NameCensus.

UK surname

Broadfoot

A descriptive surname referring to someone with large, broad feet.

In the 1881 census there were 715 people recorded with the Broadfoot surname, ranking it #5,089 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 799, ranked #6,918, down from #5,089 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Sanquhar. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Summerville, Bradford and Lochside and Lincluden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Broadfoot is 814 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.7%.

1881 census count

715

Ranked #5,089

Modern count

799

2016, ranked #6,918

Peak year

2009

814 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Broadfoot had 715 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,089 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 799 in 2016, ranked #6,918.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 742 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Broadfoot surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Broadfoot surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Broadfoot 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 633 #4,103
1861 historical 679 #3,954
1881 historical 715 #5,089
1891 historical 710 #5,533
1901 historical 742 #5,991
1911 historical 235 #13,484
1997 modern 765 #6,776
1998 modern 784 #6,871
1999 modern 773 #6,977
2000 modern 779 #6,920
2001 modern 759 #6,927
2002 modern 803 #6,754
2003 modern 762 #6,921
2004 modern 785 #6,771
2005 modern 799 #6,620
2006 modern 780 #6,764
2007 modern 801 #6,679
2008 modern 798 #6,757
2009 modern 814 #6,793
2010 modern 812 #6,930
2011 modern 801 #6,944
2012 modern 767 #7,115
2013 modern 786 #7,071
2014 modern 797 #7,022
2015 modern 788 #7,016
2016 modern 799 #6,918

Geography

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Where Broadfoots are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Sanquhar, Kirkconnel and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Summerville, Bradford, Lochside and Lincluden, Drongan and County Durham. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Sanquhar Dumfries
4 Kirkconnel Dumfries
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Summerville Dumfries and Galloway
2 Bradford 046 Bradford
3 Lochside and Lincluden Dumfries and Galloway
4 Drongan East Ayrshire
5 County Durham 041 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Broadfoot

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Broadfoot

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Broadfoot, 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 Broadfoot surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Broadfoot 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Broadfoot is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Broadfoot 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

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

Meaning and origin of Broadfoot

The surname Broadfoot originated in England, where it first appeared in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "brad" meaning wide or broad, and "fot" meaning foot. The name likely referred to someone with particularly broad feet, perhaps as a descriptive nickname or an occupational surname for a person who made shoes or other footwear.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Broadfoot can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named Richard Bradfot is mentioned. The surname also appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1203, with a reference to a Walter Bradefoot.

In the 13th century, the name Broadfoot is found in various historical records across England. In the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1272, a Henry Bradefoot is listed. The Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1279 mention a William Bradefoot.

The Broadfoot surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Broadfoot Farm in Cumbria and Broadfoot Meadows in Oxfordshire. These place names likely derive from the same Old English roots as the surname itself.

Notable individuals with the surname Broadfoot include Sir Walter Broadfoot (1586-1651), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire. In the 18th century, James Broadfoot (1736-1817) was a Scottish poet and schoolmaster from Muirkirk, Ayrshire.

George Broadfoot (1767-1831) was a Scottish-born British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the First Anglo-Afghan War. His son, Major George Broadfoot (1807-1845), was also a British Army officer who played a significant role in the First Anglo-Afghan War and was killed in action at the Battle of Ferozeshah.

In the 19th century, John Broadfoot (1820-1891) was an English-born Australian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Broadfoot families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Broadfoot 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 152 Broadfoots recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.74x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 152 6.74x
Wigtownshire 84 90.70x
Lancashire 76 0.92x
Ayrshire 62 11.88x
Kirkcudbrightshire 60 59.43x
Dumfriesshire 55 35.70x
Renfrewshire 51 9.44x
Midlothian 41 4.39x
Middlesex 18 0.26x
Yorkshire 15 0.22x
Cheshire 12 0.78x
Aberdeenshire 10 1.55x
Northumberland 8 0.77x
Ross-shire 8 4.18x
Surrey 8 0.24x
Argyllshire 7 3.61x
Fife 6 1.45x
Oxfordshire 6 1.39x
Staffordshire 5 0.21x
Sussex 4 0.34x
Denbighshire 3 1.14x
Dunbartonshire 3 1.60x
Somerset 3 0.27x
Durham 2 0.10x
Kent 2 0.08x
Selkirkshire 2 3.17x
Westmorland 2 1.30x
Berkshire 1 0.19x
Cumberland 1 0.17x
Derbyshire 1 0.09x
Devon 1 0.07x
East Lothian 1 1.08x
Lincolnshire 1 0.09x
Peeblesshire 1 3.05x
Perthshire 1 0.32x
Royal Navy 1 1.20x
Suffolk 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 45 Broadfoots recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.88x.

