NameCensus.

UK surname

Bromwell

An English place name possibly referring to someone living near a spring or well.

In the 1881 census there were 105 people recorded with the Bromwell surname, ranking it #19,183 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 150, ranked #23,724, down from #19,183 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Harborne, Sharnbrook and Bedford St Paul. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Monmouthshire, Warrington and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bromwell is 163 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.9%.

1881 census count

105

Ranked #19,183

Modern count

150

2016, ranked #23,724

Peak year

2014

163 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bromwell had 105 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,183 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016, ranked #23,724.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 139 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Bromwell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bromwell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bromwell 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 126 #17,569
1881 historical 105 #19,183
1891 historical 139 #19,311
1901 historical 96 #23,342
1911 historical 102 #22,465
1997 modern 139 #22,132
1998 modern 143 #22,317
1999 modern 143 #22,521
2000 modern 131 #23,672
2001 modern 130 #23,457
2002 modern 128 #24,150
2003 modern 127 #24,019
2004 modern 129 #24,019
2005 modern 132 #23,623
2006 modern 137 #23,270
2007 modern 148 #22,406
2008 modern 140 #23,511
2009 modern 151 #22,816
2010 modern 161 #22,385
2011 modern 157 #22,574
2012 modern 159 #22,361
2013 modern 162 #22,433
2014 modern 163 #22,547
2015 modern 154 #23,306
2016 modern 150 #23,724

Geography

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Where Bromwells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Harborne, Sharnbrook, Bedford St Paul, Tideswell and Pertenhall, Little Staughton, Bolnhurst (Riseley, Bedfordshire), Keysoe (Riseley, Bedfordshire). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Monmouthshire, Warrington, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wyre Forest and Powys. 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 Harborne Worcestershire
2 Sharnbrook Bedfordshire
3 Bedford St Paul Bedfordshire
4 Tideswell Derbyshire
5 Pertenhall, Little Staughton, Bolnhurst (Riseley, Bedfordshire), Keysoe (Riseley, Bedfordshire) Huntingdonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Monmouthshire 003 Monmouthshire
2 Warrington 019 Warrington
3 Rhondda Cynon Taf 011 Rhondda Cynon Taf
4 Wyre Forest 014 Wyre Forest
5 Powys 018 Powys

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bromwell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bromwell

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Bromwell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bromwell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Bromwell 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

Bromwell is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bromwell falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bromwell

The surname Bromwell originated in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "brom" meaning "broom" and "well" meaning "spring" or "stream." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a stream where broom plants grew abundantly.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be Bromewelle, found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199. This indicates that the name was already established by the late 12th century. Over time, various spellings emerged, such as Bromwelle, Bromwelle, and Bromwell.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a record of landowners and property holders in England, there is a mention of a Robert de Bromwelle from Warwickshire. This entry provides evidence of the name's connection to a specific location during the 13th century.

The Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct references to the surname Bromwell. However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the name's development, such as Bromley and Bromborough.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Bromwell was William Bromwell, who was born in Warwickshire, England, around 1445. He served as a member of the Parliament of England during the reign of King Henry VI.

Another notable figure was Sir John Bromwell, born in Gloucestershire, England, in 1597. He was a Member of Parliament and served as a justice of the peace during the English Civil War.

In the 17th century, a prominent Bromwell family established themselves in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. Thomas Bromwell (1630-1691) was a successful merchant and landowner, and his son, William Bromwell (1663-1732), became a noted academic and served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

During the 18th century, the Bromwell name gained further recognition with the birth of William Bromwell Cadogan (1751-1807), a British army officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a Member of Parliament.

In the 19th century, Henry Bromwell (1823-1903), born in Gloucestershire, achieved fame as a renowned horticulturist and author of several books on gardening and plant cultivation.

While the surname Bromwell has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by individuals who emigrated from the British Isles to various countries over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bromwell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bromwell 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. Bedfordshire leads with 24 Bromwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 45.26x.

County Total Index
Bedfordshire 24 45.26x
Middlesex 17 1.66x
Lancashire 16 1.32x
Staffordshire 11 3.18x
Surrey 9 1.80x
Yorkshire 8 0.79x
Shropshire 6 6.78x
Monmouthshire 4 5.40x
Montgomeryshire 4 17.04x
Sussex 2 1.16x
Derbyshire 1 0.62x
Durham 1 0.33x
Lincolnshire 1 0.61x
Oxfordshire 1 1.58x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bedford St Paul in Bedfordshire leads with 11 Bromwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 302.20x.

Place Total Index
Bedford St Paul 11 302.20x
Harborne 7 63.18x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 33.96x
Bromfield 6 3000.00x
Leeds 6 10.47x
Sharnbrook 6 2068.97x
Westminster St James 6 56.98x
Everton 5 12.91x
Little Staughton 5 3125.00x
Preston 5 15.38x
St George In East London 5 51.92x
Abergavenny 4 144.40x
Liverpool 3 4.06x
Pool 3 169.49x
Whittington 3 422.54x
St Faith Under St Pauls 2 2500.00x
Adlington 1 87.72x
Alfreton 1 20.53x
Bentham 1 129.87x
Broughton In Preston 1 476.19x
Camberwell 1 1.53x
Clerkenwell London 1 4.14x
Eastbourne 1 12.58x
Felmersham 1 588.24x
Finchley 1 25.45x
Garston 1 27.86x
Great Barford 1 357.14x
Great Grimsby 1 9.62x
Hascombe 1 666.67x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 7.58x
Newtown 1 66.67x
Oxford St Giles 1 33.11x
Patcham 1 322.58x
Shoreditch London 1 2.25x
St George Hanover Square 1 5.54x
Templenewsam 1 136.99x
Wolverhampton 1 3.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 7
Joseph 5
William 5
George 3
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
James 2
Richard 2
Wm. 2
Alfred 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Jno.Thos. 1
Luke 1
Price 1
Rowland 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1
Thos.F. 1
Will. 1

FAQ

Bromwell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bromwell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 105 people were recorded with the Bromwell surname. That placed it at #19,183 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bromwell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016. That gives Bromwell a modern rank of #23,724.

What does the Bromwell surname mean?

An English place name possibly referring to someone living near a spring or well.

What does the Bromwell map show?

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