NameCensus.

UK surname

Brophy

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Bróithe, meaning "descendant of Bróth," a personal name meaning "anger" or "fierceness."

In the 1881 census there were 394 people recorded with the Brophy surname, ranking it #8,055 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,807, ranked #3,502, up from #8,055 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caldercruix and Plains, Dunterlie, East Arthurlie and Dovecothall and Swansea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brophy is 1,837 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 358.6%.

1881 census count

394

Ranked #8,055

Modern count

1,807

2016, ranked #3,502

Peak year

2010

1,837 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brophy had 394 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,055 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,807 in 2016, ranked #3,502.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 562 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Brophy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brophy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brophy 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 173 #11,629
1861 historical 265 #9,355
1881 historical 394 #8,055
1891 historical 473 #7,758
1901 historical 545 #7,575
1911 historical 562 #7,170
1997 modern 1,679 #3,547
1998 modern 1,787 #3,468
1999 modern 1,816 #3,444
2000 modern 1,782 #3,490
2001 modern 1,768 #3,441
2002 modern 1,777 #3,507
2003 modern 1,721 #3,543
2004 modern 1,734 #3,512
2005 modern 1,690 #3,558
2006 modern 1,699 #3,545
2007 modern 1,710 #3,556
2008 modern 1,737 #3,538
2009 modern 1,795 #3,517
2010 modern 1,837 #3,507
2011 modern 1,811 #3,519
2012 modern 1,764 #3,531
2013 modern 1,795 #3,538
2014 modern 1,824 #3,514
2015 modern 1,814 #3,503
2016 modern 1,807 #3,502

Geography

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Where Brophys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Manchester, Liverpool and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caldercruix and Plains, Dunterlie, East Arthurlie and Dovecothall, Swansea and North East Lincolnshire. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 1
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caldercruix and Plains North Lanarkshire
2 Dunterlie, East Arthurlie and Dovecothall East Renfrewshire
3 Swansea 011 Swansea
4 North East Lincolnshire 001 North East Lincolnshire
5 Swansea 026 Swansea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brophy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brophy

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Brophy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Brophy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Brophy 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

Brophy is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Brophy falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Brophy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Brophy, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Brophy

The surname BROPHY is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to the counties of Carlow and Kilkenny in the southeastern region of Ireland. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "bróghach," which means "shoe-maker" or "hosier."

The earliest recorded instances of the BROPHY name can be found in medieval Irish records dating back to the 13th century. One notable reference is in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a Brian Bróghach in the year 1249.

In the 16th century, the BROPHY surname began to appear more frequently in parish records and historic documents. One such example is the will of Thomas Brophy, dated 1557, which was recorded in the Registry of Deeds in Dublin.

The BROPHY name has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir Edward Brophy (1565-1633), an Irish politician who served as Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1607.

Another prominent BROPHY was Reverend Michael Brophy (1639-1718), an Irish Catholic priest and historian who wrote extensively about the events of the Jacobite Wars in Ireland.

In the 19th century, John Brophy (1801-1885) was a successful Irish businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of education and healthcare in his hometown of Carlow.

During the same period, Michael Brophy (1824-1892) gained recognition as a prominent Irish nationalist and journalist, serving as editor of the influential newspaper The Nation.

More recently, John M. Brophy (1920-2004) was a renowned American dentist and academic, who made significant contributions to the field of oral medicine and served as the president of the American Dental Association.

