NameCensus.

UK surname

Brockbank

A surname referring to someone who lived near a small stream or brook.

In the 1881 census there were 1,061 people recorded with the Brockbank surname, ranking it #3,714 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,119, ranked #5,265, down from #3,714 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lancaster Borough, Manchester and Dalton-in-Furness. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, Eden and South Lakeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brockbank is 1,329 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.5%.

1881 census count

1,061

Ranked #3,714

Modern count

1,119

2016, ranked #5,265

Peak year

1911

1,329 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brockbank had 1,061 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,714 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,119 in 2016, ranked #5,265.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,329 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Brockbank surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brockbank surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brockbank 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 655 #3,970
1861 historical 580 #4,544
1881 historical 1,061 #3,714
1891 historical 1,097 #3,851
1901 historical 1,261 #3,927
1911 historical 1,329 #3,597
1997 modern 1,214 #4,667
1998 modern 1,242 #4,740
1999 modern 1,239 #4,782
2000 modern 1,226 #4,804
2001 modern 1,200 #4,799
2002 modern 1,207 #4,879
2003 modern 1,147 #5,004
2004 modern 1,147 #5,010
2005 modern 1,127 #5,029
2006 modern 1,149 #4,937
2007 modern 1,157 #4,964
2008 modern 1,131 #5,103
2009 modern 1,162 #5,086
2010 modern 1,177 #5,125
2011 modern 1,163 #5,123
2012 modern 1,147 #5,100
2013 modern 1,151 #5,180
2014 modern 1,148 #5,210
2015 modern 1,129 #5,233
2016 modern 1,119 #5,265

Geography

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Where Brockbanks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lancaster Borough, Manchester, Dalton-in-Furness, Preston and Hawkshead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, Eden, South Lakeland, Pembrokeshire and Salford. 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 Lancaster Borough Lancashire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire
4 Preston Lancashire
5 Hawkshead Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 008 Copeland
2 Eden 007 Eden
3 South Lakeland 002 South Lakeland
4 Pembrokeshire 008 Pembrokeshire
5 Salford 012 Salford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brockbank

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brockbank

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Brockbank, 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 Brockbank surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Brockbank 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Brockbank is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brockbank 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

Brockbank 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 Brockbank is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Brockbank

The surname Brockbank originated in the northern English counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, with its earliest known recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "brocc," meaning a badger, and "banke," referring to a riverbank or hillside, suggesting that the name may have been initially associated with a location frequented by badgers.

One of the earliest documented references to the Brockbank surname can be found in the Lancashire Assize Rolls of 1292, where a certain Richard de Brokebanke was mentioned. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Brokebonke, Brokebanke, and Brokebancke, reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that period. These variations likely arose from the name's phonetic transcription and regional dialects.

The Brockbank name can also be traced to several place names in Lancashire and Yorkshire, such as Brockbank Fell and Brockbank Wood, further indicating the surname's regional origins and potential connections to specific geographic locations.

Among the notable historical figures bearing the Brockbank surname are:

1. William Brockbank (1670-1738), an English Quaker and prominent figure in the early history of the Society of Friends in Lancashire. 2. Richard Brockbank (1788-1867), a British engineer and inventor credited with developing improvements to the design of steam engines. 3. Oliver Brockbank (1823-1899), a British lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Evesham from 1868 to 1874. 4. Eleanor Brockbank (1888-1979), a British archaeologist and academic who conducted extensive research on ancient Greek pottery. 5. Philip Brockbank (1909-1988), a British artist known for his landscape paintings and etchings, particularly those depicting the English Lake District.

While the Brockbank surname has its roots in northern England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora, with families bearing this name now found in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brockbank families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brockbank 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. Lancashire leads with 700 Brockbanks recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.70x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 700 5.70x
Cumberland 104 11.67x
Westmorland 86 37.81x
Yorkshire 48 0.47x
Middlesex 32 0.31x
Cheshire 25 1.09x
Kent 14 0.40x
Surrey 12 0.24x
Dumfriesshire 11 4.81x
Northumberland 6 0.39x
Renfrewshire 6 0.75x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.29x
Berkshire 3 0.39x
Derbyshire 2 0.12x
Hampshire 2 0.09x
Staffordshire 2 0.06x
Durham 1 0.03x
Gloucestershire 1 0.05x
Isle of Man 1 0.52x
Oxfordshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barrow In Furness in Lancashire leads with 90 Brockbanks recorded in 1881 and an index of 53.88x.

