NameCensus.

UK surname

Brockie

A habitational surname for someone from a place called Brockie or Brock.

In the 1881 census there were 395 people recorded with the Brockie surname, ranking it #8,037 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 520, ranked #9,720, down from #8,037 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Melrose and Selkirk. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shandon, Cowdenbeath North and Bingham, Magdalene and The Christians.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brockie is 531 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.6%.

1881 census count

395

Ranked #8,037

Modern count

520

2016, ranked #9,720

Peak year

2014

531 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brockie had 395 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,037 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 520 in 2016, ranked #9,720.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 490 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Brockie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brockie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brockie 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 239 #9,092
1861 historical 253 #9,764
1881 historical 395 #8,037
1891 historical 441 #8,197
1901 historical 490 #8,171
1911 historical 54 #27,423
1997 modern 453 #10,015
1998 modern 471 #10,048
1999 modern 490 #9,811
2000 modern 490 #9,772
2001 modern 472 #9,873
2002 modern 506 #9,545
2003 modern 492 #9,598
2004 modern 487 #9,687
2005 modern 493 #9,536
2006 modern 495 #9,554
2007 modern 498 #9,592
2008 modern 498 #9,664
2009 modern 528 #9,453
2010 modern 516 #9,808
2011 modern 519 #9,687
2012 modern 530 #9,445
2013 modern 529 #9,619
2014 modern 531 #9,659
2015 modern 524 #9,678
2016 modern 520 #9,720

Geography

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Where Brockies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Melrose, Selkirk, Edinburgh and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shandon, Cowdenbeath North, Bingham, Magdalene and The Christians, Aboyne and South Deeside and Ballingry. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 New Monkland Lanark
2 Melrose Roxburgh
3 Selkirk Selkirk
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shandon City of Edinburgh
2 Cowdenbeath North Fife
3 Bingham, Magdalene and The Christians City of Edinburgh
4 Aboyne and South Deeside Aberdeenshire
5 Ballingry Fife

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brockie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brockie

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Brockie is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brockie 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

Brockie 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 Brockie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Brockie

The surname Brockie is of Scottish origin, deriving from an area located near Forfarshire, Scotland. It is believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Gaelic word "brock," which means a badger or a small, furry animal.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brockie can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England after his conquest of Scotland. The name appeared as "Brockie" in these rolls.

In the 16th century, the name Brockie was associated with the Clan Brodie, a Scottish clan with roots in the northeast of Scotland. The Clan Brodie's ancestral home was Brodie Castle, located near Forres, Moray. It is possible that the surname Brockie may have originated as a variant of the Clan Brodie name.

Notable individuals with the surname Brockie throughout history include:

1. Robert Brockie (1609-1689), a Scottish minister who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1676. 2. William Brockie (1787-1854), a Scottish-born explorer and surveyor who worked in South Africa and was instrumental in mapping parts of the Cape Colony. 3. George Brockie (1786-1868), a Scottish artist known for his landscape paintings, particularly those depicting scenes from the Scottish Highlands. 4. James Brockie (1892-1972), a Scottish footballer who played as a goalkeeper for various clubs, including Hibernian and Rangers, in the early 20th century. 5. Margaret Brockie (1925-2008), a Scottish author and journalist who wrote several books on Scottish history and culture.

The name Brockie has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Brockie's Burn, a stream located near Dunfermline, and Brockie's Loch, a small body of water in Dumfries and Galloway.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brockie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brockie 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. Midlothian leads with 95 Brockies recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.20x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 95 20.20x
Roxburghshire 40 62.88x
Lanarkshire 38 3.35x
Aberdeenshire 34 10.45x
Peeblesshire 34 205.81x
Berwickshire 25 58.80x
Selkirkshire 24 75.54x
Banffshire 13 17.85x
Kent 9 0.75x
Renfrewshire 9 3.31x
Angus 6 1.84x
West Lothian 6 11.35x
Lancashire 5 0.12x
Glamorgan 4 0.65x
Carmarthenshire 3 2.03x
Durham 3 0.29x
Dumfriesshire 2 2.58x
Middlesex 2 0.06x
Northumberland 2 0.38x
Caithness 1 2.08x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.06x
East Lothian 1 2.15x
Hampshire 1 0.14x
Northamptonshire 1 0.30x
Surrey 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stow in Midlothian leads with 34 Brockies recorded in 1881 and an index of 1404.96x.

Place Total Index
Stow 34 1404.96x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 29 15.32x
Peebles 23 471.31x
Selkirk 13 145.25x
Earlston 10 469.48x
Melrose 10 181.82x
East Greenock 9 35.02x
Fala Soutra 9 2368.42x
Smailholm 9 1666.67x
Westruther 9 1111.11x
Melrose 8 100.00x
New Deer 8 135.82x
Tyrie 8 196.08x
Dalziel 7 57.28x
Deptford St Paul 7 7.57x
New Monkland 7 20.85x
Ratho 7 319.63x
South Leith 7 13.22x
Yetholm 7 555.56x
Hobkirk 6 750.00x
Manor 6 1818.18x
Marnoch 6 153.45x
Whitburn 6 78.53x
Aberdeen Old Machar 5 7.36x
Carnwath 5 71.23x
Coldingham 5 130.89x
Culter 5 724.64x
Ednam 5 675.68x
Mortlach 5 140.45x
Oldham 5 3.72x
Shotts 5 36.79x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 4 6.57x
Edinburgh St Marys 4 43.76x
Govan 4 1.42x
Penrice 4 1290.32x
St Vigeans 4 22.78x
Barony 3 1.04x
Innerleithen 3 68.49x
Llangathen 3 288.46x
Abroath St Vigeans 2 149.25x
Dryfesdale 2 56.02x
Elswick 2 4.80x
Inveresk 2 15.70x
Lasswade 2 18.59x
Makerston 2 434.78x
Rothiemay 2 121.21x
Traquair 2 217.39x
Woolwich 2 4.52x
Aberdour 1 39.06x
Aldershot 1 4.15x
Barmston 1 128.21x
Barnack 1 142.86x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.12x
Borthwick 1 47.62x
Cairney 1 52.91x
Daviot 1 161.29x
Dunbar 1 15.34x
Edmonton 1 3.53x
Ellon 1 22.37x
Fyvie 1 18.83x
Galashiels 1 8.52x
Glasgow 1 0.50x
Huntly 1 18.90x
Keithhall 1 94.34x
Kirkhope 1 151.52x
Lambeth 1 0.33x
Lauder 1 42.55x
Old Deer 1 16.23x
Oxnam 1 121.95x
Paddington London 1 0.77x
Roseneath 1 55.25x
Seaham 1 26.25x
Stonehouse 1 25.97x
Tarves 1 32.47x
Thurso 1 13.33x
Yarrow 1 129.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 4
Cordelia 2
Elizabeth 2
Ada 1
Annie 1
Eliza 1
Isabella 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1
May 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 4
John 4
William 2
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Jas. 1
Lord 1
Thos.F. 1
Tom 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Brockie households.

FAQ

Brockie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brockie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 395 people were recorded with the Brockie surname. That placed it at #8,037 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brockie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 520 in 2016. That gives Brockie a modern rank of #9,720.

What does the Brockie surname mean?

A habitational surname for someone from a place called Brockie or Brock.

What does the Brockie map show?

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