NameCensus.

UK surname

Bromwich

An Old English habitational surname referring to someone from Bromwich, likely from brom meaning "broom" and wic meaning "dwelling place".

In the 1881 census there were 656 people recorded with the Bromwich surname, ranking it #5,464 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 681, ranked #7,872, down from #5,464 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rugby, Crick and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Harborough and Warwick.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bromwich is 885 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.8%.

1881 census count

656

Ranked #5,464

Modern count

681

2016, ranked #7,872

Peak year

1911

885 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bromwich had 656 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,464 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 681 in 2016, ranked #7,872.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 885 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bromwich surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bromwich surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Bromwich 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 364 #6,509
1861 historical 435 #5,918
1881 historical 656 #5,464
1891 historical 728 #5,439
1901 historical 736 #6,018
1911 historical 885 #5,032
1997 modern 739 #6,960
1998 modern 798 #6,766
1999 modern 800 #6,795
2000 modern 781 #6,908
2001 modern 759 #6,927
2002 modern 752 #7,093
2003 modern 721 #7,211
2004 modern 707 #7,337
2005 modern 695 #7,392
2006 modern 695 #7,396
2007 modern 688 #7,530
2008 modern 685 #7,609
2009 modern 681 #7,817
2010 modern 689 #7,874
2011 modern 680 #7,863
2012 modern 678 #7,806
2013 modern 677 #7,949
2014 modern 681 #7,952
2015 modern 677 #7,932
2016 modern 681 #7,872

Geography

Back to top

Where Bromwichs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rugby, Crick, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken, London parishes and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Harborough, Warwick, Stratford-on-Avon and Camden. 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 Rugby Warwickshire
2 Crick Warwickshire
3 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire
4 London parishes London 2
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 004 Shropshire
2 Harborough 002 Harborough
3 Warwick 013 Warwick
4 Stratford-on-Avon 004 Stratford-on-Avon
5 Camden 012 Camden

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Bromwich

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Bromwich

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bromwich is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Bromwich is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Bromwich

The surname Bromwich has its origins in the West Midlands region of England, specifically in the town of West Bromwich. The name is derived from the Old English words "brom" meaning "broom" and "wic" meaning "dwelling" or "village", suggesting it was originally a place name referring to a settlement near an area of broom plants.

The earliest recorded mention of Bromwich dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled as "Bromwic". This historical record provides evidence of the name's existence and its association with the West Midlands area during the Norman conquest of England.

In the 13th century, records show variations of the name such as "Bromwych" and "Bromwyche". During this time, the name began to be used as a surname, indicating a person's place of origin or residence near the settlement of Bromwich.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Bromwich was William de Bromwych, a landowner mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327. Another notable figure was John Bromwich, who served as the Sheriff of Staffordshire in 1382.

In the 16th century, the town of West Bromwich gained prominence as a center for metalworking and coal mining. This led to the name becoming more widely recognized and associated with the growing industrial town.

A famous bearer of the Bromwich surname was Sir John Bromwich (1616-1666), an English politician and landowner who served as the Member of Parliament for Warwickshire during the English Civil War.

Another notable individual was Reverend William Bromwich (1663-1732), an English clergyman and author who published several religious works, including a commentary on the Book of Revelation.

In the 19th century, John Bromwich (1813-1889) was a prominent English architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in Birmingham and the surrounding areas.

