NameCensus.

UK surname

Brooksby

A surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Brooksby, England.

In the 1881 census there were 101 people recorded with the Brooksby surname, ranking it #19,636 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 154, ranked #23,293, down from #19,636 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Pancras and Bulwell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, The Vale of Glamorgan and Leicester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brooksby is 169 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 52.5%.

1881 census count

101

Ranked #19,636

Modern count

154

2016, ranked #23,293

Peak year

2010

169 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brooksby had 101 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,636 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016, ranked #23,293.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 125 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Brooksby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brooksby surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brooksby 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 103 #16,835
1861 historical 100 #21,103
1881 historical 101 #19,636
1891 historical 125 #20,713
1901 historical 125 #20,061
1911 historical 93 #23,492
1997 modern 142 #21,856
1998 modern 150 #21,665
1999 modern 148 #22,020
2000 modern 153 #21,520
2001 modern 145 #21,951
2002 modern 150 #21,913
2003 modern 151 #21,574
2004 modern 150 #21,830
2005 modern 156 #21,221
2006 modern 147 #22,221
2007 modern 150 #22,212
2008 modern 153 #22,132
2009 modern 159 #22,072
2010 modern 169 #21,652
2011 modern 164 #21,900
2012 modern 158 #22,460
2013 modern 155 #23,108
2014 modern 154 #23,439
2015 modern 154 #23,306
2016 modern 154 #23,293

Geography

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Where Brooksbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Pancras, Bulwell, Finedon or Thingdon and Loughborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, The Vale of Glamorgan, Leicester, Newark and Sherwood and Rutland. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Bulwell Nottinghamshire
4 Finedon or Thingdon Northamptonshire
5 Loughborough Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 045 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 The Vale of Glamorgan 008 Vale of Glamorgan
3 Leicester 011 Leicester
4 Newark and Sherwood 008 Newark and Sherwood
5 Rutland 002 Rutland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brooksby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brooksby

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Brooksby is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brooksby is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Brooksby falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Brooksby

The surname Brooksby is of English origin, derived from a locational name for someone who lived near a brook or stream. The name can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period, with the Old English words "broc" meaning brook or stream, and "by" meaning a farm or settlement.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Brooksby is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Brochesberie," referring to a settlement in Leicestershire.

During the Middle Ages, the name was primarily concentrated in the Midlands region of England, particularly in Leicestershire and Derbyshire. Variations of the spelling included Brookesby, Broxby, and Brockisby.

One notable individual with the surname Brooksby was Sir Richard Brooksby (c. 1560-1638), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Leicestershire in the early 17th century. He was a prominent figure in the local gentry and served as a Justice of the Peace.

In the 17th century, the Brooksby family established themselves as landed gentry in Leicestershire, owning the Brooksby Hall estate. The hall, which dates back to the 16th century, remained in the family's possession until the 20th century.

Another notable bearer of the name was John Brooksby (1622-1695), an English Puritan minister and author. He served as the rector of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire and published several religious works during his lifetime.

In the 18th century, William Brooksby (1725-1794) was a renowned English clockmaker and watchmaker based in London. He gained recognition for his intricate and accurate timepieces, which were highly sought after by the aristocracy and wealthy merchants of the time.

The Brooksby surname also has connections to the village of Brooksby in Leicestershire, which likely derived its name from the same Old English roots as the surname. The village's history can be traced back to the Domesday Book, where it was recorded as "Brochesberie."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brooksby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brooksby 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. Leicestershire leads with 15 Brooksbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.73x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 15 13.73x
Middlesex 14 1.42x
Lancashire 10 0.86x
Nottinghamshire 10 7.53x
Northamptonshire 9 9.71x
Surrey 7 1.46x
Yorkshire 7 0.72x
Cambridgeshire 6 9.62x
Inverness-shire 5 17.00x
Kent 5 1.49x
Stirlingshire 4 11.01x
Warwickshire 4 1.61x
Staffordshire 3 0.90x
Lincolnshire 1 0.63x
Midlothian 1 0.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 9 Brooksbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.80x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 9 33.80x
St Pancras London 8 10.09x
Chesterton 6 312.50x
Lambeth 6 6.99x
Ardersier 5 704.23x
Blackburn 5 16.08x
Bulwell 5 173.01x
Deal 5 174.22x
Holbeck 5 77.28x
Northampton St Sepulchre 5 106.16x
Preston 5 15.99x
Aston 4 5.85x
Burton On The Wolds 4 3333.33x
Falkirk 4 47.06x
Finedon 4 493.83x
Hackney London 2 3.62x
Hornsey 2 16.05x
Nottingham St Peter 2 135.14x
Sneaton 2 2500.00x
Stoke Upon Trent 2 5.67x
Basford 1 16.34x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.88x
Islington London 1 1.05x
Kingston On Thames 1 8.67x
Market Rasen 1 113.64x
Markfield 1 185.19x
Morton 1 2500.00x
Newcastle Under Lyme 1 17.01x
Rothley 1 277.78x
Snenton 1 19.16x
St Marylebone London 1 1.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 7
Thomas 5
George 4
John 4
Alexander 3
Edward 3
Charles 2
Henry 2
Albert 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
James 1
Jno.Thos. 1
Joseph 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Brooksby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brooksby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 101 people were recorded with the Brooksby surname. That placed it at #19,636 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brooksby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016. That gives Brooksby a modern rank of #23,293.

What does the Brooksby surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Brooksby, England.

What does the Brooksby map show?

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