Place Total Index
Barrow In Furness 90 53.88x
Little Bolton 42 26.60x
Dalton In Furness 39 82.26x
Preston 29 8.83x
Forton 27 1279.62x
Ulverston 27 75.48x
Lancaster 26 35.58x
Kirkby Ireleth 22 358.89x
Windle 19 27.50x
Kendal 18 43.23x
St Pancras London 18 2.16x
Clifton 17 184.58x
Hawkshead Monk Coniston 17 397.20x
Millom 16 58.59x
Aldingham 14 341.46x
Colton 14 218.75x
Hulme 14 5.46x
Over Staveley 14 540.54x
Great Bolton 13 7.99x
Manchester 13 2.35x
Harwood 12 186.92x
Liverpool 12 1.61x
Toxteth Park 12 2.89x
Upper Holker 12 415.22x
Gosforth 11 253.46x
Torver 11 1527.78x
Claife 10 510.20x
Everton 10 2.55x
Levens 10 298.51x
Widnes 10 11.29x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 9 25.66x
Poulton Barre 9 64.42x
Undermilbeck 9 120.00x
Ambleside 8 113.48x
Arlecdon 8 33.76x
Didsbury 8 49.05x
Egton Cum Newland 8 224.09x
Habergham Eaves 8 7.13x
Kirkdale 8 3.87x
Whicham 8 592.59x
Canonbie 7 72.09x
Crosthwaite Lyth 7 255.47x
Halliwell 7 15.66x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 7 26.64x
Starforth 7 382.51x
Whitehaven 7 14.74x
Beswick 6 19.10x
Caldewgate 6 12.29x
Cockerham 6 191.08x
Dukinfield 6 5.68x
Eccleston In Prescot 6 9.73x
Heaton 6 117.42x
Hutton Roof 6 571.43x
Middlesbrough 6 4.49x
Pendleton In Salford 6 4.10x
Skerton 6 59.52x
Southwark St John 6 18.96x
St Cuthbert Within 6 58.14x
Upper Allithwaite E 6 301.51x
West Greenock 6 4.17x
Briercliffe Cum 5 122.85x
Bromborough 5 105.49x
Bromfield 5 373.13x
Eston 5 22.38x
Irton With Santon 5 226.24x
Kensington London 5 0.87x
Pennington In Ulverston 5 81.83x
St George Hanover Square 5 2.74x
Wavertree 5 12.72x
West Derby 5 1.39x
Wigan 5 2.91x
Barton Upon Irwell 4 4.33x
Beckermet St Bridget 4 170.21x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 2.05x
Crosscanonby 4 13.57x
Kirkbampton 4 268.46x
Nottingham St Peter 4 25.72x
Plumstead 4 3.40x
Tonge 4 15.52x
Worsley 4 5.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 95
Elizabeth 49
Sarah 42
Margaret 40
Jane 26
Agnes 16
Alice 16
Hannah 15
Ann 14
Annie 13
Isabella 12
Ellen 9
Maria 8
Betsy 6
Charlotte 6
Edith 6
Eleanor 6
Eliza 6
Frances 6
Ada 5
Emma 5
Rebecca 5
Emily 4
Louisa 4
Margt. 4
Amelia 3
Amy 3
Dinah 3
Dora 3
Dorothy 3
Florence 3
Kate 3
Martha 3
Nancy 3
Abigal 2
Anne 2
Catherine 2
Edna 2
Esther 2
Fanny 2
Helena 2
Lilly 2
Lucy 2
Mabel 2
Mable 2
Margret 2
Rachael 2
Elen 1
Eliz. 1
Thomasina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 93
William 56
Thomas 38
James 36
Joseph 27
Robert 27
George 24
Henry 20
Isaac 16
Christopher 9
Matthew 9
Richard 9
Albert 8
Edward 7
Frederick 6
Herbert 6
Geo. 5
Harry 5
Miles 5
Samuel 5
Daniel 4
Walter 4
Wm. 4
Andrew 3
Benjamin 3
Charles 3
Frank 3
Jas. 3
Jesse 3
Thos. 3
Alexander 2
Alfred 2
Ellwood 2
Jonathan 2
Mathew 2
Richd. 2
Willm. 2
Birket 1
Cristopher 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Florence 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Geo.S. 1
Jas.M. 1
Jess 1
Jno. 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Brockbank surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brockbank surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,061 people were recorded with the Brockbank surname. That placed it at #3,714 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brockbank surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,119 in 2016. That gives Brockbank a modern rank of #5,265.

What does the Brockbank surname mean?

A surname referring to someone who lived near a small stream or brook.

What does the Brockbank map show?

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