During the 20th century, Norman Bromwich (1912-1995) was a respected English cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the England national team in the 1930s and 1940s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Bromwich families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bromwich 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. Warwickshire leads with 331 Bromwichs recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.48x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 331 20.48x
Northamptonshire 62 10.29x
Middlesex 58 0.90x
Staffordshire 48 2.22x
Yorkshire 26 0.41x
Buckinghamshire 22 5.68x
Leicestershire 21 2.96x
Worcestershire 17 2.03x
Lancashire 14 0.18x
Surrey 10 0.32x
Cheshire 9 0.64x
Shropshire 7 1.26x
Kirkcudbrightshire 6 6.47x
Gloucestershire 5 0.40x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.58x
Kent 4 0.18x
Berkshire 2 0.42x
Essex 2 0.16x
Somerset 2 0.19x
Bedfordshire 1 0.30x
Derbyshire 1 0.10x
Hertfordshire 1 0.23x
Monmouthshire 1 0.22x
Royal Navy 1 1.31x
Sussex 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 79 Bromwichs recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.67x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 79 14.67x
Rugby 52 237.77x
Crick 31 1519.61x
Bilton 26 697.05x
Leamington Priors 24 60.35x
Aston 20 4.49x
Harborne 20 28.85x
Newport Pagnell 16 197.53x
Coventry St Michael 15 28.89x
Sutton Coldfield 14 82.40x
Warwick St Mary 14 99.79x
Halifax 12 12.87x
Milverton 12 253.16x
Newton Biggin 12 2264.15x
Islington London 11 1.77x
Camberwell 10 2.44x
Edgbaston 10 19.96x
Rushall 10 78.55x
Warwick St Nicholas 10 84.39x
Chester St John Baptist 9 35.39x
St Botolph Aldgate London 9 68.18x
Coventry Holy Trinity 8 16.58x
Daventry 8 93.79x
Bromley London 7 4.96x
West Bromwich 7 5.65x
Balmaclellan 6 289.86x
Chalfont St Peter 5 156.74x
Dodford 5 1063.83x
Fillongley 5 217.39x
Great Lever 5 61.96x
Kidderminster Borough 5 10.21x
Leicester St Mary 5 8.71x
Norwood 5 34.13x
Nottingham St Mary 5 2.24x
St George Bloomsbury 5 13.60x
Worsley 5 10.67x
Astley 4 754.72x
Bridgnorth St Mary 4 74.07x
Bristol St George 4 6.88x
Churchover 4 563.38x
Dudley 4 3.93x
Hammersmith London 4 2.53x
Kings Norton 4 5.33x
Monk Bretton 4 62.21x
Nether Whitacre 4 310.08x
Seacroft 4 132.89x
Solihull 4 34.42x
Stoke Newington London 4 8.01x
Wolston Marston 4 330.58x
Belgrave 3 18.70x
Burton Extra 3 24.19x
Clerkenwell London 3 1.98x
Harbury 3 114.50x
Heap 3 7.44x
Hugglescote 3 28.71x
Leicester All Sts 3 21.51x
Litchborough 3 394.74x
Stoney Stanton 3 137.61x
Walsall Foreign 3 2.68x
Wellingborough 3 9.90x
Wolverhampton 3 1.80x
Badby 2 168.07x
Clifton On Dunsmore 2 152.67x
Falsgrave 2 21.37x
Great Faringdon 2 28.94x
Hackney London 2 0.56x
Keynsham 2 26.99x
Northampton St Sepulchre 2 6.52x
Oswestry Town 2 11.28x
St George Hanover Square 2 1.77x
Willesborough 2 34.01x
Barwick In Elmet 1 20.53x
Brighton 1 0.46x
Fairfield 1 14.90x
Hillmorton 1 34.72x
Kilsby 1 76.34x
Milton 1 62.89x
Shenfield 1 30.49x
St Giles In Fields London 1 3.18x
Uffington 1 204.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 50
John 35
Thomas 31
Henry 21
Joseph 20
Charles 17
Frederick 15
George 14
James 11
Edward 10
Albert 9
Alfred 9
Arthur 8
Robert 7
Harry 6
Samuel 6
Richard 5
Frank 4
Reuben 3
Andrew 2
Edwin 2
Francis 2
Jacob 2
Jonathan 2
Oliver 2
Walter 2
Earnest 1
Edgar 1
Edwd. 1
Eli 1
Eli.J. 1
Ellen 1
Enos 1
Esmy 1
Fredrick 1
Geoffery 1
H. 1
Harry.F. 1
Henrey 1
Humphrey 1
Isaac 1
J.W. 1
Martin 1
Maurice 1
Michael 1
Oscar 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Renhew 1
Willm.G. 1

FAQ

Bromwich surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bromwich surname in 1881?

In 1881, 656 people were recorded with the Bromwich surname. That placed it at #5,464 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bromwich surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 681 in 2016. That gives Bromwich a modern rank of #7,872.

What does the Bromwich surname mean?

An Old English habitational surname referring to someone from Bromwich, likely from brom meaning "broom" and wic meaning "dwelling place".

What does the Bromwich map show?

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