Place Total Index
Barony 45 7.88x
Sanquhar 38 702.40x
Govan 31 5.56x
Everton 26 9.86x
Inverkip 26 204.08x
Whithorn 24 339.94x
Bothwell 23 37.60x
Glasgow 18 4.49x
South Leith 16 15.22x
Kirkcudbright 15 179.43x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 14 3.72x
Mochrum 14 253.16x
Liverpool 13 2.59x
Urr 13 99.01x
Old Cumnock 12 103.27x
Old Luce 12 205.48x
Kirkmabreck 11 249.43x
Penninghame 11 116.53x
Aberdeen Old Machar 10 7.42x
Colmonell 10 190.48x
Kirkconnell 10 409.84x
Old Monkland 10 11.17x
Sorbie 10 246.91x
West Greenock 10 10.31x
Troqueer 9 67.92x
Abbey 8 9.70x
Girthon 8 235.99x
Straiton 8 269.36x
West Derby 8 3.30x
Dalserf 7 31.10x
Kirkdale 7 5.03x
Largs 7 56.91x
Leeds 7 1.79x
New Monkland 7 10.50x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 7 11.29x
Tain 7 96.42x
Wavertree 7 26.43x
Dunoon Kilmun 6 39.63x
Eccleshill 6 35.67x
Kirkinner 6 157.07x
Markinch 6 42.80x
Toxteth Park 6 2.14x
Dumfries 5 32.89x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 5 22.62x
Harborne 5 6.63x
Monks Coppenhall 5 8.61x
Shotover 5 1041.67x
Girvan 4 30.53x
Kilmarnock 4 6.44x
Long Ditton 4 72.07x
New Cumnock 4 44.20x
Newington 4 1.55x
North Meols 4 4.94x
St Giles In Fields London 4 11.69x
Tranmere 4 7.07x
Ardwick 3 4.02x
Bridgewater 3 9.84x
Coylton 3 40.49x
East Greenock 3 5.88x
Lanark 3 16.53x
Llancadwalladr 3 625.00x
Mile End Old Town London 3 2.02x
Paddington London 3 1.17x
Stevenston 3 22.04x
West Lavington 3 833.33x
Birkenhead 2 1.63x
Cadder 2 12.00x
Deal 2 9.85x
Edinburgh Greenside S 2 59.00x
Edinburgh St Georges 2 10.31x
Galashiels 2 8.57x
Glasserton 2 69.69x
Hamilton 2 3.18x
Kensington London 2 0.52x
Kirkintilloch 2 7.86x
Kirkoswald 2 46.95x
Kirkpatrick Durham 2 63.69x
Paisley High Church 2 4.65x
Stranraer 2 23.61x
Wigtown 2 37.81x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 8
Agnes 6
Mary 6
Margaret 5
Sarah 5
Ann 4
Annie 4
Ellen 3
Janet 3
Alice 2
Cathelinda 2
Emily 2
Helen 2
Isabella 2
Jane 2
Jessie 2
Martha 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Alison 1
Ameliar 1
Annabella 1
Anne 1
Catherine 1
Cecelia 1
Clara 1
Dorothy 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Eliza 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Harriett 1
Hellen 1
Jeanie 1
Johanna 1
Laura 1
Magant 1
Maggie 1
Mahala 1
Maria 1
May 1
Minnie 1
Wilhelmina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
James 10
William 9
George 8
Alexander 4
David 4
Robert 4
Edward 3
Hugh 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Harry 2
Joseph 2
Adam 1
Alaxander 1
Bruce 1
Charles 1
Colin 1
Elliott 1
Frank 1
Mathew 1
Stanley 1
Thomas 1
Wilber 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Broadfoot surname: questions and answers

How common was the Broadfoot surname in 1881?

In 1881, 715 people were recorded with the Broadfoot surname. That placed it at #5,089 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Broadfoot surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 799 in 2016. That gives Broadfoot a modern rank of #6,918.

What does the Broadfoot surname mean?

A descriptive surname referring to someone with large, broad feet.

What does the Broadfoot map show?

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