Throughout its history, the BROPHY surname has maintained strong ties to its Irish heritage, with many bearers of the name tracing their ancestral roots back to the counties of Carlow and Kilkenny. While the name has spread to various parts of the world, its origins remain deeply rooted in the rich cultural traditions of Ireland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brophy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brophy 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. Lancashire leads with 160 Brophys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.44x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 160 3.44x
Yorkshire 71 1.83x
Middlesex 40 1.02x
Warwickshire 23 2.33x
Durham 13 1.11x
Derbyshire 11 1.79x
Glamorgan 9 1.32x
Surrey 9 0.47x
Hampshire 8 1.00x
Lanarkshire 8 0.63x
Channel Islands 7 6.02x
Northumberland 7 1.20x
Gloucestershire 5 0.65x
Leicestershire 5 1.15x
Devon 4 0.49x
Peeblesshire 4 21.69x
Royal Navy 3 6.42x
Suffolk 3 0.63x
Cheshire 2 0.23x
Isle of Man 2 2.75x
Midlothian 2 0.38x
Anglesey 1 1.44x
Fife 1 0.43x
Hertfordshire 1 0.37x
Kent 1 0.07x
Renfrewshire 1 0.33x
Staffordshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 41 Brophys recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.51x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 41 14.51x
Manchester 20 9.56x
West Derby 18 13.22x
Bowling 16 41.57x
Leeds 16 7.29x
Birmingham 15 4.55x
Kensington London 11 5.05x
Salford 11 8.04x
Bradford 10 10.63x
Glossop Dale 10 34.78x
Horton In Bradford 10 16.48x
Gateshead 9 10.30x
Swansea Town 9 16.08x
Aston 7 2.57x
Govan 7 2.23x
St Helier 7 18.50x
Wallsend 7 37.84x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 6 16.57x
Chelsea London 6 5.08x
Toxteth Park 6 3.81x
Cheltenham 5 8.43x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 6.76x
Ecclesall Bierlow 5 6.33x
Eccleston In Prescot 5 21.40x
Parr 5 30.03x
Preston 5 4.02x
Stretford 5 19.53x
Bootle Cum Linacre 4 10.83x
Hulme 4 4.12x
Islington London 4 1.05x
Leicester St Margaret 4 3.77x
Northowram 4 14.68x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 6.36x
St Pancras London 4 1.27x
West Linton 4 266.67x
Windle 4 15.28x
Aldershot 3 11.14x
Bury 3 5.64x
Bury St Edmunds St James 3 23.51x
Hackney London 3 1.36x
Halewood 3 120.48x
Royal Navy 3 7.51x
Crumpsall 2 18.23x
Darlington 2 4.44x
Farnborough 2 23.70x
Godalming 2 16.63x
Lambeth 2 0.58x
Little Bolton 2 3.34x
Malew 2 31.45x
Newton 2 5.58x
Oldham 2 1.33x
Putney 2 11.19x
Shoreditch London 2 1.18x
St George Hanover Square 2 2.89x
St Giles Cripplegate 2 38.39x
Towerof London London 2 160.00x
Widnes 2 5.96x
Wigan 2 3.08x
Barton Upon Irwell 1 2.85x
Bermondsey 1 0.86x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.00x
Blackburn 1 0.81x
Burntisland 1 15.41x
Carshalton 1 13.68x
Clifton In Halifax 1 43.10x
Finchley 1 6.65x
Gate Fulford 1 11.03x
Hendon 1 7.09x
Holyhead 1 7.72x
Kirkdale 1 1.28x
Lasswade 1 8.33x
Lytham 1 14.08x
Northwood 1 8.73x
Pemberton 1 5.39x
Sale 1 9.42x
St Giles In Fields London 1 5.20x
Tunstall 1 17.21x
Warrington 1 1.81x
Watford 1 4.77x
Wimbledon 1 4.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 44
Elizabeth 18
Sarah 15
Catherine 11
Margaret 11
Alice 6
Bridget 5
Ellen 5
Kate 5
Agnes 4
Annie 4
Caroline 4
Anne 3
Emma 3
Harriet 3
Jane 3
Johanna 3
Julia 3
Lucy 3
Rose 3
Dora 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Hannah 2
Ann 1
Barbara 1
Beatrice 1
Cathrine 1
Cecilia 1
Eileen 1
Eliza 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Florance 1
Francis 1
Gwene 1
Helen 1
Helena 1
Honona 1
Isabella 1
Juliana 1
Kathleen 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Maud 1
Nelly 1
Rosetta 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 32
James 21
William 21
Thomas 16
Michael 12
Patrick 11
Joseph 9
Andrew 5
Edward 5
Martin 4
Albert 3
Dennis 3
Nicholas 3
Thos. 3
Alfred 2
Francis 2
George 2
Mathew 2
Peter 2
Wm. 2
Affred 1
Ambrose 1
Charles 1
Cyril 1
Daniel 1
Danl. 1
Denis 1
Edmund 1
Edw. 1
Ernest 1
Fenton 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Jas. 1
Jeremiah 1
Lawrence 1
Mark 1
Matthew 1
Micl.C. 1
Pathrick 1
Philip 1
Reginald 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Rody 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Brophy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brophy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 394 people were recorded with the Brophy surname. That placed it at #8,055 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brophy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,807 in 2016. That gives Brophy a modern rank of #3,502.

What does the Brophy surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Bróithe, meaning "descendant of Bróth," a personal name meaning "anger" or "fierceness."

What does the Brophy map show?

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