NameCensus.

UK surname

Brody

A surname of Irish origin meaning "ditch" or "muddy place," likely referring to a person who lived near one.

In the 1881 census there were 75 people recorded with the Brody surname, ranking it #22,893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 211, ranked #18,904, up from #22,893 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Edinburgh, Manchester and Batley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Epping Forest, Haringey and Lewisham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brody is 211 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 181.3%.

1881 census count

75

Ranked #22,893

Modern count

211

2016, ranked #18,904

Peak year

2011

211 bearers

Map years

5

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brody had 75 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,893 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 211 in 2016, ranked #18,904.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 134 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Brody surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brody surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brody 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 104 #16,746
1861 historical 134 #16,754
1881 historical 75 #22,893
1891 historical 69 #28,188
1901 historical 96 #23,342
1911 historical 84 #24,442
1997 modern 192 #18,103
1998 modern 201 #18,047
1999 modern 192 #18,689
2000 modern 210 #17,670
2001 modern 196 #18,146
2002 modern 198 #18,410
2003 modern 200 #18,139
2004 modern 199 #18,260
2005 modern 195 #18,458
2006 modern 193 #18,675
2007 modern 203 #18,303
2008 modern 198 #18,753
2009 modern 201 #18,965
2010 modern 210 #18,836
2011 modern 211 #18,630
2012 modern 205 #18,909
2013 modern 205 #19,218
2014 modern 209 #19,128
2015 modern 206 #19,208
2016 modern 211 #18,904

Geography

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Where Brodys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Edinburgh, Manchester, Batley, Liverpool and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Epping Forest, Haringey, Lewisham, Manchester and Hinckley and Bosworth. 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 Edinburgh Edinburgh
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Epping Forest 016 Epping Forest
2 Haringey 001 Haringey
3 Lewisham 027 Lewisham
4 Manchester 004 Manchester
5 Hinckley and Bosworth 010 Hinckley and Bosworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brody

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brody

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Brody surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Brody 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Brody 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

Brody is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Brody falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Brody 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 Brody, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Brody

The surname Brody originated in Eastern Europe, specifically in regions that are now part of Poland and Ukraine. It is derived from the Slavic word "brod," which means "ford" or a shallow place in a river where people can cross. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a ford or was responsible for maintaining or operating a ford.

Brody was first recorded as a surname in the 14th century in Polish and Ukrainian records. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name include Bronislaw Brody, a landowner in the village of Brody, Poland, in the late 1300s, and Yaroslav Brody, a merchant in the city of Lviv (formerly part of Poland, now in Ukraine) in the early 1400s.

The name Brody is also associated with several place names in Eastern Europe, such as the town of Brody in western Ukraine, which was an important trading center in the 16th and 17th centuries. The town's name is derived from its location near a ford on the Styr River.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brody in England is John Brody, a merchant from Gdansk (then part of Poland) who settled in London in the late 16th century. Another notable historical figure with the surname Brody was Isaac Brody (1819-1886), a Russian-born Jewish scholar and writer who contributed to the development of modern Hebrew literature.

Other notable individuals with the surname Brody include:

1. Adrien Brody (born 1973), American actor known for roles in films like "The Pianist" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel." 2. David Brody (1958-2022), American journalist and author who covered politics and religion. 3. Fanny Brody (1892-1949), Russian-born American actress and singer in Yiddish theater and films. 4. Jill Brody (born 1942), American author and journalist known for her books on health and wellness. 5. Max Brody (1886-1944), Polish-born American painter and sculptor known for his Cubist works.

The surname Brody has been a part of Eastern European history for centuries and has since spread to various parts of the world, carrying with it the legacy of its origins near river fords and trading centers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brody families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brody 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 25 Brodys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.42x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 25 3.42x
Yorkshire 17 2.35x
Lancashire 9 1.04x
Sussex 3 2.43x
Midlothian 2 2.04x
Northumberland 2 1.84x
Staffordshire 2 0.81x
Surrey 2 0.56x
Aberdeenshire 1 1.48x
Angus 1 1.48x
Buteshire 1 22.57x
Cheshire 1 0.62x
Dorset 1 2.08x
Durham 1 0.46x
Fife 1 2.31x
Gloucestershire 1 0.70x
Monmouthshire 1 1.89x
Norfolk 1 0.89x
Somerset 1 0.85x
Suffolk 1 1.12x
Warwickshire 1 0.54x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 8 Brodys recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.28x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 8 11.28x
Batley 7 101.60x
Leeds 6 14.66x
Liverpool 6 11.38x
Spitalfields London 5 90.91x
Hackney London 3 7.32x
Richmond 3 265.49x
St Clement Danes London 3 198.68x
St George Bloomsbury 3 71.43x
Willingdon 3 967.74x
Cannock 2 46.40x
Duddingston 2 101.52x
St Pancras London 2 3.40x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 7.07x
Bathwick 1 76.92x
Birmingham 1 1.63x
Bradpole 1 256.41x
Cotton Edmunds 1 10000.00x
Cupar 1 53.19x
Eccleston In Prescot 1 22.94x
Elton 1 33.33x
Great Yarmouth 1 10.73x
Inverarity 1 454.55x
Kilmory 1 153.85x
Lambeth 1 1.57x
Leiston 1 163.93x
Monkwearmouth Shore 1 23.53x
Monmouth 1 71.43x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 15.38x
Newland 1 82.64x
Sicklinghall 1 1666.67x
St Marylebone London 1 2.56x
Wandsworth 1 14.20x
West Derby 1 3.94x
Whalton 1 1250.00x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Brody 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 Brody 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
Michael 3
Fredk. 2
Joseph 2
Maurice 2
Thomas 2
William 2
Aaron 1
Alex. 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
G. 1
George 1
Harris 1
Harry 1
Lionel 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1
Theodor 1
Wallace 1

FAQ

Brody surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brody surname in 1881?

In 1881, 75 people were recorded with the Brody surname. That placed it at #22,893 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brody surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 211 in 2016. That gives Brody a modern rank of #18,904.

What does the Brody surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin meaning "ditch" or "muddy place," likely referring to a person who lived near one.

What does the Brody map show?

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