NameCensus.

UK surname

Brockley

An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "wooden meadow" or "clearing among birches".

In the 1881 census there were 218 people recorded with the Brockley surname, ranking it #12,158 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 392, ranked #12,052, up from #12,158 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolstanton, Northop and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Derbyshire, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brockley is 453 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 79.8%.

1881 census count

218

Ranked #12,158

Modern count

392

2016, ranked #12,052

Peak year

2010

453 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brockley had 218 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,158 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 392 in 2016, ranked #12,052.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 389 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Brockley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brockley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brockley 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 241 #9,037
1861 historical 276 #9,052
1881 historical 218 #12,158
1891 historical 331 #10,277
1901 historical 344 #10,569
1911 historical 389 #9,470
1997 modern 356 #12,021
1998 modern 433 #10,718
1999 modern 426 #10,938
2000 modern 425 #10,898
2001 modern 416 #10,898
2002 modern 433 #10,780
2003 modern 416 #10,941
2004 modern 417 #10,943
2005 modern 402 #11,137
2006 modern 408 #11,062
2007 modern 423 #10,888
2008 modern 420 #11,033
2009 modern 433 #11,031
2010 modern 453 #10,858
2011 modern 417 #11,462
2012 modern 417 #11,346
2013 modern 400 #11,915
2014 modern 408 #11,830
2015 modern 402 #11,861
2016 modern 392 #12,052

Geography

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Where Brockleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolstanton, Northop, Edinburgh, Manchester and Flint. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Derbyshire, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Leeds and Flintshire. 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 Wolstanton Staffordshire
2 Northop Flintshire
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Flint Flintshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Derbyshire 002 South Derbyshire
2 Newcastle-under-Lyme 005 Newcastle-under-Lyme
3 South Derbyshire 001 South Derbyshire
4 Leeds 094 Leeds
5 Flintshire 014 Flintshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brockley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brockley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Brockley, 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 Brockley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Brockley 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Brockley is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Brockley 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

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

Meaning and origin of Brockley

The surname Brockley is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "broc" meaning a brook or stream, and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a brook or stream in a meadow or clearing.

The earliest known record of the Brockley surname dates back to the 13th century in the county of Kent, England. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John de Brokele, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Kent in 1292. This suggests that the name may have originated in the area around the modern-day district of Brockley in southeast London.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a place called "Brocheleia" is mentioned, which is believed to be an early spelling of Brockley. This further supports the theory that the name originated as a place name in Kent.

Over the centuries, the surname has appeared in various spellings, including Brokley, Brokeleye, and Brockleigh, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time.

One notable bearer of the Brockley surname was Sir William Brockley (c. 1470 - c. 1535), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1525. Another was Thomas Brockley (c. 1555 - 1618), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Maidstone in 1586.

In the 17th century, the Brockley surname was also found in the American colonies. One of the earliest known bearers in America was John Brockley, who was born in England in 1622 and settled in Virginia.

Other notable individuals with the Brockley surname include: - John Brockley (1685 - 1767), an English clergyman and author. - James Brockley (1771 - 1835), an English surveyor and cartographer. - Elizabeth Brockley (1807 - 1889), an English novelist and poet. - Charles Brockley (1820 - 1897), an English architect and civil engineer.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brockley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brockley 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. Staffordshire leads with 52 Brockleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.28x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 52 7.28x
Cheshire 48 10.27x
Lancashire 21 0.84x
Flintshire 15 26.37x
Midlothian 10 3.53x
Middlesex 9 0.43x
Surrey 8 0.78x
Yorkshire 7 0.33x
Hertfordshire 6 4.11x
Warwickshire 6 1.12x
Kent 5 0.69x
Lanarkshire 5 0.73x
Leicestershire 5 2.13x
Derbyshire 3 0.91x
Hampshire 3 0.69x
Nottinghamshire 3 1.05x
Somerset 3 0.88x
Sussex 3 0.84x
Angus 2 1.02x
Essex 2 0.48x
Berkshire 1 0.63x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wolstanton in Staffordshire leads with 17 Brockleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 78.34x.

Place Total Index
Wolstanton 17 78.34x
Monks Coppenhall 15 85.08x
Nantwich 12 220.99x
Flint 11 340.56x
Runcorn 9 83.57x
Wolstanton Oldcott 9 347.49x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 8 7.01x
Norbury 8 5333.33x
St Albans St Michael 6 368.10x
Birmingham 5 2.81x
Glasgow 5 4.11x
Walsall Foreign 5 13.55x
Wolverhampton 5 9.10x
Camberwell 4 2.96x
Everton 4 5.00x
Northop 4 199.01x
Salford 4 5.41x
Bow London 3 11.14x
Church Coppenhall 3 143.54x
Gnosall 3 174.42x
Hulme 3 5.72x
Lyncombe Widcombe 3 33.63x
Moss Side 3 22.69x
Aldershot 2 13.76x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 3.64x
Brightside Bierlow 2 4.86x
Clapham 2 7.56x
Denaby 2 168.07x
Dundee 2 2.73x
Hugglescote 2 57.97x
Lasswade 2 30.86x
Leighton In Nantwich 2 1666.67x
Nottingham St Mary 2 2.71x
Poplar London 2 5.01x
Ramsgate 2 16.96x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 4.70x
Spurstow 2 606.06x
Stapeley 2 454.55x
Steyning 2 165.29x
West Ham 2 2.17x
Widnes 2 11.04x
Wolstanton Thursfield 2 229.89x
Atherstone 1 36.63x
Audley 1 14.14x
Biddulph 1 24.81x
Cheadle 1 11.21x
Chislehurst 1 25.84x
Cookham 1 20.20x
Godley 1 99.01x
Gorton 1 4.24x
Hammersmith London 1 1.92x
Holmesfield 1 277.78x
Islington London 1 0.49x
Kensington London 1 0.85x
Leicester St Margaret 1 1.75x
Liverpool 1 0.66x
Marton In Whitegate 1 200.00x
Minster In Sheppey 1 8.36x
Naburn 1 243.90x
Packington 1 119.05x
Scagglethorpe 1 555.56x
Sheffield 1 1.50x
South Bersted 1 33.00x
St Mary Kalendar 1 111.11x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 1.32x
Stoney Stanton 1 138.89x
Unstone 1 76.92x
Warrington 1 3.36x
West Wickham 1 142.86x
Westminster St James 1 4.60x
Whittington 1 21.83x
Worksop 1 11.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 15
Mary 12
Elizabeth 7
Ann 6
Emma 6
Hannah 6
Anne 4
Harriet 4
Margaret 4
Martha 4
Ellen 3
Jane 3
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Elizth. 1
Frances 1
Harriott 1
Jessie 1
Lena 1
Louisia 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Susanah 1
Sussanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 10
John 10
Thomas 10
William 10
James 9
Samuel 8
Joseph 7
Peter 4
Harry 3
Henry 3
Robert 3
Arthur 2
Charles 2
David 2
Frederick 2
Lewis 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Benjaman 1
Bernard 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Enoch 1
Jos. 1
Richard 1
Richd. 1
Robt. 1
Saml. 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Brockley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brockley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 218 people were recorded with the Brockley surname. That placed it at #12,158 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brockley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 392 in 2016. That gives Brockley a modern rank of #12,052.

What does the Brockley surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "wooden meadow" or "clearing among birches".

What does the Brockley map show?

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