NameCensus.

UK surname

Bromell

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "broom hill" or "bramble hill".

In the 1881 census there were 104 people recorded with the Bromell surname, ranking it #19,296 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 162, ranked #22,512, down from #19,296 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ashwater, Sutcombe, Pancrassweek and Stratton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Teignbridge, Cornwall and Torridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bromell is 184 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.8%.

1881 census count

104

Ranked #19,296

Modern count

162

2016, ranked #22,512

Peak year

2010

184 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bromell had 104 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,296 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 162 in 2016, ranked #22,512.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 133 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bromell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bromell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bromell 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 67 #21,440
1861 historical 84 #23,058
1881 historical 104 #19,296
1891 historical 115 #21,878
1901 historical 102 #22,596
1911 historical 133 #19,214
1997 modern 156 #20,593
1998 modern 171 #19,956
1999 modern 169 #20,233
2000 modern 171 #20,044
2001 modern 162 #20,460
2002 modern 173 #20,043
2003 modern 176 #19,623
2004 modern 172 #20,008
2005 modern 156 #21,221
2006 modern 159 #21,148
2007 modern 160 #21,296
2008 modern 162 #21,350
2009 modern 170 #21,095
2010 modern 184 #20,521
2011 modern 173 #21,172
2012 modern 166 #21,683
2013 modern 174 #21,401
2014 modern 168 #22,075
2015 modern 159 #22,796
2016 modern 162 #22,512

Geography

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Where Bromells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ashwater, Sutcombe, Pancrassweek, Stratton, Bradworthy and Milton Damarel. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Teignbridge, Cornwall, Torridge and Coventry. 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 Ashwater Devon
2 Sutcombe, Pancrassweek Devon
3 Stratton Cornwall
4 Bradworthy Devon
5 Milton Damarel Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Teignbridge 001 Teignbridge
2 Cornwall 002 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 001 Cornwall
4 Torridge 008 Torridge
5 Coventry 035 Coventry

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bromell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bromell

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

Bromell 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

Bromell falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bromell

The surname Bromell originated in England during the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "brom" meaning "broom" and "hyll" meaning "hill," suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a hill covered with broom plants.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bromell name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, a collection of financial records from the late 12th century. In these rolls, a person named William de Bromhill is mentioned, indicating the presence of the name in that region during that time.

The Bromell surname has also been documented in various historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from the 14th century, where individuals with the spelling variations Bromhull and Bromhill are listed.

Notably, the Bromell name appears in the renowned Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of lands and landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This record mentions a place called "Bromlegh" in Staffordshire, which may have been the original location associated with the surname.

Over the centuries, the Bromell name has seen various spellings, including Bromhill, Bromhull, Bromley, and Brommell, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings in earlier times. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the place names from which they originated.

Among the notable individuals bearing the Bromell surname throughout history are:

1. Thomas Bromell (c. 1380-1455), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Llandaff and later the Bishop of Rochester. 2. Sir John Bromell (c. 1510-1577), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Warwickshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. 3. Henry Bromell (1674-1737), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Warwickshire in the early 18th century. 4. William Bromell (1663-1737), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Principal of St. Mary Hall, Oxford University. 5. Jane Bromell (1834-1920), a British philanthropist and social reformer who campaigned for women's rights and the abolition of child labor.

While these examples provide insights into the historical presence and notable bearers of the Bromell surname, it is important to note that the name's origins and evolution may have followed different paths in various regions and contexts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bromell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bromell 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. Devon leads with 65 Bromells recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.49x.

County Total Index
Devon 65 30.49x
Cornwall 16 13.80x
Middlesex 8 0.78x
Staffordshire 7 2.02x
Yorkshire 6 0.59x
Somerset 1 0.61x
Surrey 1 0.20x
Worcestershire 1 0.75x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holsworthy in Devon leads with 13 Bromells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2166.67x.

Place Total Index
Holsworthy 13 2166.67x
Bradworthy 12 3870.97x
Frithelstock 11 5500.00x
Bratton Clovelly 9 4285.71x
Kingswinford 7 55.78x
Milton Damerel 7 4117.65x
Bow London 6 46.01x
Launcells 6 3157.89x
Rothwell 6 292.68x
St Minver 6 1714.29x
Ashwater 5 1666.67x
Stratton 4 634.92x
Woolfardisworthy 4 1290.32x
Sutcombe 3 2000.00x
Beaworthy 1 1000.00x
Clapham 1 7.81x
Kings Norton 1 8.34x
St Marylebone London 1 1.83x
Walcot 1 11.39x
Westminster St John 1 8.02x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Ellen 4
Margaret 4
Sarah 4
Elizabeth 3
Catherine 2
Charity 2
Emma 2
Grace 2
Martha 2
Nora 2
Susan 2
Alice 1
Angelina 1
Annie 1
Clara 1
Claudia 1
Eliza 1
Elizebeth 1
Ella 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Katherine 1
Laura 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
Maud 1
Thirsa 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Bromell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bromell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 104 people were recorded with the Bromell surname. That placed it at #19,296 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bromell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 162 in 2016. That gives Bromell a modern rank of #22,512.

What does the Bromell surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "broom hill" or "bramble hill".

What does the Bromell map show?

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