NameCensus.

UK surname

Brockington

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "estate of Brocca's people" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 168 people recorded with the Brockington surname, ranking it #14,380 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 184, ranked #20,731, down from #14,380 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841), Kenn, Ide, Ashton, Exminster and St John Hackney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Devon, Birmingham and Exeter.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brockington is 299 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9.5%.

1881 census count

168

Ranked #14,380

Modern count

184

2016, ranked #20,731

Peak year

1911

299 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brockington had 168 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,380 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 184 in 2016, ranked #20,731.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 299 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Brockington surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brockington surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brockington 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 89 #18,446
1861 historical 105 #20,298
1881 historical 168 #14,380
1891 historical 225 #13,714
1901 historical 266 #12,617
1911 historical 299 #11,475
1997 modern 202 #17,514
1998 modern 225 #16,846
1999 modern 227 #16,834
2000 modern 211 #17,603
2001 modern 204 #17,736
2002 modern 208 #17,848
2003 modern 210 #17,559
2004 modern 209 #17,706
2005 modern 201 #18,080
2006 modern 200 #18,294
2007 modern 195 #18,799
2008 modern 195 #18,958
2009 modern 195 #19,329
2010 modern 198 #19,577
2011 modern 196 #19,538
2012 modern 190 #19,864
2013 modern 191 #20,124
2014 modern 187 #20,570
2015 modern 184 #20,719
2016 modern 184 #20,731

Geography

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Where Brockingtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841), Kenn, Ide, Ashton, Exminster, St John Hackney, Cardiff St John and St Mary and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Devon, Birmingham, Exeter and Hastings. 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 Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) Devon
2 Kenn, Ide, Ashton, Exminster Devon
3 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
4 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Devon 005 West Devon
2 Birmingham 029 Birmingham
3 Birmingham 126 Birmingham
4 Exeter 014 Exeter
5 Hastings 002 Hastings

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brockington

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brockington

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Brockington surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Brockington household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Brockington is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Brockington is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Brockington

The surname Brockington is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "broc," meaning a small stream or brook, and "ing," signifying a meadow or enclosure.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Brochintone," referring to a settlement in Staffordshire. This entry suggests that the name may have originated as a place name, possibly describing a locality situated near a small brook or stream.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, various spellings of the name emerged, such as "Brockyngton," "Brokinton," and "Brokynton." These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation that were common in those times.

The surname Brockington has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Sir John Brockington (c. 1520-1593), a prominent English judge who served as the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another significant bearer of the name was Edward Brockington (1637-1708), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge, and played a crucial role in the college's administration.

In the literary realm, Dorothy Brockington (1888-1968) was a British author and playwright who gained recognition for her novels and plays set in the early 20th century. Her works often explored themes of social class and human relationships.

Sir Leonard Brockington (1888-1966), a Canadian lawyer, diplomat, and civil servant, made significant contributions to his country's foreign policy during his tenure as the Undersecretary of State for External Affairs from 1940 to 1946.

More recently, Jonathan Brockington (1942-2022) was a renowned British actor and voice artist, known for his roles in television series and his work as a voice-over artist for audiobooks and documentaries.

While the surname Brockington is not among the most common in English-speaking countries, it has a rich history rooted in the medieval period, with its origins possibly tied to a specific location near a small stream or brook. Over the centuries, individuals bearing this name have left their mark in various fields, including law, academia, literature, diplomacy, and the performing arts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brockington families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brockington 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. Middlesex leads with 52 Brockingtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.17x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 52 3.17x
Warwickshire 44 10.65x
Devon 40 11.73x
Hampshire 13 3.87x
Gloucestershire 5 1.56x
Berkshire 3 2.44x
Surrey 3 0.38x
Royal Navy 2 10.24x
Sussex 2 0.72x
Worcestershire 2 0.93x
Kent 1 0.18x
Northamptonshire 1 0.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 28 Brockingtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.61x.

Place Total Index
Aston 28 24.61x
Birmingham 15 10.89x
Stoke Damerel 14 58.65x
Hackney London 13 14.15x
Kenn 9 1698.11x
Broad Clist 8 677.97x
Ventnor 8 250.78x
St Anne Soho London 7 74.79x
Tormoham 7 48.51x
Westminster St John 7 35.07x
Mile End Old Town London 6 17.20x
St Marylebone London 5 5.71x
Mile End New Town London 4 123.46x
Portsea 4 6.08x
St Martin In Fields 4 40.77x
Newington 3 4.96x
South Hinksey 3 555.56x
Bristol St John Baptist 2 666.67x
East Grinstead 2 51.15x
Royal Navy 2 11.98x
St Giles In Fields London 2 24.88x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 1 34.13x
Bromsgrove 1 13.89x
Cheltenham 1 4.03x
Dawlish 1 39.37x
Exeter St Thomas The 1 28.74x
Gayton 1 312.50x
Holdenhurst 1 11.35x
Islington London 1 0.63x
Kings Norton 1 5.21x
Marston Sicca 1 476.19x
Milverton 1 82.64x
Rochester St Margaret 1 16.95x
Shoreditch London 1 1.41x
St Gregory By St Pauls 1 243.90x
Westminster St Margaret 1 12.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 10
William 10
George 6
Thomas 6
Edwin 5
Frank 5
Albert 4
Frederick 4
Walter 4
Charles 3
Henry 3
Arthur 2
James 2
Robert 2
... 1
A. 1
Alfred 1
Antony 1
Benjm. 1
Clement 1
Edward 1
Edwd. 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
G. 1
Geo. 1
Peter 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Brockington surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brockington surname in 1881?

In 1881, 168 people were recorded with the Brockington surname. That placed it at #14,380 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brockington surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 184 in 2016. That gives Brockington a modern rank of #20,731.

What does the Brockington surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "estate of Brocca's people" in Old English.

What does the Brockington map show?

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