NameCensus.

UK surname

Broadwell

Someone who lived near a spring or stream.

In the 1881 census there were 113 people recorded with the Broadwell surname, ranking it #18,412 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 133, ranked #25,765, down from #18,412 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sutton and Stoneferry, Bruntingthorpe and Tewkesbury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, East Riding of Yorkshire and Kingston upon Hull.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Broadwell is 165 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 17.7%.

1881 census count

113

Ranked #18,412

Modern count

133

2016, ranked #25,765

Peak year

1911

165 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Broadwell had 113 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,412 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 133 in 2016, ranked #25,765.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 165 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Broadwell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Broadwell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Broadwell 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 52 #23,915
1861 historical 73 #24,492
1881 historical 113 #18,412
1891 historical 128 #20,393
1901 historical 139 #18,876
1911 historical 165 #16,808
1997 modern 135 #22,499
1998 modern 135 #23,118
1999 modern 144 #22,405
2000 modern 143 #22,457
2001 modern 141 #22,344
2002 modern 141 #22,794
2003 modern 148 #21,866
2004 modern 135 #23,326
2005 modern 124 #24,529
2006 modern 130 #24,053
2007 modern 138 #23,478
2008 modern 139 #23,635
2009 modern 134 #24,711
2010 modern 137 #24,907
2011 modern 129 #25,673
2012 modern 137 #24,731
2013 modern 136 #25,252
2014 modern 136 #25,452
2015 modern 134 #25,607
2016 modern 133 #25,765

Geography

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Where Broadwells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sutton and Stoneferry, Bruntingthorpe, Tewkesbury, Kimcote and Knaptoft and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, West Lindsey and Canterbury. 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 Sutton and Stoneferry Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Bruntingthorpe Leicestershire
3 Tewkesbury Gloucestershire
4 Kimcote and Knaptoft Leicestershire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 009 Leeds
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 012 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Kingston upon Hull 008 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 West Lindsey 006 West Lindsey
5 Canterbury 007 Canterbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Broadwell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Broadwell

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

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Broadwell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Broadwell 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Broadwell is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Broadwell is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Broadwell falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Broadwell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Broadwell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Broadwell

The surname Broadwell originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a broad well or spring. The name is composed of the Old English elements "brad" meaning broad or wide, and "well" meaning a source of water or a spring.

In the early days, the surname was found in various spellings such as Brodwell, Bradwell, and Bradewell, reflecting regional dialects and the fluid nature of surname spellings before standardization occurred. The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bradewelle" in Buckinghamshire.

One of the earliest documented individuals bearing this surname was John Broadwell, a landowner in Gloucestershire, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1196. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Broadwell, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War during the reign of Edward III (1312-1377).

The name Broadwell is also associated with several place names in England, such as Bradwell in Derbyshire, Bradwell in Essex, and Bradwell-on-Sea in Essex. These place names likely originated from the same Old English roots, indicating settlements near broad wells or springs.

In the 16th century, a prominent bearer of the surname was William Broadwell (c. 1540-1592), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Bishop of Exeter. Another notable figure was John Broadwell (1570-1640), a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Charles I.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Broadwell family established themselves in various parts of England, with branches found in counties such as Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. One notable individual from this period was Thomas Broadwell (1693-1761), a renowned architect and surveyor who designed several churches and country houses in the West of England.

Other notable individuals with the surname Broadwell include Sir William Broadwell (1795-1877), a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the Crimean War, and John Broadwell (1812-1890), an American lawyer and politician who served as a judge in Ohio.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Broadwell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Broadwell 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. Leicestershire leads with 57 Broadwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 48.36x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 57 48.36x
Yorkshire 41 3.89x
Gloucestershire 9 4.32x
Kent 1 0.28x
Renfrewshire 1 1.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 20 Broadwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 69.59x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 20 69.59x
Bruntingthorpe 12 10909.09x
Sculcoates 9 53.89x
Sutton Stoneferry 8 265.78x
Tewkesbury 8 430.11x
Tur Langton 8 8000.00x
Hallaton 7 2692.31x
Holy Trinity 7 27.62x
Kimcote Knaptoft 7 4375.00x
Newington 7 241.38x
Sutton 6 500.00x
Holy Trinity St Mary 4 250.00x
Cheltenham 1 6.22x
Great Bowden 1 93.46x
Lutterworth 1 138.89x
West Greenock 1 6.76x
Whetstone 1 232.56x
Wye 1 178.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 8
Edwin 5
William 5
Benjamin 4
Henry 4
Arthur 3
Alfred 2
Andrew 2
Charles 2
Robert 2
Thomas 2
Amos 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
Horace 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Steward 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Broadwell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Broadwell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 113 people were recorded with the Broadwell surname. That placed it at #18,412 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Broadwell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 133 in 2016. That gives Broadwell a modern rank of #25,765.

What does the Broadwell surname mean?

Someone who lived near a spring or stream.

What does the Broadwell map show?

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