NameCensus.

UK surname

Broomer

An English occupational surname referring to a broom maker or seller.

In the 1881 census there were 74 people recorded with the Broomer surname, ranking it #23,062 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 74, ranked #33,441, down from #23,062 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dorking, Abinger, Ockley, Wotton with Oakwood and Stockport. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Coventry, Horsham and Solihull.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Broomer is 118 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.0%.

1881 census count

74

Ranked #23,062

Modern count

74

2016, ranked #33,441

Peak year

1891

118 bearers

Map years

1

1891 to 1891

Key insights

  • Broomer had 74 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,062 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 74 in 2016, ranked #33,441.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 118 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Mature Families.

Broomer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Broomer surname density by area, 1891 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Broomer 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 77 #19,998
1861 historical 71 #24,765
1881 historical 74 #23,062
1891 historical 118 #21,540
1901 historical 99 #22,999
1911 historical 97 #23,076
1997 modern 92 #28,079
1998 modern 99 #27,785
1999 modern 99 #27,906
2000 modern 104 #27,150
2001 modern 101 #27,252
2002 modern 100 #27,944
2003 modern 100 #27,722
2004 modern 94 #28,896
2005 modern 83 #30,486
2006 modern 85 #30,556
2007 modern 85 #30,954
2008 modern 84 #31,370
2009 modern 88 #31,352
2010 modern 89 #31,745
2011 modern 83 #32,336
2012 modern 72 #33,502
2013 modern 73 #33,557
2014 modern 73 #33,587
2015 modern 74 #33,487
2016 modern 74 #33,441

Geography

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Where Broomers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dorking, Abinger, Ockley, Wotton with Oakwood, Stockport, Betchworth, Buckland and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Coventry, Horsham, Solihull, Havant and Guildford. 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 Dorking Surrey
2 Abinger, Ockley, Wotton with Oakwood Surrey
3 Stockport Cheshire
4 Betchworth, Buckland Surrey
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Coventry 004 Coventry
2 Horsham 009 Horsham
3 Solihull 025 Solihull
4 Havant 006 Havant
5 Guildford 001 Guildford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Broomer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Broomer

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Established Mature Families

Nationally, the Broomer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Mature Families, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Broomer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Married couples predominate, many with older dependent children. Detached housing is common. Homeownership rates are the highest within this Supergroup. The presence of some students suggests that households are towards the end of a child rearing phase. Many residents have degree level qualifications, and the occupational profile is heavily skewed towards managerial and professional occupations. Residential developments commonly occur on the periphery of major urban cities or conurbations.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Broomer 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

Broomer 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

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

Meaning and origin of Broomer

The surname BROOMER is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 16th century. It is thought to be an occupational name derived from the Old English word "brom," which means "broom" or "broommaker." The name likely referred to someone who made or sold brooms, a common trade in those times.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BROOMER can be found in the Parish Records of St. Mary's Church in Lewisham, Kent, England, where a John Broomer was listed in 1593. Another early reference is the christening of Thomas Broomer in 1599 at St. Giles Cripplegate, London.

In the 17th century, the BROOMER surname appears to have been concentrated in the counties of Kent, Essex, and Suffolk in southeastern England. The 1668 Hearth Tax Rolls for Kent list several individuals with the surname, including Robert Broomer in Cranbrook and John Broomer in Pluckley.

An interesting historical figure bearing the name BROOMER was William Broomer (1689-1750), a renowned clockmaker from London. He is credited with creating some of the finest clocks of the early 18th century, and his works are highly prized by collectors today.

Another notable BROOMER was Thomas Broomer (1795-1867), a British architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in the London area during the 19th century. His most famous work is the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Hammersmith, completed in 1848.

In the early 19th century, the BROOMER surname also appears in records from the United States, indicating that some members of the family had emigrated from England. One such individual was John Broomer (1810-1892), who settled in Ohio and became a prominent farmer and landowner.

The name BROOMER has also been found in various historic documents and records, including the Subsidy Rolls of 1628 for Suffolk, where a Robert Broomer is listed, and the Protestation Returns of 1641/42 for Essex, which mention a Thomas Broomer.

While the BROOMER surname is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history stretching back several centuries, with connections to various trades, professions, and regions of England and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Broomer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Broomer 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. Surrey leads with 54 Broomers recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.69x.

County Total Index
Surrey 54 13.69x
Channel Islands 8 33.35x
Middlesex 8 0.99x
Lancashire 7 0.73x
Cheshire 3 1.68x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.92x
Royal Navy 1 10.36x
Sussex 1 0.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Albury in Surrey leads with 12 Broomers recorded in 1881 and an index of 3333.33x.

Place Total Index
Albury 12 3333.33x
Dorking 9 339.62x
Ewhurst 6 2400.00x
Betchworth 5 1020.41x
Islington London 5 6.37x
Penge 5 96.71x
St Helier 5 64.02x
Abinger 4 1212.12x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 14.29x
Croydon 3 13.70x
Monks Coppenhall 3 44.51x
St Peter 3 434.78x
Ash Normandy 2 370.37x
Manchester 2 4.63x
Shere 2 416.67x
St Martin In Fields 2 41.24x
Bletchingley 1 196.08x
Godalming 1 40.32x
Guildford St Nicholas 1 142.86x
Isleworth 1 27.78x
Lambeth 1 1.42x
Mansfield Woodhouse 1 136.99x
Mickleham 1 454.55x
Royal Navy 1 12.12x
Salford 1 3.54x
Stretford 1 18.94x
Sullington 1 1666.67x
Woking 1 42.02x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Broomer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Broomer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 74 people were recorded with the Broomer surname. That placed it at #23,062 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Broomer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 74 in 2016. That gives Broomer a modern rank of #33,441.

What does the Broomer surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a broom maker or seller.

What does the Broomer map show?

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