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Brithnell in Wiltshire. This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Brithnell,Britnell, and Brytnell in records from counties like Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. These variations in spelling were common during that time due to inconsistencies in record-keeping.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Britnell, a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire in the 14th century. He was born in Britnell Manor, located in the village of Britnell, which likely took its name from the same word origin as the surname.

Another prominent figure was William Britnell (c. 1400-1472), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Somerset who served as Sheriff of Bristol in 1459. His wealth and influence allowed him to acquire significant landholdings in the region.

During the 16th century, the name appeared in various records from counties like Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset, often in the spellings Britnell or Brittnel. One notable individual from this period was John Britnell (c. 1530-1598), a wealthy landowner and farmer from Gloucestershire.

In the 17th century, the name continued to be found in records from counties like Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. One notable bearer was Thomas Britnell (c. 1620-1682), a clergyman who served as the rector of Swinbrook in Oxfordshire.

Moving into the 18th century, the name Britnell appeared in various parish records and tax rolls from counties like Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Somerset. One noteworthy individual was Richard Britnell (1718-1803), a wealthy landowner and farmer from Somerset.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Britnell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Britnell 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. Buckinghamshire leads with 107 Britnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 68.21x.

County Total Index
Buckinghamshire 107 68.21x
Middlesex 49 1.89x
Oxfordshire 47 29.33x
Berkshire 15 7.70x
Surrey 14 1.11x
Lancashire 8 0.26x
Staffordshire 8 0.91x
Gloucestershire 7 1.38x
Hertfordshire 3 1.68x
Sussex 2 0.46x
Warwickshire 2 0.31x
Yorkshire 2 0.08x
Lanarkshire 1 0.12x
Royal Navy 1 3.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wycombe in Buckinghamshire leads with 45 Britnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 384.94x.

Place Total Index
Wycombe 45 384.94x
Bledlow 29 3052.63x
Chinnor 17 1531.53x
Stokenchurch 14 979.02x
East Bedfont 13 1007.75x
St Pancras London 12 5.75x
Cookham 10 164.74x
Saunderton 9 2368.42x
Handsworth 8 37.05x
Wheatley 8 879.12x
Wigan 8 18.59x
Bristol St George 7 29.74x
Ibstone Stokenchurch 7 2413.79x
Little Marlow 7 804.60x
Wimbledon 7 49.30x
Great Hampden 6 2608.70x
Chelsea London 5 6.39x
Hammersmith London 5 7.82x
Thame 5 171.82x
Willesden 5 20.44x
Guildford Friary 4 1000.00x
Sandhurst 4 106.10x
Aston Rowant 3 526.32x
St Martin In Fields 3 19.32x
Aylesbury 2 28.78x
Birmingham 2 0.92x
Clayton 2 121.21x
Stanwell 2 104.17x
Walton On Thames 2 34.42x
Welwyn 2 129.03x
Barony 1 0.47x
Battersea 1 1.05x
Bray 1 17.48x
Fulham London 1 2.66x
Greasbrough 1 29.41x
Great Marlow 1 23.64x
Islington London 1 0.40x
Manningham 1 3.16x
Royal Navy 1 3.78x
St Dunstan In West London 1 123.46x
St Marylebone London 1 0.72x
Watford 1 7.21x
West Wycombe 1 46.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 15
William 15
Thomas 11
George 10
Charles 7
Arthur 6
Henry 6
Edwin 5
Edward 4
Ernest 4
James 4
Jonah 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Cranley 2
Edmund 2
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Lancelot 2
Percy 2
Victor 2
Abel 1
Able 1
Adrian 1
Benjeman 1
Chas. 1
E.T. 1
Ebenezer 1
Elinor 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Infant 1
Jesse 1
Joseph 1
Otto 1
Owen 1
Philemon 1
Reginald 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Rupert 1
Samuel 1
Thos.W. 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Britnell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Britnell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 265 people were recorded with the Britnell surname. That placed it at #10,612 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Britnell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 559 in 2016. That gives Britnell a modern rank of #9,178.

What does the Britnell surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "bright valley" or "briton's valley."

What does the Britnell map show?

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